UI for editing parameters in history

History-Based Parametric Modeling Beta
1

I downloaded the Beta and had a quick play with the history pane on a very basic object.

I feel like this should probably already be on your radar but I can’t find anything in the forums…

I think the interface/keypad entry when using iPad & Pencil to update parameters in the history pane should be a bit slicker. I recorded a video to demonstrate how many clicks/taps it takes to update the chamfer and extrude values on a basic shape, however it’s too big to attach and for some reason not all pencil taps were recorded in tutorial mode anyway. The list below is a summary of the interactions:

  1. Open history pane and Tap ‘chamfer’ drop down in the history pane
  2. Tap ‘primary distance’ numerical input field
  3. I then have to select ‘show keyboard’ from the iOS interface, I think because this is the first load of the keyboard since launching the project
  4. I then need to tap to change to numerical input on the iOS keyboard
  5. I want to update the value to ‘10’, so I tap ‘1’ and the keyboard automatically switches back to alpha characters!
  6. I tap to switch back to numerical input
  7. I tap ‘0’ to complete my entry
  8. I tap ‘return’, expecting the keyboard to close and the value to be submitted, however this doesn’t appear to work.
  9. I try several more taps of ‘return’ just to double check
  10. I tap outside of the keyboard somewhere in the history pane to try close the keyboard but this doesn’t work either
  11. I tap the ‘history’ icon, the value updates and the model refreshes.

I then go on to try again with the ‘extrude’ parameter…

  1. Tap the ‘history’ icon to open the pane,
  2. Tap to close ‘chamfer’ and open ‘extrude’ drop-down
  3. Tap the ‘length’ input field
  4. This time the keyboard opens automatically, but again defaults to alpha characters
  5. Tap to switch to numerical input
  6. I want to update the value to ‘100’, so I tap ‘1’ and the keyboard switches back to alpha
  7. Tap to switch back to numbers
  8. Tap first ‘0’, this time the keyboard remains on numerical input.
  9. Tap second ‘0’
  10. Try to tap ‘return’ again (just checking), doesn’t update
  11. This time I tap into the shaded area of the history window, resulting in the keyboard closing and the value updating as required.

This seems a lot of taps/interactions just to update a couple of basic parameters. Is this expected behaviour or am I just missing something?

My expectation/suggestion would be that the usual ‘Shapr3D’ numerical input interface pops up (instead of the iOS keyboard) when user taps on a numerical input field in the history pane.

I’m running the latest beta on an iPad Pro 2018 11”

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That’s absolutely correct. A lot of improvements are coming - eg. the numpad (that you have everywhere else) will pop up automatically. Side note: even now you can simply write a number with hand writing using the Pencil to change a value.

Excellent feedback, thank you.

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Thanks Istvan, I can already see how powerful the HBPM is going to be.

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Hi! Thanks for the feedback! As Istvan said, the iPad interactions are definitely a bit behind in this beta, we’re working on those as we speak. Two quick tips:

  • If you only want to adjust the primary metrics (eg. the extrude length or the chamfer distance), you don’t need to use the details in the history step list, you can just tap the step and the original controls will reactivate and you can use them in the same way you’d use if you created a new extrude or chamfer. This does not work for all tools and parameters, but does for the basics.
  • You don’t need to close the history sidebar to confirm & evaluate the changes, updates happen in real time after you make your edit, either by using canvas controls or editing parameters.

Check it out here:

5

Thanks Peter,

I see that the option to edit using the original canvas controls is indeed available (and probably more efficient in a lot of cases). In normal situations I probably wouldn’t make such simple mods via the history, but my example was aimed at covering the iPad interface for making parameter updates in general.

I think the feedback regarding the iPad interface for numerical entry/parameter updates is still valid and it’s great to hear that this is still an area you intend to improve as HBPM is developed further. :+1:

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