[Bf-committers] Simple Deform modifier setting removed?

Linus Wiklander linus.wiklander at gmail.com
Wed Nov 20 01:55:26 CET 2013


I can't say I miss the functionality, if it had never been there I would
have been fine with that. I think there are a lot of better stuff to focus
on than to try to bring this back.

What annoyed me was that models in my files broke due to the change. The
reason I asked was to see if there was a workaround or way to re-enable the
setting somehow.
If this is not possible, I will have to write a script to solve it.

However,
There might be a need to work out how to manage these type of changes in
modifiers and other areas as well?
I don't know how this is addressed today among the developers, or how
important compatibility issues are in general and how they are handled.

In this particular case (since there is no real change in how the modifier
itself behaves) it could have been solved by leaving the functionality
working under the hood, remove the option from the modifier interface and
replace it with a 'convert/adapt to new modifier' button if the removed
setting is used. Clicking the button would adjust settings to keep the
model intact (as much as possible) and then remove the button from the
interface. This perhaps does not solve all possible issues with the change,
but could save a majority from a lot of extra work.

This would allow obsolete features to be gracefully removed from the
program. Once in a while the converter functionality could be removed to
clean things up but break compatibility in a controlled manner.

I don't know how general this type of solution is to other compatibility
issues, or if it is even plausible. I think the discussion is interesting
though.

/ Linus



*Campbell Barton* ideasman42 at gmail.com
<bf-committers%40blender.org?Subject=%5BBf-committers%5D%20Simple%20Deform%20modifier%20setting%20removed%3F&In-Reply-To=528B8F75.9040004%40gmail.com>
*Tue Nov 19 19:42:53 CET 2013*

> Ah, I mis-remembered how the option was used, your correct that this
> is only for objects.
>
> Even in this case though I think its quite arbitrary to have this
> option for simple-deform, it could just as easily apply to
> cast/warp/wave/array/mirror/hook/screw.
>
> IMHO theres a real advantage to having the point of interest
> (pivot/center) being WYSIWYG, even when that means you need to parent
> the object.
>
>
> If this ability is really useful, then we miss it for all the other modifiers.
>
> We could have a XYZ center point offset (to be applied in object
> localspace), then if you really wanted to control with an objects
> absolute coords, the XYZ values could be driven.
>
>


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