[Bf-python] Contrib Addon Review: Mesh Select Tools

[Campbell Barton]

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Mesh Select Tools
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As with previous addons, these are in fact many addons grouped into one,

In general I found these are very close to blenders internal tools, so
close infact I wonder if the authors
were aware of some of blender selection tools when writing.

Also, as far as I can tell all these addons go out of editmode to
operate on the selection, then go back in.

with the bmesh module this is no longer needed --- adapting simple
selection scripts for use with bmesh isnt hard.

Doing this is preferable before including in trunk.


mesh_index_select.py & mesh_select_by_pi.py
-------------------------------------------

Select index and select psudo random (based on pi),

I'd prefer not to include these addons and add these as options to the
select random operator.

Having random modes [None / Index / Psudo-Random / Random<-- DEFAULT]
is really trivial.


mesh_info_select.py
-------------------

Counting geometry on every redraw (from python), is just too slow and
will interfere with workflow on higher poly models.

Would suggest to have a tool that is more comprehensive and runs from
a menu/button rather then on every redraw.

This tool could show a popup reporting on the current mesh with
surface area, sorted by material - number of ngons, number of concave
ngons... number of manifold edges, free-standing verts, zero area
faces ... whatever.

Alternately - we could add tri/quad/ngons functionality into blender,
though the header is already quite crammed - just saying it could be
done in a way which isnt't performing slow.



mesh_select_by_direction.py
---------------------------

This functionality is too similar to "Select Grouped" (Shift+G)
- Vertex Normal
- Edge Direction
- Face Normal

I can't see any point in having this addon.



mesh_select_by_edge_length.py
-----------------------------

Shift+G, Edge Length

BUT - this tool only has option for selecting similar lengths, to
match this addon we would need to add options
Greate/Less/Equal - I think these options would be handy & worth adding.



mesh_select_by_type.py
----------------------

Selects 3/4/5+ sided faces...

We already have Mesh "Select -> By Number of verts"
Would prefer to add greater/less/equal option to this operator, then
there is no need for this addon.


mesh_select_checkered.py
------------------------

What does this offer that "Select -> Ever N Number of Verts" does not?
though perhaps "Checkered" is a better name.



mesh_select_connected_faces.py
------------------------------

How's this more useful then Ctrl-Pluskey?


mesh_select_innermost.py
------------------------

How's this more useful then Ctrl-Minus?

This needs updating for bmesh too, it uses '.faces'



mesh_selection_topokit.py
-------------------------

This is the only tool IMHO that is different/useful enough to be included,
the author obviously put a lot of thaught into how the tool works.

Id like to see it ported to bmesh py api (it probably has a lot to
gain with connectivity info).

So, would accept but would also do some code review here if the author
'dustractor' is available.
with bmesh it could probably avoid to cache data between calling.


-- 
- Campbell