Changing 3D grid scale changes object dimensions of new primitive objects #42263

New Issue

Paul R · 2014-10-16T22:45:46+02:00

Paul R commented

2014-10-16 22:45:46 +02:00

System Information
Linux, x86_64, Nvidia GTX560ti, official drivers
same behaviour for Windows users

Blender Version
as far back as 2.60a, possibly before

Short description of error
There are two parts to this. (1.) might not be a bug:

when changing 3d viewport Properties panel->Display->Grid Scale, the dimensions of newly added primitives are affected. Since this is a display setting, it seems strange that objects are affected this way.
Blender seems to reuse the dimensions of primitives from the first time a primitive type is added to the scene. Example: if the grid scale is set to 5.0 and a torus is added. All new toruses added to the scene will be 5x larger than default - even if grid scale is set back to default 1.0. Even creating a new scene with File->New doesn't reset the torus dimensions

This second part might have added to the confusion in this report: https://developer.blender.org/T42141

newly added primitive sizes can seem inconsistent to the scene/display settings. In that report it was the Scene Scale being changed, but the behaviour looks connected.

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error

add a uvsphere to a new scene
change 3d viewport Properties->Display->Grid Scale to 5.0
add a torus. Torus dimensions will be 5x bigger than default
change grid scale back to 1.0
add another Torus. it will still be 5x bigger than default.
create a new scene with File->New
add a Torus. it will still be 5x larger
quit/restart is needed to fully reset

**System Information** Linux, x86_64, Nvidia GTX560ti, official drivers same behaviour for Windows users **Blender Version** as far back as 2.60a, possibly before **Short description of error** There are two parts to this. (1.) might not be a bug: 1. when changing *3d viewport Properties panel->Display->Grid Scale*, the dimensions of newly added primitives are affected. Since this is a display setting, it seems strange that objects are affected this way. 2. Blender seems to reuse the dimensions of primitives from the first time a primitive type is added to the scene. Example: if the grid scale is set to 5.0 and a torus is added. All new toruses added to the scene will be 5x larger than default - even if grid scale is set back to default 1.0. Even creating a new scene with *File->New* doesn't reset the torus dimensions This second part might have added to the confusion in this report: https://developer.blender.org/T42141 - newly added primitive sizes can seem inconsistent to the scene/display settings. In that report it was the *Scene Scale* being changed, but the behaviour looks connected. **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** - add a uvsphere to a new scene - change *3d viewport Properties->Display->Grid Scale* to 5.0 - add a torus. Torus dimensions will be 5x bigger than default - change grid scale back to 1.0 - add another Torus. it will still be 5x bigger than default. - create a new scene with *File->New* - add a Torus. it will still be 5x larger - quit/restart is needed to fully reset

Paul R commented

2014-10-16 22:45:46 +02:00

Changed status to: 'Open'

Paul R commented

2014-10-16 22:45:46 +02:00

Added subscriber: @intracube

Campbell Barton was assigned by Bastien Montagne

2014-10-18 14:30:02 +02:00

Bastien Montagne commented

2014-10-18 14:30:02 +02:00

Added subscriber: @mont29

Bastien Montagne commented

2014-10-18 14:30:02 +02:00

Well, that’s not strictly speaking a bug… the size (so-called 'radius') property of 'add object' operators is only set once from grid scale, the first time they are called. Previously used radius is then reused in all subsequent calls to the same op.

We could make it so radius value is never stored, but I don’t think it would be better. Thing is, you are not supposed to change over and over grid scale…

Campbell, assigning to you to get your feeling on this one.

Well, that’s not strictly speaking a bug… the size (so-called 'radius') property of 'add object' operators is only set once from grid scale, the first time they are called. Previously used radius is then reused in all subsequent calls to the same op. We could make it so `radius` value is never stored, but I don’t think it would be better. Thing is, you are not supposed to change over and over grid scale… Campbell, assigning to you to get your feeling on this one.

Campbell Barton commented

2014-10-20 12:33:43 +02:00

Changed status from 'Open' to: 'Archived'

Campbell Barton closed this issue

2014-10-20 12:33:43 +02:00

Campbell Barton commented

2014-10-20 12:33:43 +02:00

This works as intended, but 2 features are conflicting.
If you change scale on an existing scene when you already started making objects in you will notice that the scale is remembered from the initial action. (also working as intended).

Admittedly the work flow for this could be improved (for example, when you change the scene scale we could loop over all operators with saved settings of a radius property and scale them based on the new scene scale), but this is quite a lot of code to support and can even backfire since scene scale isnt used in mask editor... for eg.

For now, just dont change the scale half-way through adding objects to a scene, or - manually change the radius for the few object types you added already.

This works as intended, but 2 features are conflicting. If you change scale on an existing scene when you already started making objects in you will notice that the scale is remembered from the initial action. (also working as intended). Admittedly the work flow for this could be improved (for example, when you change the scene scale we _could_ loop over all operators with saved settings of a radius property and scale them based on the new scene scale), but this is quite a lot of code to support and can even backfire since scene scale isnt used in mask editor... for eg. For now, just dont change the scale half-way through adding objects to a scene, or - manually change the radius for the few object types you added already.

Paul R commented

2014-10-27 22:42:39 +01:00

aah... and part of the problem is between my chair and keyboard :)

I didn't realise the grid 'Lines' value is the one to use if the intention is to increase grid size without affecting the scale of new objects. In my defense, I've hardly used these settings before, but someone raised it on IRC :)

RE; reloading the startup file with file->new vs quit/restart giving different results.

I vaguely remember an explanation from someone that was roughly;
The default .blend has empty values for some properties. If the values have been set in the current session, file->new doesn't end up overwriting (resetting) all the data.

But doing a full quit/restart makes Blender populate the empty data from hard coded values from the source code.

Is that basically what's happening?

aah... and part of the problem is between my chair and keyboard :) I didn't realise the grid 'Lines' value is the one to use if the intention is to increase grid size without affecting the scale of new objects. In my defense, I've hardly used these settings before, but someone raised it on IRC :) RE; reloading the startup file with *file->new* vs *quit/restart* giving different results. I vaguely remember an explanation from someone that was roughly; The default .blend has empty values for some properties. If the values have been set in the current session, file->new doesn't end up overwriting (resetting) all the data. But doing a full quit/restart makes Blender populate the empty data from hard coded values from the source code. Is that basically what's happening?

Paweł Łyczkowski commented

2016-09-14 15:48:57 +02:00

Added subscriber: @PawelLyczkowski-1

Paweł Łyczkowski commented

2016-09-14 15:48:57 +02:00

Just stumbled upon this, here is my take:

Anything that is labeled as 'Display' shouldn't affect how the modeling tools work IMO, it should only change how things are displayed - so the current setup where Add Primitive operators use the grid display scale is wrong. Grid is already labeled as Display - if it wasn't, this behavior could be logical.

Current behavior could be preserved in the form of a toggle, off by default, labeled 'Match Primitive Scale to Grid Display Scale' or similar.

Just stumbled upon this, here is my take: Anything that is labeled as 'Display' shouldn't affect how the modeling tools work IMO, it should only change how things are displayed - so the current setup where Add Primitive operators use the grid display scale is wrong. Grid is already labeled as Display - if it wasn't, this behavior could be logical. Current behavior could be preserved in the form of a toggle, off by default, labeled 'Match Primitive Scale to Grid Display Scale' or similar.

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Changing 3D grid scale changes object dimensions of new primitive objects #42263