Pan/Zoom/Rotate while executing a command
While executing move, scale, rotate, extrude, edge loop and slide, etc, we should be able to manipulate the viewport. This is pretty much standard in all other 3d programs.
It's quite necessary, when, for example trying to move a vertex from near a zoomed-in group of closely clustered vertices to a distant location.
8 Comments
Hey Dimitar, we should be able to manipulate the viewport while editing. You can do it in Blender 2.8 Sculpt workspace and all pro CAD software. Why not in Blender Edit?? I honestly do not understand why it is not a problem for anyone else? Blender developers, please fix. Is Mano Wii from Snap Utilities working on Blender CAD tools full time?
Wondering if this will become part of the CAD tools update any time soon
Would this be eliminating the axis locking behavior that we currently enjoy when using the middle mouse button during a transform operation? How would users quickly access that ability outside of pressing the <kbd>X</kbd>, <kbd>Y</kbd>, and <kbd>Z</kbd> hotkeys?
@Jason van Gumster: Yes, it is a problem because right now the axis locking thing is hardcoded to the middle mouse button which isn't great. Other than that you're only allowed to use transform modal operators (see input key category) inside of a transform modal and view rotation and so on aren't exposed.
The keys do conflict but if you change either of them (either view rotation/zoom/pan or the axis widget if it is added as a configurable key) it should be okay in theory. Actually you can rotate using some modals (like knife). It has its own modal map with a Panning operator which is why it works. The Panning operator doesn't really pan but instead passes through the input to the normal 3d view controls (I think) so if you had set up middle mouse to pan in the 3d view and set up the knife modal to have Panning on the middle mouse too you would be able to pan while in the knife modal. I guess middle mouse is rotating by default but this made a better example I guess.
Of course allowing middle mouse and so on could cause conflicts with already existing modal shortcuts but you could just change those conflicting things in the modal maps. Still having the ability to manipulate the viewport in all modals would be great. Right now the only reason you can't do it in the transform modal is because 1. the axis widget is hardcoded and 2. there's no Panning operator like in the knife modal. Both are pretty silly reasons so I think this should be improved.
@cyaoeu: Here's an example: Imgur
@cyaoeu: I know how knife works and I don't dispute that being able to navigate while in the middle of a transform operation (or selection) is valuable. But I'm asking for how you would specifically remap the axis locking behavior. Axis locking is very useful and it's quite convenient to have it so quickly accessible on the middle mouse button. Where would you suggest that the functionality be moved? Or do you feel that the <kbd>X</kbd>, <kbd>Y</kbd>, and <kbd>Z</kbd> hotkeys are sufficient?
@Jason van Gumster: Personally I don't use the middle mouse for view manipulation so the axis widget could still be on middle mouse. Besides you don't really want to change users' shortcuts randomly. It should still be possible to change it if you want to, like you can change the x, y and z hotkey functionality (add keys for Orientation X Axis and so on in the transform modal map). It's a bit strange that there's things in Blender that don't even show up in the key map, like the XYZ widget, x, y, z keys and so on.
Anyway it doesn't need to be moved, just exposed in the UI so you can change it if you want to. If the keys conflict, like with default Blender settings where you rotate on middle mouse and the axis widget is on the middle mouse too, it should behave like it does now where the axis widget is on the middle mouse. The user would have to change either of the hotkeys to allow them to use both features (axis widget combined with viewport manipulation).
The problem is that it's hardcoded right now so it's impossible to accomplish, and the Panning thing that exists in the knife modal key map doesn't exist in the transform modal key map (didn't check others but probably not there either).
@cyaoeu: Hopefully it changes with 2.8, as I see no reason to provide hotkeys (x,y,z) and middle button axis locks. Hotkey axis locks along with being able to pan/rotate around the viewport with the middle button would be much more useful.