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Default Angle Constraint

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Message 1 of 12
RogerTheShrubber
4142 Views, 11 Replies

Default Angle Constraint

Using Inventor 2012.  When placing an angle constraint, the Explicit Reference Vector option is default.  Can I change this to default to Directed Angle?

11 REPLIES 11
Message 2 of 12

Smiley Sad Sorry, the default behavior of feature/command input dialogs are not user definable. You'll need to change the constraint type from Vector to Directed after initiating the command.

 

If you use the Assembly command instead of Constrain however, Directed Angle is the only Angular option available form the Mini-Bar pull down. Maybe that will be an option for you.

 

I hope this helps.



Dave Anderson
Sr. Support Engineer– CAM
Autodesk, Inc.


Message 3 of 12
MetalBlade
in reply to: dave.anderson

DEAR MISTER DAVE,

 

WOULD YOU TELL YOUR EMPLOYER THEY SC**** UP BIG TIME ON THIS SO-CALLED "PROGRESS".  WE HAD ANGULAR CONSTRAINT DEFAULTING TO "DIRECTED ANGLE" UNTIL ver2010, now in

2012 it defaults to "EXPLICIT REF. VECTOR", TOTALLY *0R0NIC !

 

Does anyone use "explcit ref. vector" angular constraint?  EVER?  If you use it, is it more than 10 times per YEAR?  Who the hades asked Autodesk to wreck Constraint-->Angular command?
It forces people to add 2 more clicks EVERY TIME !

 

Do you realize 99% of time we only use Directed Angle & there's a good reason it is even placed at #1/leftmost spot !!  WHY DOES IV2012 DEFAULT TO #3 FROM LEFT - EXPLCIIT REF. VECTOR USELESS TO MOST CUSTOMERS !?

 

For the love of G-D, or whatever you believe in, whio in their smoked up brain decided to make our life miserable??  Seems your programmer sits on rear end whole year, seeking how to justify salary & added this ridiculous change that drives many people MAD!

 

GET IT FIXED IN A HOTFIX ASAP PLEASE !!!  It deserves a Hotfix in 2 weeks, please !
=====

 

One of those things that make me wonder to go back to 2010 (besides ribbon fallacy).

Message 4 of 12
MetalBlade
in reply to: dave.anderson

Can you also tell them to fix problem sending a Private Message to you??  There're 2 duplicates LoginNames for you, and attempt to message results in error.

FATAL ERROR, oen that cannot be fixed by us customers.

Try and see what I mean.  Ask someone to send you a privrate message and see if they're successful 🙂

 

You can't get real feedback from customers with this broken.

 

Anyway, my main post today is about BROKEN Constraint-->Angular command in IV2012, wrong default is chosen in version2012, you have to fit.

YES< it is THAT important.

Message 6 of 12
mcgyvr
in reply to: cbenner

directed angle should be default



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor 2023 - Dell Precision 5570

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Maybe buy me a beer through Venmo @mcgyvr1269
Message 7 of 12
SteveMDennis
in reply to: mcgyvr

We made the change to explicit reference in 2011 because directed can give you ambiguous results and upon later solves it can actually flip the solution to 180 +- angle you want

 

We had a lot of complaints of inconsistencies in angle constraints and the only way to get a reliable predictable solution was to add the reference vector.  We made that the default to deal with the flipping problems.



Steve Dennis
Sr. Principal Engineer
Inventor
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 8 of 12
mcgyvr
in reply to: SteveMDennis


@SteveMDennis wrote:

We made the change to explicit reference in 2011 because directed can give you ambiguous results and upon later solves it can actually flip the solution to 180 +- angle you want

 

We had a lot of complaints of inconsistencies in angle constraints and the only way to get a reliable predictable solution was to add the reference vector.  We made that the default to deal with the flipping problems.


Exactly.. And oops (doh!!) I just noticed I put directed instead of vector in my response above. Vector should be default.

 



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor 2023 - Dell Precision 5570

Did you find this reply helpful ? If so please use the Accept Solution button below.
Maybe buy me a beer through Venmo @mcgyvr1269
Message 9 of 12
MetalBlade
in reply to: SteveMDennis

THEN MAY I SUGEST AN IDEAL SOLUTION FOR YOU, AUTODESK??

 

1) ADD A SIMPLE CHECKBOX, SOMEWHERE IN SETTINGS, TO LET CUSTOMER SELECT DEFAULT CONSTRAINT ---> ANGULAR MODE.

IF YOU'RE SO CONCERNED WITH "FLIPPING" CUSTOMERS, MAKE THIS CHECKBOX DISPLAY A WARNING IN BOLD LARGE FONT THAT USING IT in DirectedAngle mode, MAY LEAD TO "FLIPPING" (AMBIGUITY).  THOSE paranoid about flipping, MAY STOP & backoff, BUT US, normal people who know that llife's short & nobody has time to fiddle w/reference vectors  - WE NEED DEFAULT TO "DIRECTED ANGLE" PLEASE!  Let us choose.

You know what makes a product sell? Total customization is one of several factors, difficult to manage (increases action matrix) but some behavior altered in IV2012 is.... bad.====

 

2) ALSO USING OPPORTUNITY, COULD PLEASE RIBBON's BACKGROUND COLOR BE CUSTOMIZABLE - NO I AM NOT BEING PEDANTIC, REASON IS LEGITIMATE, read below:

 

Ever since .NET & FluentUI aka Ribbon was pushed down your throats by Microsoft starting with Office2007, you program using WinForms and thus it is propagating elsewhere e.g. into Autodesk Inventor (thanks God, can turn off in Acad), that's fine.  What is NOT fine however - it is violating Customer's colorscheme!  Which includes Autodesk stuff using Ribbon, Thoigh I didn't fully investigate if Ribbon can be hacked thru some .DLL or CSS. besides Registry.

So, Ribbon including your Inventor, etc. is enforcinfg its OWN colors.  Many other Window areas/elements are now enforcing their own, usually disgusting white/light silver background.  Besides Autodesk, Office has 3 color schemes, a sick joke, 3?  I guess, an optimist would say "they could make 1, so be happy ypou get  silver, babyblue and so-called black which is really grey, I need real black!).

These window elements including Ribbon's background - could care less about customer, they just do silver or white background.

 

BREAKING DOWN ONE OF MICROSOFT's FUNDAMENTAL LAWS THEY STATES SOME YEARS AGO - RESPECT CUSTOMER's UI settings/customization, colors being most important to me.

When in Windows Classic theme, which is the only one productive as it keeps you in maximum control, for nearly 20 years I've been using BLACK background.  I look good for a 41 year old, wear no glasses and my eyes are nice despite spending a life in front of monitors.  Women like me 🙂  I care about health, b/c w/o it nothign else matters.

I know my stuff, better than many of you.  One thing I know is starring into bright white light will result in a visit to Eye doctor.  Do you get bloodshot eyes, headaches?  If not - you're not a hardcore professional spending as much time as some of us do., in front of multiple monitors. (work & home)

 

I have a simple question/solution:

Why?  Why are these new Ribbon pests & a number of other window areas stopped reading  CUSTOMER's WINDOWS/SYSTEM-WIDE COLOR SETTING (Theme, etc.)?

If Ribbon is what breaks it down (WinForms, used to code FluentUI?) - can you at least add a few nice, dark/Black "skins".  But best of all is simply read Customer's existing setting (Windows color scheme) - don't be an orphan app!  If someone does it e.g. Apple iTunes - doesn't mean copying is justified.  In one case I made a software developer add a bunch of Skins to previously disgusting/dull White/Light [silver] his Ribbon defaulted into - name is "AutotraxDEX" by Kovsoft Ltd.  Apparently once he switched to RibbonUI from older AutotraxEDA (this is used to design PCB boards), he stopped reading customer's color shceme and decided "I go Microsoft way - Office2010 got 3 colors and no respect for customer's setting, you get to stare into blue, silver or grey cr** all day".

Result was good!  Being a small business he could listen to individuals, but I hope even mammoth AUtodesk Inc. can restore color behavior, soon.

If you wish email MetalBlade at prodigy dot net a request and I can email you MY SCREENSHOT comparing normal/classic & Ribbon colors violations.

 

 

I GOT WINDOWS SET TO BLACK BACKGROUND THROUGHOUT (desktop, window background, etc), I GOT FONTS SET TO SILVER, AND SO ON, everyt Win app was running as should!

Ever since Ribbon era comenced, piece by piece some apps started setting their own color - usually background is forced to White/Light Grey [silver?], thanks Lord not Red/Purple/Pink or Light Blue!

 

Believe me I can hack whatever - given time.  Slice and dice software in salami bits and I will force my colors back, but HOW MUCH LIFE WOULD BE WASTED?

I have to research, hack DLL's, check Registry, ridiculous!

What is going on with colors?!

 

===

I'll be back after a shot of good stuff.

WHITE & LIGHT 9e.g. silver) BACKGROUNDS = HEALTH HAZARD, so is light blue, and worst is red/purple ==> CATARACT is GUARANTEED.

You programmers don't get it always - reason white paper is fine, is b/c it odoes NOT radiate.

Computer monitors radiate.  When you look like crap by the age of 50, remember my words - your computer had a role in it!

Set things to Black background as much as possible until such time that eInk or ePaper monitors will ente rmarket.

 

==

P.S. I am not crazy.  I hold 3 university degrees and my "rant": has a reason.

Quit disrepecting user's color scheme you Autodesk, Microsoft, Adobe and Apple - all 4 of you.

Because the rest fiollows your "lead" and soon Windows Color settings will be totoally ignored, irrelevant.

Every customers will be fed same white/light/babyblue color skin whether liek it or not.

=====

 

I hope this apparently "rant" will change certain softwares, for better userUI - often we CAN TOLERATE a softBUG, but NOT UserInterface issue.  If I am to stare into white/light silver, bright blue, red/purple or any background with NO ability to customize  + OR it doesn't even read Windows system-wide setting (customer-set Color Theme, e.g. in WIndows-->Classic Theme you set it in Window Color --> "Advanced"); we can go as far as DROP software completely.  Yes, it is that important (health) !  I can drop it, just because it can give you a headache or eye irritation over 12-14hour work/home day

 

You're welcome 🙂

SS in United States of America (beware: not born w/English in mouth).

Message 10 of 12
ebuckner
in reply to: SteveMDennis

Steve,

 

I was one of the frustrated until I read this...

 

"We made the change to explicit reference in 2011 because directed can give you ambiguous results and upon later solves it can actually flip the solution to 180 +- angle you want"

 

We've had entire assemblies go haywire because of the flipping issue. Now that I've read the reasoning I'll attempt to guide my users to the new vector method, thanks!

 

Eric

Inventor 2012 Pro 64bit Vault 2012 Pro Admin Windows 7 Pro 64bit Quad Core processor 2.26 Ghz 16 GB DDR3 RAM 1.5 GB Nvidia Quadro FX 4800 2 – 320 GB SATA drives

Message 11 of 12
travward
in reply to: RogerTheShrubber

I know this post is old but I thought I should add to it. I too would like to complain about the defaut as explicit.

 

It's important to know, which I assume people do, but the flipping issue only occurs on acute, right, or obtuse angle constraints. 0º or 180º do not have the same flipping issue. 95% of the time my angle contraints are 0º or 180º (primarily to orient the model).

 

No 2 designers are the same. That's why I think having an option in application options would be the best way to make everyone happy.

 

Thanks,

Travis

Message 12 of 12

Hi tbachelder,

 

You might search for the idea of adding an option to set the default on the Inventor IdeaStation, and then add it if the search does not turn it up as an existing idea.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-IdeaStation/idb-p/v1232

 

If you add a new idea, be sure to reply to this thread with the link to the idea, so that others can find it in future searches on this topic.


tbachelder wrote:

It's important to know, which I assume people do, but the flipping issue only occurs on acute, right, or obtuse angle constraints. 0º or 180º do not have the same flipping issue. 95% of the time my angle contraints are 0º or 180º (primarily to orient the model).



Also just a quick note about the flipping issue, I'm going from memory here, but I think that the selection of Faces vs. Edges has some influence on the flipping issue, with edges being the more predictable.

 

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

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