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For the older version's wiki, please visit this page: Exact Edit Alpha
| Name | Exact Edit |
|---|---|
| Description | Tool for precisely setting distance, scale, and rotation of mesh geometry |
| Menu | Spacebar Menu > "Exact Edit" |
| Version | 0, 2, 0 |
| Blender | 2.77 - 2.79 |
| Category | Object / Mesh |
| Author | nBurn |
| License | GPL |
The Add-On's default "click based" point finding code a proof-of-concept which may have performance issues. For basic scenes this will not be noticeable, but for complex scenes and meshes (vertex counts beyond the 10K to 30K range) performance will take a major hit. For this reason, the "Add Selected" button is recommended instead for complex scenes.
- Save the zip file of the version you want from the release branch to your computer (e.g. exact_edit_v0.1.0.zip)
- In Blender, go to: File > User Preferences > Add-ons
- Remove any older versions of "Exact Edit" (if there are any)
- Press the "Install From File" button and select the exact_edit_v0.0.0.zip file you just downloaded.
- Enable the add-on by clicking on the box to the left of Add-On's name (Exact Edit / Exact Edit Rotate)
Launch the add-on either from the Toolbar Menu or the Spacebar menu in the 3D View (by opening the by typing in: XEdit)
After launching the add-on it will be in "Point Click" mode where you can
add up to 2 or 3 "reference points" using the "Add Selected" button or by clicking the Left Mouse Button.
To add reference points with the "Add Selected" button, select an object or vertex, edge, or face (if in Edit Mode) and click on the "Add Selected" button. To add reference points with the Left Mouse Button click on/near an object origin or a vertex and a point will be placed at the coordinate closest to the location you clicked (except when nothing is near the mouse cursor). The order in which reference points are added determines their function and color:
- 1st point set is the "Free" (green)
- 2nd point set is the "Anchor" (red)
- 3rd point set is the "Pivot" (yellow)
Move the mouse cursor over an existing reference point and it will be highlighted black. Left clicking on or reference point that is highlighted black will remove it. Removing a reference point causes any remaining reference points to change their function in reverse of the "Anchor > Pivot > Free" order from when points are added. Examples:
- If 2 points were added and the Free is removed, the Anchor point (now the only point left) becomes the "new" Free.
- If 3 points were added and the Free is removed, the Anchor becomes the "new" Free and the Pivot becomes the Anchor.
- If 3 points were added and the Pivot is removed, the Free and Anchor remain unchanged and the Pivot is removed.
Reference points can be relocated with grab mode. To "grab" an existing reference point, move the mouse cursor on top of the point so it highlights black and press the "G" button. While a point is "grabbed" a new location can be set the same way as with adding a point (left clicking or by using the "Add Selected" button). If the "grabbed" reference point is moved over another reference point, left clicking on the second highlighted point will swap the locations of the two points. Pressing "G" or left clicking when the mouse cursor is not near any objects will cancel the grab and the grabbed reference point will return to its original location.
Mid point mode averages all points added while mid point mode is running and finds the center / mid point of the added points. To enter mid point mode, highlight an existing reference point with the mouse, hold shift, and then left click on the highlighted point. "Averaging points" are added and removed the same way as regular reference points (Left click or Add Selected button). To leave Mid point mode, hold shift and press the left mouse button. Note if all averaging points are removed when mid point mode is running the edited reference point will be removed and mid point mode will exit.
Clicking on the "Add Selected" button while holding shift can allow for creation of "new" mid points or exiting Mid point mode. Overview below:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| none | if 2 or fewer reference points, add new reference point as the mid point base, enter mid point mode, and add all selected verts or objects as averaging points |
| grab | same as with none, but using the 'grabbed' point as the mid point base |
| mid | add all selected verts or objects as averaging points and exit mid point mode |
Exact Edit is a collection of editing tools that allows you to precisely set the distance and rotation for objects or geometry. The distance and rotation are set using "reference points" (3D coordinates) that act as the basis for the transformation. The purpose of Exact Edit is to make certain forms of precise editing (like CAD work or mechanical animations) easier with Blender easier.
This add-on currently works in both Object and Edit Modes, and only performs a transformation on selected objects (unselected objects will not be affected).
After you add 2 or 3 points, a "button" will appear in the 3D View displaying the distance or angle between the reference points. If you click on the button a "Measure Input" dialog box will appear displaying the current measure between the points. If you change the measure in the dialog box and click "OK", a translation (move) or rotation will be performed (depending on which mode was active) to make the existing measurement become the entered measurement.
Translate, Scale, and Rotate. The active mode will be displayed in the top left corner of the screen. If more than one mode is available, the active mode can be changed using the up and down arrows.
- Translate mode: active when only 2 points were added
- Scale mode: active when only 2 points were added
- Rotate mode: active when 3 points are added
When a new measurement is input with the dialog box, the Free point will move away from or towards the Anchor point to match the updated measurement. If Blender was in Object Mode, all the selected objects will move in the same direction and by the same distance the "Free" point is moved. If Blender was in Edit Mode, selected vertices will be moved instead of the selected objects. If nothing is selected, only the Free reference point will be moved.
Without an axis lock set, the Free point will move along the slope between the Anchor and Free points. With an axis lock set, the Free point is moved along a set (global) axis.
When an axis lock is set, the Free point will rotate around that axis where it passes through the Pivot point's location. The displayed angle measurement (in degrees) represents the smallest angle created starting from the Anchor-Pivot line (at 0 degrees) to the Pivot-Free line. Because the smallest angle is used to determine the direction to move the Free point, if the angle measured 0 or 180 degrees before entering a new rotation value, the new location for the Free point will have to be manually selected with the Left Mouse Button. When no axis lock is set, the Free point will rotate around the "face normal" of Anchor-Pivot-Free "face" coming off the Pivot's location. You will not be able to do a rotation without an axis lock set if the original rotation value was 0 or 180 degrees.
If scale mode is active and no axis lock set, all selected objects are scaled up or down in 3 dimensions so the distance between the Anchor and Free points matches the distance input with the dialog box. If an axis lock was set, the object will scale only along the selected axis. Note that the scale is done in the direction of the Free point with the Anchor point maintaining its original location.
- You cannot assign more than 1 reference point to a given 3D location (Points can't share the same coordinates).
- If Objects have an unapplied scale or rotation, transforms may not work as intended.
- Entering negative values will reverse the direction of the transformation. For example, If a Z axis lock was applied, the Free vertex was 2 units above the Anchor, and -3 was entered, the Free vertex would be moved down 5 units to sit 3 units below the Anchor.
LMB = Left Mouse Button, RMB = Right Mouse Button -- ESC exit add-on LMB+RMB exits add-on LMB adds/remove ref points and activates button X sets X-axis lock Y sets Y-axis lock Z sets Z-axis lock C clears axis lock (sets "spherical" lock in rotation mode) -- G Grab point (enter grab mode) / Cancel grab mode LMB (grab mode) place / swap point Shift+LMB enter / exit mid point mode LMB (mid point mode) place / remove averaging point Up/Down Change transform mode
Exact Edit Rotate enables the creation of a custom rotation axis using 1 or more reference points. The location of the rotation axis depends on the number of reference points:
- 1 point: rotation axis is the global axis lock going through the point (if an axis lock is set)
- 2 points: rotation axis is the line connecting the 2 points
- 3 points: rotation axis is the "face normal" of Anchor-Pivot-Free "face" going through the Pivot's location
- Adding and removing of reference points along with grab and mid point modes work the same as above.
- Axis locks can only be set with 1 reference point. If additional points are added the axis lock is removed.
- Right mouse button will cancel an active rotation.