Take measurements in the Blender viewport with MeasureIt
Antonioya’s new free Blender addon MeasureIt makes it easy to design more accurate models by measuring right in the Blender viewport. Measurements update in real-time as you manipulate your models, this is certainly something I could have used for my 3D Printing design work!
MeasureIt is an add-on designed for displaying measures in the viewport, making the process of design objects with exact measures, easier.
These tools are extremely useful for any job that requires exact measurements, including architectural projects, technical design and 3D printing.
You can use it for:
- Mesh vertex to vertex measure: Length between vertices in the same mesh.
- Mesh vertex labeling: Add a label to any mesh vertex. This allows identify easily different areas or objects in the scene.
- Object to Object: Distance between object origins, vertex to origin or vertex to vertex.
- Object to origin: Distance between object origin to scene origin or vertex to scene origin.
- Allows work with different scales.
The measures can be used with Meshes, Empties, Lamps and Cameras. Blender units, Metric and Imperial are supported.
As all measure definitions are saved in the blend file, you can save the file and the next time you use it, the measures will be ready.
Changes in version 1.3
- New Mesh angles.
- Show measure changes in EDIT mode.
- Cleaning measures not used when saving.
- Small bug fixing.
Changes in version 1.4
- Now several segments can be created at the same time selecting by vertex, edge, face or edge loops.
- Now you can use or not selected axis in distances.
- Added degrees symbol to angles.
- New button for deleting all object measures.
- Fixed bug if scene scale is different of 1.
Link
Using angles and some tips:
There’s a demo video here for anyone who wants to see it in action first.
https://youtu.be/R0jCdCoaRvs
Looks amazing!
The video is at the top of the page :) I always debate whether I should put a picture at the top and then an almost-identical looking YouTube embed lower. What do you think?
I always like no picture at the top if its a video. but yer it is hard to decide
I guess at the very least it’ll use up less screen space that way..
I think is better the video. I provided image and video for each post, but I like your decisionof using video only. Thanks for sharing my add-on in Blendernation :-)
Aha. I am so used to seeing pictures there you faked me out XD
Though I agree, having a picture and a video seems a little redundant. I just need to learn how to see ;)
Just tried it out, it is a great tool! Will definitly use it to prototype 3D printing stuff!
The only thing I’m missing are angles, they would help in some cases.
Great tool.
It would be nice if it could be rendered!
I think this tutorial might help you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb1U7g4JFbA
Brilliant add-on. Love the interactive measuring and adjustable font. Thanks for a very useful contribution Antonioya!
Works flawlessly. Great job! This will save me hours of checking and re-checking dimensions for my models. Thank you!
fantastic add-on! Works so great and fast.
This is a perfect way to build yourself a caliper or dimension constraints like in a 2D sketching engine.
Great add-on! Thank you very much! This will help in future projects!
Is it also possible to render with the measurements?
The addon is not working for me… Hmm. This would be convenient if I can get it to work.
I am using it with the last official build of Blender, and YES I have installed many addons.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Nate L.
Pixel Matter 3D LLC
As I tried to install it first from the zip & it didn’t work…try this. Unzip and then copy & paste entire folder into Scripts/ addons. Locate the folder again in your preferences and you should see the option in the Add-ons menu. Install should work now…
This being the first time I didn’t do it this way… figures. I will give this a try when I get back to my office.
Thanks for the advice.
Nate L.
Wonderful!
I donated €125.00 back in 2012 for the development of a crowd-funded “Caliper” add-on by Macouno. What he came up with wasn’t nearly as good as MeasureIt and I believe the project was abandoned.
I’ll just pretend I spent that money on MeasureIt. :-)
Thanks for the fantastic add-on!
Please how can i download this add-on. there is no download button on the github page
Click either the ‘Raw’ button or the text saying View Raw. They both will pop-up the save .zip file dialogue…
How can i download it, there is no download button on the page
This link should download it directly:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Antonioya/blender/master/measureit/measureit_v1_2.zip
Thanks so much i appreciate
Updated link (v1.3): https://github.com/Antonioya/blender/blob/master/measureit/measureit_v1_3.zip
Whoops! Didn’t notice that Bart already updated the link. Well, there’s the direct link, anyways.
Not really, I just link to the GitHub page. It’s lazier ^H^H^H^H^H^H better solution ;-)
Hahaha! Okay. :)
Thank you!
Something’s not right with his git; I have a project for a simple tumblr theme and my project has a download zip link on the right.
https://github.com/lumpynose/bare_metal/tree/master
Thanks, very useful.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
1. There needs to be some kind of community-consensus award for innovative and useful addons, just as a bit of gesture.
2. You need to win the first one. lol
But I suppose that thanks is its own reward and recognition.
So, with that: Thanks, Antonioya!
New version V1.3 available in GitHub:
Changes in version 1.3
=============================
– New Mesh angles.
– Show measure changes in EDIT mode.
– Cleaning measures not used when saving.
– Small bug fixing.
I have added a video with Angles and some tips.
http://youtu.be/bljkN53sIhw
Most excellent Antonioya – thank you for more improvements! I was wondering whether you had ideas about how to tackle radial curve measurements – for example a rectangle with rounded corners? At the moment the system works by reading vertex position so I guess one would have to manually create a centre vertex for each corner curve to get the measurement…
Hope you keep up the good work :)
You don,t need create anything. The way is calculate the circle using 3 points, as angles, and then use only the part of the arc between external vertices. The user needs to select extrem vertices and one midle point. I will think for future versions.
Thanks Antonioya! I’ve added both to the article.
Unfortunately run into error with last update & my python knowledge approaches zero.
File “…modulesaddon_utils.py”, line 325, in enable mod.reister()
File “…scriptsaddonsmeasureit_init_.py” line 79, in register bpy.utils.register_class(measureit_main.AddAngleButton)
AttributeError: ‘module’object has no attribute ‘AddAngleButton’
and after clicking the check box again, the error changes to…
File “…modulesaddon_utils.py”, line 325, in enable mod.reister()
File “…scriptsaddonsmeasureit_init_.py” line 77, in register
bpy.utils.register_class(measureit_main.RunHintDisplayButton)
ValueError: register_class(…): already registered as subclass
I can re-install V1.2. without problems so think something is not quite right with the upload of V1.3?
I have tested and the ZIP works. Be sure you copy the 3 python files of the version 3 in the right folder.
Hi Antonioya – thanks for your reply. I have not been able to get the V1.3 working – to be sure I did download again and yes all 3 files are in the right folder. If I put back the V1.2 folder, Blender recognizes it immediately and all I have to do it activate it. For some reason if I replace it with the new folder, I have to search for the folder to locate the path again, and when activating get the errors I noted in my previous post. Hopefully some one else runs into this and can help work it out. [Windows 7 with 2.74]
I installed Blender 2.74 and the V1.3 on my back-up system without problems. Unfortunately following exactly the same procedure on my main computer does not work. Hmmm…mysterious!
Succeeded by doing a total re-install of Blender. A partial uninstall with previous settings returned the error’s noted. A radical solution but ultimately worth it – this is an addon I prefer not to do without. Maybe one day will find out what was causing the hic-cup but just glad to be back on track…
thank you Antonioya, the addon is brilliant and the new angle measurement is awesome.
nice way to do some fast trig. :) would be neat if we could do minute and sec for the angles.
or if we could input numbers into the number display and change the length and angle of the object.
for instance if you have a triangle, you could input what angle you want one og the to be and the object shape updates to inputted values.(same for segment length.)
Absolutely love it! Can we get this integrated into the official release to replace the aging/somewhat broken measure panel?
whether it is possible to make so that the output size to render?
Hey, Antonioya. Nice addon, I tried it in my work but quickly find out that i miss one feature in it. Can you add measuring distance only in one of the axes?
I was trying to figure out hight difference between two objects, regardles on how far they are away from each other. And i could not do it with it. (v1.2)
I like your idea, I will think about it.
antonioya, do you have a paypal account,
i’d like to buy you lunch :)
I would really like this plugin to have a feature that can allow measurements to be rendered.
I have detected a bug if you select a scene scale different of 1 (in the scene tab). I will fixed in the next version v1.4. It’s not a big issue.
I’m also working to fix some axis when calculate the distance and to add degree symbol in angles in next version v1.4.
Very very cool, good job :)
Wonderful add-on, only thing missing from my point of view is:
– measurement for area
– a x-ray toggle button (globally and per mesure).
– possibility to render it.
BTW, thank for sharing it for free.
I have put in GitHub a new version with the following changes.
Changes in version 1.4
=============================
– Now several segments can be created at the same time selecting by vertex, edge, face or edge loops.
– Now you can use or not selected axis in distances.
– Added degrees symbol to angles.
– New button for deleting all object measures.
– Fixed bug if scene scale is different of 1.
Video: https://youtu.be/nu3hxPSBLsU
Just keeps getting better! Would be nice if an angle could be generated from 2 edges? Thanks Antonioya
Could it be possible to add rotation to the annitation and maybe an option to.center text along line with the line having a home for the text to fit in?
There was a bug in version v1.4 if you select two vertices not linked by an Edge.
Download the fixed version v1.4.1 in GitHub.
Hello!
Just found this plugin and will try it as soon as my stomach flue gets a bit better =) When reading the posts I find questions about a feature that I really miss and that you have not answered yet. Will the measurements be able to render in future releases? I also backed Caliper up ages ago just for the reason you could render it. There is another plugin out there with renderable measurements, but this plugin looks so wonderful to work with it would be great if that feature could be added!
Cheers!
::mb
I’m working to find a way of render the measures. If someone has any information, article or something this will be helpful.
Great! Feels good you are on it! Hope some one can give you a hand. The only other plugins I know about creating rederable dimensions are “Add Dimension” and “Caliper”. Maybe their authors could share some insights?
Cheers!
::mb
I have done a proof of concept script and I think I’m in the right way now.
Wow you’re on fire!
I’m waiting for the new Blender 2.75 to launch new MeasureIt v1.5.
I will include the following changes:
– New: Measures can be rendered (opengl and final render).
– New: Arc measures with radio, angle and length.
– New: Sum automatically several segments.
– New: Calculate Areas.
– New: Arrows (line, triangle, TShape).
– New: Vertex to origin in one axis measure.
– New: Text can be multiline using pipe (|).
– New: Create annotations.
– New: Display orthogonal segments.
– Improved customization options and UI.
– Fixed error for Quadview.
– Fixed error for Object to vertex link.
– Fixed error on alpha for lines.
– Small bug fixing.
hello ANTONIOYA,
Thanks for the update 1.5, areas are really nice for my new house project ! : very good job !!
The only thing I noticed was that I can not display text with dimensions anymore..
Did I missed something ?
I have not removed any function. You can display Measure and/or Text.
Text addition is definitely not working from my side on a fresh new blender install and factory settings :
when creating a new dimension with either with predefined text in right or in left panels they are not displayed, even if when I toggle on/off text labels
I used it the same way than before, did I missed something ?
Ooops soory I did missed sthing : there’s a master show toggle for dim & text.
this tool is really great.
I’m having troubles installing this addon. I don’t really know much about “import-export Raw”. I’m sure I’m not specifying my question correctly, but that shows how little I know about installing it. :P I haven’t had problems like this before with installing addons. I checked the documentation on it, but I don’t understand what it means by “execute this script from the “File->import” menu, because I see no such thing. Can anyone enlighten me?
I see no “Measureit” on the addon list as demonstrated in the demo video for when i install it, (am I supposed to select all four files at the same time, or just one?) I believe in my post above I accidentally confused myself into talking about some other addon that has nothing to do with this. :P In my post above I was talking about the addon (as titled on the addon menu) “Import-export; Raw Mesh Format”, but again, I sorta doubt it has anything to do with my actual question, which is how to install “Measureit” properly. It looks like a great tool and I can’t wait to use it!
Usually, you must download the zip using RAW button, and then unzip in add-on folder, and that’s it.
Yeah, that’s not working. =/
Whenever I follow what you just described, no “Measure it” addon actually shows up in my addon menu in blender. There is a little icon on the top right corner above where it says “Open this file in github for mac”. So I pressed it (being a MAC user), and it downloaded github. I got an account and everything, but when returning to the download page, and I press the icon again so that I will open github mac version, it just transfers me to the github mac download again.
I made a comment here before regarding this addon, but I assumed the issues I was running into had to do with the fact I had Macintosh and not Windows. However, now I have WIndows, and the results are the same. This looks like an incredibly useful addon and I really wish to use it. The issue is that I don’t know how to install it. (Yes, I have installed addons before). When I download the raw file, and unzip it, I get three .py files: _init_.py, measurit_main.py, and measureit_tools.py. I have tried a few methods of installing them. I installed from file the “measureit_main.py” file because it was stated as being the main file, but nothing worked and the “measure it” tool didn’t show up in my addon search menu, either. That’s the scariest part. So then I decided to install from file all three of the .py files, and still nothing. No “measure it” tool addon showed up in the search menu. So then I put the file into the blender addon file directly and hopped back into blender, and still nothing came of it.
This looks like a fabulous addon and as I am in the middle of modelling some building assets, this would come in handy BIG TIME. Thank you very much.
Actually, I just figured it out! It was incredibly silly of me, actually… when I unzipped the file, I just dragged in that whole file, and not the “measureit” folder inside of it. I thought the version numbers were a part of it. Ah well. This addon works great! Thank you so much!
bought
I am trying to use Link to measure between two vertices, one on each object. I have selected the objects, but I can’t see how to select a vertex on each object. Does anyone know the process? Thanks
How accurate is this add-on? Im using it now and I’ve noticed that add-on measurements are quite different than the dimensions in the viewport properties….and I have my units set to none.
@jay Does your object have unapplied scale?
The options in the properties region show dimensions in local space (scaling in object mode won’t change the numbers), while IIRC this addon measures everything in global space (scaling in object mode will change the numbers).
OK, what is llRC? And yeah, I did apply the scale in object mode via ctrl A. But maybe perhaps I didnt in the beggining and thats why im getting skewed numbers. So im not sure where I went wrong.
IIRC means “If I recall correctly”. And I’m having the same issue as well.
Boa tarde!
quando o blender 2.8 terá uma ferramenta dessas? afinal é muito dificil colocar a ferramenta no lugar certo mesmo segurando o comando CTRL, essa ai voce clicava em um ponto e outro e pedia a distancia e pronto, no do 2.8 ainda tem a scala que a ferramenta nao acompanha, e essa ai depois de por a medida e fazer o aumento em scala ela acompanhava de acordo com o que o programa ia mudando de medidas