topic Re: Alt-click existing object in Modeling

Alt-click existing object

Barry Kelly — Tue, 23 May 2023 14:55:05 GMT

Alt-clicking (Syringe tool) an existing object in the models selects that object ready for a new instance.
This is fine.

But I just had pointed out to me that in version 12 alt-clicking on any node (hotspot) of the object will result in the original placement hotspot of that object being active for the new instance and not the node that you Alt-click on.

In previous versions you would be able to place the new instance by the node (hotspot) you Alt-click on.

For example place a chair with the centre hotspot.
Now Alt-click a corner node of the placed chair.
In version 11 and previous you will now be able to place a new chair by the corner node.
In version 12 you can only place the chair by the centre node unless you open the object settings to change it.

Is this a bug or a feature?
I would say bug!
I like the old way.

Barry.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Eduardo Rolon — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:03:39 GMT

If true I say bug.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Rod Jurich — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:58:16 GMT

Barry wrote:
/...
I would say bug!
I like the old way.

Barry, check your version, latest is 2523
IMO a .............

Re: Alt-click existing object

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:52:27 GMT

Barry wrote:
In previous versions you would be able to place the new instance by the node (hotspot) you Alt-click on.

Ooh, nice tip! I didn't know this! I can't even see this in the manual!

I have noticed a small inconsistency in AC11 though. If you don't click on a node (i.e. anywhere else within the boundary of the object) it seems to move the highlighted hotspot back to the default position, regardless to where it was before, which is a pain. I would prefer if the hotspot stayed in the position is was in the original object when not selecting a node. It's not particularly helpful when it returns to the default position.

You are right though, it sort-of works in AC11 but not in the most up-to-date 12.

Neither version works the way they probably should!

Re: Alt-click existing object

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:44:08 GMT

I would say its a feature. If I want to replicate an object's properties I want to do so for all of them, including insertion point, no matter where I click on the original object. I never did get that.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Barry Kelly — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:38:19 GMT

s2art wrote:
I would say its a feature. If I want to replicate an object's properties I want to do so for all of them, including insertion point, no matter where I click on the original object. I never did get that.

But if you have placed several objects in a plan all with different insertion points, how do you know which one to Alt-click?
Far easier just being able to click the node you want on any object.

This has been reported to GS AUS and they are passing it on to HQ.

Barry.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Barry Kelly — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:46:01 GMT

"Rod Jurich" wrote:
Barry, check your version, latest is 2523

Yep latest version - profile is now updated.

Barry.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Barry Kelly — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:54:41 GMT

Peter wrote:
I have noticed a small inconsistency in AC11 though. If you don't click on a node (i.e. anywhere else within the boundary of the object) it seems to move the highlighted hotspot back to the default position, regardless to where it was before, which is a pain. I would prefer if the hotspot stayed in the position is was in the original object when not selecting a node. It's not particularly helpful when it returns to the default position.

I can live with this and is the way it should work in my opinion.
Click on the exact node you want and that becomes the insertion point.
Click on any part of the background (only works if the object has a background fill) and the default hotspot becomes the insertion node.
I set most of our objects up so that the default hotspot is the one you would expect to use the most for insertion.

Barry.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Brett Brown — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:09:33 GMT

This needs to be fixed or changed back to how it is in 11. Without this, using the latest "Visual Legend Favorites" would be a waste of time, and null and void the speed increase using this system which relies on alt click

Re: Alt-click existing object

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:37:21 GMT

Barry wrote:
s2art wrote:
I would say its a feature. If I want to replicate an object's properties I want to do so for all of them, including insertion point, no matter where I click on the original object. I never did get that.
But if you have placed several objects in a plan all with different insertion points, how do you know which one to Alt-click?
...

Barry.

To be honest 99% of the time I click within an object rather than searching around for a node point. I just find it quicker and easier, and its not normally an issue.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Erika Epstein — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:20:38 GMT

I've missed this feature. Wastes so much time not being able to place elements smartly.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 02:24:47 GMT

Hotspot clicking seems to work again in AC15!

Re: Alt-click existing object

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 02:45:29 GMT

Peter wrote:
Hotspot clicking seems to work again in AC15!

Thanks, Peter! That makes my day. Mostly. I'm realizing now that we need an iconic feedback in the eyedropper to distinguish between hotspots and hotlines.

For example, the default object in the US template is Armchair 01 15. You can click on corners of this chair, thinking you are eyedroppering (great word, eh?) a hotspot - and then find the insertion point at the middle of the front of the seat. Selecting the object, it turns out that the actual hotspots are out in space, around the corners. If one is smart enough to click in the wild blue yonder on one of these hotspots, then things work.

For objects that have hotspots on their actual geometry, things are as they used to be.

This new 'glitch' is because hotlines / hotarcs were introduced in the time that this was broken. The eyedropper turns black on the linework identically to when hovering over a hotspot. This should be changed somehow. Perhaps the pre-selection highlight (default blue) of the object when eyedroppering over a hotspot/hotline/hotarc should also highlight the hotspots so that one can see them even if they are floating in space, as with this armchair.

See attached. Chair at right in green is selected - bounding editable hotspots display. Chair at left is pre-selected with the eyedropper (screen capture did not capture the eyedropper cursor): only the linework is highlighted in bold blue, so user has no clue as to where the hotspots are.

What do you and others think of showing hotspots during pre-selection? Is that something we should ask for?

Cheers,
Karl

PS All of the cursor icons are black and white, as they have been for 20+ years. I think it would also be useful if the cursor icons that "fill" to indicate that you've hit something would use colors for feedback of what was clicked on. For example, clicking on a regular or editable hotspot might fill the eyedropper with the (user-customized via WE) color for those types of hotspots. So, in the screenshot, I'd get a magenta-filled eyedropper if I clicked on one of the editable hotspots...clicking on linework would give me the pre-selection color...etc...

Re: Alt-click existing object

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:18:00 GMT

How about having another On Screen View Option to control the display of object handles, exactly the way we can with text and figures. I don't think I'd mind seeing the nodes even when not selected as it would give useful visual information to prevent accidental snapping to them.

The insertion node would also then always be highlighted over the other nodes making it even easier to aim for!

And I wouldn't 'object' (groan!) to different colour eyedropper cursors depending on what it was selecting either.

Re: Alt-click existing object

Barry Kelly — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:23:37 GMT

I agree that hotspots should show when pre-selecting.
They are an important part of the objects geometry/properties.

If they did show then we might not need the change in the cursor to differentiate between hotspots and hotlines.
But that could still be a good feature.

Actually I just discovered the cursor does change between hotspot (eye dropper with solid fill) and a hotline (eye dropper with line inside).

The armchair has a fill which activates the eye dropper with the fill inside the same as a hotspot.
So maybe we need an eye dropper with a tick for hotspots - the same as the standard mouse cursor?

Anyway we could definitely do with hotspots showing with pre-selection.

Barry.