Locking onto an axis issues

[AsOne]

Is anyone else having trouble locking onto an axis while moving an object?  Move, hold shift to lock the axis.  It takes me several attempts every time and I have to move my object into clear space to do it.  It was the same in v8 and seems a bit worse in v9.  

I wish there was simply an Axis lock option...one we could toggle on/off with a key shortcut.  It would save endless amounts of time.

Is there a trick to get it to work right that I just don't know???

[Tech]

The guide snap can accomplish this. When its enabled you will notice axis lines on the screen at the click point. The cursor will snap to the axis when its is near the guide. When near the guide press the shift key and the translation will stay locked to the axis and you can position the cursor to snap to a reference point. In the example below we moved the gray object along the X axis until it was aligned with the edge of the green cube. 

Does this help?

[¢hris £und]

I am not having issues.  I keep that suggested option on at all times.   

[AsOne]

Yes, I have guide snaps turned on.  That is not the issue.  

It is locking onto the axis using Shift that is consistently the issue for me.  Of course it works, it just doesn't work well for me and never has.   It is inefficient.  In simple testing with a model such as support has illustrated it works better, more smoothly.  In "real world" conditions with a complex model, trying to draw quickly, I find it slow and clunky.  I just takes too long to lock on and too much effort to try to follow the axis line precisely with the mouse to get it to lock.  At times during the day I'm moving likely hundreds of objects along an axis.  To have a few seconds delay with every move trying to get it to Shift lock onto an axis adds up.  Even if I want to move say 10 objects in a row, all along an axis, why should I have to hit Shift and then wait for it to lock every single time?  I would rather just turn "Axis Lock" on and move them all much faster. without having to Shift and lock on EVERY SINGLE TIME.  

Often I have to move the object to clear space without any objects in the background to get it to lock on.  It also takes several Shift attempts to get it to lock most of the time.  It isn't that I hold Shift and it is completely locked on an axis.  One has to mouse close to the axis line to get it to lock.  Shift lock is a fantastic feature when I am switching between axis movement and non axis movement.  When I have a lot to do that is only axis lock then Shift locking becomes highly inefficient and I will say frustrating.   I believe there have been previous posts about Shift locking issues.

The "Shift lock" is a great option at times and I'm in no way suggesting it should be removed.  Rather we should also have an Axis Lock option as well.

I would much prefer an option to only move the object along the guides without having to hit Shift to lock on first.  A key shortcut could toggle an "Axis Lock" option on/off.  There could/should be an icon in the Snaps palette for it.  This is a basic way of drawing that has been around since the early days of CAD.  I remember learning it with Microstation back in the early 90's.  One of my first CAD memories.  Not sure why a robust program like FormZ does not offer it.   I don't remember v6 that well, but I am guessing it had Axis Lock.  Anyone know?

We should have both options.  Flexible Shift lock and efficient Axis lock.

Anyone else feel the same?  Thoughts?

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by AsOne

[Tech]

13 minutes ago, AsOne said:

The "Shift lock" is a great option at times and I'm in no way suggesting it should be removed.  Rather we should also have an Axis Lock option as well.

 

You do not need to hold shift to just snap to the axis. Just position the cursor over the dotted axis indicator. You only need to use Shift to keep the axis lock in place to move the cursor away from the axis to snap to an reference point as in the above example. 

[AsOne]

If you can find the axis to snap onto.  Once I have a lot of objects the axis gets "hidden" behind objects.  I have to switch to wireframe or move into empty clear space with no objects to find the axis to lock onto.  Again, it's a great feature, but ends up being very inefficient as the only option .  See video below.  If I am not doing it right please let me know.  I would love to improve performance in this area!  As you can see for me it is difficult to use and frustrating given how often I use it.  

[¢hris £und]

Tech, 

I see the problem.  There is an object that is fore of the object he is trying to move.  When the cursor is over said fore object, the axis tracking is lost.

Edited April 7, 2020 by Chris lund

[¢hris £und]

Attached is a real simple file where this happens.   Two objects   Move the one on the left to it's right and let the cursor cross into the space of the right object.   The behavior he describes happens then.   As long a the cursor does not cross over another object that is between desired action object and the view point, it works fine.

Axes Tracking Lost.fmz.zip

 

¢£

Edited April 7, 2020 by Chris lund

[snow]

I've run across this many times.  I don't think it's as much of a bug as it is just a limitation in the current ortho snap in shaded modes.  I after selecting my object I usually go into wireframe mode to move it along an axis.  It's not ideal, but it's a bit of a workaround.

[Jaakko]

Same problem here. Have to zoom out to get locking on.

[palarsen]

+1

And I have mentioned this before. It should be fundamental that axis lock ability is stronger than any interference from objects overlapping

[Hugo]

Yes, if it works like Asone explain, that would be very nice.

[palarsen]

On 4/7/2020 at 7:17 PM, Tech said:

You do not need to hold shift to just snap to the axis. Just position the cursor over the dotted axis indicator. You only need to use Shift to keep the axis lock in place to move the cursor away from the axis to snap to an reference point as in the above example. 

"Give guides priority" option does not address the LOCK function that is missing.

[WUYATSAI]

return to  673  ortho snab  +   

 

 

[WUYATSAI]

In z6 i use ortho snap to move  object .quite accurate ！

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by WUYATSAI

[WUYATSAI]

15 minutes ago, WUYATSAI said:

ortho snap

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by WUYATSAI

[WUYATSAI]

33 minutes ago, WUYATSAI said:

return to  673  ortho snap  +   

 

 

 

[spaceagency]

+1 on the issue and +1 on the wish for an ortho/axis toggle. 

[jldaureil]

On 5/1/2020 at 2:53 PM, WUYATSAI said:

In z6 i use ortho snap to move  object .quite accurate ！

 

 

of course !!!

 

 

[¢hris £und]

spaceagency,

The initial reported issue has been resolved in 9.03

The current intent is to not have to use a modifier key at all.  All though, tolerances still are in effect, so you can drift off of the axis as opposed to strict ortho.

 

Maybe requesting something more nuanced, such as a toggle to suppress the use of tolerances and or what to do when encountering some other activated snaps.

¢£

[palarsen]

This should work as follows: If I press and hold the shift key, and then move the cursor (holding an object point snapped to) over a guide, even if the guide is covered by other geometry, it should strong, immediately and undisputed lock to that guide. Until I let go of the shift key. This is not a priority question in my book. Always work!

Now we have to move the object into space and find a naked guide to achieve a guide lock.

[¢hris £und]

I fully understand that you like your legacy behavior.  I can't say that there are other things that I too think can be better for ME.  But I realize that I am not the only one tugging at ADS to get my way.  Taking off the irritated hat and donning the imagination hat, Doing as I suggest would have the effective same result.  And not nullify the philosophy and effort ADS has already put in.

I personally like the way it is now.  Presumably, there are others too.  What I suggested could sate both.  If not, then use your imagination to suggest a better compromise.

¢£