From cd9db57366171b53c10b90fef8997c69fb76e9a6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: DuBearte <130190089+DuBearte@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:08:09 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] Look At pressed again looks from the other side (#1886)
 (#1904)

Thanks @DuBearte.
---
 crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs        | 23 ++++++++++++++++++++---
 crates/ui-egui/src/navigation.rs     | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
 crates/ui-egui/src/sketch_palette.rs |  2 +-
 crates/ui-egui/src/viewport.rs       |  7 ++++---
 4 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
index 748117da..ff9703e2 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
@@ -3505,19 +3505,36 @@ fn plane_by_name(app: &SolveApp, name: &str) -> Option<solidcraft_engine::geom::
 
 /// Animate the camera to look straight at the active sketch plane.
 pub fn look_at_sketch(app: &mut SolveApp) {
+    look_at_sketch_from(app, false);
+}
+
+/// Look At asked for by the user (Ctrl+8, the Look At buttons): like [`look_at_sketch`], and
+/// from the sketch's other side when the view already faces it (#1886).
+pub fn look_at_sketch_again(app: &mut SolveApp) {
+    look_at_sketch_from(app, true);
+}
+
+fn look_at_sketch_from(app: &mut SolveApp, again: bool) {
     let st = app.session.world_state();
     if let Some(ss) = app.session.active_sketch.and_then(|id| st.sketch(id)) {
-        let mut to = app.cam.looking_from(ss.plane.normal());
+        let n = facing(app, ss.plane.normal(), again);
+        let mut to = app.cam.looking_from(n);
         // Keep the sketch's own x axis to the right when looking straight down or up.
-        if ss.plane.normal().z.abs() > 0.999 {
+        if n.z.abs() > 0.999 {
             let x = ss.plane.x;
-            to.yaw = if ss.plane.normal().z > 0.0 { (-x.y).atan2(x.x) } else { x.y.atan2(x.x) };
+            to.yaw = if n.z > 0.0 { (-x.y).atan2(x.x) } else { x.y.atan2(x.x) };
         }
         to.target = ss.plane.origin;
         app.animate_to(to);
     }
 }
 
+/// The side to look from at a plane with normal `n`: its own side, or with `again` the other
+/// side when the view already looks from `n`, so a second Look At turns the view round (#1886).
+pub(crate) fn facing(app: &SolveApp, n: Vec3, again: bool) -> Vec3 {
+    if again && app.cam.back().dot(n) > 0.999 { -n } else { n }
+}
+
 fn sels(d: &Dialog, i: usize) -> &[Sel] {
     d.inputs.get(i).map(|x| x.items.as_slice()).unwrap_or(&[])
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/navigation.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/navigation.rs
index aed11634..383f1bf7 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/navigation.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/navigation.rs
@@ -915,4 +915,26 @@ mod view_key_tests {
         }
         assert!(crate::keymap::RESERVED.contains(&crate::keymap::key_name(egui::Key::Num8, egui::Modifiers::COMMAND).as_str()));
     }
+
+    /// #1886: Ctrl+8 looks straight at the sketch; pressed again while the view faces it, it
+    /// looks from the other side, and a third press turns it back. Opening a sketch never flips.
+    #[test]
+    fn ctrl_8_again_looks_from_the_other_side() {
+        let mut h = Harness::new();
+        h.app.preferences.look_at_anim = false;
+        h.app.run("sketch.create", json!({"plane": "XY"})).unwrap();
+        h.frames(2);
+        let back_z = |h: &Harness| h.app.cam.back().z;
+        for want in [1.0, -1.0, 1.0] {
+            h.step(&json!({"key": "8", "cmd": true})).unwrap();
+            h.frames(2);
+            assert!((back_z(&h) - want).abs() < 1e-3, "looking from z {want}: back {:?}", h.app.cam.back());
+        }
+        // Programmatic look-at (as on opening a sketch) keeps the sketch's own side.
+        crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch(&mut h.app);
+        h.frames(2);
+        crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch(&mut h.app);
+        h.frames(2);
+        assert!((back_z(&h) - 1.0).abs() < 1e-3, "{:?}", h.app.cam.back());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/sketch_palette.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/sketch_palette.rs
index aa81e55a..cb897822 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/sketch_palette.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/sketch_palette.rs
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut SolveApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
         app.start(id);
     }
     if look {
-        crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch(app);
+        crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch_again(app);
     }
     if finish {
         app.finish_sketch();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/viewport.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/viewport.rs
index 99309b3f..5ee09c0d 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/viewport.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/viewport.rs
@@ -3348,7 +3348,8 @@ pub(crate) fn nearest_quarter_turn(yaw: f64) -> f64 {
 }
 
 /// Navigation bar (bottom centre).
-/// Turn the view to face the selected planar face or plane, else the active sketch.
+/// Turn the view to face the selected planar face or plane, else the active sketch; asked again
+/// while it already faces it, from the other side (#1886).
 pub fn look_at_selection(app: &mut SolveApp) {
     let target = app.session.selection.iter().find_map(|s| match s {
         Sel::Face { body, index, point } => crate::dialogs::planar_face(&app.session, body, *index).map(|(_, n)| (*point, n)),
@@ -3357,11 +3358,11 @@ pub fn look_at_selection(app: &mut SolveApp) {
     });
     match target {
         Some((p, n)) => {
-            let mut to = app.cam.looking_from(n);
+            let mut to = app.cam.looking_from(crate::dialogs::facing(app, n, true));
             to.target = p;
             app.animate_to(to);
         }
-        None => crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch(app),
+        None => crate::dialogs::look_at_sketch_again(app),
     }
 }