Short keys for setting height and more advanced height-setting controls

[kimbo]

I've had to do quite a bit of work setting height and would love to see some improvements in functionality on this particular front.

1) It'd be great if we could have a shortkey ie CTRL + H or something along those lines that would allow us to set height for individual pieces. I've often had to wrestle with the software in order to get the purple indicator to show.

2) Another thing which I'd like to control a bit better is the height gradient controls... Often when I set a gradiant, the software sometimes misunderstands which way the slope is going... It'd be great if there'd be a way to control this more effectively.

Ta for everything, David

[santerdam]

If you allow me to add to your questions :

3) Often I know where I want to start a climb and know where I want to get at a give height. It would be nice to have a feature where you can select point A, point B and give desired height at point B. I don't want to fiddle with various climb-rates as a try-and-error.

4) Please, please use a somewhat larger font for indicating the height. The now used font is so small, I allmost have to climb in my screen to read.

Thanks,

Sander 

[kimbo]

Totally would agree with Santerdam's additions to this particular wishlist.

[David]

Of course, in a 2D view, this remains tricky stuff to get right and make it easy.
But we try to do something about it in every release, and hopefully converge to an optimal solution!

1. To start with: In the next version, it'll be a lot easier to point at the purple 'endpoint' indicator. It's not so easy to let go of the principle that the height is defined at the endpoints of the track. If we'd make it possible to set the height for the track as a whole, a lot of different cases come up: "level", "level left, slope right", 'level right, slope left", etc.etc. For turnouts or crossings it would even get worse. But a shortcut key to set the height while just hovering an endpoint might help a lot.

2. Could you give an example of this? The software always tries to comply with the height differences that are already there.

3. Sure, this might be great. But we miss the concept of 'selecting multiple points'. That's why we are a bit hesitant. We are leaning more towards creating points at a "fixed height", and create slopes between them.

4. This should be easy enough.

Please keep sending us your suggestions regarding the complicated issues of working with heights!

David.

[kimbo]

Number 2 happens especially when doing height differences for two set of sections which you're then trying to connect in the middle. i.e. you've got a section running down to 20 cm, and another running up to 20 cm... when trying to put flex track to connect the section and I set a corresponding gradient, but sometimes the software things I'm going down, or I'm going up when in fact I am doing the opposite.... I suppose I could rotate 180 / - 180 depending on the objective.... 

[santerdam]

@3. I understand the issue of 'selecting multiple points'. A workaround could be to disconnect the track at te beginning and the endpoint of the climb. Next step would be to select the connection point at one end, right mouse menu, and specify desired the height at the other end of the stretch.
Feedback on the climbrate would be nice. (In the status bar while pointing a connection point, next to the X, Y and Z coordinates ?)

@4. Great.

Sander

[David]

In version 3.16.1, a few issues have been resolved.

1. It should be a lot easier to grab the purple endpoint now. Also, if you hover it, just press 'h' to get the height dialog.

4. Heights show a bit larger now at the bigger scales.

David.

[kimbo]

Many thanks for that David

[santerdam]

"4. Heights show a bit larger now at the bigger scales."

Great David. What a quick response !! I've tested and on the larger scales I can easy read the screen now.

'A small step for a Programmer, a great step for All Users' 

Thanks.

Sander

[Andrew]

It's great with the height "h" key,  the only thing is that when you work on a locked height point you have to unlock it the usual way before you can work on it.

Could you add a lock height dialogue onto it?

[David]

Do you mean that the 'lock' feature should be part of the height dialog?

David.

[Andrew]

In short, Yes.
At the moment when you want to lock/unlock a point on the track and change heights this involves 2 different processes. If it was on the same dialogue you can change height and lock the point at the same time.
Cheers,
Andrew