Relative Block Symmetry

[Yaodin]

I often find myself building the same thing over and over without being able to use symmetry because either the item is mirrored, rotated or not in line (or any combination of). I would like to suggest an addition to the advanced editor tools, relative block symmetry. Relative symmetry means that any block placed is copied to the same relative location as all other chosen relative symmetry blocks.

It would work like this. The user selects a button in the advanced editor tool and then selects every block that they would like symmetry applied to. Ideally this symmetry could be rotated to any direction or rotation on a block per block basis, giving us 24 orientations. (|Gp|*|O|=4*6=24) For example, all the yellow and blue blocks could be placed at once by selecting the purple blocks as the symmetry point with the appropriate direction and rotation.

Selecting direction and rotation would be the same but using the arrow colors to display rotation. To deselect either re-select the block or a clear button (have both as options). Other features such a deleting a block across symmetry or attempting to place a block where one exists behaves the same normal symmetry. Because this feature provides multiple points of symmetry repetitive tasks, such a furnishing a ship where certain features are identical room to room, become very quick.

Programmatically, I don't think it would be very difficult to calculate relative positions and direction and rotation is a simple transform but I don't know how much of a load this would add when placing large numbers of blocks at once.

 

[YellowMiner]

I voted what. Not because it's not useful, but while i have a lot of repetitive elements inside my ships and such a thing would help, i think that a select-copy-rotate-paste system would be way simpler and more pratical.

I mean, with this thing, i'd need to select each reference block for each element i'm placing, and the right direction and rotation for each of them, when i could just select one of the things, copy, rotate it like a block as needed and just place it like the multiple block placement box thing as much as needed.

so yes we need a system to simplify tedious building, but i'd suggest something else.

 

[ToyotaSupra]

I voted what. Not because it's not useful, but while i have a lot of repetitive elements inside my ships and such a thing would help, i think that a select-copy-rotate-paste system would be way simpler and more pratical.

I mean, with this thing, i'd need to select each reference block for each element i'm placing, and the right direction and rotation for each of them, when i could just select one of the things, copy, rotate it like a block as needed and just place it like the multiple block placement box thing as much as needed.

so yes we need a system to simplify tedious building, but i'd suggest something else.

I've wondered about being able to save 'modules' and being able to paste them into a build. This would speed up building a lot. *EDIT in my opinion

 

[GaeasSon]

I've wondered about being able to save 'modules' and being able to paste them into a build. This would speed up building a lot. *EDIT in my opinion

My idea for this was "weld blocks". Build a piece like it was a separate ship. Save the blueprint. Spawn or buy as many as you need. Then "dock" them to a weld block. Then you get a dialog box asking whether to mirror the structure as you weld, and if there are any conflicting blocks, whether the original structure or the welded structure supersede. Then, both the weld block and the welded core turn into grey hull, and the welded structure becomes part of the original structure.