Value field adjustable step multiplier
It would be great if users could adjust step size for value fields based on scene unit or custom.
Currently default step size is 0.1m which is 10cm and 1cm with shift drag/scroll wheel for float values. Arrow keys clicks is 0.1m - 10cm hardcoded.
If somone works on real life models and need adjustments in mm or 0.1mm - the only way is to use workarounds and inside geonodes multipliers or type each time every change.
Proposal:
- Setting in preferences: use scene units as a step guide
So for mm it's:
- drag/arrow click/scroll one step 1mm
- shift + drag/arrow click/scroll 0.1mm
- some other combo modifier 10mm
Similary for cm.
- Setting in preferences to use custom step sizes:
- regular drag/scroll/click step: multiplier 0.01
- decreased step: multiplier 0.001
- increased step: multiplier 0.025
- Quick setting to increase step size as a global multiplier.
So for instance someone is working in meters but for one detail they want to have step size in mm - they open menu - click one of few options for current step size:
- 0.0001
- 0.001
- 0.01
- 0.1
- 1.0
- 10
That way it would give users full freedom over changing values in an easy and adjusted to what they are currently doing way.
7 Comments
It would be really nice to be able to quickly have access to very small or very large units in Blender. As a long time Houdini user, I really love the concept of a "Value Ladder". See the video in the documentation: sidefx.com/docs/houdini/basics/ladder.html
Yes, value ladder when you are in need of switching quickly to larger multiplier in H is really sweet. I think i had this in my brain when was thinking about the quick access to different multipliers (in the past was jumping here and there to H)
Entering small (and large) values is definitely annoying in Blender. And there should be something like proposed above.
But with this, I'm not sure why to mix units to it. It could be that I'm missing something. For me, it would be enough if the increment step would scale with the value. (And maybe the step values, and modifier multipliers could be adjustable.)
For example :
When the value in the field is between 1 and 10, then the base increment step would be 1, with shift 0.1 and ctrl 10.
When the value in the field is between 0.1 and 1, then the base increment step would be 0.1, with shift 0.01 and ctrl 1.
When the value in the field is between 0.001 and 0.01, then the base increment step would be 0.01, with shift 0.0001 and ctrl 0.01.
Then the value would always change relative to its "size"; big numbers would change more, and small numbers less.
One thing to consider, though, is what happens when you adjust the value and you cross the "step size threshold." Should the step size stay the same as it was in the beginning, or should it adjust to the value size while dragging?
Tying scene units to this is beneficial that user know what to expect. When scene units are in cm entering value
will give user 10cm, 1mm and 6.5mm
With automatic scaling it would probably require some checks at what scale the value is. And it could create inconsistencies. If user created a cube and cube is 1m - with obtaining scale from this value - entering 65 (even if scene units are set to cm) would mean that now cube is 65m not 65cm.
With dynamic value step it could also be tricky. Because what this would mean? If i'm dragging value and value from mm becomes cm - now my drag will drag full cm instead of mm? What if i want 1m 2cm 5mm value? and i need to adjust just the mm part? With having value dynamic based on how big it is - user will land in the same situation - not being able to drag mm up down by set value/multiplier because dynamic would kick in forcing it to meters or 10cm or whatever :)
I agree that tying it to units may not be the best approach. Just having a convenient way to set the order of magnitude might be sufficient.
Tying to units would mean only that if you type a value like 6 - it means 6 (your unit). And if you for instance use arrow on value field or drag - you will step with similar to your desired unit magnitudes. Without the need to on top of unit changing magnitude.
But yeah, even single multiplier would be good and consistency across blender - as currently different tools have different steps: