[Bf-committers] Freeing the 3D manipulator.

[Ronan Ducluzeau aka "zeauro"]

In practice, you always want to use an orientation relatively to something.
So, global, local, view etc or custom transform orientation allows to do 
everything.
We can rotate things after transformations instead of before.
Custom transform orientation are there only since 2.46.
And before, we could do modeling with shift numpad views.
And now, we have view roll.

I agree with Alberto Torres. It is a common and intuitive way to do it.
The proposal is not talking about removing previous ways that I am 
feeling faster; so, I am not hostile to it if it is well designed.

Blender users are used to the pivot point list. Manipulator should be 
located to the choosen pivot point.
Position of manipulator in 3DView  is an immediate visual information 
about that.
(Active Element, Bounding Box Center, Individual origins, Median Point).
IMHO, changing the location of manipulator implies a new item in this list.

In fact, 3D cursor pivot is already a kind of free position for 
manipulator.
But it have several disadvantages that are only erased by add-ons.
In fact, Enhanced 3D Cursor Add-on is really closed to your proposal.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/3D_interaction/Enhanced_3D_Cursor
But the way, you have to create empties to make custom orientations : it 
is not very clean.

A custom pivot type could be a way to memorize a location and if needed, 
to snap 3D Cursor to it.
Instead of mixing orientations list with modes to edit it, I think that 
it would be better to always have a custom orientation item in the list 
and provide an icon to edit it, next to orientations list.
A little bit like manipulate centers only icon next to pivot point list.

On 21/09/2013 09:15, Gert De Roost wrote:
> Even when not mentioning lack of axis-constraining and snapping when using
> 3d cursor for this, theres the fact that 3d cursor only enables
> translating, and not rotating, of the manipulator...
>
>
> On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 8:21 AM, Hadrien Brissaud <hadriscus at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> My bad, with the current solution you indeed need geometry to base the
>> orientation on - sorry for any confusion. I can see the handyness of freely
>> translating the pivot point, too, but that's what the 3D cursor is supposed
>> to be used for. Vanilla 3D cursor is clunky, admittedly...
>> In Modo they use a combination of pivot point and orientation which they
>> call "action center" and this combo is stored as a preset. Could be
>> interesting to explore, although I think I like being able to set both
>> independently.
>>
>> Hadrien
>>
>>
>> On 21 September 2013 01:22, Gert De Roost <paleajed at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Hadrien,
>>>
>>> Then you should really explain me how...  As far as I know the "transform
>>> orientations" just serves to store the orientation and revert back to it
>>> later or use it on other elements.
>>> Having the option to locate and rotate the manipulator in *any* state
>>> (without affecting any geometry) you want during modeling with option to
>>> snap to vert/edge/face/surface is something totally different.  If not
>>> clear I can always make a short video?
>>>
>>>
>>> Gert.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 12:21 AM, Hadrien Brissaud <hadriscus at gmail.com
>>>> wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> are you aware this exactly can be done through the "transform
>>> orientations"
>>>> panel in Properties sidebar ?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 20 September 2013 13:04, Alberto Torres <kungfoobar at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>>> 2013/9/19 Hadrien Brissaud <hadriscus at gmail.com>
>>>>>
>>>>>> adding custom orientations is already supported and easily
>> accessible
>>>>>
>>>>> Maybe is not so easily accessible if people keep coming with new
>>>> solutions.
>>>>> I suggest to have a key (with an equivalent and easy to discover GUI
>>>>> element) to add a transform and set it right away, and pressing the
>> key
>>>>> again goes back to the previous setting. The key part can be easily
>>> done
>>>>> calling create_orientation(use=True) and delete_orientation(). On the
>>> GUI
>>>>> side, both usage and discoverability can be greatly improved. In the
>>>>> "transform orientation" drop-down box in the header I would add a
>> "add
>>>>> custom" mode that basically calls create_orientation(use=True).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> DiThi
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