WISH: specialized gumball for control points

Rhino
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1

Hi all.

Working with SubD, etc etc…
2023-06-01 13_24_58-ScreenToGif - Editor

When selecting a control point (or “grip”), the option “Align to Object” is limited to having Z (blue) gumball axis/arrow aligned to local normal and Y (green) arrow aligned to local V direction (if it is a surface).

What about Mesh/SubD?
" … just align the blue arrow to vertex normal and we are good to go!"
2023-06-01 13_26_33-Untitled - Rhino 7 Commerciale - Perspective
… :confused:

This is what we could have:


(and probably anyone working with Blender or other software know many more ways to improve the situation).

Not only for Mesh/SubD, even with surfaces any control point have 4 connected neighbor control points
(-U/+U and -V/+V), thus 4 directions… but different directions! … + normal.
So a total of 5 different directions.
A “rigid gumball” have only 3 axes (and those axes always perpendicular each-other) is not really useful.
Most of my time I’m using Scale3D command to move a grip towards/away from a neighbor, but this require many more clicks.

Drag mode to ControlPolygon? Tricky, with osnap on (and many analysis mode that make your object visible like in wireframe mode) it’s a mess, you are going to snap to something unwanted 1/3 of the times. And you don’t have normal direction (big loss).
Turning on and off osnap is an anti-solution again. Same with pressing and holding ALT key.
And doing small movements is even more tricky.

MoveUVN? Let’s not even mention it!

We need gumball to change when “Align to Object” on and selecting grips.
More arrows, one for each direction (and no arc/rotation handles if only a single point is selected).
OR
A new “Gumball 2” to turn on. A gumball specific and dedicated to work with grips and control net.

The idea (my idea) is that the user should have the UI/UX always ready. Having to “prepare” the UI for a dedicated workflow means you will have to exit/revert that setup.
Like drag to ControlPolygon, you have to turn it on, but also turn it off. All the time.
MoveUVN? Another floating window to turn on/off (and generally it’s a bad tool, sorry)
We need something that automatically pops when needed, and disappear when done.
Did you select some grips? Here the “Gumball 2”! Unselected grips? Vanished.
No more clicks/options required.

Make us dream, guys!

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Hi. It is a great idea!
Maybe it would make sense to have this ‘Gumball 2’ integrated in the Move UVN tool, so the user has the option to either manipulate directly on the model with those arrows you propose or from the window with the typical sliders (which is more time-consuming to use from my point of view).

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Hi Riccardo -
Ctrl-drag in ControlPolygon mode gets you a normal constraint. As for ‘incorrect’ snaps, I use Tab direction lock extensively with ControlPolygon mode. I do understand it could be a lot more fluid, but just fyi, in case it helps in the short term.

-Pascal

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That’s good to know. Thank you for pointing this out.

Still, dragmode controlpolygon doesn’t fit well while gumball is active. You have to continuously de-select to have gumball disappear. Or you have to disable gumball.
It’s a continue enable this, disable that, do twister with fingers over tab/ctrl/alt/shift modifier keys (which I would prefer not, as I use 3d mouse).

Rhino have countless ways, in a way or another you do everything. As always.

I’m imagining a more modern gumball. 0 extra clicks. 0 modifiers.

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I’m all in for these ideas to become reality. I myself suggested similar ideas in other topics and hopefully the “McNeel” team will take the need for better control point editing seriously.

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