topic Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con in Modeling

Another use for "Special Point Constraint" control

Stress Co_ — Tue, 23 May 2023 15:22:22 GMT

This maybe nothing new, but....

Use it to move an existing object (wall, line, toilet, etc.) a set distance away from another object. For a bad example: a toilet has been placed, and I want to move it...... so it's 18” from the centerline of the toilet, to the edge of the adjacent wall.

1. Select toilet.
2. Command D (Edit-Drag)
3. “D” (to activate “special point constraint”)
4. Select center point of toilet
5. Move pointer in direction of move.
6. Hit “R” & input distance (Shift before R if you want to “lock in angle”)
7. Return
8. Drag the cursor to the edge of wall.

Is there an easier to do the same? I used to drag “the object” to the “other object” and then drag it back away the necessary distance. This way I probably save 2.375 seconds out of my day, but I like that.

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 15:26:58 GMT

Stress wrote:
5. Move pointer in direction of move.

Should this be in the opposite direction that you want to move?

try this

1 select object
2 control d (drag)
3 select center point to drag from
4 move curser (holding shift) to wall edge you want to offset object off of
5 type R
6 input desired offset followed by +(plus) or -(minus)
7 hit return

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Ralph Wessel — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:42:20 GMT

Stress wrote:
Use it to move an existing object (wall, line, toilet, etc.) a set distance away from another object. For a bad example: a toilet has been placed, and I want to move it...... so it's 18” from the centerline of the toilet, to the edge of the adjacent wall.
...
Is there an easier to do the same? I used to drag “the object” to the “other object” and then drag it back away the necessary distance.

I might be missing something you've already said, but setting a custom origin point is the easiest way to move an object to a position relative to another object.

You can pick up the object to be moved in the same way you suggested, but then move your pointer over the datum point and press shift-alt (Win) or shift-option (Mac). This repositions the origin point to whatever point you were snapped to, so you are free to place the object as if it had been on the datum point to start with. All the coordinate values (x/y/r/a) will all be relative to that point.

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:13:03 GMT

You can pick up the object to be moved in the same way you suggested, but then move your pointer over the datum point and press shift-alt (Win) or shift-option (Mac). This repositions the origin point to whatever point you were snapped to, so you are free to place the object as if it had been on the datum point to start with. All the coordinate values (x/y/r/a) will all be relative to that point.

Does this assume that the toilet (for discussion sake) is already in the correct position? How can you define a datum point 18" from the center line of the toilet (used in the example) if there is nothing to snap to already at that point? I must not understand your methodology or the use of the term "datum point". Thanks.

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Ralph Wessel — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 17:43:51 GMT

Mike wrote:
You can pick up the object to be moved in the same way you suggested, but then move your pointer over the datum point and press shift-alt (Win) or shift-option (Mac).
Does this assume that the toilet (for discussion sake) is already in the correct position? How can you define a datum point 18" from the center line of the toilet (used in the example) if there is nothing to snap to already at that point?

The point about using the special point constraint to snap to the centre of the toilet is perfectly valid - I don't have anything to add to that.

However, I thought it help to point out that you can set the origin point anywhere you like while dragging an object in order to move it relative to that point. The original posting didn't mention this, so it might help.

You can set the origin onto any snap point by pressing shift-alt (Win) or shift-option (Mac). If you do this while dragging, you can then specify an x/y/r/a offset from that point, not the one you originally dragged from (see the illustration). In this case I could type y -18" (or snap along the wall and type r -18", etc)

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 18:01:36 GMT

You guys are really making this wa-a-a-y too complicated

1. Make the circled node in the attached picture your placement node
2. get a check mark with your cursor in the corner where the arrow is

Let's say you want the center of the WC to be 18" from the horizontal wall and 6" from the vertical wall

3. type y 0-18+
4. type x 0-6-
5. type Enter (Return)

Done.

woodster

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 18:03:35 GMT

I thought it help to point out that you can set the origin point anywhere you like while dragging an object in order to move it relative to that point. The original posting didn't mention this, so it might help.

Thanks for the clarification. Sometimes I am just a little slow

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Ralph Wessel — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 18:11:04 GMT

woodster wrote:
You guys are really making this wa-a-a-y too complicated

1. Make the circled node in the attached picture your placement node
2. get a check mark in the corner where the arrow is

I think the original post was for cases where the node you circled doesn't exist, i.e. a toilet symbol which doesn't have a hotspot in the centre. In that case, you can use the Special Point Constraint to project the centrepoint.

I was trying (perhaps not too well) to show how you do your second step - setting the 'check mark' or origin position - with a keypress.

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Stress Co_ — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 18:23:48 GMT

Ralph wrote:

I think the original post was for cases where the node you circled doesn't exist,

It was more a case of not knowing how to use the method Ralph and Woodster suggest. Like I said, I was dragging the toilet to the wall and then dragging it back 18". Thinking back "ArchiLink" showed me the coord. method, but it never sank in (til now). I started using SPC and it's become habit.

It is a different (maybe not better) way to use the tool.

Cheers,
Marc

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 19:49:45 GMT

Stress wrote:
Ralph wrote:

I think the original post was for cases where the node you circled doesn't exist,

It was more a case of not knowing how to use the method Ralph and Woodster suggest. Like I said, I was dragging the toilet to the wall and then dragging it back 18". Thinking back "ArchiLink" showed me the coord. method, but it never sank in (til now). I started using SPC and it's become habit.,Marc

But is it not easier to 'drag & drag back'? ...and faster. Keying in two sets of numbers is probably slower. But it is interesting as a teacher of archicad to see how different minds work!

Re: Another use for "Special Point Constraint" con

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2005 20:18:11 GMT

HANIEL wrote:
But is it not easier to 'drag & drag back'? ...and faster. Keying in two sets of numbers is probably slower. But it is interesting as a teacher of archicad to see how different minds work!

easier to place the object once, drag & drag back, faster than putting your cursor onto a known point, telling the program how far away from that point to place the WC once and hitting the Enter key... I think not.

Further, if you use the proper placement method (see attached) you don't even have to worry about the orientation of the object until the placement point has already been set in the drawing.

woodster