Hi,

When creating from a centerline some y-axis lines that will have opposite coordinates for endpoints, it would be nice to have a tool that helps with this.

Normally, when we create a line for a simple part where the general object extents are known, this might be a simple matter of using the coordinates entry box. But when given a model that is huge and involves lots of zooming and sometimes a lot of panning and rezooming, it would be extraordinarily time consuming to go inspect each starting point and then go to the entry dialog box.

So, i would like to suggest that on picking a starting point, an in-stream dialog box helps with the assignment of the termination value being some value such as the negative of that line. Maybe i didn't deeply enough inspect the tools in VCP, but i though i'd suggest this and also ask if there is an alternate work flow to what i am doing.

(Also, let's also assume that a user neither has nor wants to go through the exercise of creating a surface for use as a cutting surface, since that still would be some extra steps requiring multiple zooms and pans, depending on visual obstructions in the model.)

Here is my work flow:

1. zoom to a starting point
2. draw a small segment of the line
3. click into the object info box and onto the attributes field
4. color code that line (because later i need to filter out lines too close to others when it's time to create surfaces)
5. click onto the data tab to get to the y value
6. click on the y1 value and select it
7. tab into the y2 value
8. hit the negative sign from the number pad
9. Ctrl-v the copied value and hit enter to commit the value

10. + Translate-copy this pair of lines to each point where a plate surface will be created for later use in making solid polygons

11. (for sake of ease of numbering steps) click on a line
12. tab into the objects info box's data tab/field
13. repeat step 6
14. repeat step 7

So, it might be kewl if there were a line tool that let the user click a box that has the functionality of:

either:

1. "start and finish a line where the finishing coordinate is the (choose) axis' opposite."

or

2. "for the line clicked, set the line's termination of the (choose) axis to be the opposite sign of the line's starting (choose) y axis"


In short, creation or modification of a line can be made easier when that line is balanced about a primary axis.

In my (selfish) scenario (in/given the absence of my dream mirror-extrude tool), given the half-breadth of a ship hull, drawing a plate of steel from lines that have to be drawn from one side across to the other, or started short and then edited to extend to its opposite would be simplified.