This is a multi-use tool for accurate construction. Very useful for contraption builders and fort builders alike.

Note: This is now included in the PHX3 SVN, See here

Version 0.9a:
Separate nudge and offset amounts; should have to type numbers in less frequently.
Fixed lua error on rotate only.
Minor parenting fixes.
Entire contraption mode now supports 'Autorotate to world' option - You can use this for snapping contraptions to the world axies. Very useful for moving advanced duped things between maps when you want it rotated right. Currently only works for turning, not pitching.
Added default presets for mass rotation to world and parent mode.
Added Undo for move only mode.
Added optional undo for nudges (last checkbox toggles: default off)
Download:

Version 0.9: Entire Contraption mode + different rotation directions (hold reload or altfire)


Originally designed as an easy-weld without the 1 unit gap, it's now got a rake of features:

Offset - Choose how far apart you want to move props (or type in a negative to inset them)
Percent - Offset as either a percent of prop width, or as specific game units

Offset at -100% to intersect three 1x1 phx plates exactly:


Rotate by increments - Rotates a set amount of degrees at a time, so no more guesswork or accidents when rotating. You can even turn rotation off for two-click prop moving, or turn moving off and rotate an object around a selected point.
v0.9: You can even rotate in other directions by holding reload or secondary attack.

Multiple constraint modes - Choice to weld, axis, ballsocket, slider or just move without constraining
Includes parenting mode - for adding non-colliding detail props to mobile contraptions (I used it to make a 100+ prop house fly around a coaster track with the physics lag of a single prop, served no practical purpose but was fun and lagfree )
NOTE: There seems to be an issue with targeting parented items that aren't PHX or SpaceBuild, be cautious if re-parenting other props (color tool is useful to check what you'll target).

Nudge Ability - Use altfire and reload to push and pull props by the amount of offset specified, very useful for final adjustment

Options to automatically freeze or nocollide props as you build

Extra features:
v0.9a: Combine the two options below to allign entire contraptions - useful for after moving adv dupes between maps to continue building whilst alligned to world.

v0.9: Entire Contraption Mode - For constraining/removing constraints/nudging/applying settings to all attached objects. You can, for example, parent an entire contraption to one prop in a single command, then remove parenting on the entire contraption in another.

v0.8: Autorotate option - Acts like physgun sprint+use for snapping to nearest 45 degrees in alignment with world.

Allows configuration presets to be saved/loaded
Comes with a few defaults to get you started.
If you're confused, I reccomend using the 'default move' preset as an easy-weld without the weld, then change and learn the options one by one.

Removal mode (works like reload function of the normal constraint tools, also undoes parenting)

Only collide with player - Make a prop you can stand on but any objects pass through, saves a lot of nocolliding time

Can disable shadows or physics interaction - Good for lagfree forts and other static structures. Also prevents accidental unfreezing with physgun.


Version 0.7 (first public release)
Version 0.7a 08/02/08
Fixed: circular parenting crash

v0.8:
Added: Autorotate toggle, this acts exactly like the physgun sprint+use which snaps the object to nearest 45 degrees in allignment with world. This is useful if you're building an axis-alligned structure and are worried about the props being slightly misrotated.
Added: Some default presets, to help give an idea of some of the available options.
Updated: Rearranged menu and given lesser-used sections their own expandable pockets.
Added: Advanced ballsocket mode (Kept options the same as the regular advanced ballsocket tool, couldn't think how to make easier to use without reducing functionality)
Added: Disable Shadow option (Only disables static lighting shadow)
Added: Feedback messages for some of the situations where it may be unclear what's happening, like parenting.
Updated: Parenting Mode, Should be able to re-parent with some success now (Works best on PHX)
Added: Physgun interaction on parented and physics disabled props is now disabled by default, added an option to re-enable incase you want to play with parent hierarchy etc. This also disables physgun reload unfreezing the collision hulls for these props.
Added: Ability to nudge physics disabled props.

v0.9:
Added: Advanced: Entire Contraption Mode - nudge, apply settings, add or remove constraints to all connected props at once.
Added: Additional rotation directions - hold reload or secondary attack whilst in rotation mode
Updated: Included a few more feedback messages, mostly entire contraption mode telling you how many props were affected.
Fixed: Unfrozen props could drift slightly whilst in rotate mode


Known problems:
If three or more people enter rotation mode at once, the angles two of them are rotating at will cross over. This bug is present in easyweld with two or more people.
Welding something to itself causes it to fly away fast.
Ghost is often wrong (mostly by 180 degrees). I've left it in mostly so you can remember what prop you're snapping. Other tools' ghosts have thigs problem also (try easy welding a frozen and an unfrozen prop both at same angle to see)
Might be missing 'Current Settings Applied' feedback for apply mode
Entire contraption mode with move/rotate on doesn't work, will add in a later version.
Parent mode extras (collision fix, physgun disable) won't adv dupe with current version. I recommend saving frozen, then parent entire contraption after pasting.

Credits:
OverloadUT - The OLStacker inspired the offset property
Team Garry - The Easy Weld tool this was based on
JokerIce Community - Putting up with constant updates in early development

Tool's context menu:


Additional notes:
The tool is serverside, so you only need to download it if you want to use it singleplayer, or you're hosting a server, otherwise ask your local server admin.

An offset of 0 (zero) best serves to have no gap between models, however most collision boxes extend 0.5 units further. (This is why easy-weld has a 1 unit gap.) Be sure to nocollide else the props might 'pop' out from each other when you unfreeze them.

The SmartSnap grid is a great additional help to users of this tool.

I highly reccomend using the 'move only' mode for forts, houses and other things that never need to move. It's easier to alter if you make a mistake, and it lags far less than if it's all welded.

Please tell me of any undocumented problems, or if you have any suggestions to make it better/easier to use.

I'm probably not going to use due to what I host, but it looks good enough to earn a gold star. :)
-sniped last part-

This looks wonderful!
You get a Gold Star from me if it works on this end.

Excellent! Well done my friend, this will sure come in handy.

This combined with Smart snap will make me the ultimate builder! Good job. Star for you.

Oh my gosh, thank you! I've been looking for something like this forever to help me build my stuff! Hehehe... Now I can finish my space shuttle without so many bugs... GOLD STAR!!!

Considering on how it's server side there isn't much use for it with me. Client side, and you got my download. (I'm never in single, and i don't host anymore). I'm LOVING it anyways.

Edit:

Gold Star

Wonderful stool! With my OCD I can't stand props not being perfect. Thank you very much sir :)

You have my eternal gratitude.
This is probably one of the most useful things ever for precision building, and vehicle making. Nudging AND parenting! I probably won't be using any of the other features for a long time, but thank you for making this.
This just made the list of essential tools, and is on all of my servers.

I will so need this.

this is so good for my factorys

Edit: The rotate bug was just a version mix up, doesn't exist in the downloadable tool, was getting worried about nothing.

CapsAdmin: Eek, it does have the parenting bug. Strange I've never encounted it when testing, working on a quick fix now...
Edit2: Fixed in v0.7a, redownload it if you have 0.7 to avoid crash when circular parenting.

So it's 100% safe when it comes to parenting? Does it check if props are already parented?

I have this parenting stool, and it doesn't check if props are parented. So if you parent a parent to a prop or something the server will crash.

Nice but doesn't think mean every prop needs no-collides?

Very handy indeed

You already know what I think of this. I've told you many times I love it, but now it's on Facepunch I can actually reward you for it.

I was using it before it was popular.

Fixed and uploaded version 0.7a, it now checks for circular parenting.
If you parent A to B, then B to A, it will ignore the B to A parenting attempt instead of crashing. I've used a loop so it will check an entitie's parent's parent and so on. (A -> B -> C -> A etc)

Thanks a lot for pointing this out, it can now occasionally make a prop not have a parent but still physics disabled, but at least it doen't crash now.

Edit:
Do you mean due to the overlapping collision boxes caused by touching models? In this case, if the props are mobile, they probably should be nocollided to avoid pushing out from each other, but even with easy weld, contraiptions that aren't nocollided can easily break if they get hit or pulled apart.

Great! I'm downloading this to get away the gaps from the easyweld :D

Good god, that's sexy.

Awesome work, this'll be perfect for me. I'm very OCD when it comes to things lining up and building and such.

Do you plan on trying to add adv duplicator support for the parenting? There was a tool around here a while back called Weld - Detail that had advdup support so it's possible for sure. Other than that this tool is amazing! I've been wanting something like this forever. :D

Awesome. Downloading.

The latest advanced duplicator does support parenting itself, however not a couple of additional options I'm using:

Parenting alone leaves behind an invisible collision hull of the object, which I made nocollide (except from players, so they don't fall through the parented entity, though can't do this with props) and then disabled physics (so the invisible noncolliding hull doesn't fall infinitely through the world, though reload with physics gun seems to reset this)

I'll see about getting it better supported by advanced dupe.

Until then, it's best to load parented stuff in an area people aren't going to be building/walking and then move your contraption away, as the floor will be littered with invisible entities. :D

Awesome, this is VERY useful for ANYTHING :D.

Edit:

Gold Star to.

The god tool of construction! This is incredibly useful, thanks.

You my friend deserve a gold star, good work, keep it up, oh and have a gold star. :D

Fucking win, can't wait to get my new computer so I actually can test it out

Oohh, this is gonna be good.

Good work. King'ed

now if the rest of the tools lost that 1 unit gap everything would be peachy!

Axis needs to lose it badly!

My tool can already do Axis, so you can choose the distance yourself. :)
Be sure to nocollide it or it'll have trouble turning when close up.

The drop down menu right under the presets one has a list of the constraints you can use.

If there's any more constraints people would like added, let me know, though I think I've covered the most useful ones.

Only thing I might suggest at this point is the Advanced Ballsocket.

YOU
ARE
GOD

This + Smartsnap + Spacebuild = Epic.

Really you deserve so much. It's unbelievable.

This has joined the ranks of the STOOLs I just can't play Gmod without (the others being Smartsnap, Smartweld and Stacker)

Thank you, sir. You will be rewarded in the next life.

I think the ballsocket constraint would really benefit from friction controls.

Can you add multi selection?

You sir, made my day. Now I don't need to nudge pieces together anymore. Plus, along with smartsnap, this helps so much.

KUDOS for you and thanks!

Will add advanced ballsocket to the next version, including it's per-axis friction settings. Didn't want to before as it pretty much doubles the context menu size, but I'll add it in an expandable section.


Do you mean for selecting a contraption with one command, then parenting it all to a single prop with another command? If not, could you give an example?
I made this tool for adjusting props individually, but if people would find nudging areas of props at once useful, I'll consider adding in the ability.

How does this work with the advanced dupe? Does it save it so you need this tool to use the dupe or not?

Ah just what I always wanted :D

Nothing is added to adv. dupe, so contraptions made with this will load the same on a server with this tool as one without it.


However, the 'only collide with player' and 'disable phyisics' options won't save/load on either. (Both options are also on by default when parenting to solve some collision issues, though the parenting itself works.)
Hopefully tad2020 will be able to implement these couple of options in a later version of adv. dupe: The rest of the options are the same as if you used the regular tools, except a whole lot more accurate and fast than moving things with the physgun to line them up.