What features would you like to see added to a future version of DataCAD?
#76367 by Mark Bell
Mon May 13, 2019 7:14 am
Some improvements to consider for the Section Tool:

1. Add the option to allocate the output Fill or Hatch on its own layer. This could be a suffix of the active layer, ie. SECTIONA-FILL, SECTIONA-HTCH

2. Similarly, with the background linework. SECTIONA-BGND

3. Often , after a section has been produced, the line colours in the 2D output are changed to better suit printing. If the model is changed and then the section is Updated, any changes in the line colours are reverted back to the original model colours in the amended Updated section. Add an option to ignore amending the line colours, (and if easy to implement, line types, line weights etc.) so only the graphics are updated,

4. Under the Section Settings/Background add a "Depth of Field" or "Background 2" option to allow a distance from the section cut line to be input, then a specific background colour to be selected. This allows portions of the building beyond a selected distance to be mapped to a lighter colour, so when it's printed, it more clearly shows those parts of the building that are in the background (defined by the user) compared to entities which are just beyond the section cut line and currently assigned as 'background'. Another way of implementing this could be Background 1 = section cut line + user distance 1, Background 2 = Background 1 + user distance 2,

5. Add the options of HIDE: Verticals, Diagonals, Horizontals so that either or all of these can be hidden when a section cut is made through a dropmesh or TIN surface, which would create a 'cleaner' looking DTM of the ground contours without all the clutter of the triangulation's used to build the contour model. Alternatively, these facets could be assigned their own layer so the user can toggle on/off,

6. When a section cut is defined and the F1 Cut Line with arrows is drawn, include the option of a text attribute and/or appropriate symbol allowing the user to enter a reference and sheet number for the section symbol,

7. Add F2 Active Layer and F3 New Layer to allow the section cut to be drawn on either selection,

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