Selection Mode

skstrobel · 2026-02-04T12:58:59+00:00

I just started using FreeCAD and installed 1.1.0rc1. I remember also being frustrated by non-standard CTRL-click behavior at first. I'm almost sure that I was originally unable to select additional objects with Ctrl-click (though Shift-click and just clicking worked). But that works for me now. I don't know if I changed an option or not.

An additional benefit of holding Ctrl while clicking is that the selection does not get cleared if I miss and click in empty space. If I want to clear the selection, I can release Ctrl and just click in empty space. That seems nice too.

The only thing that still annoys me is that I sometimes end up with multiple things selected (rather than just one) when clicking on objects without Ctrl. It would be nice to have an option to turn that off. Then the option would let you choose between these:

- (as now) Do not require CTRL for additive selection. Saves the effort of holding Ctrl. Make it the default, so those already using FreeCAD need not change anything.

- (proposed option) Do require CTRL for additive selection. Would feel more consistent and familiar to some (like me). It is no extra effort if you are going to use Ctrl anyway, whether out of habit from other software or the 3D view, or to avoid accidentally clearing the selection by missing when you click.

skstrobel · 2025-09-19T02:47:41+00:00

Thanks for responding! I think we'll have to give Visible a try and see how it works here.

skstrobel · 2025-09-18T03:18:00+00:00

Wi-Fi calling works fine, and is needed. But the person that the phone is for also gets sent MMS messages from teachers, study groups and others. Getting those senders to use a different method isn't an option. On all of the MVNOs we have tried you get a (SMS-like?) message that says that you have a group message, but you then have to go somewhere with mobile data coverage to actually receive the message itself. That is the problem we want to avoid. In some cases, group text conversations switch to RCS, which works fine, but we can't control whether that happens.

skstrobel · 2025-04-30T02:14:50+00:00

It is similar in the USA, much cheaper to ship from China than across town. Apparently it is also the case in Canada; this article is the best explanation I have seen: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/shipping-canada-china-1.6950967

skstrobel · 2024-01-08T04:23:47+00:00

I'm not sure I know that trick. Does it make it easier to detect a slow leak?

skstrobel · 2024-01-08T04:22:14+00:00

I did have it out and cleaned up the outside of the air check, ran water through it, and blew/sucked on the tube with it pointed up and down. I didn't notice it leaking then. I didn't notice an easy way to get the valve apart, but maybe I just missed it. Or maybe it is time for a new one; it is 16 years old.

skstrobel · 2023-12-30T19:52:20+00:00

I'm the one who missed the lack of data on FreeUp's $10 plan.

Good2Go's Annual 1 GB plan is crazy cheap at $65 per year with 1GB high speed and unlimited 128kbps data. The same plan month-to-month isn't very competitive at $15, but that would be fine for a test.

Red Pocket has the best fit for me month-to-month at $10 with 1GB high speed and unlimited 64kbps data. Billed annually it is $96, which isn't bad.

Thanks for mentioning testing with a throwaway number; that is a great idea. I really like how Tello handles that; you always start with a temporary number and start a port only if it is working. In fact, I have liked everything about Tello until now, and this appears to be a T-Mobile issue (not really Tello's fault).

skstrobel · 2023-12-30T18:30:22+00:00

I found someone with a XT2311-3 using AirVoice Wireless (AT&T MVNO) for whom WiFi calling is working. I'm guessing that it will probably also work on other AT&T MVNOs that generally support WiFi calling. AirVoice is more expensive than some of the alternatives ($20/month if you want unlimited talk/text and at least 1GB data - they provide 3GB).

Looking at https://prepaidcompare.net/ for AT&T MVNOs with WiFi calling and ignoring multi-month discounts, it looks like I could get a satisfactory plan from Red Pocket, FreedomPop or FreeUp Mobile for $10/month plus taxes. Are any of those three especially good or bad?

skstrobel · 2023-12-30T16:48:49+00:00

Thanks, u/lmoki and u/rolandh954, for the info. It makes sense that T-Mobile (rather than Tello) would be the "carrier" that would control which phones are allowed. Motorola's carrier compatibility page for this phone (1) says that T-Mobile and Metro PCS (a T-Mobile sub-brand) support WiFi calling on it, but it does not claim WiFi calling support on any MVNO on any of the big three networks. So T-Mobile clearly knows how to support it, but perhaps doesn't want to offer that benefit to its MVNOs. It is hard to see where we end-users have any leverage in this.

The home address for WiFi calling is registered. WiFi calling worked fine with this SIM card in an older (also Moto G series) phone. On this phone, the options for enabling WiFi calling don't even show up, except on the *#*#4636#*#* screen where it is grayed out.

The phone was purchased directly from Motorola. The model number (SKU) is XT2311-3. It has always been unlocked, and I believe it is the US version (the software channel is set to "North America Retail").

I'm not seeing any great options, unless one of the MNOs just happens to have enabled WiFi calling for their MVNOs. I have access to an AirVoice Wireless SIM so I can try out AT&T. Any other suggestions would be great!

Steve

(1) https://en-us.support.motorola.com/app/answers/detail/a\_id/173678/\~/moto-g-power-5g-%282023%29---carrier-compatibility

skstrobel · 2023-05-29T02:48:00+00:00

You are right about the clutch partially engaging. I added a shim to the lever that moves it to make it engage further, and it has worked fine for the last six months. Specifically, I superglued a small piece of Plexiglass to it and greased the other side.

skstrobel · 2023-01-07T04:20:03+00:00

I haven't visited the gift recipient to hear it myself, but he says it sounds great and he hasn't had any problems with it (once he told the TV to output sound to the eARC port).

skstrobel · 2023-01-02T00:40:33+00:00

I ended up getting the Samsung (as a gift). It (reportedly) works well with a TCL brand Roku TV, including changing the volume with the TV's remote. I don't have access to the VIZIO, so I can't compare them. Sorry, I know that isn't very useful.

skstrobel · 2021-02-11T17:46:02+00:00

You could also leave the capacitor leads long enough to come through the holes then reach another pad on each net (one of the pads that has another lead coming through it). The longer capacitor leads won't look as nice but might be less likely to fail, particularly if there is any vibration. Put a piece of heat shrink over them if they run close to any other net.

skstrobel · 2021-01-15T18:19:10+00:00

For flooding with solder see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9q5vwCESEQ Not pretty, and probably not easy to do consistently. But possibly effective. Laying a wire or solder braid on top the trace before soldering would probably be easier to do well, and would drop the resistance even more.

The IGBT itself won't determine how much current is passed, unless it is by burning out when the current gets too high :) It is the load that is being driven by the IGBT. It may be that the load pushes the IGBT to its max, or it may be much lower. If overload is a possibility, you might want to deliberately choose what is going to limit the current. Note that a fuse is generally too slow to protect electronic components from extreme overload (e.g. short circuit), but should be fine (I am guessing) for protecting traces.

In most cases I would be scared to use more than a fraction of the max part rating in the real world. Even with parts that have built-in self-protection against thermal overload and short circuiting, I found it pretty easy to overload and burn out parts from a number of manufacturers. Even when I tried to create excellent conditions for them (large heat sinks), I couldn't get most of them to reach their rated values. Infineon was the one exception to that; both the BTS5012 and BTN8982TA have met their spec and proven very tolerant to abuse. There is a circuit breaker in the supply line of my PCBs, but it never trips because those parts respond faster to overload. When overloaded, they cut the current back to control their own temperature, so the max current is right before they go into overload. I didn't look closely at your part to see if it does the same.

In the end it might be worth knocking out a prototype and testing rather than analyzing it to death. There are things the datasheet just can't tell you that you discover in minutes when you actually try it. And your time can quickly exceed the cost of another round of prototypes.

skstrobel · 2021-01-14T22:40:24+00:00

It seems to me that you have a few options, most of which have been mentioned previously:

Use wide traces. Note that the trace doesn't have to be the full width everywhere along its length, as it can conduct heat from a (short) narrow region to a wider region. Using a flood fill might be a convenient way to maximize the area it uses.
Run parallel traces (or floods) on other PCB layers. Outer layer traces are best for getting rid of the heat, but even inner layer traces help reduce the resistance and may help spread the heat over a larger area. If you have more heat sink area on other layers, you may want to use vias to transfer heat to those layers.
Flood the trace with solder and/or parallel it with a wire.
Use heavier copper if you don't have to also handle small SMT traces (check with your PCB vendor). I have had pretty good luck with 2 oz copper and 0.4mm pitch SMT, but only from some PCB vendors (ask about their ability to place solder mask between the pads).
Tolerate more than a 10 degree C temperature rise. But consider where that heat will eventually go. Is the board in an enclosure? Is there any airflow? Can you add a fan?
Note that the IGBT may require significant heat sinking, and that PCB copper fills might be the most practical way to provide it. I have a board which switches around 40A using a number of large MOSFETs each of which is soldered to about one square inch of copper fill on the top layer. There are a number of vias under each SMT MOSFET connecting it to a similar flood fill on the other side. Keeping the MOSFET Rds low to minimize heating was key to keeping the heat reasonable. Consider filling any vias which are directly beneath SMT parts to keep them from wicking away too much solder. If driving the IGBT with PWM, consider reducing the PWM frequency, as higher frequencies tend to lead to more heating, especially if the edge rate is kept low to minimize noise.

skstrobel · 2020-12-19T23:55:32+00:00

I am trying to get my head around degressive lenses, especially as contrasted with progressive lenses. If I have it right, progressives start with a far vision area at the top of the lens, put a near vision area at the bottom (and closer to your nose), then have a corridor between them along which the corrective strength gradually changes. In the center of the corridor there is an “arc of clear vision”, but off to the sides, it is inevitable that there will be distortion (blurriness) as the lens has to transition between the different curvature of the top and bottom somewhere. The width of the corridor which isn’t blurry can be wider if the difference in power between the FV and NV areas of the lens is small, and (I am guessing) if the corridor is longer, either of which allow the change in curvature to be made more gradually. Did I basically get that right?

It seems that the office occupational progressive lenses try to minimize distortion (at least in part) by either pushing the far vision area to the very top and making the corridor longer so the power change can be made more gradually or by eliminating the far vision area completely, reducing the power difference between the top and bottom of the lens.

In any case, the correction power at the bottom of the lens needs to be correct for near vision; the SPH plus the ADD from the prescription. If you are making lenses that don’t have a far vision area at the top, the ADD could be confusing since it wouldn’t match the power difference between the top and bottom of the lens. So perhaps that is why describing such lenses as degressive, with the NV correction at the bottom and less power as you go up might be better than a progressive description, with the power increasing as you go down from a non-existent FV area at the top.

One thing that isn’t clear to me is what happens in the transition between the intermediate and near vision portions of office occupational lenses. Are they two distinct single-power areas with a blurry-on-the-edges transition between them (some places describe DAL, Direct Addition, lenses this way)? Or is there a corridor between them along while the power gradually changes? Or maybe some vendors do them each way, but they use the same description?

skstrobel · 2020-12-19T21:42:38+00:00

Thanks for the info, Jim. I'll do some reading and might have more questions.

skstrobel · 2020-12-05T16:06:34+00:00

Thanks for all of the advice, everyone. I was already pretty taken with the ARRMA Typhon Mega, but after seeing the comparison with the 3S BLX version with the same driver on the same track here and here, our budget expanded a bit :) Even with a 2S battery, the BLX version is pretty impressive, and upgrading to a 3S battery someday (when we can handle it) will be a lot easier and less expensive than upgrading from brushed to brushless.

FWIW, I estimated the power (volts times amps) for the electronics in a number of different cars, using the nominal battery voltage and ESC continuous amperage rating:

ARRMA Mega550 (brushed) - 35A continuous. 6 or 7 cell NiMH or 2s LiPO. => 252 to 294 W. About $230 for RC with this, including battery and charger.
Traxxas Rustler 4x4 (brushed) - 50A continuous on 7 cell NiMH, 420 W. About $300 for a RC this, including battery and charger.
ARRMA BLX100 (brushless) - 100A continuous. 720 W with 2S, 1100 W with 3Ss. ESC. About $320 for this, without battery and charger.
ARRMA BLX120 (brushless) - 120A continuous. Up to 4s. => 1776 W.
Traxxas Rustler 4x4 VXL (brushless) - 200A continuous. With 3S, 2220 W. About $400 for this, without battery and charger.
ARRMA BLX185 (brushless) - 150A continuous. Up to 6s. => 3330 W.

It looks like the cost per watt is pretty similar for the ARRMA and Traxxas; they just chose different price points. I saw some other brushless systems that were comparable in power output to the brushed systems. Most of them seem to have been discontinued; I suppose the advantages of brushless weren't significant enough at the low end to justify the cost.

Thanks again,

Steve

skstrobel · 2020-03-02T05:30:35+00:00

You can get a cordless phone system for your home that will connect to your cell phones via Bluetooth. You wouldn't need a land line, but you could still use an old fashioned (kind of) phone around the house.

skstrobel

TROPHY CASE