offset tracker - is this a bug?

[Patrick M]

Can anyone verify this is replicable on their computer? is this a work environment hang-up or something else I am not aware of? I thought this worked for all axis before; not sure what is limiting the tracker origin reset to just the positive X direction...

https://youtu.be/giVpuS7FCV4

[Barry Kelly]

No it does not work as you have shown - I am not sure exactly why.

But there is no need to use option+shift to reset the origin.

Drag from left to right but do not press option+shift (alt+shift on windows) to reset the origin point.

Just type 10- to have it do the maths for you.

Being metric, you have to press minus twice.

So drag to where you want to measure from and then 10-- (10 minus minus).

Barry.

[Laszlo Nagy]

To add some background to what Barry suggested:

Those distances you see in the Tracker are calculated from the Edit Origin (the little black X - it is called the "Edit Origin" while you are editing elements).

At 00:43 in your video, when you start offsetting the left vertical edge of the polygon, notice that the Edit Origin is at the point on the edge from where you started the Offset operation. When you press OPT+SHIFT (ALT+SHIFT on Windows) at 00:49 in your video, notice that the Edit Origin is relocated to the Blue Snap Point at your cursor and from that point on, distances in the Tracker are measured from that point. If now you move your cursor a bit towards the origin point of the Offset operation, you will see that the Tracker displays a positive number, as it measures the distance from the current Edit Origin towards the origin point of the Offset operation, and now considers that the positive direction. So if you now type "-10", that will move the edge in the other direction, which is to the right of the current Edit Origin, and will give the result you see after the operation.

So you always have to be aware of where the Edit Origin is, and what direction becomes the positive direction after a change in the Edit Origin.

[Eduardo Rolon]

That is not entirely correct, there is more nuance here and more things broken. Using Imperial Units since before AC08 you were able to:

1. place the cursor at a point (don't need to move the temporary origin)
2. Wait for the checkmark
3. Type either X or Y
4. Type ## (for Distance) and + (to go to the right) or - - (minus, minus to go left)
5. This is broken in 27 and I have reported it since before the Beta with no success though I was promised that they were working on a fix.

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See here…

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/Archicad-27-Tracker-Input-glitch-using-forwa...

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AC25 vs AC26

Example using 18/ for 18"

In 25 typing: X 18/+ moves the cursor 18" (1'-6") to the right

In 27 it moves it 18 feet…

 

[Patrick M]

Barry, I am not trying to offset the edge 10'; I am trying to offset the edge so that the full distance is 10'. It works as expected in the +x vector, but literally every other direction does not work.
Even if it works as you suggest with 10- or 10--, it is problematic that it works differently for different directions/orientations. A feature as simple as editing tracker inputs should by all standards be consistent for all directions it is being used for. The fact that I have to use different method for setting a distance ot the left, up or down than I use for right is weird. Eliminate the cntrl+shift option if it only works for one direction

[Patrick M]

and actually, you need to use 2 methods; 10- does not work going right; so you need 10-- or cntrl+shift 10 to get the offset to equal 10'

this is only not a broken feature in the same way that my busted up VW with the engine torn down on an engine stand is a perfectly purring classic car

[Eduardo Rolon]

Remember that if Units are set to Feet - Inches you need to type - - to go in the negative direction.

Independently the Tracker is broken since they introduced math there. Basically they forgot that there are 2 unit systems and broke the one for the USA.

[Barry Kelly]

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@Patrick M wrote:

Barry, I am not trying to offset the edge 10'; I am trying to offset the edge so that the full distance is 10'. It works as expected in the +x vector, but literally every other direction does not work.

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The method I explained is not moving the edge to the right by 10 feet.

It is moving to the edge of the hole in the middle (do not press option+shift), and then moving 10 feet (negative) away from the hole by inputting 10 in the tracker and subtracting it from the value already in there.

So you are subtracting from the value shown in the tracker which is why you don't reset it to zero with option+shift.

Barry.

[Patrick M]

but you do see how this is a ####show of a ### situation? like, it works one way in one direction, and works another way in every other direction... get rid of the broken option or make it work for all options... 
it's things like this that have seasoned AC guys saying WTF and novices saying "well revit can..."; and thats the hardest thing for me to counter as an independent consultant, trainer, and advocate

[Barry Kelly]

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@Patrick M wrote:

but you do see how this is a ####show of a ### situation? like, it works one way in one direction, and works another way in every other direction... get rid of the broken option or make it work for all options... 

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To tell you the truth I have never noticed.

For one I am metric so I don't have the problem with - & / getting confused with feet and inches.

And I have never used option+shift (alt+shift) to reset my origin while stretching or moving something.

I just never got into the habit of doing that.

I always just stretch or move to where I want to measure from, type the distance and then + or - to add or subtract from that position.

I agree that your method should work equally well in both directions.

You would still have to 10- and not -10.

Actually I think your method does work - but a little change is needed.

Move the edge to where you want to measure from and press option+shift to reset the tracker distance to zero.

Now drag in the direction you want to go (left), type your distance (10) and enter.

No negatives or positives, as distance works by just moving in the direction you want to go before typing the figure.

Barry.