Hello All and just curious to know if there is a way to constrain arc direction. I used Shift to lock a line direction and the arrow keys up, down (blue), right(red) and left(green) and for auto-fold. It is pain in the butt sometimes to get the arc to the plane you need with out it jumping every were but to were you want. Especially when I zoom in close on a corner or such. Any advise, I tried to get the courser tip as close to the line that appears in the center of the arc to direct it. Sometime it just bounces all over. Would hope there is a way to constrain it. Thanks in advance…Peace…
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Shift also works for the Arc and Circle tools. Hover the cursor over some existing geometry which is in the plane you want, then constraint the tool to that plane with Shift.
Thanks cat, I gave it a try and it seemed to help, I just have to deal with it. Just getting it started in the direction is a pain sometime and just thought like the move tool I could select it then select the arrow key direction for the plane and it would be locked on. Just getting it to “move” in the blue direction is were I get frustrated!! I finally get it then it jumps back to green. Very touchy is my point and thought there was a trick in the book somewhere… No worries, will get by and thanks for the insight. Happy modeling!!..Peace…
Depending on the circumstances, it may just be easier to draw the arc flat on the ground plane and then just crank it up to the appropriate inclination afterward using the Rotate tool.
You may also consider temporarily rotating the axis system normal to the intended plane of the arc.
Toss these techniques into your bag of tricks, to be deployed as circumstances warrant.
-Gully
Cool and thanks for the time and that does make sense. They say the best practice for anything is practice but never asking for advice is worse then doing it wrong. I said in a earlier post I found out something by accident, to re-word it. I noticed an alternative or option and is great because it shows me it is sinking in. I had spent 6 months with the YouTube tutorials and ABC`s and they are now like muscle memory, I am not regimented so-to-say. So what was frustrating is now learned and ever replaced by something else which is very welcome to me. You still need to measure twice-cut once, but there is always one more way to skin a cat… Thanks for the input and will be back!!
…Peace…
As for rotating the plane of the arc, I found by making a small rect // cube and having it close by on the canvas. I can get three face selects for the protractor with the Shift key, so in a way it is sorta kinda getting there with going to the camera tab. I seen how to make hot keys-shortcuts and modify them from Windows>Preferences…I am getting there thou still a novice but still know there is a lot to consider and this has ENDLESS potential…THANKS
A fast way to prevent the snapping to the wrong direction is the rotation of the view nearly perpendicular to the desired direction…
Hey Cotty, thanks also. I tried that also and it helped to lock it in from the start so I can use the shift key to constrain it. I also went into my computers settings for mouse controls and slowed the courser speed down a bit. So in concentrating on what I think I have to do, like following the tutorials over in my head. You miss the obvious things or you missed what you should apply. ( if you can understand an anxious & excited newbie`s thoughts) Just need to relax and let it flow… I know I am on the right path and where to find good advise and answers!! THANKS ALL!!