- Status Assigned
- Percent Complete
- Task Type Feature Request
- Category QCAD (main)
-
Assigned To
Andrew - Operating System All
- Severity Low
- Priority Very Low
- Reported Version 3.29.4
- Due in Version Undecided
-
Due Date
Undecided
- Votes
- Private
FS#2532 - An "auto-tick" or "automated ruler creation" tool (added to Dimensions tools) would be convenient!
Hey, this is the first of my feature suggestion submissions that isn’t tied to a corresponding suggestion thread on the QCAD forum.
Should I always create corresponding feature suggestion threads or is it ok (or better?) to just post ideas here?
Anyway though, here’s the idea:
I noticed that it is relatively easy to use things like the QCAD Split Entities and/or Paste Along Entity tool(s) to create an even set of divisions along a curve or line.
There’s also the Misc → Draw → Counter available too, for automated counting.
These together are useful for creating a “scale ruler” to be printed on a schematic for ease of reference or for use in cases where someone forgets to bring along a physical measuring device or when someone else is using that measuring device.
For example, one could print a to-scale 1 foot long ruler (or whatever other scale is relevant, e.g. 1 inch for small objects or just as a nice scale reference/legend/key) on the schematic page for convenience.
However, it would be nice if there was a convenient tool added to the Dimensions tool category that automated this entire process and was able to create arbitrary ruler-like numbered reference scales along lines (and even better if it also worked on arcs, though less important).
Even better would be if this “auto tick” or “auto ruler” tool supported multiple levels of tick scaling (e.g. 2 or 3) such as what one sees on actual rulers.
For example, an imperial ruler for a foot (I’m in the US currently) will typically having increasingly smaller tick marks added at halfway points between each of the numbered points along the ruler’s scale, which makes using it quickly much easier. For example, it’ll have a half-length tick for half an inch and then a quarter-length tick for each quarter of an inch within an inch (with the inch’s ticks being full length).
It seems like it could be relatively easy to implement that kind of nested tick marking system, which would make it super convenient and pleasant for the user of QCAD to create usable to-scale ruler-like objects wherever they desire them with hardly any effort!
I think this idea would also fit extremely well with existing tools in the Dimensions category and would be useful for many/most QCAD users!
It’s yet another good QCAD feature that could attract more people to buy upgraded copies of QCAD in the future I think!
I hope you implement it. Small conveniences still make a big difference.
Anyway, thanks a bunch again for creating this awesome program!
That’s all the suggestions I have for today.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and upcoming week, etc!
FlexPainter includes two sets of painters to generate rulers.
With some adjustments you can also add a nomius.
Tool shortcut is FP
Regards,
CVH
I found a FlexPainter command buried in the Misc menu but it is grayed out (hence unusable) and there is no documentation of it outside of the code-related documentation.
Typing the hotkey sequence (FP) also did nothing.
How is the tool accessed? It seems entirely disabled and unusable.
Regardless of whether there is an obscure way of doing this via this feature though, the main point of my suggestion was that creating rulers conveniently is such a common and universal thing that one could want to do that it should be part of the standard dimension tools and thus as easy as possible to use and to find.
Anyway, thanks for the info.
My suggestion still stands just as strongly as before though. This automatic ruler generation feature idea should be a standard tool, not something obscure. An automated ruler (and arc ticking) tool would be very broadly useful.
FlexPainter requires a selection.
Typically the base entities to paint over.
As using a roller stamp that follows a certain trajectory.
Tools that require a selection are usually grayed out.
It would read 'Requires selection' in the tooltip when the button was included on a toolbar.
But pointing to the FP button in a menu will also display info on the Status Bar.
Related Forum post.
https://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=6547
Still in beta phase.
You don't need to install something extra, FP is included in a standard installation.
Regards,
CVH
Oh! That's awesome! It seems like quite a flexible and expressive tool!
The first time you told me about Flex Paint I was assuming it would be just an API and that I'd have to program what I want from scratch, which I didn't feel inclined to do yet (though it may be cool in the future!) even though I'm a programmer, since I've barely touched JavaScript and have no familiarity with QCAD's codebase.
I feel like they should make the existence of this tool more readily apparent to new users.
Thank you for the link and for informing of this!
PS: Sorry for the delayed response. I saw your email but was working on other things. Have a great day/night/etc, as always.