Version 4.8 changed the way the editor handles moving actors. This is a break with an 18-20 year old standard and as far as I can see this is not mentioned in the changenotes, and therefore likely a bug.
In 4.8 if you select an actor in the viewport, for example a mesh, and the pivot point/the three arrows gizmo is located behind the viewport camera, then you cannot move the object at all using the ctrl, ctrl/shift shortcuts. 4.8 only allows movement of objects if the pivot is in front or (I think) above and below you.
No other version of UE has ever required this to my knowledge, and it hampers workflow immensely. Bug?
Also ctrl-spacebar snaps to a 2D layer even while 2D layers are disabled. Since you often press ctrl - spacebar in quick succession to move things/switch between moves, you will press this shortcut continuously and you continuously have your meshes teleport to some other location. You can luckily disable the shortcut, but this feels like a bug also. 2D layers are disabled by default, yet the shortcut snaps still?
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one, both of these issues have been causing a lot of trouble for me as well to a very large degree. Holding control and moving objects off screen is something I use very often so losing the ability to do this has been a bit of a frustration and slows my ability to work quite often.
I also use control + spacebar very quickly when moving and rotating objects and since these changes my meshes are always shooting off screen.
I’ve been building levels using these methods for years and it is a little bit awkward and frustrating to have them suddenly changed and suddenly having different things to happen.
Hey Hourences-
I’m not sure what you mean by having the gizmo located behind the viewport camera. Are you referring to looking away from the actor after selecting it? I did notice that when pressing Ctrl+Spacebar the actor would jump to 100.0cm along the Y axis (X & Z were unchanged). Is this what you’re referring to? In 4.7.6 Ctrl+Spacebar had no obvious effect (haven’t used the command before so I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work). Let me know if this is what you’re seeing or if there is something else going on that I’m not understanding.
Cheers
Hi,
Ctrl Spacebar → Yes it snaps, because it snaps to a 2D layer. However preferences default has 2D layers disabled, yet the shortcut snaps (bug - because it claims to be disabled yet it is doing something) and messes up the age old workflow of rapid ctrl → spacebar movements.
However that is a minor issue since you can turn off the shortcut entirely (though most people won’t realize this so that should be solved IMO). The main issue is the pivot problem.
If you do not have the 3 arrows (move gizmo) in view, and if said move gizmo is located behind the viewport camera, then the shortcuts (ctrl/shift + drag) to move actors do not work at all. This is insanely frustrating to work with because you can effectively no longer do precise movement. You need to position the camera in such way that you see the move gizmo at all times, which often is not the angle you require to position the mesh where you want it. Unreal Engine 1, 2, 3 all the way until 4.8 allowed you to move an object no matter how the viewport camera is positioned.
Hey Hourences-
I was able to reproduce both issues you described. I did not find the Ctrl+Spacebar shortcut in previous engine versions however I did report that the snap shortcut functions when it is set not to (UE-18320). The Ctrl+LMB drag functionality to move a mesh did seem to change behavior between 4.7.6 and 4.8.1 and has been bugged as well (UE-18324).
Cheers
Great thanks!
I found out today that the CTRL+drag bug also occurs in certain scenarios when having multiple meshes selected → Alt Drag them (using the arrow gizmo so not using CTRL shortcut) → Sometimes the pivot jumps on duplicate and if this happens and it jumps to behind you then too it will freeze movement while you are still in the process of Alt dragging it.
So even without using CTRL this leads to movement being locked in certain scenarios.