[FR] Revert the Rotated Rectangle tool for prior to 2017 state?

SketchUp Feature Requests
1

Sketchup 2017 destroyed my favorite tool. I’ve asked it before but I’ll ask it again as the request is probably lost in oblivion.

The current rotated rectangle state isn’t good to go:

  • You can easilly draw a rectangle with 3 clicks which is fine, as before. For the third click to be accurate though, you need to have geometry in the model already. So either you happen to have it, which is rare or you need to use other tool like the line or tape measure for reference which is an extra step;
  • The extra step above was, prior to 2017 avoidable in 90% of the cases. You’d draw the line with two clicks and then you’d point into direction of the plane and simply typed in a distance. It was visual, intuitive, a nice use of the inference system and thus perfect. It was the perfect way to draw accurate rectangles but you changed it.
  • Now, in 2017 version, you have to draw the line with two clicks and you can use the inference system to point in the right direction, but when you type the distance it doesn’t work. Sketchup still asks you to define an angle first. This is counter intuitive at best…

I understand that this is meant for us to find a second plane that forms an angle from the plane we were infering to. I’m sure that if I needed to do it I would fail at first try and would input a wrong angle or would have to change positive for negative values. If I needed to do that, I’d definetelly use auxiliary geometry like guidelines or other geometry.

Just like before… Visual, intuitive, fast and a single click or value input.

However I never needed to do that anytime in my life. What I need to permanently do is use the inference system to find my plane and click or input a distance. Nothing more.

Right now I have to first input a 0º angle and a distance. Why does the 0º input angle imposes itself uselessly on 99,9% of the times, in my case 100%.

IF you want to allow for the user to input the angle in the command, why not allow the following:

  • Draw the line with two clicks;
  • Point to the plane and:
    A) Input distance and hit enter and the rectangle is done 99,9% of the times;
    B) Input distance and angle and hit enter and the rectangle is done with the correct angle from the infered plane 0,1% of the times.

Wouldn’t everyone’s needs be covered in this case? Or am I the only one that likes to point and click at things as with every other sketchup tool?

I love sketchup because I can think visually and never miss, and not mathmatically and always miss.

Please consider this and revert to the best tool we had. :wink:

Thanks,

João

3 Likes
2

(Sorry for the Ranting…)

If you want to keep it the way it is, why not create two rectangle tools? The one we used for years and the one we only need on that special occasion.

Thanks again.

3

before the second click you can enter the width as a distance…

before the third click you can enter angle,length or in your case use ;

but, like other SU tools, you can use ‘nothing’ as a value…

angle-only,nothing i.e. 55,

nothing,length-only i.e. ,789

if you use angle-only,<nothing> you can then drag the length or enter a distance at that ‘locked’ angle…

when you use <nothing>,length-only, the current angle is set and the input switches to width,length for further modification of those only…

my thinking is that all three should be available at the end i.e. width,angle,length and any could be bypassed with ‘nothing’ ,,40 would only change the length…

john

4

I understand, but I would reverse the order.

I know that now, if I have alread found a plane through inference, I have to do this:

1 - Click starting point;
2 - Point and click second point (or infer direction and hit a distance);
3 - Point and click third point.

OR

3 - Infer a plane direction;
4 - establish an angle and a distance i.e. 45; .5

OR IF I don’t want to change the plane angle, which is 99% of the cases:

3 - Infer a plane direction
4 - assume no angle = ;.5

This ;.5 is cumbersome and unneeded as honestly, you have infered a plane to start with so I would like:

3 - Infer a plane direction;
4 - Input a distance .5. DONE

IF you want to also input an angle then

3 - Inver a plane direction
4 - Infer a distance first and an angle later .5;45

The result is the same BUT the difference is huge as:

  • Everyone will have to input a distance to finish the command no matter what so distance is key;
  • Not everyone will need the angle, so angle is optional.

However by forcing us to define an angle first and then the distance we are always being forced to think about something we don’t need and input nothing or zero. What’s the sense in that?

If, most of the time, the value is , why should I input ?

If the angle would be after the distance and I wouldn’t input the ; then the distance would be assumed and the angle would be 0, zero, .

That would then make the tool work for every user on earth even for basic needs like mine, without extra effort for people who don’t need it and with exactly the same effort for people that need it.

It seems an insignificant thing for many users, but for me it’s the reason I stopped using one of the tools I used the most.

5

I agree completely.
The 2017 implementation really slows down the workflow.
It would be so much easier if the distance is entered first and angle second (if there is a user defined one, otherwise it defaults to inferenced angle)
This is how it works with every other CAD program I’ve used and how it should be done for Sketchup as well.

2 Likes
6

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