Shape UI/UX
I still think Shape is great.
But have to admit that I don't get totally happy with Selection and Highlighting.
When I hover (Face), Tab (Entity), Click, it will still highlight the Face only.
And I feel totally lost without Structure Panel and the ability to look at
Property Panel to see and check what is selected.
I can't hardly imagine that non-ACAD or non-Bricscad experienced users like
that non standard behavior.
I think at least in a coming Mac Version,
Auto Add Selection should be OFF and Marquee Drag ON by Default.
It is also common standard that a Selection persists until a User dismisses it,
which is seldom done by ESC but by simply clicking in blank or object free Space.
It works that way in all other Software I use and is even standard over the whole
OS in basic Apps like Finder/Explorer.
(I even can't remember that having been much different when I was on Windows
(with 3DSMax and Microstation) in the past.
I still think about any more tedious but more reliable option to Select an Entity first
and apply a Sub Object (Face/Edge/Vertex) Selection afterwards.
Which would be handy also for Tool like Push Pull where Face Highlighting may
fail in occluded situations while a Entity Selection with a Sub Object Selection
locked to that Entity would be possible (Microstation behavior)
And I seem to be unable to select People Blocks other than by Marquee (?)
Structure Panel is missing also for me as it is the only way I know to zoom my View
to a (Selection) Object.
Opposed to Bricscad on Mac I also don't find any Live Zoom (CMD+SHIFT+LMB),
while View Rotation (SHIFT+MMB) and Pan (MMB) works for me.
(But that may be an Mac > Parallels VW > Windows input issue)
Also normally Tools stay active until aborted. I don't really see the meaning in
the need to reactivate my Cube Tool with Space Bar each time I want to create
a further Cube.
There is no continuous Highlight or visual feedback of the Tool Icon currently active.
(At least there is one at all in Shape vs Bricscad, just fading away unfortunately)
It is nice that Shapes Layer Manager got rid of the tangling ON/OFF vs Freezing.
Still I miss to set all Layers to OFF and jump through Layers by activating one by one,
without unnecessary warning as Active includes being Visible in any case,
to check their contents or edit the content without being distracted by other geometry.
(Switching Layers in Drawing Explorer is not the same).
And an option to really Lock certain Layers Objects from Selection, any Manipulation
and maybe (or not) from Snapping by any Layer Lock or Active Only setting.
Hide Isolate therefore is very important too but misses the option to switch between
the isolated Object(s), like by structural browser or similar. There is only the option
to Unhide All before a next Isolation.
The clean UI on the other hand is really great.
The Tips Bar is great.
The Libraries with simplified but Solid geometry are great.
The Starter Videos are great.
Direct Solid Modelling with its options to edit multiple objects at once
(Select aligned Faces and such) is great.
Comments
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@Michael Mayer:
Shape is very much based on 'full' BricsCAD and I imagine Bricsys will keep it that way. Apart from the obvious practical reasons (re-using the same tested software components), the similarities between Shape and 'full' BricsCAD will make the switch from Shape to BricsCAD BIM a much smoother one. So I do not think Shape will move in the direction you want.FWIW I cannot confirm some of the issues you mention:
- The highlighting of faces and solids is compatible.
- Marquee selection is ON (PICKAUTO=3).
- View manipulations with the mouse are compatible.
To zoom to a selection you can use the _OBject option of the _Zoom command.
To select a 'People Block' you can click on the (invisible) rectangular outline of the image.0 -
@Roy Klein Gebbinck said:
Shape is very much based on 'full' BricsCAD and I imagine Bricsys will keep it that way.
That would be pity
So I do not think Shape will move in the direction you want.
To be honest, I want Bricscad to improve and Shape follow.
FWIW I cannot confirm the issues you mention:
- The highlighting of faces and solids is compatible.
- Marquee selection is ON (PICKAUTO=3).
- View manipulations with the mouse are compatible.
1.
Maybe it was just a small Shape hickup,
I played with Bricscad on Windows VM and just closed it for today.
Will retry Shape tomorrow again.
But at the time I played and Tabbed until rollover Tips showed Solid
and the 3D Gizmo appeared, Highlight was still in Face only mode.
Which is quite irritating but at the end the whole Solid moved anyway.2.
I mean that it is quite unconventional that further clicks on other elements
will add to selection without SHIFT key used.
Normally that will switch selected objects. One of the first things I "correct"
in Bricscads Config.
Same as the default Marquee behavior from Click Click to Click Drag as
it works in the whole OSs.
While I can live well with Marquee'ss from Left/from Right for inside/cross
behavior, without the need of an additional key. As it is an extra function
that is allowed to have an extra non-conform behavior.
(Although I would welcome a standardization in general CAD and 3D
Software behavior)3.
Forgot to check if the non zoom wheel Live Zoom was available in Bricscad V18
Windows for me, and maybe just not in Shape.One thing I noticed,
Shapes OpenGL speed is laggy for me. I thought about just VM problems.
But I see that Bricscads OpenGL is much smoother with much more geometry.
I think there is "something".The other thing I noticed,
for fun I installed the Windows 3DConnexion Driver and attached my Enterprise
to Windows. Against Mac it is beautifully integrated and improves Bricscad's
View Navigation a lot.
Overall that device makes sense for me for the first time. I have now seen my
first Icons on its Display.
Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case with Shape so far.0 -
@Michael Mayer said:
1.
Maybe it was just a small Shape hickup,
I played with Bricscad on Windows VM and just closed it for today.
Will retry Shape tomorrow again.
But at the time I played and Tabbed until rollover Tips showed Solid
and the 3D Gizmo appeared, Highlight was still in Face only mode.
Which is quite irritating but at the end the whole Solid moved anyway.It was a small Hick Up.
Works as expected today.0
