Version 1.8.0.8 is a minor update, with picking improvements and a bug fix.
More importantly, please provide feedback on changes that I am considering that will directly affect all users. If I am not receiving feedback to the contrary, I will be moving forward with the proposed changes, and reverting back will not be possible. Please respond before the end of October if any of the following will create difficulty, so I can gauge the number of affected users:
Microsoft has dropped support for all .NET Frameworks below Version 4.5.2, and future GEM4D versions will require an installation of .NET Framework Version 4.5.2 as minimum. This means that Windows XP will not be supported any longer, please let me know of you are using Windows XP. Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 will still be supported.
Maintaining both 32 and 64-bit versions of GEM4D is time consuming, and I am contemplating only publishing the 64-bit version. Please let me know if you are using a 32-bit computer and thus require the 32-bit version of GEM4D.
How do I know which version of Windows is installed on my computer?
On the Windows desktop, go to"Start", type "RUN" and press enter on the keyboard, then type “winver” and press enter.
Visit https://support.microsoft.com/en-ae/help/13443/windows-which-operating-system for further help if needed.
How do I know if my Windows is 32 or 64-bit?
On the Windows desktop, go to"Start", type "System" and select "System Information", under "System Summary", look for "OS Name".
Open https://www.sharekhancommodity.com/ComTiger/Check32_64bit.pdf for further help if needed.
Changes
Changes were made to the picking logic for easy lines picking, see "Discussion 1: Easy picking of lines and points" below.
Bug fixes
When working with the data grids, the row selections were lost when right-clicking with the mouse to bring up the pop-up menu options - fixed.
Pressing "Shift" for multiple picking points when selecting "Pick coords from scene" from the data grid context menus did not work on the first pick - fixed.
Discussion 1: Easy picking of lines and points
Intuitive and fast picking of objects in a 3D-scene is not as trivial as it may seem, and getting the outcome expected for different object types not straight forward. For example, picking triangulations is different from picking lines and points, extreme accuracy require exact placement of the mouse cursor etc. I thus decided to support two modes of picking, and although both work for all scenarios, each has their specific application area.
"Ribbon => Settings => Mouse interaction => Picking"
"Fine" is the default option and has a small mouse picking tolerance. This makes this mode ideal for picking on triangulations and accurate picking on lines, although the error for margin is small and picking lines could thus be tedious. If many lines are close together, this will also be the preferred method due to the accuracy requirement.
"Coarse" has a forgiving mouse picking tolerance, but is also less accurate when many lines are close together. This makes this mode ideal for the easy picking of lines and points that are some distance apart, for example when picking from clipping lines.
Discussion 2: Reconciliation between two meshes
I received many questions about reconciliation between two meshes lately. Colouring a mesh on the shortest distance to another mesh is useful for comparing actual outcomes against designs, shotcrete thickness, deformation between detail scans etc.
Load the meshes of interest and hide any meshes that should not be used. Select "Top toolbar => Colour palette 1 (Brown colour palette icon) => Colour on distance from mesh" and select a minimum distance to the one side as a negative value, and the maximum value to the other side as a positive value. The polygon directional orientations are important for this function, and can be inspected with the toggle "Ribbon => Mesh => General settings => Backface culling". If the polygons are not consistently oriented, select the minimum value as zero, as that will ignore the polygon orientations for the evaluation.
Different colouring options can be selected with "Ribbon => Scalar bar settings => Rainbow/RedBlue/CoralTeal" to produce outputs as shown in the images below.
