To better implement these maybe we can divide project into 3 sections and implement step by step, so it will not cause overlapping issues in whole system, maybe we can differentiate dimensions and constraints fully. Implementing: A TEMPORARY DIMENSIONS & DIMENSION DRIVEN DRAWING/MODELLING (DIMENSION DRIVEN FEATURES) 1. temporary dimensions/dimension driven functionality inside a element (to be found in bottom osnap ortho etc section) NOTE: For temporary dimensions , for example, when u change dimensions of line, it gets longer in both directions and it doesnt know if it should only elongate from end point or startpoint right? so the solution can be this: there will be a visual arrow that represent (left, right middle) so when u click on it it will change into a new mode and elongate according to that mode. Ex: First we draw a rectangle, if we click on it then it show temporary dimensions on all sides, if we use shift+ctrl click to one edge, it will only show dimension for that edge and when we change its dimension it will elongate (a. left b. right c. both sides/middle as mentioned above) if we click on a corner of rectange it will show dimensions related to edges connected to that corner/vertex, then when we change dimensions of a certain edge, that corner will move only according to that so the rectangle can deform into new shape Second, we extrude the shape and we click on the extruded end-surface of the object , it will show a dimension in middle so when we change it extrusion will also change. 2. relative temporary dimensions to another object there will be an option to move one end of temporary dimension on an object to another object vertex or edge, so when we edit temporary dimension of this object it will elongate based on other object (other object will stay fixed and our object will elongate in other direction) B.. PERMENTANT / VISIBLE DIMENSIONS FOR PARAMETIZATION & TO HELP CONSTRAINTS 2. (permenant drivendimensions) - these are the dimensions that can be added and they are always visible and they interract with other constraints Note: these dimensions will elongate based on the start of dimension line, dimension line will have a startpoint and endpoint and if u change dimension the line will always elongate from dimensions endpoint with reference to start point, in other words , if u draw a dimension from point A TO B, when u change dimension value in dimension line, the real line will elongate from B because A will be the fixed point always. so we need a visual element to tell us this difference, and after dimension line is created we can change the start end point of dimension line if we change our mind. 3. Constrained(fixed) dimensions/locking dimension: if u lock a dimension, it will be unable to be changed so when u change other driven dimensions, everything will change according to constrained dimension that never change 4. Dimension Parameters - turning the permenant dimensions/dimension driven functionality into parameters in properties of object group, when u choose all of a object group that has elements connected by constraint relationships, properties bar can show them to us. so we can edit the shape without dimension lines. (HİDE DRIVEN DIMENSION LINES option would be good so it will allow us to see shape and just edit shape by parameters belogn to that group with constrainted elements) C. NON-DIMENSIONAL OTHER CONSTRAINTS (PREFEREABLY BY BENEFITING FROM PERMENANT DIMENSIONS AS VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF CONSTRAINT RULES ) 5.Lock/Alignment constraint - locking a end point or middle point or longitudinally all the line into another point or line that is used as a guide so when u move guide the objects will move with them 6. Other more advanced constraints as seen in videos, like parallel or other things. (they are really great, I never saw such in other BIM softwares I used, they will be great for parametric editing NOTE: Some constraints such as parallel can be visualized by dimension lines as well to simplify, for example if u create dimensions between to lines by using vertical dimension for example it will force those 2 lines to always stay vertical. so it will remind us they will always stay like that For example online constraint can be visualized by dimension line, if we draw a dimension between a line and a point and first we will click line because its the base element and then click point, then change dimension value to 0 and then lock the dimension , it will always stay on the line because we clicked on line first, so reference is the line and the object that is constrained is the point NOTE: These features dont need to support all geometries or irregular geometries or objects, it can be thought as the photoshop smart object where we have to give up object to be smart object if we wanna make deformative destructive operations. so its okay if these constraints break in a later phase of modelling where we need to giveup things. I really wanna help about development of these features, so I will be happy to give feedback or help with design of system to make it most logical and smooth implementation to rhino as if its always existed since the begining of rhino software
To better implement these maybe we can divide project into 3 sections and implement step by step, so it will not cause overlapping issues in whole system, maybe we can differentiate dimensions and constraints fully.
Implementing:
A TEMPORARY DIMENSIONS & DIMENSION DRIVEN DRAWING/MODELLING (DIMENSION DRIVEN FEATURES)
1. temporary dimensions/dimension driven functionality inside a element
(to be found in bottom osnap ortho etc section)
NOTE: For temporary dimensions , for example, when u change dimensions of line, it gets longer in both directions and it doesnt know if it should only elongate from end point or startpoint right? so the solution can be this:
there will be a visual arrow that represent (left, right middle) so when u click on it it will change into a new mode and elongate according to that mode.
Ex:
First we draw a rectangle,
if we click on it then it show temporary dimensions on all sides,
if we use shift+ctrl click to one edge, it will only show dimension for that edge and when we change its dimension it will elongate (a. left b. right c. both sides/middle as mentioned above)
if we click on a corner of rectange it will show dimensions related to edges connected to that corner/vertex, then when we change dimensions of a certain edge, that corner will move only according to that so the rectangle can deform into new shape
Second, we extrude the shape and we click on the extruded end-surface of the object , it will show a dimension in middle so when we change it extrusion will also change.
2. relative temporary dimensions to another object
there will be an option to move one end of temporary dimension on an object to another object vertex or edge, so when we edit temporary dimension of this object it will elongate based on other object (other object will stay fixed and our object will elongate in other direction)
B.. PERMENTANT / VISIBLE DIMENSIONS FOR PARAMETIZATION & TO HELP CONSTRAINTS
2. (permenant drivendimensions) - these are the dimensions that can be added and they are always visible and they interract with other constraints
Note: these dimensions will elongate based on the start of dimension line, dimension line will have a startpoint and endpoint and if u change dimension the line will always elongate from dimensions endpoint with reference to start point, in other words , if u draw a dimension from point A TO B, when u change dimension value in dimension line, the real line will elongate from B because A will be the fixed point always. so we need a visual element to tell us this difference, and after dimension line is created we can change the start end point of dimension line if we change our mind.
3. Constrained(fixed) dimensions/locking dimension: if u lock a dimension, it will be unable to be changed so when u change other driven dimensions, everything will change according to constrained dimension that never change
4. Dimension Parameters - turning the permenant dimensions/dimension driven functionality into parameters in properties of object group, when u choose all of a object group that has elements connected by constraint relationships, properties bar can show them to us. so we can edit the shape without dimension lines. (HİDE DRIVEN DIMENSION LINES option would be good so it will allow us to see shape and just edit shape by parameters belogn to that group with constrainted elements)
C. NON-DIMENSIONAL OTHER CONSTRAINTS (PREFEREABLY BY BENEFITING FROM PERMENANT DIMENSIONS AS VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF CONSTRAINT RULES )
5.Lock/Alignment constraint - locking a end point or middle point or longitudinally all the line into another point or line that is used as a guide so when u move guide the objects will move with them
6. Other more advanced constraints as seen in videos, like parallel or other things. (they are really great, I never saw such in other BIM softwares I used, they will be great for parametric editing
NOTE: Some constraints such as parallel can be visualized by dimension lines as well to simplify, for example if u create dimensions between to lines by using vertical dimension for example it will force those 2 lines to always stay vertical. so it will remind us they will always stay like that
For example online constraint can be visualized by dimension line, if we draw a dimension between a line and a point and first we will click line because its the base element and then click point, then change dimension value to 0 and then lock the dimension , it will always stay on the line because we clicked on line first, so reference is the line and the object that is constrained is the point
NOTE: These features dont need to support all geometries or irregular geometries or objects, it can be thought as the photoshop smart object where we have to give up object to be smart object if we wanna make deformative destructive operations. so its okay if these constraints break in a later phase of modelling where we need to giveup things.
I really wanna help about development of these features, so I will be happy to give feedback or help with design of system to make it most logical and smooth implementation to rhino as if its always existed since the begining of rhino software