Dimension tool controls

LayOut
#1
in the attached video I try to adjust the placement of the dimension lines. The controls that no-one ever wants, like rotating and moving the dimension to a different random place, gets in the way of the controls you actually want, so you can’t access them.

You want 3 things:

  • to be able to move the anchor, so that you adjust what is being dimensioned
  • to be able to adjust the placement of the dimension line, to align it with other dimensions
  • to adjust placement of text

All the other controls, you just don’t want them there. Especially when they get in the way of the real controls. Whats next here, that you can play your favorite playlist directly from within the dimension tool, or send mail within the tool? Make it simpler, so that it works.

(this is with the latest update to Layout)

#2

3
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here’s the actual tool, and sometimes if I get lucky, it turns up, right at the very beginning of my cursor movement

ok, so I know there’s a way to get the tool to show, by hovering OVER the dimension line. But that doesn’t really lend itself to a rational and fast work style.

#3

I agree that the way Layout does this is unintuitive. I can’t for the life of me think we you cannot lock orientation using the arrow keys. It seems so obvious. Nor why it is so difficult to line one dimension up with another. I often find I have to set it first in a place I don’t want and then move it to where I do. Not a big deal for one or two dims but a right pain if you have loads to do.

I have always thought I must be doing it wrong (and perhaps I am) but it should work in a much simpler way in my view.

1 Like
#4

I can’t say that I’ve had issues with dimensioning as Odd Håkon Byberg describes or with snapping, other than times where I’m trying to snap to a section cut where there is no SU linework below the section cut or because of sloppy SU grouping.

Which doesn’t happen much at all these days…

#5

So my videoclip is not real ? :slight_smile:

#6

I find myself trying the good old sketchup way of direction locking with shift sometimes :slight_smile:

#7

I hope I’ve understood you Odd_Haakon_Byberg

If this is what you mean then I appear to get the tool pretty much instantly…

dimensions
dimensions1242×955 123 KB

#8

Locking would fantastic!

#9

This looks a lot better than what I get. Maybe having the move tool always in your way is a Mac only “feature”. Also I don’t get the drag arrows symbol instantly when pointing right at the text, as you do.
.

#10

dimensions_01
dimensions_011242×955 92.4 KB

#11

I guess then that on a PC the moving of text is pretty instantly as well, and not like this:

#12

very occasionally I sometimes will get that working on a file but latter in the day it’ll be fine

probably something to do with what the rest of my computer is doing at the time…?

#13

i´m just guessing here, but I think our beloved coders at Trimble have the same new MacBook Pro15 that I have, and love their computers, but that they always boot it in Windows, and just do a basic check that the Mac version seems to work, before they ship it.

#14

In 1997 I spent more money than I could afford on the Apple Newton!

In the 2000s I was always tempted by the iMacs but I could not justify spending the money.

I’m very satisfied with my PC setup and so glad I’m not trying to use Layout on a Mac

As an aside a local wholesaler I know in the shared office, his minions have mini PC setups but taking centre stage is him with his iMac (or whatever it is these days) :wink:

1 Like
#15

Sketchup itself works just as well on the Mac thought, so its not all bad.

(except ifc import always crashes if the ifc is from Trimble Tekla)

#16

I do get the impression from many posts on this forum that SU/LO do work better on a PC. That’s a shame because I hate the idea of going back to the old days!

#17

I can’t stand my partner’s iPad - it drives me insane.

I hate to think what a Mac would be like!

#18

Well, Paul, having used both, I’ll tell you what it would be like.

Firstly, there’s the security issue. I do have anti-virus but suspect I don’t really need it. And apps are mostly vetted by Apple, so they can be relied upon too. All that constant vigilance and monitoring on a PC - gone!

Then there’s the video card issue. Endless posts on here are testament to the woes of PC users with the wrong video card or the right video card wrongly set up. With a Mac, nada.

I won’t try saying nothing ever goes wrong, but mostly it goes right. And if you’re not that keen on getting out the spanners and oily rag and diving under the bonnet, you are less likely to have to do so with a Mac.

I have a lot of friends who are programmers and sure, they all use PCs. But they have to because they are developing software for the majority. They also have an easy time when things go wrong because they know how to fix things.

But you know, you pays your money and you takes your pick!

#19

Macs are better for smaller businesses, as you never need to call the IT-department for anything, and don’t need to waste your time becoming an IT guy yourself. But we do get inferior, less tested software sometimes. And LO is probably an example of that. Everybody that complains about LO performance on the forums seems to be Mac users. And then we get updates to fix that, but the updates seems to be mostly tested on a pc. So that does not make sense. I updated SU/LO today and have had crashes in both. I have seen nothing of the faster SU model update in LO, quite the contrary. Even with the new M1 Macs coming I don’t think they can make up for the lack of attention the Mac version of LO is getting. The programmers should probably use the Mac more, and they would surely see for themselves the stuff that doesn’t work well.

#20

In fairness, I suspect developers know very well the shortcomings but they have to make commercial decisions about where to spend development time. Sadly, when you are in a minority group, you will tend to get less attention. That is probably the long and the short of it.