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
{F3274689}
When the user now adds a new object, it will appear in that location, oriented perpendicular to that orientation.
If the user enables a transform tool, 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 //