Please radically improve snapping to generated edge lines and vertices of objects in section views

[Paul King]

Currently, the attempt to do something as simple as snapping a line to the intersection of two roof planes in a section view is frustrated by a complete lack of edge line detection in section generated views

This is hard to forgive in what should be a mature product.

See attached screen capture.

[Barry Kelly]

You say section view, but your roof does not seem to be cut (no fill).

Not that it should matter.

You should be able to snap to anything in section, even edges of objects.

This image is from 22, but I have not noticed any problems in other versions.

The only other difference is I am Windows 10.

Is it all sections in all files?

Barry.

[Paul King]

Hi Barry - this is actually a cut roof, but the material is default 'timber-roof', which generates 'background' fill when cut.

Possibly related is that I can mouse pointer select the roof only by an area select method that happens to contain an edge node - clicking the roof (or any other element) directly (with or without quick select mode on) does nothing in section for me.

** EDIT ** With further testing I can see the issue is only evident (in AC 26 at least) when the vertical range has 'limited' ticked in section settings, but no lower and upper values have actually been entered. The section defaulted to this state when placed, which should arguably not be possible.

[Barry Kelly]

So something in the section is making the edges not selectable (obviously!).

I can't see anything in the section settings that will do this.

I just tried in 25 with a composite with empty fill and no skin line.

I could still snap to the top surface of the roof.

I can't think of any settings that would make edges in section unselectable.

Oh yes I can.

Check for duplicate elements in exactly the same space.

I just duplicated the roof and got exactly what you are seeing.

I can no longer select the edges in section.

Barry.

[Paul King]

Thanks Barry

In my case there are no duplicated elements, and all elements in the section view are similarly affected.  However by making the vertical range 'infinite' in section settings, the issue goes away.

I suspect by defaulting to 'Limited' but with no lower and upper bounds actually set, the section is telling ArchiCAD that there is no need to consider anything outside of that invalid range during editing - even though the section displays normally.

[Gerry Leonor]

yes, this has happened to alot of the earlier projects in the office i'm currently working for.

i don't really know why, but their default vertical range was set to this (0 & 0) & i was racking my brain trying to figure out why nothing was interacting with my 2D notations. immediately updated the template & now this error only occurs on rare occasions & working on older projects.

[Barry Kelly]

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@Paul King wrote:

However by making the vertical range 'infinite' in section settings, the issue goes away.

I suspect by defaulting to 'Limited' but with no lower and upper bounds actually set, the section is telling ArchiCAD that there is no need to consider anything outside of that invalid range during editing - even though the section displays normally.

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With no heights set the section will look 'normal' because you are not seeing the background contrast between the area within the range and that outside it.

Anything outside the range is effectively ignored, and with zero limits, that means the entire section.

Interesting that you can still select with the Quick Select (magnet) - nothing like consistency.

If you can't sect the edges you shouldn't be able to select the fills.

I guess the zero limit problem is why that have put the warning triangle there.

But I agree, it should just not allow you to set a zero height range.

And there should be a note there to say elements outside the range will not be selectable - not just incorrectly displayed.

Or they should not display at all like when they are partly cut by the range.

Barry.

[Paul King]

And I have to wonder why sections would default to an invalid range limited section view when a marker is placed?

Unless user happens to open up section settings, there is nothing to tip the user off that there is even a problem (until the bizarre behaviour when snapping to 3D objects in section is noticed) because on screen it looks more or less like a standard infinite range section, and 2D elements placed on it can still be selected and snap to each other normally in themselves.

Perhaps someone else can confirm, but I suspect this is not just a result of bad section settings following through from some past project of mine - I encountered this on a fresh install of ArchiCAD 26, this is the first project I have used this install of AC26 for, the issue arose the first time I placed a section marker in the project, and pretty sure I just used the default template when creating the file.

Rather than prepopulating with '0' & '0' as the default top and bottom figures for limited range, a better default might be between a little beyond the lowest and highest of the defined stories.

[Gerry Leonor]

i too would like a graphic indicator that says "invalid vertical range"...

perhaps a big obvious watermark in in the view and/or an entirely greyed-out & dashed-line model.

i can imagine it'd take me a while of backtracking trying to remember this uncommon/rare glitch  & the fix to it, should i encounter it in the future.