I wanted to share what I’m doing to check that the length of armscye and the length of the sleeve cap is compatible:
I create a empty block at letter F (it means it’s the 6th in order of creation and ensures all variable and points are available to it) and create in it a series of line referencing in the formulas the difference between the two curves (see screenshot)
I also created lines which just report the total length of those seamlines, to check against other patterns, for example.
Maybe this could be implemented as a draft block sort of macro?
I’ve already thought of the idea for a “test square” macro. Where a macro tool creates a whole block based on whatever input. For ex: A test square macro would create a Block named (translated) “Test Square” and basically create a base point, and 3 point tools with a choice of input lengths of say 3", 4", and 5".
Could do the same thing for a seam check macro… where it creates a block of some yet to be determined name, where you then select your points & curves for the 1st seam like you would for say inserting nodes, and then the same for the second seam… and it automaticaly creates the formulas for the 2 lines in the block. Would be as simple as select seam check tool… click, click, click… click, click, click… Ok. Done.
Yeah, something like that sounds good. I think that the main issue is making a seam check block that always goes last, even when additional blocks are added. (I assume that there are more difficult coding issues to automate it, but just implementing an always-last block would make manually implemented comparisons such as pictured in the OP smoother.)
I thought about that. Maybe a special block tag, or a new attribute in the block tag that places and parses those blocks after the normal blocks, There’s also the issue that draft blocks are appended as the last element in the doc rather than inserted, so may have to modify that.
I normally put a line from the one to the other so that I can see, at a glance, what the actual difference is. If you’re going to automate the process, perhaps you can make this distance clearly visible?
Could it be something like the Group manager, a panel used to check seams? How difficult would be to implement?
You do all calculation in background, without creating lines, and just show the final result as a number.
Total seam length, difference between seam lengths etc.
Hmmm, good idea. You’d also need place to put in a formula for length 1 and length 2. It would also need to say which one is the longest/shortest, and then the difference between the 2.
And it would need to save the formula and have a few instances of it for different areas of the pattern, like the armhole/sleeve cap, trouser/skirt side seams, trouser inseams, etc. etc.
Some other questions to resolve with this idea… besides all the under the hood stuff to figure out.
How are the items in the “Seam Check” dock to be created? Would it be from a new tool
button in the toolbox?
I would assume there could be an unlimted number of seams… how would this be handled
in the dock?
Why would you not want to see the total seam length? For example when drafting a mens
jacket sleeve with many systems it;s based on the arm scyth measurement - that is the
length of the sleeve’s total armhole seam… If I was drafting a sleeve to be 18", I’d like to
know it’s close to 18".
Why would just the fx button be there without being able to see & edit the formula? It
would be inconsistant with other instances elsewhere of the fx button.
That being said… I do like the idea of adding a “Check” dock. It could simplify the block element tag issue… it could just be a new CheckTag element. I also would think bigger than just a Seam Checker dock… as there are other things that could be checked - such distance between 2 points. or angle measurments.
I would suggest that it be another folder on the right side where the groups, etc. are because it will need to appear after the drafting of the patterns in the Xml file, to access all the object lengths and angles.
Perhaps also have names, like the groups?
Good idea! perhaps a 3rd formula box for the ideal length can be added which will indicate the ideal length, in bold & red, which can be entered with a hard value or from a measurement/variable formula, that can be used, or not.
Yes, we’ll need to see & edit the formula
Hmmm… I’m a bit at sea about how this would be brought into it, because this would mean selecting 2 or more nodes, reguardless of whether they are connected by a line/curve, to get the result required. But it’s also a very good idea and can fit into the same box.
This would be the most elegant solution
After clickint on the tool the standard dialog to build a formula would show up. You would then build whatever formula you want to check: a comparison between seam length: a difference.
Total lenght of a seam: a curve or an addiction of lines or curves etc.
See updated mockup, the panel would scroll down, much like the Properties panel (panel? tool? sidebar? I don’t know the specific name) when it’s not tall enough.
Yes, but other instances of this UI are used to modify points and lenghts, This, in my opinion is something used to check them, non to design them.
You would design the armhole in the block, keeping the panel open to rapidly check if other seams corresponds. So modifing the formula can be invoked when necessary with the button, but in this way you save a lot of vertical space, and as you say
it’s better to save space to show as many “checked seams” as possible.
I never said that, in fact of you look at the first mockup the second item is Armhole_total_seam_lenght
Exactly, that’s why I think this should be a inputted as a formula, so you can check whatever you want, but instead of drawing it on the screen, you just show in the side panel the numeric result of the formula.
Like a “target” length formula? Which in my sleeve example it could be based on the armscye measurement.
Well in the mockup example you could click the fx button to open the FX dialog… IMO it’s preferred to also have the formula box in which to edit the formula without the need to open the dialog.
That’s the point. Sometime you might want to know the distance between 2 points without having to actually add a line and then place the length variable into a formula. At any rate I’m just spit balling at the moment - thinking of other ways to use the same “Check” dock NOW without trying to cram something into the code later. I’ve already been dealing with WAY TOO much of that with the app. “If You Fail to Plan , You Are Planning to Fail ”. BF
Although a dedicated block for the use would be a lovely short-term solution, I do think that the dock is where it should eventually end up.
I think that rather than giving it space in the tool box, it should have a + button like the Group Manager. For each entry I’m envisioning a properties dialog, which has two fX boxes. If the boxes are populated with line/curve type objects, the lengths will be compared, but if the boxes are populated with points, the panel will display the distance between the two points, & the angle from point A to point B.
As you said, “spit balling”, this is what I’m envisioning based on the discussion at the moment.
Agreed. It certainly would be a lot easier to implement a block MACRO vs another dock widget, but in the long run having the functionality in a dock would be more robust.
I like that idea.
One thing we’d have to figure out is being able to add Points with the FX wizard. Also, the problem I see is that most point tools ARE the line.
More spit balling… another thing one might want to “check” is the perimeter of something… like say a collar… or the length of an internal path. Maybe you need to know how much trim you need.
