Differential D6735

Sculpt UI: Re-organize Symmetrize controls
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Authored by William Reynish (billreynish) on Feb 2 2020, 3:24 PM.

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Pablo Dobarro (pablodp606)

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User Interface

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rB7e60e7a1858c: UI: Re-organize Sculpt Symmetrize controls

Summary

Currently the UI for Symmetrize is confusing, for a few reasons:

It exists as a sub-panel to the Dyntopo panel, even though it doesn't require Dyntopo to work
It is inside a panel called Remesh, which is confusing because we now have a different Remesh panel

This patch puts the Symmetrize controls in the Symmetry panel. Not really sure where to put the Optimize button - here it's in Dyntopo still but we could move it elsewhere.

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Repository: rB Blender

Event Timeline

William Reynish (billreynish) created this revision.Feb 2 2020, 3:24 PM

William Reynish (billreynish) added a project: User Interface.

After discussion with @Pablo Dobarro (pablodp606), I made these changes:

Rename Optimize to Rebuild BVH and move to the Sculpt menu
Change the poll function - apparently it doesn't require Dyntopo

Pablo Dobarro (pablodp606) accepted this revision.Feb 2 2020, 7:51 PM

This revision is now accepted and ready to land.Feb 2 2020, 7:51 PM

Closed by commit rB7e60e7a1858c: UI: Re-organize Sculpt Symmetrize controls (authored by William Reynish (billreynish)). · Explain WhyFeb 2 2020, 8:15 PM

This revision was automatically updated to reflect the committed changes.

William Reynish (billreynish) added a commit: rB7e60e7a1858c: UI: Re-organize Sculpt Symmetrize controls.

Dyntopo users are pressing Optimize button to rebuild bvh to have better performance after several dyntopo strokes.
It does not hurt to rename it Rebuild BVH. But I don't see a reason to move it outside of Dyntopo panel if unique use case of this button is for Dyntopo sculpting.
I may be wrong but I think it s not needed when using Voxel Remesher.

I am not sure about Symmetrize button inside Symmetry panel.
That is probably where newbies will search it when they will hear about Symmetrize.
But that is not an option about symmetry and tiling of strokes like the rest of panel. It is a remeshing of half of mesh.
I would have move it to Remesh panel under a Symmetrize subpanel.
Probably not the place where newbies will discover it. But probably less dangerous than an unexpected destruction/recreation of half of mesh when playing with symmetry.

@ronan ducluzeau (zeauro) discussed this with @Pablo Dobarro (pablodp606). The Rebuild BVH operator also affects the mesh outside of Dyntopo, so it’s not good to keep it in the Dyntopo panel.

Symmetrize means to make something symmetrical. It is absolutely related to symmetry, and doesn’t require Dyntopo to be enabled.

In D6735#159192, @William Reynish (billreynish) wrote:

Symmetrize means to make something symmetrical. It is absolutely related to symmetry, and doesn’t require Dyntopo to be enabled.

Yes. I agree that should not be in Dyntopo panel.
But the Symmetry panel is not really about symmetry.
It contains Mirror, Radial Symmetry, Tiling and Locking.
What really relies those settings is the way they block or repeat what user draws.

So the panel, itself, is not really well named.
In 2.79, it was called "Symmetry/Lock".
A proper name would be something more like "Repetition". But that would not be meaningful for user.
So, I guess that there is no way to give a better name. And so, that is logical to set Symmetrize, here.

I am probably overanticipating an increase of confusion between Symmetry of strokes and Symmetrize.
If it causes problems of comprehension among future newbies; maybe a solution could be to move Symmetrize in Sculpt menu like in Edit Mesh mode.