AnyRail Model Railroad Forum

General Category => Problems => Topic started by: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 12:45:23 AM

Title: RE: Grouping
Post by: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 12:45:23 AM
Ok, now I have seen something I really don't like. If you have a 'structure' that you want to group, and there is track somewhere in the area (even if it's not Selected to include in a group), it won't let you create a group. This can cause endless grief as you have to remove all tracks and hope that you can get them back in the same places after you create the group.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: santerdam on May 29, 2010, 03:47:48 AM
Even when you have a mixed selection, you can group lines and surfaces. After making your mixed selection, click on the "lines and surfaces" tab and here you can find the grouping button.

Sander
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on May 29, 2010, 08:45:47 AM
That's correct Sander.

You can also right-click one of the selected lines or surfaces to group.


In general it can be very handy to just select an area and only work on the texts, rulers or whatever by selecting the relevant tab.

For instance, to set all texts to font size 20, use CTRL-A to select all, go to the 'Texts' tab, and set the font size.

David.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 12:43:44 PM
I should have been clearer- the 'problem' I found applies when using a drag-box outline to select. If there are any track  pieces inside the selection box, you are unable to group or ungroup what you have selected. I would prefer to see it ignore the track, since we are unable to include that in any group.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David K Smith on May 29, 2010, 01:59:08 PM
Quote from: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 12:43:44 PM
I should have been clearer- the 'problem' I found applies when using a drag-box outline to select. If there are any track  pieces inside the selection box, you are unable to group or ungroup what you have selected. I would prefer to see it ignore the track, since we are unable to include that in any group.

The problem then becomes, how do you control what the drag-box can select? There are times that you want it to select track sections, and if it ignores track, you're stuck.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 02:18:05 PM
Exactly...

The issue is not what is selected, but what the subsequent command is. If you're selecting and then moving, it shouldn't ignore ANYTHING selected. If you're then using the Disconnect command, then it obviously ignores non-track items. In this case, if the next command is to group or ungroup, then it can ignore track items.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: santerdam on May 29, 2010, 03:12:55 PM
Jeff, it doesn't matter how you select, with or without drag-box. Just click the tab and you can click the group-button. Or, as David wrote, right-click on one of the selected lines. The grouping ignores all non-line items, since grouping is ONLY available for lines.

Sander
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Jeff on May 29, 2010, 04:00:33 PM
Ok, I see where I was not looking at the right place- It will list group or ungroup only on the 'Lines and Surfaces' tab and not the Selection tab, even though the Selection tab is the one that pops to the top. I'll remember that.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on May 30, 2010, 12:22:30 AM
Indeed. If you only select lines and surfaces, only that tab will appear. If you only select text, the Texts tab appears.

If you select different kinds of items, apart from the specific item tabs, an extra tab 'Selection' appears for functions that can be applied to the selection as a whole.

David.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Nick the Cabin Boy on May 30, 2010, 12:56:51 PM
This is where I find the use of layers most accommodating - you can hide the track layer and then work on the surfaces.  Or, you can simply uncheck "Visible track" temporarily.

Works for me, anyway!

Nick
Tasmania
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David K Smith on May 30, 2010, 02:30:09 PM
Quote from: abbonc on May 30, 2010, 12:56:51 PM
This is where I find the use of layers most accommodating - you can hide the track layer and then work on the surfaces.

I would agree. Having used traditional vector drawing software for years to do layout drawings, I automatically put each different element type (track, structures, scenery, etc.) on a separate layer. This greatly enhances the ability to manipulate just the objects of interest.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Soulnet on June 23, 2010, 09:59:17 AM
Hi David and all,

Not sure if anyone else is having this issue but when ungrouping then trying to move an object seems to crash the program...

Is it just me?
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on June 23, 2010, 10:01:08 AM
Hi Soulnet, could you please email us the ".any" file you have this problem with so we can fix it?

David.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Soulnet on June 23, 2010, 10:01:39 AM
Attached above!
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on June 23, 2010, 10:06:15 AM
Thanks, we can reproduce it.

David.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: Soulnet on June 23, 2010, 10:08:20 AM
Sorry to give you more work! :-[
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on June 23, 2010, 11:15:05 AM
We found the problem and it will be fixed in the next bugfix release.
It is caused by a bug in the 'Snap to grid' functionality for grouped items.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

David.
Title: Re: RE: Grouping
Post by: David on June 24, 2010, 06:45:39 PM
This bug should be resolved in today's bugfix version 4.6.1.

David.