3d view is cluttered with smooth edges that are often not relevant

[grd]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Version

0.20 (Release)

Forum thread

https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?t=78130

Subproject(s) affected?

Core

Problem description

Smooth edges would be very welcome. Right now there exist only hard edges in the view. My idea would be to introduce two buttons (I hope for four but I think that the other two would be impossible). The two buttons are shaded and shaded with edges. The two other buttons would be wire frame and hidden edges. The position of the buttons I don't know yet.

Anything else?

No response

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[adrianinsaval]

There is no reason to deviate from the current UI, such a display style shall be added as another command on the display styles dropdown.

Please describe better the problem and what the solution should do (in terms of functionality), try to include pictures. Specify, what are hard edges for you? what are smooth edges? What is the missing functionality?

The two buttons are shaded and shaded with edges. The two other buttons would be wire frame and hidden edges

most of these are already available...

flat lines=shaded with edges
hidden line is unfortunately not what you would expect but rather a view of all the mesh edges

[maxwxyz]

Similar to: #5583
Is there a possibility to display the parts in a shaded view for all rounded edges and only display the hard edges with a line style? This would result in a shaded view combined with edges but without smooth edges.

Especially for complex cast parts like housings or when working with surfaces it is helpful to identify hard vs smooth edges. It allows to quickly see hard edges for e.g. a spotface or helps to see the continuity of a surface. Also, in complex parts, too many edges are more disturbing than helping but often you need to select or use the sharp edges for new features or as references.

In CATIA and NX, you can use a specific composite rendering style to shade the surfaces of an object with its edges, except the smooth ones. A smooth edge is an edge that does not break the continuity of the geometry, contrary to a sharp edge.
Different render styles are shown here

When using surfacing or creating complex cast parts in Part Design which are set up with multiple positive and negative bodies (boolean) which result in a complex geometry this view / render style is very handy as it hides all (unnecessary) smooth edges and displays only the sharp / hard edges.
This is a not so complex casting model (housing) and even there the too many lines around all fillets are obstructing. Usually all negative parts for a e.g. a core are combined bodies which are then filleted and afterwards removed from the positive bodies.

[adrianinsaval]

ahh I forgot that request existed, it's essentially a duplicate, should we close the other one and keep this one or the other way around? I guess the only difference is that the other wants to have the smooth edges displayed but thinner/lighter than hard edges, that could be implemented as a preference for the display style.

[grd]

Adrian, you are completely right, why didn't you show us that before? Yet you were talking about how hard it is to make this happen. But to me there is still one issue open and that is hidden lines, like this:

And the issue of Max is still relevant.

[adrianinsaval]

why didn't you show us that before?

I spoke of this... https://forum.freecad.org/viewtopic.php?p=682650#p682650

Yet you were talking about how hard it is to make this happen.

That is not what I said, I said we don't know how to efficiently detect the smooth edges right now, that it was likely possible but not using HLR directly. I said the UI was already there and what is missing is the actual functionality to show or not smooth edges. From the get go I've been trying to get people focused on the actual missing functionality and how to implement it.

[grd]

Never mind, we both said things.