The MoveUVN dialog is very useful, and more so if adding some small buttons for functionality that already exist in separate commands. Below the most frequent operations related to the use of this dialog.
SCALE PRESETS
In the MoveUVN dialog one can set the movement Scale by typing in a number.
Problem: Often one need to move spans of ControlPoints in UV direction, and then also making adjustments in the Normal direction. But UV movements are typically moved up to 10-100 times longer distances than the N movements, and so changing the Scale back and forth by editing the number field is both slow and error prone (plus it requires shift from mouse to keyboard and back again).
Solution: Add some basic presets under the number field. Perhaps also a slider. The following presets are useful and quick and easy to change by clicking the buttons:
AVERAGE POSITION
One typical adjustment of ControlPoints is to straighten out or flatten out the positions of the ControlPoints in a CP row. The dialog could have a cmd button for this, and so making it quick and simple to align all ControlPoints in a row to its average position for that direction with a One-Click button. Place such a button to the right of the each of the U, V and N sliders. See picture:
Usage: Often it’s good enough for a start to just quickly align all the CPs in a row to its average positions value (for a direction) instead of having to run SetPt and peek along the row to find a suitable point, and then pick that point as a reference point for alignment of the rest of the CPs on the row.
COLORED ISOCURVES
I also find it lacking that the UV directions are not visible (on surfaces) unless selecting a ControlPoint, or starting the Rebuild command (and then canceling, if only checking the UV directions). Tiresome.
When having complex surfaces one often have to make a “patchwork” in order to get good edge matching, but then it becomes time consuming to check the UV directions. And when finding out the directions, they are also difficult to remember.
For this reason I think it should be an option to display the Isocurves using the UV colors (different color for Isocurves in the different directions), and only add the direction arrows when activating a related command.
BUTTON COLOR
And while at it, please use UV-colors for the arrows on the U & V buttons as well. Seeing the color/directions on the surface should associate with the same color on the button, as to avoid logically processing a “translation” everytime focus is shifted from the surface to the dialog (tiring).
SMART-OPENING THE UVN DIALOG
ControlPoints On: At last, why not have the option (checkbox) to automagically activate ControlPoints when running/opening the MoveUVN dialog?
In general: All those separate (and in context, actually meaningless) extra commands and command sequences are time consuming and tiresome when having to repeat them over and over. Some commands are not used so frequently, at least not in the same work session, but commands and the dialog like MoveUVN can be in use for hours when working with complex shapes, and due to the lack of overview, mistakes are frequent.
COLORFUL
And please, use the direction colors all over the dialog, on text and symbols, like so:
[Edit: Added checkbox for UV colored Isocurves (and/or the lines between ControlPoints)]
// Rolf