Bug: Seam Allowance sometimes doesn't create "corners"

It could be doing something like that. I thinking last night while trying to fall asleep… that the issue Susan brought up may be some % of the seam allowance width. Won’t know until I look at the code.

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I’m starting to believe this issue has always been here. It’s not something that was introduced recently. This tool’s results have always been erratic.

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Yup… and the whole piece gets hatched. I’m kinda surprised as to how this issue is only showing up now, because as far as I can tell it’s existed as long as I’ve been using and coding the program - which is like 3 years now. I’ve seen it do strange things with the allowance before, but it usually because something was wrong in the main path - like a missing point or curve.

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Yes, Grace confirmed that with the 2018 build. Until I added the new notch features nothing of consequence has been added to the program that would have affected the seam allowance. I’ll figure out how to fix it. :slight_smile:

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While I’m at it looking at fixing this issue, I may take a look at the seam allowance dialog… I know I mentioned this in another previous post - what does everyone think of switching the corner angle combobox to radio buttons with an icon that displays an image along with the text of what each angle type does?

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Sounds great to me :star_struck: Much easier than a pull down menu - just click the radio button & then the apply :grin: I love it.

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That’s my thought. Pull downs are good for a long list of items, or where the items are dynamic. If there’s only a few static choices radio buttons work better. I also believe it would be easier to have an icon to know what each angle type does - especially for new users. For ex… “First edge symmetry” can be rather cryptic.

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Please shout my way if you need help with icons.

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Sounds nifty. I do wonder about the space it will take up. But maybe “Custom” can sacrifice some, (All?) space. I have been able to do absolutely nothing with “Custom” as far back as I can remember, & so feel like consigning it to perdition. :fire: Though I do admit, there are enough areas that I haven’t fully explored that I also feel that it’s likely that I just haven’t poked it with the right stick yet.

:unicorn:

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:100: :+1: _________________

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Started looking over the seam allowance code and I have an idea what the issue is with the seam allowance errors. It’s most likely due to an error in comparing floating point numbers in an algorithm used to detect if a point is on a line. The error appears when comparing 2 points used as the slope between them approaches infinity for a vertical line (90 / 270 deg), I just did a test and sure enough if the angle was 270 deg it flipped out.

satest

It’s why slight changes in the before or after width in my testing Susan’s pattern changed what the seam allowance was doing… as the angle moved off the vertical one way or the other within the margin of error, the seam allowance worked. Now I just have to figure out how to fix it. :slight_smile:

BTW… this may not be the only issue to produce errors in the seam allowances. I know there are some issues with certain corner selections.

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There’s plenty of space… this part of the dialog is a MESS. It can be done cleaner in 1/2 the space.

sa

Yeah… I have to admit that I too am kinda of baffled by the use of the “Custom” seam allowance. Maybe Susan could enlighten us? :slight_smile: Anyhow, here’s what the dialog looks like in my version of the program… what I would probably do is create a new Seam Allowance toolbutton on the left, and move the seam allowance stuff to a new page with an Automatic and a Custom tab. That would free up the space for any radio buttons.

sadialog

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That makes sense. :cookie:

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I think I will take you up on that offer… here’s why.

Let’s see what everyone else thinks of this idea. Instead of just using an associated icon - which would be limited to a rather small size (24x24?) - how about a larger diagram window (75x150?) next to the radio buttons showing an image of what a corner and middle of a seam would look like for each type? Kinda like the measurement diagrams only on a smaller scale. The images could be created from a sample pattern by changing the option for each corner type and capturing it.

Does this sound like a better way? If so I can figure out what size of window to use in the dialog and get back to you.

BTW… I also thought about this… the use of the term “angle” for the corner type is really incorrect. Using “angle” you would expect to put in an angle value, not a corner type. For comparison purposes I referred to Coreldraw… there it’s referred to as corner type, with 3 options… point, round, or miter. In our case we’re really dealing with what type of miter is happening at at a corner (or at a seam node point). I would propose to use the term “Miter type”… if not that, then “Corner type”… either way not “angle.”. Also looking at the Coreldraw outline dialog I was reminded by the fact that you can set a “Miter limit”… that is, at what angle or less will a corner be converted to a miter vs a point. It’s possible there is some limit now going on with the “By length” type, but what I propose to do is add an option in the Seam Allowance Prefs to set that angle.

Cheers. :slight_smile:

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That does sound very nice… so if I understand correctly, you will be able to choose the image of the type of corner you prefer and then have certain settings from there.

Hmmm… yes… When I think of “Miter” I’m thinking of picture frames (which is, in a way what we are doing once the garment is sewn together) or those strips that go around ceilings against the wall, however, in this case I’d prefer to go with “Corner type”, and you could still set the “Miter limit” (on one or both sides of the corner to create more length on one side or a “cut off” (beveled) corner?).

I’ll do a few mock-ups this evening or tomorrow morning… of what I’m picturing in my head and you can tell me if I’m on the right track :crazy_face:

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Would still use a set of radio buttons, and the image would change to reflect the corner type chosen. The images would just be a visual feedback to help show what the corner (or seam node such as in Susan’s issue example) might look like. Truth be told 1/2 the time I can’t remember what each type does. Lol

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Me neither. If the result of the 1st one doesn’t look good, I move onto the next one until I find one that I can work with.

Anyway… I quickly mocked-up something that I would like to have the options to use:

image

They are all based on mitered, beveled or none :sunglasses:

I’m off to work now, but will look forward to your thoughts this evening :star_struck:

PS.

Ah! Another great idea. Yes, I like that :grin:

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Use of the term ‘corner’ instead of ‘angle’ or ‘miter’ removes 100% of ambiguity. Brilliant!

Also the large explanatory diagrams cuts through language barriers and make it obvious what should be selected.

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That’s what I thought after I looked at the dialog with fresh eyes. In an odd sort of way I’ve gotten use to lack of RT’s grasp of English semantics.

Exactly. Which ironically fits in with a post you made way back regarding the development of the seam allowance tool. I was searching for info on what the custom SA does, and came across the link for RT to look at for the article " Crafting The First Mile Of Product"… great read - I have the feeling RT probably did not read it. A prior article of Belsky “The First 15 Seconds” is even more applicable here. While I don’t want to go way off on a tangent, there are many concepts Belsky writes about , one that is so applicable to not only this one item in the SA dialog, but the program as a whole… and that is “what do I do now?”.

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Hey Grace… Here’s sort of what I had in mind… not necessarily to scale. The diagram would show what the corner type does on a seam node and what it does at a corner. In all there would be 12 images. After doing this it probably would work better side by side rather than vertically placed.

corner2

Which brings up a few other issue I thought of. There are several options that you can’t select at the moment. Such as the the lower right corner in your image - you can’t select a right corner by first AND second edge. Such as:

corner3

Also cant do this… which could be part of the original bug:

corner4

Or this… which by the true definition - a mitered corner.

corner5

But here’s a good thing that I can look at implementing… Unlike a combo box you can program radio buttons to allow multiple, but still exclusive selections. So we could do something like selecting:

First edge right angle AND Second edge right angle

or

First Edge Symmetry AND Second edge right angle

but not

First edge symmetry AND First edge right angle.

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