Wishlist Item - Temporary Dimensions

[Cadguru42]

It seems like Autodesk could make C3D a lot more user friendly if it would add temporary dimensions and data to selections like Revit does. For instance, when selecting a feature line some glyphs would automatically pop up with the length & grade of the feature line. Make those editable just like how Revit does when you select an object.  It's annoying as hell trying to work with feature lines when you have to bring up a dialog box with the lengths & grades of a feature line, but when selecting a node the glyph for which one you're on is covered by the basic AutoCAD blue grip. Autodesk doesn't even allow you to resize the glyph, so you're either stuck with the inablity to not see the glyph without zooming or make the grips so small as to be useless. 

This could actually be a part of core AutoCAD and work for almost any object. I know they tried something similar with the Quick Properties, but it just doesn't work as easily as what I'm proposing.

[AllenJessup]

That does sound interesting. In the mean time _AeccCgSList is quick and doesn't require opening a dialog box.

Allen

[mathewkol]

The Quick Elevation Edit tool does pretty much what you want. Never seen Revit in action like that, but it sounds similar. Launch the tool and move your cursor near any feature line. Move to the middle of the segment and you get grades. Move to the ends and you get elevations.

[Cadguru42]

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@mathewkol wrote:
The Quick Elevation Edit tool does pretty much what you want. Never seen Revit in action like that, but it sounds similar. Launch the tool and move your cursor near any feature line. Move to the middle of the segment and you get grades. Move to the ends and you get elevations.

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The Quick Elevation Edit tool doesn't show all of a feature line's properties at the same time and doesn't allow you to edit them from the screen. It requires the command line.

Here's a screen shot from Revit that shows what I'm talking about. I selected a line and the light blue dimensions pop up. You can select the length and then edit it right there. No command lines needed nor other dialog boxes. 

[AllenJessup]

I remember a thread about this a few years ago. I believe it was more about editing the length of a line in the Properties palette. One of the problems brought up was that if you change the length of a line how does the program know which end to hold. How does Revit handle this?

Although you only get Grade or Elevation. QUICKEDITFEATUREELEVS will allow you to edit them directly on the screen if you have Dynamic Input on.

Allen

[Cadguru42]

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@AllenJessup wrote:

I remember a thread about this a few years ago. I believe it was more about editing the length of a line in the Properties palette. One of the problems brought up was that if you change the length of a line how does the program know which end to hold. How does Revit handle this?

Although you only get Grade or Elevation. QUICKEDITFEATUREELEVS will allow you to edit them directly on the screen if you have Dynamic Input on.

Allen

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Revit handles them by the witness lines (the dimension lines on each end). In my screen shot you can see a tiny blue circle on each end. That's a grip that allows you to move the witness line to another object (snaps in Revit are almost always running OSNAPS). When you click on the length & change it, it will extend or shrink based on the witness lines in an intelligent manner. Since everything is parametric by default in Revit, any other lines or objects that are on the one you're changing will move with it. Most of the time it works great, but sometimes it doesn't change the way you want it. It's not a big deal, though, to just move the line back the way you want it after it's length has been changed since everything will move with it. 

Dynamic Input is annoying and great at the same time. I usually end up turning it off because it's more annoying than helpful, but sometimes I turn it back on when doing certain tasks. I guess I can start turning it on when working with feature lines, but if AutoCAD (C3D) handled it the way Revit does then it'd be much, much faster and easier. 

[AllenJessup]

That sounds similar to the way Quick Edit works with the FL. So it's possible they could expand the functionality. Don't know where it would stand on their priorities list.

If you want, you could submit this in Product Feedback. That's the official way to make a suggestion for an improvement.

Allen

[Joe-Bouza]

Dynamic input does that, but not with c3d objects

If I may inquire, when dealing with a FL, setting grades and elevations, why is the distance important? Superficially, that may sound like a silly question, but when Im grading with civil3d the distance never enters my mind. Thats the part of the calculation c3d takes out for you so you can design without calculating. Most of my FL's represent already horizontally designed elements; where the distance is intrinsic to it already. If im setting grades along a curb I'm thinking point A to B not 85.32 feet at x%.

I'm curious what you use the software for? maybe something different that requires that thought?

[Cadguru42]

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@Joe-Bouza wrote:

Dynamic input does that, but not with c3d objects

If I may inquire, when dealing with a FL, setting grades and elevations, why is the distance important? Superficially, that may sound like a silly question, but when Im grading with civil3d the distance never enters my mind. Thats the part of the calculation c3d takes out for you so you can design without calculating. Most of my FL's represent already horizontally designed elements; where the distance is intrinsic to it already. If im setting grades along a curb I'm thinking point A to B not 85.32 feet at x%.

I'm curious what you use the software for? maybe something different that requires that thought?

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Dynamic Input doesn't do what I am talking about; it's just the command line wherever the cursor is. What I am talking about is when an object is selected editble dimensions and properties are along the object itself, not some other window.

As for specifically about feature lines, I used distance as an example. I'd like to see both distance and grade/slope as the editble options as well as elevations at each node pop up. 

To get an idea of what I'm talking about, look at this video about temporary dimensions in Revit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehh7vxOBofA

As for what I use C3D for? Road design, road rehab, parking lots, trails, sidewalks, drainage systems, retaining walls, some structures, GIS maps, etc.