WISH - Orient Camera to Clipping Plane

[Norsemen23]

Hi RMA,

Would it be possible to add functionality to orient the camera to the clipping plane? Basically, the same and OrientCameraToSrf but with a clipping plane.

Thanks,

Andrew

[BrianJ (Brian James)]

I believe this is something @rajaa has in the section tools plugin and I think it may be added to the sole clipping plane. She might be able to say more.

[Norsemen23]

It looks like you are correct. I am using clipping planes in detail so I did not want to use section tools. I know there was talk a while back regarding incorporating section tools into the main code of rhino to give it some deeper access to functions - is that still happening?

-A

[BrianJ (Brian James)]

@Norsemen23

is that still happening?

Maybe, I was in a meeting recently where this was being discussed on a technical level and it sounds like a big project but one we think would be useful to undertake. What do you think? Is Section Tools with all it’s options what you need or do you like the quick and simple Clipping Plane in v5? Combining these seems logical but brings about a bunch of workflow questions. That’s where your feedback would be great.

[Philip]

@Norsemen23

there was talk a while back regarding incorporating section tools into the main code of rhino

I’d like to have this too, thanks

@BrianJ

Is Section Tools with all it’s options what you need or do you like the quick and simple Clipping Plane in v5

I’d personally first would like to have ‘quick and simple’ - which could expanded later…
Thanks!

Philip

[fraguada (Luis Fraguada)]

Does this workflow solve your issue?

@fraguada

First start by defining the CPlane. This can be derived from the clipping plane object (_CPlane _Object) with the clipping plane selected. This might not be the exact orientation, so you could also try _CPlane _3Point and derive the CPlane from the corners of the Clipping Plane. Then you can use the _SetView _CPlane _Top to switch the view to be oriented towards the object. Is this what you are after? In the image I post I saved the CPlane as a Named CPlane in case I need it later…

from: How can i do it? - #4 by wim

[Norsemen23]

@BrianJ

Is Section Tools with all it’s options what you need or do you like the quick and simple Clipping Plane in v5

I like Section Tools a lot and it has some awesome features I’d like to see worked in with Clipping Planes. The ability to hatch cut objects, generate reports and lay the sections out but I primarily section a model up for layouts and do so only in details. I like being able to keep my model intact and turn on 1 clipping plane per detail to show my section. I am a big believer in the one source of data and not to develop additional things just for a manufacturing layout. I feel that Section Tools relies too much on model space and I have had to make multiple copies of my object to display exactly what I want to. It would be really great to see Section Tools features incorporated more into layouts - doing it through Clipping Planes would make it a uniform approach but in the interim adding more features to Section Tools may be beneficial

[Norsemen23]

Hi Fraguada,

That does solve my workflow - I actually did it a different way: I made a temporary surface that is parallel to my Clipping Plane, orientated the camera to that surface, saved the view and deleted the surfaces

[BrianJ (Brian James)]

Thanks for the specific feedback. @brian @rajaa @stevebaer are involved here and can speak to what can technically be done in any effort to combine clipping planes and section tools.

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

@Norsemen23

I am a big believer in the one source of data and not to develop additional things just for a manufacturing layout. I feel that Section Tools relies too much on model space and I have had to make multiple copies of my object to display exactly what I want to.

I couldn’t agree more.