Fade Geometry state changes selectability #70907

New Issue

Steven Babb · 2019-10-17T20:36:20+02:00

Steven Babb commented

2019-10-17 20:36:20 +02:00

System Information
Operating system: Windows-10-10.0.18362 64 Bits
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1060 3GB/PCIe/SSE2 NVIDIA Corporation 4.5.0 NVIDIA 431.86

Blender Version
Broken: version: 2.83 (sub 10), branch: master, commit date: 2020-03-19 11:11, hash: cc516b82ef

Short description of error
With Fade Geometry enabled, other objects can not be selected while in pose mode.
With Fade Geometry disabled, other objects can be selected while in pose mode.

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error
#70907.blend

Open file
Try clicking on bone and cube - selected item and interaction mode should be changed
With the bone selected and in pose mode: in Viewport Overlays, check Fade Geometry
Repeat step 2 - once in pose mode, cube can not be selected

**System Information** Operating system: Windows-10-10.0.18362 64 Bits Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1060 3GB/PCIe/SSE2 NVIDIA Corporation 4.5.0 NVIDIA 431.86 **Blender Version** Broken: version: 2.83 (sub 10), branch: master, commit date: 2020-03-19 11:11, hash: `cc516b82ef` **Short description of error** With Fade Geometry enabled, other objects can not be selected while in pose mode. With Fade Geometry disabled, other objects can be selected while in pose mode. **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** [#70907.blend](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8416776/T70907.blend) - Open file - Try clicking on bone and cube - selected item and interaction mode should be changed - With the bone selected and in pose mode: in Viewport Overlays, check Fade Geometry - Repeat step 2 - once in pose mode, cube can not be selected

Steven Babb commented

2019-10-17 20:36:20 +02:00

Added subscriber: @SteveBabb

blender-admin commented

2019-10-17 20:36:20 +02:00

#98154 was marked as duplicate of this issue

Philipp Oeser commented

2019-10-18 10:26:48 +02:00

Added subscribers: @WilliamReynish, @Jeroen-Bakker, @lichtwerk

Philipp Oeser commented

2019-10-18 10:26:48 +02:00

I have to agree this confuses me as well:

First off, I looks like if we are in this "mixed-selection-scenario" (armature in pose, mesh in weightpaint), we are "abusing" the Toggle X-Ray button (or Alt+Z shortcut) to actually toggle Fade Geometry.
While these are tightly coupled, this is a bit of an "unconventional" UI design choice [to say at least].
You are hitting a toggle button but nothing changes in the toggle button visually [because in reality, you are changing a different setting under the hood...]
If this cant be worked around, this should at least be mentioned in the tooltip?
Or should be substitute the button with the "real" thing in this scenario? [meaning we would take out the stuff from toggle_xray_exec and actually display a toggle for Fade Geometry? (or Show Bone X-Ray how it is called in code)]
(this way we would actually get a visual change in the button when we click on it)

Anyways, this aside I can see two issues:

Fade Geometry ON: clicking on mesh will not select the mesh for weightpainting [not sure if this has been reported before]
Fade Geometry OFF: bones are harder to select, only bone wireframe is clickable [that is known though, see #67208]

@Jeroen-Bakker, @WilliamReynish : could you share your thoughts on this?

I have to agree this confuses me as well: First off, I looks like if we are in this "mixed-selection-scenario" (armature in pose, mesh in weightpaint), we are "abusing" the `Toggle X-Ray` button (or `Alt+Z` shortcut) to actually toggle `Fade Geometry`. While these are tightly coupled, this is a bit of an "unconventional" UI design choice [to say at least]. You are hitting a toggle button but nothing changes in the toggle button visually [because in reality, you are changing a different setting under the hood...] If this cant be worked around, this should at least be mentioned in the tooltip? Or should be substitute the button with the "real" thing in this scenario? [meaning we would take out the stuff from `toggle_xray_exec` and actually display a toggle for `Fade Geometry`? (or `Show Bone X-Ray` how it is called in code)] (this way we would actually get a visual change in the button when we click on it) Anyways, this aside I can see two issues: - `Fade Geometry` ON: clicking on mesh will not select the mesh for weightpainting [not sure if this has been reported before] - `Fade Geometry` OFF: bones are harder to select, only bone wireframe is clickable [that is known though, see #67208] @Jeroen-Bakker, @WilliamReynish : could you share your thoughts on this?

Philipp Oeser changed title from ~~Fade Geometry Unexpected Behavior~~ to Fade Geometry / Show Bone X-Ray: Unexpected Behavior

2019-10-18 10:27:02 +02:00

Aditia A. Pratama commented

2020-02-19 15:17:22 +01:00

Added subscriber: @AditiaA.Pratama

Richard Antalik changed title from ~~Fade Geometry / Show Bone X-Ray: Unexpected Behavior~~ to Fade Geometry state changes selectability

2020-03-20 01:59:53 +01:00

Richard Antalik commented

2020-03-20 01:59:53 +01:00

Changed status from 'Needs Developer To Reproduce' to: 'Confirmed'

Jeroen Bakker commented

2020-05-11 12:09:38 +02:00

Fade geometry is part of the Bone Selection Overlay. When enabled you're only able to select bones. The bone selection overlay was designed to be turned on only when you want to select a bone, and after selecting a bone to turn it off again so you could do the work you want. It is also added to a keyboard shortcut to quickly enable/disable it.
IMO this ticket is more about better description what it does as it only shows that it is a bone selection overlay when hovering.

Fade geometry is part of the Bone Selection Overlay. When enabled you're only able to select bones. The bone selection overlay was designed to be turned on only when you want to select a bone, and after selecting a bone to turn it off again so you could do the work you want. It is also added to a keyboard shortcut to quickly enable/disable it. IMO this ticket is more about better description what it does as it only shows that it is a bone selection overlay when hovering.

Sybren A. Stüvel commented

2020-05-11 13:04:08 +02:00

Added subscriber: @dr.sybren

Sybren A. Stüvel commented

2020-05-11 13:04:08 +02:00

Thanks @Jeroen-Bakker for the clarification. The UI is indeed confusing, as it looks like the checkbox only enables "Fade Geometry".


The current interface	My proposal

I would also suggest changing the tooltip from "Show the Bone Selection overlay" to "Show bones in front of geometry, making it easier to select bones but impossible to select anything else". I'm not sure whether the "impossible to select anything else" is intended, though. If it's not, we'd better not document it (otherwise future bug report triagers will say "look, it works as documented, it's not a bug").

In #70907#928674, @Jeroen-Bakker wrote:
It is also added to a keyboard shortcut to quickly enable/disable it.

And this is where things are more confusing, as the Bone Selection Overlay toggle has no keyboard shortcut assigned to it. Rather, it responds to {key Alt+Z}, which toggles X-Ray, which happens to somehow also toggle Bone Selection Overlay.

Maybe we should name the overlay "Bone Selection X-Ray Overlay" instead? That way there is at least some consistency within the naming, making it more reasonable that the "Toggle X-Ray" and "Bone Selection X-Ray Overlay" listen to the same toggle button at times.

Thanks @Jeroen-Bakker for the clarification. The UI is indeed confusing, as it looks like the checkbox only enables "Fade Geometry". |![image.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8527782/image.png)|![image.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8527786/image.png)| | -- | -- | |The current interface|My proposal| I would also suggest changing the tooltip from "Show the Bone Selection overlay" to "Show bones in front of geometry, making it easier to select bones but impossible to select anything else". I'm not sure whether the "impossible to select anything else" is intended, though. If it's not, we'd better not document it (otherwise future bug report triagers will say "look, it works as documented, it's not a bug"). > In #70907#928674, @Jeroen-Bakker wrote: > It is also added to a keyboard shortcut to quickly enable/disable it. And this is where things are more confusing, as the Bone Selection Overlay toggle has no keyboard shortcut assigned to it. Rather, it responds to {key Alt+Z}, which toggles X-Ray, which happens to somehow also toggle Bone Selection Overlay. Maybe we should name the overlay "Bone Selection X-Ray Overlay" instead? That way there is at least some consistency within the naming, making it more reasonable that the "Toggle X-Ray" and "Bone Selection X-Ray Overlay" listen to the same toggle button at times.

Pratik Borhade commented

2022-05-17 09:03:14 +02:00

Added subscribers: @Zcyber, @PratikPB2123

Philipp Oeser removed the

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Fade Geometry state changes selectability #70907