However, it should also be possible to use faces inside blocks as the source for auto-cplane!
I came across this because VisualArq objects (slabs, walls, …) are dynamic blocks, and thus e.g. the vertical face of a wall, the sloped surface of a roof, of the leaf of a door cannot be used with auto-cplane. Quite a restriction.
If this requires a plug-in, then this is not something that we can fix.
It’s not possible to sub-object select sub-objects inside a block. While that’s something else, it’s a show-stopper for aligning the CPlane to a sub-object in a block.
While testing this, I see that sub-object selecting curves in a block, the AutoCPlane aligns to those, but it doesn’t do that when sub-object selecting surfaces. I’ve put that on the list as RH-85841 CPlane: AutoAlign: Doesn’t Align to Srf in Block
From your description, this is unlikely to affect the behavior you wish for.
-wim
Thanks, Wim! You got me right, it’s about aligning to faces inside regular blocks.
I just mentioned VisualArq, because it generates blocks (parametrically), but the blocks could come from anywhere else. So, if this works in Rhino itself, it will for VA, too.
(For those wanting to use Rhino+VA as a full-fledged BIM solution (or improve as such), this is an important feature.)
Aren’t ‘selecting’ and ‘aligning to’ not somewhat different things?
Just tested the command ‘EditLightByHighlight’, and it is obviously able to ‘feel’ the face normal of any faces, no matter if they are in a block or not, even from nested blocks.
If that is possible, there might be a way to derive the CPlane from blocks, too.
No, not a light in a block (which, besides, would be another nice to have).
I just took a point light and used EditLightByHighlight to align it to the surface of a block in a block. My point being: there’s already a way to get the face normal of faces inside blocks.
Edit: Ok, let me guess: this command works on the render mesh, not the actual faces in the blocks…
This is a case where you run a command, and while the command is running, you can snap to objects. Snapping to blocks is no problem.
AutoCPlane is not a command that you run and then snap to an object. It’s a mode. You simply select something and the CPlane aligns. That is fundamentally different.
We could throw the current functionality away and make users run a command to align a CPlane, but we already have the CPlane command that lets you do that…
-wim