I’d like to get your input on a user interface complaint that we occasionally receive. I’m going to describe the issue here in this discussion thread, and am going to create a poll where you can vote your choice. Since the forum software has a poll feature, I’m curious to see how it will work out. I’m going to keep the poll open for about two weeks.
The issue is about how the end condition of Extrude variants always defaults to Blind. This includes three commands that add material (Boss Extrude, Surface Extrude, and Sheet Metal Base Flange), and three that remove material (Cut Extrude, Simple Hole, and the "Hole" hole type in the Hole Wizard).
As you might know, SolidWorks automatically remembers many PropertyManager settings and will re-use them the next time you access a feature. For example, if you use the Fillet command and choose a Variable Radius fillet type, the next time you use this command the fillet type will be automatically set to Variable Radius again.
But this isn’t so with the end condition for the Extrude variants. They always default to Blind, no matter what you last selected. Here is an example of the input we occasionally get about this: "If you want to fix something that really irritates most users I’ve talked to change the default state of extruded cuts to THROUGH ALL instead of BLIND. Same goes for the HOLE WIZARD. Almost every time I make a hole I have to change the default to THROUGH ALL. Please make THROUGH ALL the default. Please Please Please. That would save sooooo much time."
So this brings up the question. Do we simply switch the default to Through All for the extrude variants that remove material? If we do that, should we leave Blind as the default for the extrude variants that add material, or perhaps we should change those to Mid Plane? Or do we change all of the extrude variants to remember your last used end condition (even if it was something like, say, Up To Vertex)? Or do we only remember your last setting if it was either Blind, Through All, or Mid Plane? (The thinking on this last suggestion is that you probably won't be doing something like Up To Vertex multiple times in a row. The downside is it might look unpredictable.) Or do we leave it all alone?
It isn’t entirely clear what is best to do, so I’d like you all to help us decide. I’m really curious to see if a clear consensus emerges.
Note that for this poll, I am only including the the "Hole" hole type in the Hole Wizard. That’s because Counterbore and Countersink hole types already default to Through All, while Straight Tap and Tapered Tap default to Blind. Legacy Hole will change its default value on the fly, depending on what you last did or viewed. I’m sure you will let me know if this is a can of worms we should sort out, but let’s limit the Hole Wizard consideration to the Hole hole type for right now.
You will find the poll, ummm, I think on the Overview tab here in the User Interface category. Please vote, and we’ll discuss the results here in this thread. We can also discuss the options, and the Hole Wizard can of worms (see above) here too if you want.
BTW, here the the five options I defined in the poll. You get to pick one of these five:
- Don’t change anything! Leave the default end condition as Blind in all of the Extrude variants.
- Change the default to Through All for material removal, but leave it as Blind for addition.
- Change the default to Through All for material removal, and Mid Plane for material addition.
- Just change to remember my last used end condition setting for each of these commands.
- Remember my last setting, but only if it was Blind, Through All, or Mid Plane.
Thanks in advance - I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all think!
--Tom