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[Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 1:56 am
by Simbioz
This may seem utterly irrelevant and even annoying for most experienced freecad users, but for us novices -especially those without previous CAD experience-, being able to see the LCS axis of any given object could ease the learning curve and make the first baby steps more of an adventure than an odyssey. The use case is clearly for novices only, and optional, enabled by some toggle or shortcut. The thing is, everything related with the positioning of objects in Freecad 3D space is not obvious to the neophyte, this assumption is backed by the numerous threads all along freecad forum history about this topic:


Part Placement - changing values
How to place a pad?
Position bodies relative to eachother
what does placement/position mean?
How to set new origin of part?
Columns positioning in selective grid location
Placement after cut
Semi Circle design and position
Placement of parts using master sketch.
positioning imported pathes properly
Calculate new placement of Attachment
Placement (in scripts) Documentation
Step Model Import Change 0.0.0 X.Y.Z position
Setting Up Constraints or Relative Placement
Cannot change position of object

And many, many, more (I got bored so I stopped inserting them here) just google:

Code: Select all

site:forum.freecadweb.org new to FreeCAD positioning
Or something along those lines, a smarter search expression might bring even more results.

Now, you might say the proposed solution does not solve every of these questions, you are right, it does not, it's just a helper, a little aid to the uninitiated... and maybe some more.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 2:50 am
by adrianinsaval
+1 but this has been asked for like a hundred times before probably, at least for sketches and datum objects, what we need is someone who can code it, probably should be part of the attachment dialog?

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:03 am
by Simbioz
adrianinsaval wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 2:50 am +1 but this has been asked for like a hundred times before probably, at least for sketches and datum objects, what we need is someone who can code it, probably should be part of the attachment dialog?
I did a search and found no such threads, my bad.
I thought that such a feature would be easy to implement, I did not think it was otherwise.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:56 am
by adrianinsaval
It probably wasn't worded exactly like this, and if you used the forum's built-in search... It's trash so it's not strange that you wouldn't find something. I'm not sure if there is feature request in the tracker for this, if there isn't it should be created IMO as it seems there are many people who would like to visualize the orientation of the stuff they are trying to attach.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:34 am
by chrisb
I will have a look in the feature requests. I have the faint memory, that I created one.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:36 am
by chrisb

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:06 pm
by adrianinsaval
chrisb wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:36 am issue #6305.
That's not really the same as the request here, it's somewhat related and for sure is another one I desperately want but it's just about showing the attachment dialog for sketcher. The request here is to see in the 3d view the LCS of an object when editing it's attachment so it's easier to know in which direction it will move when editing the attachment offset, OP says it's for novices only but I'm pretty experienced and would still like to have it.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:14 pm
by desweller
Does the axis cross not do this job?

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:17 pm
by Simbioz
desweller wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:14 pm Does the axis cross not do this job?
As far as I know the axis cross (View-> Toggle axis cross) is for showing the global coordinates axis.

Re: [Feature Request] Per object LCS visible axis

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:18 pm
by adrianinsaval
desweller wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:14 pm Does the axis cross not do this job?
No, because it only shows the global axis, we want to see the local coordinate system of an object.

This issue #6046 is the request I was thinking of although it only talks about datum plane, it would be nice to make it a generalized thing when attaching anything.

One way a tackling this could be to combine the transform tool with the attachment dialog