Dev:2.5/Source/Development/Proposals/Editable Object Parameters

Editable Object Parameters

Blender has really great possibilities to create simple and really advanced meshes.. many plugins offer many shapes. For example cube, cilinder or.. rhombicuboctahedron. But the problem is — parameters for the object are available only at start, when it appears. As soon as it's moved, rotated or just.. deselected, all parameter editing possibilities disappear. Often it is really handy to change some parameter after rotating, scaling or moving it in the right place. Of course you can always enter edit mode and make adjustments to mesh there manually, but why do it in hard, time consuming way if there is a much faster and easier one. And sometimes it's even impossible to get exactly the shape you want manually.. like with rhombicuboctahedron or other advanced objects. So.. if you have placed it in the right spot.. maybe deformed with a modifier, attached to curve animation, but need to change something in it's shape.. you have to make all that from scratch.

Would be especially useful for addons like this (with many, many options): http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.5/Py/Scripts/Add_Mesh/Masonry

Default Wall

Here you can see usage of it: http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/08/30/tip-using-the-masonry-add-on/

Here you can see what can be done in few seconds by editing just 2 parameters for rhombicuboctahedron.

Solution is already here

Lattice object can change parameters!

Object data panel with editable object parameters

All we need to do is move parameters of objects to “object data” tab in properties.



Of course there is a question — what happens, when user enters edit mode and starts to edit mesh. Well.. in Autodesk Maya parameters still are available, but most of the time farther changing of them gives unwanted results.. so people erease object history and these parameters disappear. In Blender we can add button "apply" below parameters, so you can get rid of them.. when needed.

Also some other parameters for cilinder, cube and other meshes could be added.. like how many polygons user wants in U or V direction. Of course this is another theme, but would give more flexibility too.

Blender has made huge steps in advanced things like smoke.. physics, sculpting, but let’s focus on small things we all use every day too.