@wawmsey7 said: However it would be easier if I could have code before the code for loading the component to check if it's already loaded or not into the model and then load it if it's not already there? Is that do-able? You need to search the DefinitionList collection properly. This class, like many of the API collection classes, has the Enumerable library module mixed in. The following method should be wrapped within your plugin module: def self.get_component( filepath = "some/path/to/component.skp" ) # Warning, on MS Windows the definition paths are # returned with backslashes not forward slashes ! filepath = filepath.tr("\\",'/') dlist = Sketchup.active_model.definitions found = dlist.find {|cdef| if cdef.path.nil? false elsif cdef.path.tr("\\",'/') == filepath true else false end } return found if found if File.exist?(filepath) dlist.load(filepath) else return false end end

@oajfh said: ...Tool Observer (OnButtonUp and OnButtonDown) ... There is not a ToolObserver class in the API. The onButton.. callbacks are part of the abstract Tool class, not an observer class. @oajfh said: ... and an EntityObserver (OnEntityChange), ... Write a quick test observer and see if it fires when you move an object. @oajfh said: Does this seem like the most natural way to you ? Are there any latent bugs (seems like Observers have had problems in past versions, I can't seem to find more recent information) or potential problems to this approach (I've read up on a few common pitfalls but don't know much more) ? Welcome the foggy world of SketchUp API Dcoumentation. Where nothing is really certain, and all are kept in limbo.

hello all, i'm looking for a plugin or extension that make rotation of the object, for example any 15 degrees each, to create sprites for games or visualization. i've found web exporter beta but i'm not able to found the download link, no in extension warehouse nor plugin store. please let me some suggestions! many thanks Akira

@devinlange said: At the very least if the user modifies the faces I don't want anything to fail. This will be difficult. As faces get modified, or new edges intersect with them, they get split up into multiple faces, and sometimes get new object ids. Myself, I'd never rely on "setting" a path of primitives, and expecting the path of them to survive. Instead I'd create a virtual path. Could be a series of Guidelines (Construction lines) in a special group. Or actually maybe a Curve (which is SketchUp's name for a series of edges connected end to end,) within a group context, and on a "path" layer that can be turned off. The path and it's group can also be locked. You could associate the vertices of the path with one of the vertices of a face. Later on when you need to "follow the path" you iterate the Curve's collection of vertices, and use a PickHelper object to find the face under the current vertex. Push the face reference into an array, and repeat. Just thinking out loud.

@maricanis said: I was concerned what would happen if user select other Scene for example while tool is active, ... I believe the active_view is a singleton object of the model. (there is only one.) The user sees scene pages through the active_view.

Going back several steps .move! works like .transform! without affecting the stack within an animation ?

@oajfh said: Sorry for dragging this topic on for so long. Don't worry about it. This is the kind of nitty-gritty dirty details us consummate geeks really love to ponder.

Put the face in a group the do the followme. Everything created by the followme will be added to that group myGroup = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group myFace status = myFace.followme(lines) Then you can move the group.

@youngosg said: t = Geom::Transformation.scaling 2 There is an issue with this method - it doesn't produce the same transformation as Geom::Transformation.scaling(2, 2, 2) The former change the 16th value in the matrix - instead of scaling the components. I'm not sure why it was implemented as such, but several render engines have had issues with that. I think even SU have issues in some cases. Think we have an issue filed to change it.

That would do the same thing - the <form> element usually have the URL to which to submit to. Without a parent <form> the submit button had no default action.

Thanks I've missed that edge.find_faces, it works great. I think the naming put me off as I wasn't expecting that it will also add faces, I just thought it was going to find potential faces, I think it should may be renamed: find_and_add_faces just for clarity.

Thanks, sdmitch and slbaumgartner. Now It works well However, I'm planning to create some shapes more with this way and actually made few shapes. I'm worrying about increase of icons in Sketchup, and am making ideas how to simplify tools. Making dialog box I saw some free tools which 'inputbox' is added together. If the shapes can be individually selected in inputbox, I need not add icons anymore, but don't know how to make it. I know basic codes for creating inputbox, and would like to apply the basic code to what I want(choosing each shapes individually in inputbox). Additionally, Is it possible to add shapes which are saved in .skp file(I know how to load shapes saved in .skp file by using 'Class' method and how to place it on Sketchup space clicking) into inputbox too? Using webdialog If i create webdialog box and add all icons into the webdialog by making tables(categorization), This way may look good as well. I'm trying to use dlg.add_action_callback("") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action ""} Can i utilize this command for making icons in webdialog? I mean, the command looked like only basic tools(Undo, Redo, New, Cut, PushPull) can be used with the command. For example dlg.add_action_callback("Undo") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action "editUndo:"} dlg.add_action_callback("Redo") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action "editRedo:"} dlg.add_action_callback("New") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action 57600} dlg.add_action_callback("Open") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action 57601} dlg.add_action_callback("Save") {|d, p|Sketchup.send_action 57603} As you know, these actions are used in HTML and '<scrip> </script>' connects between ruby codes and HTML codes for indicating icons in webdialog. How can I make my own Sketchup.send_action? If it is possible, I will add the icons into webdialog.

Someone started a project but needs someone else to finish it: Model2GCode - who would like to continue? Other projects: [PlugIn] 3D Printers G-Code importer/Exporter Ver0.0.9 [Plugin] 2.5D CAM Plugin 20121202 [Plugin] Another g-code export

I found a different problem. I was using this code to set a string: (This loads all text up to the word HERE into a string with new lines, etc.) ` smess = <<HERE This face will not render in the material you have created, since it is on placed the reverse side of a face. Use "Setup Options/Special/Process 2 Sided Faces" to allow materials on reverse faces to be rendered. HERE` and the beautifier indented the last line (HERE) which cause the ruby to fail

have a look at TIG_weld.rb, you can even run it from your own script using require...

@sawdust_online said: Tell me, can we deal with sketchup API and another language than Ruby? ... is there any other way ? You can write extensions in C & C++. @sawdust_online said: I use it for about a week but I'm not sure to go deeper. At first it looks as a strongly typed language easy to use for developers but this doesn't turn real. How a language could be easy if it requires two keys for commenting a single line? it's the first time I meet such odd thing! It would be better to start a new topic about the Ruby language. Or repost your thoughts to one of the old topics... Should we / could we learn Ruby? Where to Start with Ruby?

api definitely needs some development here, you cannot even do a style.erase command. (just purge) i looked inside a *.style file (aka zip), hoping to find some hints. some obscure numbers which surely must be pointing to the settings like face colours etc, but too cryptic. not to mention watermarks.

@oajfh said: Perhaps there's an implicit point to vector conversion or vice-versa, but in that case the API makes no mention of it. In mathematics, both are represented as arrays. @unknownuser said: ** class](http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/developer/docs/ourdoc/array.php)":1hykbm7x] Introduction The SketchUp Array class adds additional methods to the standard Ruby Array class. Specifically, it contains methods allowing an array to behave just as a Vector3d or Point3d object (which can be thought of as arrays of 3 coordinate values.) Therefore, you can use the Array class in place of a Point3d or Vector3d as a way to pass coordinate values. The opposite is also often true, as well. The API docs need updating in regard to allowable parameter types. P.S. - The docs are misleading when it says "The SketchUp Array class ..." There is only one Array class. The SketchUp API just modifies the Ruby Array base class.

Thanks, Dan! Your answer does give A LOT of food for thought. I will try someof these and let you know. Regards

I'm not sure if I used any C++ 11 syntax in that C++ extension, but Ruby C++ extensions as a whole give so much opportunities to writing great plugins in SU. I'm amazed that SU team chose Ruby over all available programming languages. Back then, when SU was first released, Ruby wasn't even popular, but SU team bypassed popularity and chose Ruby because Ruby was both simple and powerful due to a feature in supporting C extensions. Today, Ruby is becoming popular and is improving in performance and in features. Something tells me that SU had and still has really great minds behind it because choosing Ruby was the best path SU team could ever take. Imagine if they chose python or any other high level, limited programming language. SU would have been a totally different story from what it is today. Huge thanks goes to SU team for making SU a very great software for writing powerful plugins.