Multi Nudge

[Matt_A]

Nudge is a feature that sets PowerCADD apart from the competition. I have a request for an enhancement.

Command-Key-Nudge. Would like to be able to set command keys for up to 10 different nudge amounts. Command sequence to invoke: Command+AssignedKey followed by the ArrowDirection key.

An alternate and perhaps superior method to do this would be to have the ability to assign a command key to "Set nudge to this amount" So you could make Command+1 set the nudge to, say 4", Command+2 sets the nudge to 5 1/2" or whatever, and so on. So there would need to be a new Menu Item "Set Nudge Amount" which when invoked displays a list of 10 assignable nudge amounts (0 through 9). The user inputs up to ten values which are then activated by the command sequence Command+the number. Or Command+Option+the number, whatever. After invoking this the Nudge amount would be set to the corresponding dimension and the arrow keys would function as they do currently, moving the selection by the current Nudge amount.

The reason is, I often frequently switch between nudge distances as I work, and this would be a time and labor saver.

It would even be helpful to have command key assignments that would double, or divide in half, the current nudge amount.

[mlsherrod]

Huh, very cool. Perhaps instead of forcing command, it could be programmed openly, so other offices are not constrained to rekey their commands. For instance, my Command + 1 makes an object have no fill, Command + 2 gives an object a white fill. So being forced to use command + will hurt others. I Love the idea though.

[Matt_A]

I would envision the command key assignments to remain user-settings; using the numeric keypad for ten nudge amounts might make sense to me but someone else might have a different perspective, ya.

edit: thinking about it some more, I would find this really useful:
command+arrow key = nudge by twice the current nudge setting
command+option+arrow key = nudge by half the current nudge setting

anyone else?

[mlsherrod]

Not bad, give nudge a "nudge" through an update. As long as I don't have to reprogram my brain and reset my pre-determined settings, I'm cool with that. So perhaps allow any modifier key to be programmed to work with arrow keys?

[Matt_A]

Not bad, give nudge a "nudge" through an update. As long as I don't have to reprogram my brain and reset my pre-determined settings, I'm cool with that. So perhaps allow any modifier key to be programmed to work with arrow keys?

I would support having the modifier keys be programmable presets for multiplying the (current, active) nudge amount without changing it.

so for example if you have a 2" nudge and command is set for 2x and option is set for 4x and control is set for 10x, then shift+arrow moves the selection 20" in the direction of the arrow, but leaves nudge setting at 2. In effect the control key modifier is (behind the scenes) nudging the selection 10 times.

.... and of course using shift+modifier does the reciprocal, so in the scenario above if you shift+control+arrow key, the selection set would move 2/10 of an inch.

I really like this better than having multiple presets, tbh.

[Alfred Scott]

All of this is intriguing but it seems to me this is an object lesson in how to design bad software.

I remember reading an article by Apple many years ago called ‘Empower the user, not the tool’ and how there is a well-understood phenomenon of someone hooking up complicated suggestions from their power-user friends who rave about the additions while creating software that is basically useless to the great unwashed who find it unintelligible and confusing.

There is the matter of how to provide documentation and technical support. If the cost of the technical support exceeds the revenue of the sale, then this is not an asset to the software company, it is a liability.

Bill Stanley once told me that “If you can't provide a feature in a tool with click, drag and release, you shouldn’t create the tool at all” and PowerDraw at the time had a Rotate tool that you clicked and then moved the mouse left or right to control the direction of the rotation.

So by that, you couldn’t have a Move Points tool, the WildTools Pen tool or many others.

It’s a problem of providing a combination of capabilities with simplicity and documentation that users will read.

I don’t have a clue how to deal with this concept of multi-nudge.

Stupid in Richmond,

Alfred

[Matt_A]

I bet you've heard the song, Hokey Pokey, Alfred.

You put your right foot in
You take your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
and that's what it's all about!

I'm just asking to be able to access the existing fantastic features of PowerCADD without having to do the hokey pokey every time.

I didn't create the drawing because I enjoy navigating the interface. I'm sure there are quotes to that effect from St. Jobs.

[sboone]

I too use Nudge a lot, and I love it. Most of the time I keep the Status window open just for access to the Nudge setting pull-down.
My request is: would it be possible in the Drawing Setup window to add a spot to set some nudge amounts that wouldn't rotate off of the status box Nudge setting, and stay in the pull-down?
To put this another way, I work at Bowling Green State University in Theatre and Film. I'm often nudging things around using standard dimension lumber measurements (especially 3/4" and 1 1/2"--the current commercial thicknesses of most 1x and 2x in the US). If I could make those remain in the pull-down and let the other nudge dimensions rotate off of the list, I'd do it in a heartbeat. To be honest, a lot of times those two dimensions stay in the pull-down list for me anyway, because I keep going back to them.

Humbly,
Steve Boone

[Matt_A]

I too use Nudge a lot, and I love it. Most of the time I keep the Status window open just for access to the Nudge setting pull-down.
My request is: would it be possible in the Drawing Setup window to add a spot to set some nudge amounts that wouldn't rotate off of the status box Nudge setting, and stay in the pull-down?
To put this another way, I work at Bowling Green State University in Theatre and Film. I'm often nudging things around using standard dimension lumber measurements (especially 3/4" and 1 1/2"--the current commercial thicknesses of most 1x and 2x in the US). If I could make those remain in the pull-down and let the other nudge dimensions rotate off of the list, I'd do it in a heartbeat. To be honest, a lot of times those two dimensions stay in the pull-down list for me anyway, because I keep going back to them.

Humbly,
Steve Boone

We share identical experience, Steve.

[Derek]

There is already a solution for multi-nudging. It takes a bit to set-up but it's not too bad. And once you've set it up it should stay in your preferences forever.

Use PowerCADD's Commands Preference: Multiple Command Sequence to create a sequence with as many nudges as you like. You'll need to do this for each direction and then assign a key combination for each. In the attached example I've created an 8x Nudge Up and assigned it to Option-Up Arrow.

These sequences don't change your Nudge setting but if you do change your Nudge, these sequences will multiply it by the number of repeats.

If you wanted to get real fancy you could also create diagonal nudges.

There is a down side: the Undo command only undoes one of the nudges. Hey, I have a new feature request (new thread).

Derek