Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

This forum is for general discussion regarding VCarve Pro
Post Reply
Ton80
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:48 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3XXL / Carvewright RevB
Location: Rockland County, NY USA
Contact:

Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Ton80 »

I am wondering what you all do with the LAYERS and keeping tabs on multiple, stacked items on a layer. I am not used to looking at a layer and not having an additional sub list showing each vector / item contained within the active layer. Is there a particular reason Vectric chose to not have this type of info shown on the layers tabs?

I guess normally this isn't really a required feature but I just did something that made me really wish it existed. I inadvertently double clicked the "create boundary around component" button. If there was a feature that allowed me to view all the vectors as selectable items under the name of the layer they were on it would be very easy to confirm that.

Another area where it would help is knowing when you place an item on a layer that it is actually on the layer you want it to be on.

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14541
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Adrian »

Look at the right click layer options.

Ton80
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:48 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3XXL / Carvewright RevB
Location: Rockland County, NY USA
Contact:

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Ton80 »

Adrian wrote:Look at the right click layer options.
I have and I don't see any option that shows a list of each vector on a layer... ?

As a test, I created 3 circles and made sure they are all stacked so they look like a single circle. I went through each right click option and nothing shows me that there are 3 circles stacked.

User avatar
Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14541
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Adrian »

The options let you select etc. If you have duplicates you would use the select duplicates option or the vector checker to show that.

Ton80
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:48 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3XXL / Carvewright RevB
Location: Rockland County, NY USA
Contact:

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Ton80 »

I see... I still think it would be prudent to have a list of all vectors on the layer visible.. Just my wish. I sent it in as a request for future update.

User avatar
FixitMike
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 2173
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:21 am
Model of CNC Machine: Shark Pro Plus (retired)
Location: Burien, WA USA

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by FixitMike »

How would you identify the vectors? Arc1, Arc2, Bezier1, Bezier2, etc. ? How would that tell you if there were duplicates?
Sometimes I have as many as 720 vectors on a layer to use with the fluting toolpath. It would be a long list.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.

Ton80
Vectric Apprentice
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2018 3:48 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3XXL / Carvewright RevB
Location: Rockland County, NY USA
Contact:

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by Ton80 »

lol.. well I see your point too. I am still getting used to the VCarve way of doing things. All at once too I might add. It has given me a feeling of "what the hell did I get myself into" at least a few times.

The only reason I really thought this might be useful was because I inadvertently hit the "create vector boundary around component" button. I wasn't really sure if that vector was created twice or not though and the only way to tell ( at least that I could think of ) was to go in, select the vector and drag it away to reveal that there was actually two copies of the vector there. If there were shown in the layer as a 'tree', it would have been clear immediately. If I had hundreds of vectors there already then I guess it would have been useless.

User avatar
FixitMike
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 2173
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:21 am
Model of CNC Machine: Shark Pro Plus (retired)
Location: Burien, WA USA

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by FixitMike »

When you have a possibly duplicate vector selected, use an arrow key to move it. You will see immediately if it was a duplicate. If it wasn't, control Z will put it back where it was. An equal number of presses on the opposite arrow key will also put it back. Another method is to simply delete the vector. If it was a duplicate, you will see the extra one still there after the deletion. Again, use Control Z to get back the deleted vector if there was only one.

The Help, Help Contents has a lot of useful information to help you figure out what is happening in the Vectric programs.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.

User avatar
mezalick
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 2970
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:07 am
Model of CNC Machine: Camaster Cobra
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
Contact:

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by mezalick »

So here's a little routine that may come in handy,,,using the example that you stated.
So, you created a boundary vector,,,and you don't know if you have one or dozens of those pesky vectors....
Just simply click on the vector and hit the delete key....it's gone..
Oh but wait,,there was only on and you really did need it...just hit the CTRL Z combo...and it's back again...

I really think your working too hard NOT to use this program, or to find why it's not working the way you think it should,,, or maybe you just enjoy hitting your head against the wall.....

Michael
Michael Mezalick
https://www.youtube.com/user/mezalick
mm@mezalick.com

User avatar
mezalick
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 2970
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:07 am
Model of CNC Machine: Camaster Cobra
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
Contact:

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by mezalick »

FixitMike,,,you beat me to it,,,or "Great minds think alike"...LOL
~M
Michael Mezalick
https://www.youtube.com/user/mezalick
mm@mezalick.com

User avatar
dealguy11
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 2462
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:52 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Anderson Selexx 510
Location: Henryville, PA

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by dealguy11 »

Mike and Michael - I do the same as you when trying to decide if there's duplicates. Works fine, as far as that goes. Still, there are times when it would be helpful if it was possible to name vectors and combine them into named groups or composites that were permanently together (sort of like you can do with components). An example would be on the doors I do, or perhaps cabinet parts, where there is a "thing" (the door or the cabinet side) that contains multiple vectors on which you're going to do different operations, and which need to be nested. If there are many of these things (for example some of my door runs have 80 or more doors on many sheets) then it is time consuming and error prone to have to group the set of vectors for each door individually, then do the nesting, then go back and ungroup the items on each sheet (although that last step can be done one time for all the doors on the sheet and so the number of ungroups is just one per sheet). It would be nice if all the vectors for Door 1 were subordinate to the Door 1 composite item, then you could just nest the composite items and the vectors would follow without grouping and ungrouping. Would also make general moves and copies easier in this scenario. I know this is a specialty function for people who are doing something more like production and less like one-offs, but I do use it for that and it would be helpful. This is a request I'm putting in to Vectric...not optimistic, but a guy can dream!
Steve Godding
Not all who wander (or wonder) are lost

LittleGreyMan
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1012
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 1:10 pm
Model of CNC Machine: 3 axis small size machine
Location: France

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by LittleGreyMan »

dealguy11 wrote:Mike and Michael - I do the same as you when trying to decide if there's duplicates. Works fine, as far as that goes. Still, there are times when it would be helpful if it was possible to name vectors and combine them into named groups or composites that were permanently together (sort of like you can do with components). An example would be on the doors I do, or perhaps cabinet parts, where there is a "thing" (the door or the cabinet side) that contains multiple vectors on which you're going to do different operations, and which need to be nested. If there are many of these things (for example some of my door runs have 80 or more doors on many sheets) then it is time consuming and error prone to have to group the set of vectors for each door individually, then do the nesting, then go back and ungroup the items on each sheet (although that last step can be done one time for all the doors on the sheet and so the number of ungroups is just one per sheet). It would be nice if all the vectors for Door 1 were subordinate to the Door 1 composite item, then you could just nest the composite items and the vectors would follow without grouping and ungrouping. Would also make general moves and copies easier in this scenario. I know this is a specialty function for people who are doing something more like production and less like one-offs, but I do use it for that and it would be helpful. This is a request I'm putting in to Vectric...not optimistic, but a guy can dream!
+1 for the vector combining feature

Same method than Mike, Michael and Steve for duplicate vectors hunting.
Best regards

Didier

W7 - Aspire 8.517

User avatar
WaltS
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 500
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:44 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot 2418 - Spindle - ScottP Spoilbrd
Location: Virginia USA

Re: Layers and lack of sublist showing all vectors/models?

Post by WaltS »

+2 for the above solutions. I'm far from the knowledge of these guys (and many more here) but simple little things like deleting or moving a vector to check, then undeleting or moving it back is fast and easy. One thing I learned the hard way is not to get busy and/or distracted when doing things like this, and then saving before undoing your changes. Once you do that there is no more "undo". Unless someone out there has a trick I need to know. :) Don't make the program more difficult than it is. Take advantage of all the little things like this to just make it really simple. Then you can move on to the difficult stuff. :lol:

Now, if someone can teach me a way to remember to hit D instead of Delete when selecting multiple nodes to delete, aside from whacking my hand with a ruler, I'd appreciate it. (it only took me a year plus to learn that trick). 8)

Post Reply