Is there a hotkey for that? Want easier precision working on vertices.

Support Basics & Interface
1

Friends,

I’m working on a series of projects–specifically creating topographical maps for use in games–where I want more precision in placement of vertices than the principal Blender interface is designed to provide easily. There is a defined set of vertices (specifically a contour) that I want to have a particular translation value, for the case of discussion here, let’s assume 51.09688 units on the Z axis.

At present, one of the available options I know about are to zoom in progressively using the appropriate view, and move the set along the z axis using a combination of mouse, or mouse and arrows. The other available option I know about is to mouse over to the z number button in the translation panel of the properties shelf of the 3D viewport, click on the number button, and enter the number manually, using the numeric keypad or the number buttons at the top. Both of these are more time consuming and involve more mouse movements than I’d like. It would be extremely useful to have a hotkey or shortcut that I could press that would allow me to access these number buttons with a couple of keystrokes, but I have not been able to find one. Is such a set of hotkeys already defined, perhaps as an add-on, ro which is otherwise playing hard-to-find? If one does not exist, is this an idea worth proposing as a new addon, or a new feature of the Blender interface.?

In more detail, the functionality I am proposing is that with at least one object selected in a blender scene, and the viewport set to object mode, pressing the key sequence “QUOTE G-key”, followed by X, Y, or Z would open the transform panel, and select the X, Y, or Z number button for keyboard entry and the X, Y, or Z attribute of the object would be set; when the entry in the number button is completed, the RETURN / ENTER key would close the keyboard entry, and return control to the mouse. I would expect this shortcut to work the same way in both object and edit modes.

Similarly, in object mode, the key sequence “QUOTE S-key”, followed by X, Y, or Z would open the X, Y, or Z number buttons in the Scale panel of the properties panel in the 3D viewport, the sequence “QUOTE R-key”, followed by X, Y, or Z would open the buttons in the Rotation panel in the 3D viewport, and “QUOTE D-key”, followed by X, Y, or Z would open the number buttons in the dimensions panel. Since by default, the Scale, Rotation, and Dimensions panels do not open in the properties panel in edit mode, these key sequences would not be implemented in the #D viewport in edit mode.

So, a good idea whose time has come, not here yet, or of current utility?

ns

2

There is a defined set of vertices (specifically a contour) that I want to have a particular translation value, for the case of discussion here, let’s assume 51.09688 units on the Z axis.

In you example you would just type G Z 51.09688, then press the LMB to accept to move the selection 51.09688 units along the Z axis. Use the same method for rotation and scale using the R and S keys instead of G

3

This is a good suggestion, with one drawback. The drawback is that using GZ (and similar key sequences) does not allow use of CTRL-V to paste in a value. My proposal of the key sequence "GZ as a shortcut to open the Z number box in the translate panel, permits using CTRL-V to insert the value.

Further more, as GZ value is currently implemented, the quantity added is cumulative, that is, the value entered after GZ is added (or if negative, subtracted) from the current value of the parameter of the vertex. So if the vertex is at .852 to begin with, and one wishes to set it to 12.37, one cannot enter GZ12.37, because the new value of the vertex will not be 12.37, but rather 13.242. to use GZvalue, one would have to first account for the existing value in deciding what value to enter to get the desired result.

One solution to this (which would apply in scale and rotation, too, presuming that in those tools too, the similar construct is cumulative), is to use the quote key (since it doesn’t seem to be used for anything else) as an operator to signify and absolute value.

ns

4

I posted a proposal incorporating some of these ideas here.

5

The answer offered by Richard answered the question in your original post, with way fewer keystrokes…

Then you wanted to allow pasting of values.
Well, you can do that with the same keystrokes but with a * keystroke followed by ctrl-V and left click to accept, so: G, Z, *, Ctrl-V, left click.

Now in your proposal you want to use global or local coordinates for transforms but you don’t want to use the N properties panel which very specifically is designed for such transformations, even to the extent that, in edit mode, there is the option to choose global or local coordinates for vertex positions. Do I understand you correctly so far?

6

You should look at the advanced transform input options introduced in blender 2.70 http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.70/UI#Transform_Tools_Number_Input

7

In reference to Ctrl-V, where are you copying the data from? Perhaps a better approach would be to write a Python script to insert and position the vertices.

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Richard, thanks for the reference to the 2.7 release notes. I had missed this change.

Dunawayc, you may be right that a python script might be a better approach, but at this instant that is not in my skillset. As to where I am copying the values from, I use the same small set of values quite consistently, so I maintain a spreadsheet that lists the necessary values, and I copy the values from there, or from another point that I know has the same value relative to the center that I need for the point whose attribute I’m wanting to modify.

Druban, your definition of “way fewer” is different from mine. My proposal to modify the existing key sequenced added one keystroke. I will be rethinking that, in light of the new changes introduced in 2.71. As far as pasting of values, following the key sequences to activate the transform tools, and constrain them to a particular axis, they do work in 2.71; they did not work in 2.69.

I failed to keep the proposal I intended to start with, a shortcut from edit or object mode to allow entry of numeric values into the number boxes associated with the X, Y, and Z attributes in the properties shelf (N shelf) panels of the transform tools in the order consistent with the priority I placed in this proposal. I’ve changed that.

Revised proposal.

9

That is awesome! I never knew… thanks.