Poly Build Tool CTRL Hotkey Possible Design Flaw / Oversight Conflict With Snapping To Grid #66954

New Issue

Joshua Newth · 2019-07-15T05:30:54+02:00

Joshua Newth commented

2019-07-15 05:30:54 +02:00

System Information
Operating system: Windows-10-10.0.17134 64 Bits
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1050/PCIe/SSE2 NVIDIA Corporation 4.5.0 NVIDIA 388.13

Blender Version
Broken: version: 2.80 (sub 74), branch: master, commit date: 2019-07-11 13:50, hash: 06312c6d2d
Worked: (optional)

Short description of error
When using the Poly Build Tool, if I drag out a new polygon from an existing edge while holding CTRL ( this allows me to create a new triangle without adding a new edge, or more accurately, instead of creating a new polygon from the two points of the respective highlighted edge in addition to a new point inbetween, where you clicked, it adds a new vertex to the existing polygon to which that edge is connected, therefore extending the number of sides to the existing polygon, which, if it was previously a triangle, as is typical, is a necessity to sustain good topology ), and what I have just found is that CTRL is used generally to enable snapping throughout the application as a whole, i.e. if at the object level I select and then move an object while holding CTRL, while it remains pressed snapping to grid will be enabled. Therefore, the problem is more or less at face value a flaw or oversight in the design of this tool. Consequently this makes learning to use the tool less intuitive, and, when I resorted to an online tutorial in order to learn how to use this new tool, because they did not point out that generally speaking if you hold down CTRL snapping to grid is enabled, I just concluded the tool was buggy, and I did not like using it until I understood what was happening. Basically, this means every time I perform this functionality I have to go through the awkward process of immediately lifting the CTRL key after I have clicked along the highlighted edge and begun to drag and position the new vertex that is added to the existing polygon, and not knowing about the snapping to grid hotkey functionality, the functionality appears inconsistent and naturally becomes confusing and unintuitive to learn, and forgetting to lift the CTRL key afterwards, which may happen, meaning snapping to grid will remain enabled, makes positioning the new vertex frustrating if you desire to do so in a regular unrestrained manner. I believe swapping the ALT and CTRL hotkey functionality used by this tool would be a potential solution, SHIFT, which may appear to be an appealing alternative, has its own functionality in this context similarly to CTRL, and therefore is an illegitimate alternative. I understand that it is likely a design philosophy or otherwise a general or naturally inherent principle that the more preferable or essential tool is always without question mapped to CTRL and the lesser, if there is one, to ALT, but in this case, there is definitely good justification to swap the two. I have also checked every other tool on the same toolbar to see if they have any of the same problems, and they do not. Obviously, this problem only exists in specific contexts whereby duplicate hotkey functionality coexist or is in conflict, and specifically, in this case, duplicate hotkey functionality that involves moving, rotating, or scaling, or generally speaking, any transformation related functionality that would incur snapping to grid etc, whatever the functionality may be.

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error

Based on the default startup, select the existing cube
Hit tab to enter into edit mode
Select the Poly Build Tool from the icon-based tools menu to the left
Create a triangle using the Poly Build Tool i.e. click three times in empty space to create three new vertices, and from there, select, holding CTRL or SHIFT, each vertex in clockwise order noting that the last vertex you created will already be selected and press F to create a new face
Hover over an edge, and, while holding CTRL, click and drag

[Based on the default startup or an attached .blend file (as simple as possible)]

**System Information** Operating system: Windows-10-10.0.17134 64 Bits Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1050/PCIe/SSE2 NVIDIA Corporation 4.5.0 NVIDIA 388.13 **Blender Version** Broken: version: 2.80 (sub 74), branch: master, commit date: 2019-07-11 13:50, hash: `06312c6d2d` Worked: (optional) **Short description of error** When using the Poly Build Tool, if I drag out a new polygon from an existing edge while holding CTRL ( this allows me to create a new triangle without adding a new edge, or more accurately, instead of creating a new polygon from the two points of the respective highlighted edge in addition to a new point inbetween, where you clicked, it adds a new vertex to the existing polygon to which that edge is connected, therefore extending the number of sides to the existing polygon, which, if it was previously a triangle, as is typical, is a necessity to sustain good topology ), and what I have just found is that CTRL is used generally to enable snapping throughout the application as a whole, i.e. if at the object level I select and then move an object while holding CTRL, while it remains pressed snapping to grid will be enabled. Therefore, the problem is more or less at face value a flaw or oversight in the design of this tool. Consequently this makes learning to use the tool less intuitive, and, when I resorted to an online tutorial in order to learn how to use this new tool, because they did not point out that generally speaking if you hold down CTRL snapping to grid is enabled, I just concluded the tool was buggy, and I did not like using it until I understood what was happening. Basically, this means every time I perform this functionality I have to go through the awkward process of immediately lifting the CTRL key after I have clicked along the highlighted edge and begun to drag and position the new vertex that is added to the existing polygon, and not knowing about the snapping to grid hotkey functionality, the functionality appears inconsistent and naturally becomes confusing and unintuitive to learn, and forgetting to lift the CTRL key afterwards, which may happen, meaning snapping to grid will remain enabled, makes positioning the new vertex frustrating if you desire to do so in a regular unrestrained manner. I believe swapping the ALT and CTRL hotkey functionality used by this tool would be a potential solution, SHIFT, which may appear to be an appealing alternative, has its own functionality in this context similarly to CTRL, and therefore is an illegitimate alternative. I understand that it is likely a design philosophy or otherwise a general or naturally inherent principle that the more preferable or essential tool is always without question mapped to CTRL and the lesser, if there is one, to ALT, but in this case, there is definitely good justification to swap the two. I have also checked every other tool on the same toolbar to see if they have any of the same problems, and they do not. Obviously, this problem only exists in specific contexts whereby duplicate hotkey functionality coexist or is in conflict, and specifically, in this case, duplicate hotkey functionality that involves moving, rotating, or scaling, or generally speaking, any transformation related functionality that would incur snapping to grid etc, whatever the functionality may be. **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** 1. Based on the default startup, select the existing cube 2. Hit tab to enter into edit mode 3. Select the Poly Build Tool from the icon-based tools menu to the left 4. Create a triangle using the Poly Build Tool i.e. click three times in empty space to create three new vertices, and from there, select, holding CTRL or SHIFT, each vertex in clockwise order noting that the last vertex you created will already be selected and press F to create a new face 5. Hover over an edge, and, while holding CTRL, click and drag [Based on the default startup or an attached .blend file (as simple as possible)]

Joshua Newth commented

2019-07-15 05:30:54 +02:00

Added subscriber: @shamayimjosh

blender-admin commented

2019-07-15 05:30:54 +02:00

#72913 was marked as duplicate of this issue

Sebastian Parborg commented

2019-07-18 12:32:05 +02:00

Added subscribers: @ideasman42, @ZedDB

Campbell Barton was assigned by Sebastian Parborg

2019-07-18 12:32:05 +02:00

Sebastian Parborg commented

2019-07-18 12:32:05 +02:00

@ideasman42 I'm guessing this is more of a usability issue than a bug.

Jack Kimberley commented

2019-11-14 01:42:06 +01:00

Added subscriber: @OldSalty

Jack Kimberley commented

2019-11-14 01:42:06 +01:00

In a search for how to make poly build snap to mesh I've come across this bug report. Now that I understand how to make it snap, it is clear that it is confusing and inconsistent with other tools. Holding ctrl should snap, releasing ctrl should not snap, rather than the reverse which is how it seems to be currently.

EDIT: I apologize, only while face snapping is activated is the ctrl snapping is replaced, which is what causes the confusion. Maybe it should always be the same whether or not snapping is activated.

In a search for how to make poly build snap to mesh I've come across this bug report. Now that I understand how to make it snap, it is clear that it is confusing and inconsistent with other tools. Holding ctrl should snap, releasing ctrl should not snap, rather than the reverse which is how it seems to be currently. EDIT: I apologize, only while face snapping is activated is the ctrl snapping is replaced, which is what causes the confusion. Maybe it should always be the same whether or not snapping is activated.

Campbell Barton was unassigned by Dalai Felinto

2019-12-23 16:33:46 +01:00

Germano Cavalcante commented

2020-02-03 20:08:51 +01:00

Added subscribers: @user1, @mano-wii, @Pasang

Germano Cavalcante commented

2020-02-03 20:09:53 +01:00

Closed as duplicate of #72913

Germano Cavalcante closed this issue

2020-02-03 20:09:53 +01:00

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Poly Build Tool CTRL Hotkey Possible Design Flaw / Oversight Conflict With Snapping To Grid #66954