Feature Requests

[ChairmanNow]

Since it looks like Creator is getting to the point where I can consider dropping my other tools, I'd like to make a whole lot of feature requests... perhaps others can weigh in if they think that they have merit or not.

3D Navigation
Can we have an option to either have Creator follow CAD standards, or perhaps, be able to customize mouse buttons? I'd ideally like it to support Solidworks' and SketchUp's conventions - middle mouse orbits; SHIFT-middle zooms; CTRL-middle pans. Also - the scroll wheel function really needs to be reversed - it's currently backwards from everyone else. Oh, and the current middle button reset function? It has to go I end up hitting it by "instinct" pretty much all of the time.

Seriously, tho - some of us have more than the run-of-the-mill input devices. I have a special super-duper 3 button mouse with other nice buttons and stuff, plus a 3D Connexion "puck". I use them in other programs, sure would be nice to do things the same way across all of my programs. 3D mouse support is probably asking a lot,, I totally get that - very few folks have 'em - but support for something beyond the standard 2-button/center scroll wheel mouse would be really appreciated.

Interactive Object Placement
It'd really be nice if the Model Settings dialog window was interactive - right now, the routine is put in a Rotational Offset, save, double click on the object again, adjust, wash, repeat, etc. Better yet - perhaps have some way to do it without entering parameters - like be able to rotate the model via mouse control with "snapping" for various common angles/increments, and perhaps with buttons or some other mechanism to axis selection.

Better documentation
How about a real help file - and one that fully documents certain settings? That interactive stuff is a good start, but there are settings that I just have no idea about what they actually do.

Gimme my Hilberts
...and other non-rectilinear infill patterns. Even if unsupported/experimental. Even if I have to set a special startup flag to get those capabilities to show up (and so they don't show up by default, so that noobs don't get scared ). Even if totally undocumented. Please please please Until you do, you're consigning me, and perhaps others, to keep Slic3r around. Don't you love us? Why would you do that to us?

Non literal hoops

I print a few hoops to warm up the filament; it doesn't need to be a perfect outline of the models. Just wastes time. "Internal" hoops are just more crap to clean off my bed, too. Here's how slic3r does it:

hoop_slic3r.png (139.27 KiB) Viewed 4906 times

Here's how Creator does it (note that there's zig-zaggy manually created support material that's obscured in both screen grabs):

hoop_slic3r.png (139.27 KiB) Viewed 4906 times

Having at least an option to do it more like Slic3r would be a good thing IMO.

Thanks!

CM

[pleonard23]

I can second the request for 3D Navigation, both in terms of standards as well as for the 3D Connexion device which I have. I'm also for more interactive object placement and fill patterns, because they are both useful as well as aesthetically pleasing.

I'd like to see some clarification on the request for the hoops thing, because it may be my old eyes, but I'm not seeing the difference between the first two pictures.

Paul

[mathisyourfriend]

"Oh, and the current middle button reset function? It has to go"
I agree.

Also the suggestion for customizable mouse buttons would help.

"Better documentation
How about a real help file - and one that fully documents certain settings? That interactive stuff is a good start, but there are settings that I just have no idea about what they actually do."

I assume this is coming shortly. I also appreciate how responsive you've been to all the questions on the forum.

I also couldn't figure out how to manually place individual objects wherever I liked. This may be me though.

[Simplify3D]

Hah, it's funny sometimes, because the middle mouse button was actually a request from another user. But clearly we need an option to toggle that since not everyone likes it. Getting to decide what keyboard/mouse commands you use to rotate/pan the camera will be tough. I might have to start small with the scroll wheel and middle mouse buttons and then slowly work up to that.

And documentation is definitely in the works. MakerGear will probably be updating their getting started guide and we have already started on some video tutorials. It will take some time to write a complete manual, but we'll get there.

mathisyourfriend - you can manually place objects by double clicking on them and using the custom positioning dialog. That gives you complete control.

CM - have you already found the keyboard/mouse combinations for positioning a model on the table? Your post makes it sound like you might not have stumbled onto those yet... Have a look at the FAQs (http://www.simplify3d.com/support/#FAQs), under the section How Do I Move, Rotate, and Scale My 3D Models. That makes it very easy to interactively place, rotate, and scale objects. I actually rarely use the custom positioning dialog.

[ChairmanNow]

I'd like to see some clarification on the request for the hoops thing, because it may be my old eyes, but I'm not seeing the difference between the first two pictures.

Paul

Hey Paul-

phpBB munged my post. The blue pics (repeated, it seems) are what I think is a desirable hoop; the green (at the bottom) is what Creator does.

jh

[ChairmanNow]

CM - have you already found the keyboard/mouse combinations for positioning a model on the table? Your post makes it sound like you might not have stumbled onto those yet... Have a look at the FAQs (http://www.simplify3d.com/support/#FAQs), under the section How Do I Move, Rotate, and Scale My 3D Models. That makes it very easy to interactively place, rotate, and scale objects. I actually rarely use the custom positioning dialog.

I think that you guys really, really need documentation. If users can't find features because there's no manual, you need a manual.

Thanks.

jh