90 degree symmetry mode

[Lukwan]

I have experimented with a design that uses a 45 degree rotation of the default (flat-on top) orientation of a ship. The view is skewed on a 45 degree angle when grappled or in the core so it would be nice to enable the pilot to rotate their view 45 degrees in either direction. This sounds simple compared to my main request:

Can advanced build mode be expanded to allow 90 degree symmetry-mode? (my Fleet entry is an example of the kinds of builds this would facilitate.)



Lukwan's_Fleet_Submission_1

Note...the core has a diamond shaped orientation (45 degrees) to facilitate the 4 shoulder-turrets.
I had to duplicate all of the mirror-image blocks manually because normal symmetry mode does not help to build this way.

There are a number advantages to having this build option:

-More variety of design throughout the community due to the usefulness of the current 180 degree symmetry plus the alternatives made possible by 90 degree symmetry.
-Help speed up build projects by making sub-sections easier to make.
-Potential for more obscure 'alien' designs.
-Cool formations.

I had some difficulty with this build because it was very disorienting to navigate in build-mode, there was very little that symmetry mode could help with and switching between entities was limited to entities that shared a plane. Also, block-facing was problematic. Still, I had fun figuring out this build.

While we are on the subject...how about spiral-symmetry?

 

[HolyCookie]

At first, I didn't get what you wanted but man.... after I saw that core..... that ship must have been hell to make. It really gives a new look though, I definitely want to see more of it!
Besides the admiration, maybe also an option to change the build mode angle? Right now the is always a "top" which means you can't look at a certain direction. I think you know what I mean if I look at your ship. Being able to change angle in build mode (or change the orientation of core in build mode) would be really nice as decoration really doesn't matter for decoration stuff. When you then accidently dock a core upside down, you either have to build the decoration upside down or you have to re-dock the core.

also, don't you mean 45 degree symmetry?

 

[Lukwan]

The view angle would call for 45 degree rotation to match the 'apparent' orientation of the build. The symmetry mode would have to be 90 degrees to help with the mirror-image work. Thanks for the feedback HolyCookie.

 

[jayman38]

More symmetry options to expand build helping is a great thing. I would also like to see sub-symmetry settings, where you can make symmetrical sets of symmetric items, like matching perfectly-mirrored engines (or gun barrels or hanger bays or whatever).

 

[MeRobo]

Just a quick question: You want to end up with something doing the same as these symmetry "planes" would do, right?

Spoiler: Pic of current system for comparison

 

[Lukwan]

Well...kinda MeRobo. I don't just want to tilt the symmetry plane 45 degrees...I want the option to have Advanced build mode use 90 degrees instead of 180 degrees mirroring.

If you look closely at the core of my ship you will see why this build needs 90 degrees. (I assume that rotating the view for the pilot 45 degrees would be easy, making using this design more user-friendly for the pilot.)

There is a way to do what you have posting about. Make one nacelle using symmetry mode then copy it as a template. Paste it back in a mirrored relationship to your original nacelle. Because they are internally symmetrical they will fit and be identical. But... this limits us to using symmetrical templates.
What if... mirroring a template was possible during paste!?

 

[Croquelune]

But me it's worse cause i need that one (don't ask for the angle, don't know what it could be)

 

[Lukwan]

I think that would be Spiral-symmetry.

 

[jayman38]

Well...kinda MeRobo. I don't just want to tilt the symmetry plane 45 degrees...I want the option to have Advanced build mode use 90 degrees instead of 180 degrees mirroring....

Remember, you can place the symmetry plane anywhere, simply by building a block where you need it and centering the plane on center of that block (or the edge of it, in case of even-mode symmetry), so yes, a 45 degree symmetry plane would give you 90 degree mirroring.

Green lines target the symmetry block. The Red line indicates the 45 degree symmetry. The result is 90 degree mirroring.

 

[Croquelune]

Spoiler: Out of topic complaints and bitching about copy/mirror systems

You would mark the point if it was fucking possible to merge a block in middle of nowhere. At the moment it's not possible, it's really annoying to have put lines of random blocks and grab some really hard headache in order to calculate XYZ coordinate to pop such stupid cube, then try to apply it in SM and FINALLY be able to use properly the mirroring and pasting stuff.

It's so so so SO annoying. How many times I have finished fucked with my WIP cause the reference block were 1 or 3 blocks away from where he was suppose to be and then have to redo anything from the scratch. :/

 

[Lukwan]

Just a quick question: You want to end up with something doing the same as these symmetry "planes" would do, right?

---90 degree Symmetry

Spoiler: Pic of current system for comparison

emember, you can place the symmetry plane anywhere, simply by building a block where you need it and centering the plane on center of that block (or the edge of it, in case of even-mode symmetry), so yes, a 45 degree symmetry plane would give you 90 degree mirroring.

---90 degree Symmetry (or 45 degree axis-shift)

But me it's worse cause i need that one (don't ask for the angle, don't know what it could be)

---Spiral Symmetry

Yup, you folks nailed it. I was not seeing it when MeRobo posted initially but it has finally sunk in. Thanks for all the brainstorming gang, now if only we can convince Schine to add this option to Adv Build Mode. How awesome and useful would this be?

 

[MeRobo]

I was not seeing it when MeRobo posted initially but it has finally sunk in.

No problem^^
I brought up the idea of 45 degree axis/plane shift mostly because we have working 180 degree symmetry so I thought it would be easier to implement.

 

[Malacodor]

I made a suggestion which would allow us to go crazy with symmetries.

I would call that point symmetry.