COPY & PASTE

[Luis Sa]

Hello,

I just read the 3 pages of suggestions or wishes for SBuilder in the sticky topic. I will try to implement the majority of the ideas. At this moment I am working just with the graphics and have implemented the LINE, POLY and MAP tools. No BGL generation up to now. One thing that I would like to hear about is the COPY & PASTE of lines, polys and objects. I want to make this to function through the clipboard so that you could copy from one window runing SBuilder and pasting into a another project running in another window. IS this useful?

And about the PASTE - I will probably change the present function to be called PLACE. You copy one item (only one) to the clipboard. If you PASTE it, a duplicate item will exist. If you PLACE it, the item will be placed at the mouse location.

So - when there is something in the clipboard the PASTE function is enabled. If what exists in the clipboard is a single item, the PLACE function is also enabled. When the PLACE function is enabled you can check it. When you check it, the mouse cursor changes to sign that you are in that mode (as with the present PASTE). Then each left click will place the item. A right click or the ESCAPE key will exit from this mode.

Probably I will have in the EDIT menu item the following entries:
...
------
CUT
COPY
PASTE
DELETE
PLACE
-------
ELIMINATE DUPLICATES
.....


This last entry (an alternate name could be CLEANING) to delete repeated items that could be pasted on top of the original ones.

I am keeping the INI file as it is, in my opinion, a powerful tool in opposition to store the settings in the windows registry. I will add one entry like this:

ShowPolyVerticesInLineMode=1

1 means True and 0 will mean False which helps to resolve language and regional problems like the blamed "decimal or comma separator"!

Finally - shall I keep the actual INI format or will I wrtite that file in XML format. I like more the old traditional INI file format but, may be, the problem is that I am getting old! [:D]

Regards, Luis

[scruffyduck]

Hi Luis

I am like you - I prefer the old ini format to the xml one [:)]


Jon
http://www.scruffyduckscenery.co.uk
http://www.fsdeveloper.com

[boleyd]

I cannot think of a need for copy/paste to another program. However, if not a "big deal" code it in for future capabilities.

I do like the PLACE idea of being able to place multiple copies of an item rather than needing to re-copy. The "cleaning" function name should reference PLACE to make sure the user knows its purpose. I am anti-registry. An abused area that ends up as a garbage pit. The present INI file is ok. Not sure about XML for someone without some understanding of programing.

Since I see the Tools on your screenshot linking the Coordinates output to the Map calibration saves a Copy/Paste. After a few maps you can make mistakes due to the multiple Copy/Pastes.

And, the ability to mass select an array of photo tiles is needed. Hand selecting 200 individual tiles is frustrating.




Dick Boley near 5G8

[rbrown3rd]

I think the paste function could be useful. For example there have been times when I wanted to isolate a small area as a separate project using what I have already done at a more general level as a guide for a more detailed rendering. I might take the major roads from an area and paste them into a new project to add more detail to a smaller area. Does that make sense? I think it would be useful to have copy and past as well as place and the old ini format is preferred by this aging simmer also.

[rhumbaflappy]

Hi Luis.

I think the ini file is fine... I'm just grateful you are making SBuilder ready for FSX!

Dick

[Horst]

Hello,

Luis, looking forward to get my hands on the new version – grateful.

To quote:
“One thing that I would like to hear about is the COPY & PASTE of lines, polys and objects. I want to make this to function through the clipboard so that you could copy from one window runing SBuilder and pasting into a another project running in another window. IS this useful?“

Yes, it is a selection from attributes.

And you had this possibility also in the FS9 Sbuilder.
When using the Edit/“FIND” function.
Find all will select i.e lines, with the same name, or attributes.
You can compile to bgl and append the bgl in a new project.
(or delete the items)

Maybe a possibility to search for more attributes will help too.

Or when you append a shp or mp, the user can make a decision which attribute should be used for i.e the line name.

Is it possible to put the FS9 and FS10 path also to the InI?

Kind regards
Horst

[FlyingsCool]

I dunno, I was happy with cut and paste as it was. One thing I hate is having to right click and select from a menu. I prefer to use keyboard commands, especially when cutting and pasting multiple items. I don't often desire to use a function like the paste function you describe above. It gets too confusing with multiple objects on top of each other. I'll usually resize one slightly so I can select either one quickly.

I very often used what you are now calling "place", especially to copy trees and other objects around and such. So please make sure there is an easy to remember keyboard command to match with this new functionality if you decide to do it. Also, if placing objects will become commonplace, users will need to select from a list of objects near a location.

Finally, Bob Brown's suggestion for reordering maps is very important. That can be a real pain having to delete and recreate maps.

Of course, one of the most important functionalities that I would like to see would be the ability to export landclass definitions so they can be combined into a single file. And I would also like the filenames of landclass bgl's to contain some sort of project identification, so you can't overwrite landclass files from multiple projects.

Thanks,

Thomas

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