View cube disappears?

[Ken226]

I've been tolerating it for a long time, but it's starting to drive me nuts. Occasionally when I switch from one workspace to another, then back, the view cube disappears.

For example, I'm working in the modeling workspace, then switch to the "Inspect" workspace for a minute. When I go back to the modeling workspace, the view cube is gone. I then have to go into the "view" workspace and turn it back on. Over and over.

I searched the forum already and found lots of old threads complaining about the issue, but no fix.

Any fix for this?

 

[HaroldL]

I just checked on my computer and with the View Cube turned on via the menu View>Toggle View Cube I can switch between all the ribbon tabs and the VC stays on. There is no reason that I know of that it should turn off just by changing the workspace ribbon tabs.

Sounds like it may be a Support ticket item.

 

[simonb65]

The only time it switches off (hides) for me is when your editing a 2D sketch in the Part workspace, Although intentional, I'm not sure why it does, as I often rotate the part during 2D sketching in order to see which edge I'm actually projecting from in a complex/detailed models!

 

[Ken226]

The only time it switches off (hides) for me is when your editing a 2D sketch in the Part workspace, Although intentional, I'm not sure why it does, as I often rotate the part during 2D sketching in order to see which edge I'm actually projecting from in a complex/detailed models!

That may be what is going on.

I do the same thing alot. I guess I assumed switching workspaces was the cause, but now that you mention it, I think it happens when I'm editing a sketch.

The annoying part is that when I finish the sketch and go back to the modelling workspace, it stays off, and I have to go turn it back on.


So, is there a way to get it to stay on, after switching back to the modelling workspace? Or perhaps even stay on while sketching?

 

[HaroldL]

The annoying part is that when I finish the sketch and go back to the modelling workspace, it stays off, and I have to go turn it back on.

That doesn't happen on my installation. there must be something wrong with yours. Try resetting the user profile and see if that clears up the issue.
Be careful though, if you have custom settings that you want to preserve make a back up copy first.

 

[Ken226]

That doesn't happen on my installation. there must be something wrong with yours. Try resetting the user profile and see if that clears up the issue.
Be careful though, if you have custom settings that you want to preserve make a back up copy first.

View attachment 35551

Ok, will do.

Oddly, it does the same thing on my laptop and desktop both.

 

[MilesH]

The only time it switches off (hides) for me is when your editing a 2D sketch in the Part workspace, Although intentional, I'm not sure why it does, as I often rotate the part during 2D sketching in order to see which edge I'm actually projecting from in a complex/detailed models!

I need it in 2D Sketch too. There is an Enhancement Request submitted but the more expressions of interest they get....

 

[Max]

There is a technical reason it isn't on in 2D sketch and the result of that reason is that if you were to for example be in the line tool and click the view cube, a node would be placed behind the view cube, which everyone would (rightly) scream about.

Once that issue can be resolved we will enable it in sketch.

 

[PuppyPower]

There is a technical reason it isn't on in 2D sketch and the result of that reason is that if you were to for example be in the line tool and click the view cube, a node would be placed behind the view cube, which everyone would (rightly) scream about.

Once that issue can be resolved we will enable it in sketch.

Could this situation be fixed by simply moving the cube to it's own display frame? I can be in draw mode a d touch the ribbon bar and it does not try to put a line behind it.

 

[Max]

It's not quite the same because the ribbon is not drawn "over" the 3D canvas but rather next to it. In this case, the view cube is drawn over it. Some filter mode or similar solution needs to exist and there are some technical issues that make that difficult based on a HOOPS issue.

 

[PuppyPower]

It's not quite the same because the ribbon is not drawn "over" the 3D canvas but rather next to it. In this case, the view cube is drawn over it. Some filter mode or similar solution needs to exist and there are some technical issues that make that difficult based on a HOOPS issue.

My point is by move the cube off of the drawing canvas it simply becomes a function that can be acted upon without any affect on the sketch

 

[Ken226]

It's not quite the same because the ribbon is not drawn "over" the 3D canvas but rather next to it. In this case, the view cube is drawn over it. Some filter mode or similar solution needs to exist and there are some technical issues that make that difficult based on a HOOPS issue.

So if a node got dropped behind the view cube, you could just pan over a little, then access the node?

That seems a small price to pay to have access to it while sketching.

Or perhaps a setting that allows the user to select whether they want access to it while sketching or not? A checkbox that says: "view cube active in sketch mode", or similar. Is that doable?

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

This is just sudocode but it shouldn't be much harder than adding this to the click event since you already have code to know when the mouse is hovering over the cube and the code for the actions.

if MouseInCube():
    DoCubeAction()
else:
    DoSketchAction()

 

[Oldbelt]

Simon Said : I'm not sure why it does, as I often rotate the part during 2D sketching in order to see which edge I'm actually projecting from in a complex/detailed models!

I agree and I never have the cube on when I make my designs.
The only problem for Ken226 is his set up for the cube fail.

 

[simonb65]

This is just sudocode but it shouldn't be much harder than adding this to the click event since you already have code to know when the mouse is hovering over the cube and the code for the actions.

if MouseInCube():
DoCubeAction()
else:
DoSketchAction()

If the Add-On handlers for Mouse events is anything to go by (and normal windows message handlers), the controls/windows/handlers are usually called in hierarchal order, with the one that handles the message returning back a flag to say it's handled it. Now this works fine unless the hierarchal order is wrong ... which I suspect may be the problem @Max refers to here. If the cube mouse handlers are processed after the core geometry, then you can't easily solve this unless the core is changed to call the additional cube code first. With a 3D drawing surface, you also have the added complexity of z-order.

Even the Add-On frameworks IAlibreAddonCommand seems to process geometry (i.e. highlighting, etc) before the add-ons mouseover function is called ... so core changes need to be made to facilitate overriding UI functionality as @Max says.

@Nate, the sudocode you posted needs to happen in the core. I suspect it currently does ...

sudo code ...

// core
DoSketchAction();

// addons
for (int i=0; i<Addon.Count; i++)
    if (Addon[i].DoAction() == true)
        break;  // handled

// Where the cube is just seen as an AddOn.

 

[Ken226]

That doesn't happen on my installation. there must be something wrong with yours. Try resetting the user profile and see if that clears up the issue.
Be careful though, if you have custom settings that you want to preserve make a back up copy first.

View attachment 35551

I reset my profile on both laptop and desktop computers. On both computers, the view cube still disappears when I go into sketch mode, and occasionally, doesn't come back when I return to the 3d modeling space.

Now that I have some time, I'll try to recreate the issue and get more details on the circumstances that cause it.

 

[HaroldL]

and occasionally, doesn't come back when I return to the 3d modeling space.

Yeah, that's the puzzling part. I'd look carefully at the process since you said "occasionally". What are the steps you take that causes it to stay off or on. Sounds like two different work flows, keystrokes or mouse clicks.
Maybe a reinstall would fix it if resetting the user profile doesn't, but I'm just guessing here. Another check is to make sure all the drivers are up to date.

I usually don't have on or use the View Cube since I have a Space Navigator but for those that do need it, it would be nice that it played nice. And how about a Hot Key for it? I couldn't find one listed.

 

[Ken226]

And how about a Hot Key for it? I couldn't find one listed.

Ill look. If I can find a hotkey for activating the view cube, it would be very convenient.

 

[Oldbelt]

Several Items

 

[Oldbelt]

Several Items