In Blender 2.8, we want to improve the 3D Cursor, in these ways:
- We want to make it less visually distracting
- We want to make it more powerful, and useful in more situations
Right now, the 3D Cursor only represents a location in 3D space. We use this location for:
- Adding new objects
- a pivot point
- certain tools use it as a reference point, such as Bend, Spin, Paint Clone
- You can lock the viewport to it
in Blender 2.8, we want the 3D Cursor to include an orientation too. This will make it much easier to create custom orientations.
A custom orientation can then be set this way:
- The user sets the 3D cursor orientation to Normal.
- The user then drags the the 3D Cursor over any face. It will align to that normal orientation
When the user now adds a new object, it will appear in that location, oriented perpendicular to that orientation.
Additionally, the '3D Cursor' can be chosen as an orientation from anywhere inside Blender. So, if the user is using the Move tool, he/she can pick 3D Cursor from the Orientation list. Same goes for all other tools which have an Orientation picker.
When using the 3D Cursor tool, users can change the behaviour to snap to items and to set the orientation as the user clicks or drags:
{F3274689}
When using any transform toolthe user now adds a new object, such as Moveit will appear in that location, the 3D Cursor will be selectable fromoriented perpendicular to that orientation.
If the orientation listuser enables a transform tool, like so:he/she can use the 3D Cursor orientation:
{F3274603}
We could use the orientation for any tool that includes transformations, such as Extrude, and also for other things, like Spin (to set the orientation).
== Visual Design
In order to support orientation, we need to redesign the 3D Cursor. Here are some ideas one how we might do that:
Conservative:
{F3274485}
This is like the design we have today, but in 3D
Alternatives:
{F3274491}
{F3274493}
{F3255081}
Other designs:
{F3255109}
{F3255110}
{F3255111}
{F3256457}
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// Pending //