Problem
At some point in recent updates, the feature to automatically hide a sketch after an extrusion was slid in with no notice in any recent release changes.
This update fundamentally changed the expected behavior of one of the most elementary and frequently used functions within Shapr3D - sketching and extrusion. This created more than a few situations of confusion within the forum, and highlighted an oversight in the initial implementation which - I will give credit for - was acknowledged and swiftly addressed with an update to modify the behavior, such that it will only hide the sketch after all features of the sketch have been extruded.
While this most recent update expeditiously remedied an oversight in the rollout, the whole thing feels like a fix for a problem that doesn’t exist.
Solution
Adding a on / off toggle to “hide sketches after extrusion” would preserve the feature for whomever finds it useful (?) while allowing potentially tens of thousands of legacy users who are all accustomed to and / or benefit from the prior operation (of the sketch remaining visible until deliberately hidden) to revert the program back to the expected functionality. I would expect the best place for this to be is in the settings tab, and not in the general UI itself. It is less a matter of where you’re at in the design process and one of personal preference, although I could go either way.
Example
The critical error in this change is the unilateral assumption on the part of the program that the user no longer needs visibility of the sketch after all parts have been extruded, instead of allowing the user ultimate control over the visibility. It’s an example of a new feature that ironically and paradoxically creates more work.
There are situations where a user may want to extrude one set of items, move them off to the side, and then extrude another similar set of items from the same sketch. The user may also decide after having extruded all items on the sketch that they wish to add another item to the sketch, extrude this additional item, or use it to modify one of the bodies in some way. To do any of this it requires an extra movement and input to tell the program "no, I’m not done with that yet, please bring it back”. This change seems to suggest that sketching and extrusion are a linear process and not something one can go back and forth between in an iterative, additive manner.
The prior suggestion in another forum of a workaround for the former example to take the original parts, copy them, and then modify them takes more time, more clicks to perform, and creates waste in the design workflow. For some of us, it also requires slowing ourselves down from habitual reflexes we’ve developed over the years to relearn it in a different way. Not to mention the frustration of having to waste time relearning how to do something for no good reason!
Without this…
What can I not achieve without this feature? The speed and ease of use I was accustomed to, because now there are added steps to get around the program thinking it’s making things better or saving me time and work. Again, it’s not simply a matter of relearning something - it’s actually more work to do it the new way than the old way! It’s the classic example of the person who thinks they’re helping you out by assisting you with a task but is actually making things more difficult because they have no idea what they’re doing.
Frankly, I’d be just as happy if the feature just vanished, but I want to be fair to those who worked on it and those who might find value in it and give it a chance to gain some flexibility.
As humans, we tend to be resistant to change. I understand that, and I try to keep an open mind. As I’ve looked through the new changes, I see a lot of things I like, and some things that I’m leery of, but I think I can learn to like. But with all due respect, this is certainly not one of them.
I hope that Shapr3D will not lose its intuitive and approachable nature as it seems to pivot more and more toward enterprise users, and also in imitation of other slower, more complex programs it has always stood out above in times past. As you add features, please keep in mind how this will change things for people who have been using this program for years on end - some of your most vocal and influential fans - and wherever possible, incorporate the ability to toggle these features on and off instead of assuming a default behavior.
This will make future updates more enjoyable for the end user, and less of a hassle for you to educate / support / undo / modify them. It also makes the program more flexible, and helps it reach a wider audience. This may be a completely separate topic, but think of how 3D printer slicing programs have different modes - simple, intermediate, expert, that make choices or unlock the ability to choose super custom granular aspects of control; a great way to add functionality while keeping it approachable for all levels.
Thanks for the consideration, and for all the great work over the years that has built this success of a program, a company, a user experience, and a reputation. Please keep up the good work!