Quick question… Is there a way to inset by distance from the original line instead of by percentage? If you’ve ever used SketchUp, it would be just like the offset command. Thanks!
Inset by distance and not percent?
oxygen_77
#2
Ok, so maybe I figured out a way using bevel and then flatten. It gives consistant results no matter the face size, but I’m not sure if I’m getting the right distance. I’m still open to suggestions.
Well, I just checked and I’m not getting the right distance… seems like it’s around 1/4th the distance I type for the bevel. At least it works more reliably than the inset on odd shapes…
puzzledpaul
#3
I don’t think there is any way of getting a truly parallel ‘offset’ as in Sketchup (never used) or like that in Adobe Illustrator.
However, some other suggestions
Both Edge | Extrude -> Normal (constrain ‘height’ to zero with shift, use +/- or tab for offset, delete unwanted eloop) or Face | Bump (Invert original face selection, then as above) might be worth trying … but the distance readouts, although related to distance moved - are not given directly.
If you use Face | Offset - with a single bit of measuring and the tab input box (calculation) facilities, then that might help.
eg say you have a cylinder with end face diameter of 2.576 wu and you want to Inset end face by 0.4 wu.
Start Face | Offset, press tab
Enter 0.4*200/2.576
Accept (measure radial edge to check)
(in most cases could multiply the offset distance by 200 in your head, leaving only 80/2.576 to be entered in tab box?)
However, whilst this works ok - it will only work for the distance measured - in the case of a face that isn’t a uniform shape.
eg - if the face is elliptical and you measure the major axis, offset as above, the major axis offset will be ok, but the minor (and intermediate ones) won’t be - because wings is using a percentage based algorithm.
Face | Intrude is another option worth trying as (for me) this has produced some good results in difficult circumstances.
The fact that you’re hollowing out the model shouldn’t present problems, as I assume you’re trying to offset a single face (got other problems if not - I use the 'invert + bump approach for this)
You can also give the ‘Slide shuffle’ a try 
Create inset edgeloop (any way you like - even use inset - amount irrelevant)
Select inset edges
Slide relative 100% to take shape of perimeter of original face.
Accept slide op
Re-start slide, press 1 to change to absolute
Drag to suit - has the benefit that the (distance) readout is now correct.
Using this method on the ellipse as above produces a constant (correct) inset distance - but beware - for exactly the reason that this slides the (inset) edges all the same distance - it’ll give naff results if you’ve got stuff like mitred corners etc - because to get a ‘parallel’ inset edge sequence, it needs to be moved different distances with certain shapes.
I don’t think there is any magic bullet for this - and would be interested to hear of any other approaches
hth
pp
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