The multi-entity object rotation issue

[SneaksieDave]

I just had a thought that may or may not be obvious/already considered, but I wanted to see what the devs thought about it.

 

We of course have the long standing and rather serious multi-ent rotation problem:

http://bugs.angua.at/view.php?id=230

 

Talk went back and forth about implementing a "grouped" object or such to handle such rotations. There were refactors (or whatever you guys called it) and huge changes and improvements, diversions, and work on the mod in general. But the grouping/selection/rotation thing didn't come about. But also during that time, Layers were implemented, and are quite solid. The question is: can Layers address the problem?

 

Imagine you import a prefab, the winerack (bottles and a rack). Or create one out of bottles and brushes. You try to rotate the collectively selected "object" as a whole. Everything goes haywire of course, because every part rotates based on its own agenda. The bottles will spin in place or roll over, the rack will do its thing, etc. However we already know that different rotation modes exist; you can rotate models together, around a common origin; you can rotate models separately, around their individual origins; you can rotate func_statics around an origin that you decide. So the motions are there, and possible. But how to rotate a winerack, made up of some 20 models and maybe even a brush thrown in for measure, as a whole?

 

Put them in a Layer, a "group" essentially, and give that Layer its own temporary origin. Even if for now it was just a centralized fixed origin the user couldn't customize, it would be 99% of the battle won. Rotate everything in the Layer based on the Layer's origin. Beyond addressing the problem, this is a functionality that arguably should exist anyway (the ability to rotate (in addition to other operations which already exist) a Layer).

 

What do you think? I don't imagine it is simple, but at the same time, with different rotation modes in existence, and Layers already implemented, the hope is that this foundation puts it within reach.

[Fidcal]

Put them in a Layer, a "group" essentially, and give that Layer its own temporary origin. Even if for now it was just a centralized fixed origin the user couldn't customize, it would be 99% of the battle won. Rotate everything in the Layer based on the Layer's origin.

I had been thinking of this 'common origin' solution the other day but did not connect it with layers. Be interesting to see if it is possible.