Curic OI documentation

Sources:
Curic’s Short Demo Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyA2W14oajQ&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciuiV5HFFdY&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-GvTKyviqk&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sudq0zm45C4&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4GFpnhIq48&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sh8iF3uSKI&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UokSQ83a9Fc&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDI9tOO8Vvg&ab_channel=Curic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP43VYb0t3w&ab_channel=Curic

TutorialsUp’s Longer Video:

Curic OI Plugin for SketchUp

CURIC OFFSET / INTERSECT

This tool is mainly a companion to Curic Draw in Object. It offers more tools that allow us to work from the top level to create geometry at the deepest nested level of the model as well as transcribing reference lines from one context to another. The ChalkLine and Offset tools are actually directly integrated into the Trowel tool of DIO as was discussed in that thread.

In my use of these tools I have found no difference in the functionality of them when invoked by the OI toolbar or by the Trowel except that they return to the trowel tool when completed, rather than allowing repeat use of ChalkLine and Offset. If you’re using DIO then you will probably do more chalklines using the Trowel, but if you want to repeatedly use ChalkLine then it’s more efficient to use a separate shortcut for it. To invoke Offset using the Trowel is kind of a pain so you should definitely have a shortcut for that.

CHALKLINE TOOL - Draw single lines on single faces using reference edges or guides.

• This tool seems to have no different functionality from preselecting objects vs no preselect.
• Once you activate the tool, you get this tooltip:
  
• The modifier keys are toggles, not holds.
  • CTRL toggles single/double line mode.
  • CTRL+TAB toggles Cline mode. This function confused me a little at first but it seems to just be a way of making tape measure guide lines without leaving the ChalkLine tool. I’m not going to go into it much further as it doesn’t seem to be any different than native and none of the YouTube videos demonstrate its use. I’m also unsure what a “Cline” is or stands for.

Cline mode:

ChalkLine single line mode

• TAB toggles Offset by Distance mode (i.e. AutoCAD-style offset for those of you over 40 years old).

Normal vs Autocad-style

ChalkLine double line mode

• Slightly different tooltip when in double line mode:
  
• TAB toggles Change Location mode
  • Centered - draws the double line based on a centered reference.
  • First line - draws the double line using the first line as the reference.
  • Second line - draws the double line using the second line as the reference.

Location modes

ChalkLine Right Click Pie Menu

• Double line distance (12 o’clock) - opens a dialog that allows setting the distance between double lines when using double line mode. You can also VCB input this distance prior to using the tool as long as double line mode is active when you do it.
• One segment (2 o’clock) - this is a toggle that allows creating subdivisions that don’t intersect across the entire face.
• Multi faces (4 o’clock) - this is the opposite toggle. By default, ChalkLine is in this mode.

I’m not sure why Curic chose to use two separate buttons for this and one segment instead of just a toggle. Also kind of wish that he used the ALT key as a modifier for this toggle instead of right click, hunt for a button, then left click.

One segment vs Multi faces

• Push line (6 o’clock) - this toggle allows “push/pulling” a single line into a 2D face away from the existing face. It’s an interesting tool and I’d love to hear some use cases for it because I don’t currently know of many.

Push line mode

• Show opposite distance (8 o’clock) - this toggles the red SnapDim. By default, ChalkLine is in this mode. I see no reason why this should ever be turned off.
• Erase edge and auto fix vertex (10 o’clock) - you have to be hovering over an edge for this to do anything. It deletes the edge highlighted by the cursor and welds any points where it was splitting the boundary of the face. I think? I never use this.

After the initial click to start ChalkLine, there are some new options:

• Use the mouse cursor and inferences to locate the offset line. During this step you can choose which face to to draw the lines on. It does not have to be the face that the operation was started on. This is really where the power of Curic OI resides.

Drawing ChalkLines on different groups

• Holding SHIFT locks the inference to a given face. This function is not indicated in any tooltip. It’s very helpful for fine tuning and working in complex models.

Using shift to isolate faces. This allows using other faces to inference without being forced to draw on them by the tool

• SnapDims (explained in DIO documentation thread.) are available to set the distance of the offset.
• VCB inputting the offset distance will draw the single or double line at that distance, ending the tool. Note that either SnapDim can be input. By default, it sets the Blue measurement, but the Red can be set instead by preceding the VCB input with a comma.

VCB input of red SnapDim

• LEFT CLICK and DRAG enters rotate mode, allowing the creation of angled single and double lines. At the release of the click, the line is drawn. VCB input at this point for precise angles.

Important note here: VCB input to set the angle only works in single line mode. You can rotate a double offset line, but you’re hemmed in by the angle set when you let go of click drag. Due to a bug, it thinks you’re VCB inputting the line spacing for double line. I would advise always using single line mode to make angled ChalkLines.

ChalkLine Rotate and VCB

After using chalkline:

• VCB input here is tricky. If you used single line mode, then it works as intended. It changes the distance of your offset to the new input. If you used double line mode, it sets the double line distance for the next ChalkLine. This is a bug related to the one I mentioned already.
• ChalkLine supports multiply and divide array copies. For rotated lines it supports multiply only.

Linear array multiply and divide

Polar array multiply

As Trowel was the star of the DIO show, ChalkLine is the star of OI. The Offset and Intersect tools are far less complicated to understand and use.

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OFFSET TOOL - Draw offset boundaries on faces

• Initial tooltip:
  
• Offset doesn’t care about preselects.
• Not as many options here. You can click on a face to create an offset boundary of that face. The UI of the tool highlights the face that is under the mouse cursor.
• TAB toggles Inside face mode. This is somewhat confusing because the UI is not clear on which mode is which. On one toggle setting, you will see the offset line in the UI indicated as dashed when it’s outside the face. If you try to offset the line outside the boundary, nothing happens during this mode unless your mouse is over different coplanar face (yes, it’s confusing). If the tool is in the opposite toggle state, it allows creating a 2D face outside of the reference face like native offset. In this state, Offset can only draw inside of the selected object (yes, again, it’s confusing).

TutorialsUp video at 6:20 tries to demonstrate the two modes but I think it misses some of the nuances.

Toggling Normal mode vs Inside face mode, then drawing in normal mode

Interior offset in Inside face mode, then normal mode

Offset onto separate object’s coplanar face with each mode setting: Note that in the first part, the new face is part of the right side object’s geometry, while in the second part, the new lines are part of the left object’s geometry.

It’s important to understand that unlike the ChalkLine tool, the Offset tool requires coplanarity in order to transfer offset lines to other solids. This in my view makes Offset far less powerful and more niche than ChalkLine.

Can’t offset to non-coplanar face

Offset requires picking a face, but the edge that it uses to measure also has an effect on which boundary gets offset, and onto which object it can transfer lines. You can see which edge is being referenced as a blue dot in the UI.

Inside boundary vs outside boundary

We can only transfer offsets along the line perpendicular to the edge of the face selected for offset

• Offset also has fewer options in it’s right click context menu. No pie menu this time, just the ability to change the LengthSnapping and UI Scale. This is also true of Intersect.

After the initial click to start Offset:

• Use mouse cursor to choose the face to draw on. This also sets the SnapDim direction. This time only one dimension in blue is shown.
• At this point, either VCB input to enter a distance or use native inferences and left click to choose the offset distance.

After using Offset:

• VCB input to change the distance of the last offset (like native tools).
• DOUBLE CLICK faces to repeat the last offset distance.

VCB input, before and after offset. Also, double clicking to use previous offset distance

I was disappointed to discover that multiply and divide arrays aren’t supported by Curic Offset. A bug, perhaps.

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INTERSECT TOOL - Draw lines on solids using reference faces.

• Initial tooltip:
  
• Intersect doesn’t care about preselects.
• Like Offset, Intersect requires you to select a face. Unlike offset, it does not care about any edge on that picked face. Instead of measuring to the edge of that face, it measures perpendicularly from that face.
• There are no modifiers at this point. All it wants is for you to left click on a face.

After the face is selected:

• The picked face is shown in magenta and the slice preview is shown in red. By default, it wants to operate on the initial object.
• Intersect uses a similar “get object” functionality like the DIO tools. Once you click a face, it selects the solid that the face is a part of, showing a green dashed outline of it. Holding CTRL and left clicking during the Intersect operation allows selecting another object in the model. In this mode, it allows you to create a boundary line on that object using the current face as a reference.
• Like offset, there is one blue SnapDim shown here. It can only be in the two possible perpendicular directions from the picked face.
• At this point, either VCB input to enter a distance or use native inferences and left click to choose the offset distance.

“Vanilla” Intersect

Intersect using “get object”

After using Intersect:

• VCB input to change the distance of the last intersect (like native tools).
• Intersect fully supports multiply and divide array copies.

VCB input and multiply Intersect

Inference input and divide Intersect

The tooltip says there’s an option to “Double click = split all.” I tested this on many different objects and couldn’t get it to do anything. I’m sure that I’m missing something. Help?

It’s important to note that Intersect always maintains the integrity of solids. It is not creating interior faces, only lines on the outside of the solid being operated on.

I like to think of Intersect as ChalkLine’s developmentally disabled older brother. It sorta does what ChalkLine does but with planes instead of edges and without as much finesse or capability. It’s strength is in its ability to generate more geometry in one operation. It’s also a hell of a lot simpler to use.

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EASTER EGGS / BUGS:

• DOUBLE CLICK using ChalkLine extends an interior boundary edge to the exterior boundary. Nothing fancy here and no special options, but it is fairly hidden.

ChalkLine double click

• VCB input between activating ChalkLine and the first click is buggy with single line mode. If it is performed after a single line ChalkLine, then it works to reposition that line (as one would expect with native tools). If it doesn’t have a recent ChalkLine operation in memory, then it does a bug report (not a crash, just a dialog box to email a report).

• However, in double line mode, it appears to be a more efficient way to set the double line spacing (rather than right click pie menu and typing it in the dialog). This results in not being able to input the angle for double line chalklines. Basically, the VCB has a conflict with double line mode.

• With all of the OI tools you can click and drag at the initial click and it will draw the line at the release of the click. You definitely lose some of the fine tuning capabilities of the tools but I can see use cases. Think of all the clicks that could be saved!

One click operations

• ChalkLine can be activated on guide lines in a couple of ways to generate new geometry. It can use them as reference edges just like any other edge, and if Push Edge mode is active, it can use them as a way to create new faces. However, this seems to be somewhat bugged. In my setup, it only allows creating faces 1 meter wide. I guess Curic didn’t want to break the universe and make an infinite length face so he just picked a constant value.

ChalkLine and guides

• Unlike the trowel tool, Curic OI seems to be safe to draw at any level. I haven’t had it crash for any reason thus far.

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