Also found this written by the same guy specifically for hta's. I just wrote the input into my code so there is no need for any pop up window. Maybe useful for others ... [image: EcFT_2010-10-07_1820.png]

I'm glad you found it useful. But there are times when it is good to close SketchUp; when you change the name of a method, for example. Closing SketchUp is the only way to get rid of the old method name. Sometimes you have a bug where a part of your code is still using the old method name until you remember you changed it. I've done this numerous times.

... actually this works if you want to create a sub-group that includes all entities of the parent group, but not if you want to create a sub-group that includes only SOME of the entities of the parent group. For instance, I start with a box, and I create one group for all walls, another for all roofs, and another for the floors. I guess I could create multiple sub-groups using your method, and then erase everything that I don't want out of each group. Aarg! This is much more calculation intensive that I want! -- Karen

The traceback is always the same with this plugin because the lastest method used is "load" : ["C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:48:inload'", "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:48:in AutoReload'", "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:44:in upto'", "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:44:in AutoReload'", "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:35:in startTimer'", "C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/Morgan74DevTools.rb:34:in call'"] But you have in the error message the line of the error and a "small" description : [image: Error2.PNG]

A definition.name applies to every instance, as in instance.definition.name - which can't be "" - but an instance ALSO has it's own name - which might be "" - instance.name ?

See this parallel thread http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=277009#p277009

Thanks, guys. I Hope I can get this to work.

If you make a group into a component it will take the original 'Group#nn' name as the definition's name. You have to use definition.name="new_name" to change it to something else. When you place an instance you can give that a separate name [Entity Info]. So you can have a component definition named "My_component" and the instances of it can also have their own names "v1", "v2" etc...

You'd have to first export I'd think, via the Sketchup API. Then some kind of automation, perhaps thru a webdialog. (I do not see a specific 3Dwarehouse APi on Google API site.) Try posting a query here: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/forum

I know nothing about Win7 and its progress bar and Win32, but I have done one using WxSU and I export model while having the progress bar alive. The only thin is to give it an update from time to time to keep it 'active'. WxSU gives also an option of Cancel button. It has this advantage over your solution that it works on Mac & lower Win version as well. Disadvantageous is installation\addition of WxSU library.

Great, thanks TIG! Now it works

@grojguy said: Ah yes, OK, that would make sense, i.e. class inheretance. But, from your comment I was anticipating seeing "layer=" in the instance methods list returned by that nifty command... So, why is "layer=" it not in the list? Because.. you see the warning for the "show inherited" argument is default false for your version of Ruby, but will (actually was,) changed to true as a default, in all Ruby versions 1.8.1 and higher. IF you are still using Sketchup 7.x, then the Ruby DLL distro'd is v1.8.0-initial_release (ie: patch_level p0) You can backup the current "Deceased 1.8.0" dll, msvcrt-ruby18.dll by renaming it: msvcrt-ruby180_p0.dll then replace it with your choice of a newer version from: Ruby Interpreter DLLs (Win32) (you will need to make a copy of the version you want Sketchup to load named: msvcrt-ruby18.dll.) .

No - I need to ensure that when the tool deactivated that the group is closed.

Short version. Sketchup to G-code. The version, sketchuptogcode, does not follow the edges accurately enough. Long version. G-code is the language used to drive the automated router I have access to. I have worked out the details of the three designs in sketchup, then I reenter the design into another CAD tool that can output g-code. I'm just way too lazy to enter even my simple designs twice. G-code is an "edge" based language. G-code commands the router to move in 3-D lines and arcs. A few details beyond just following a edge, but pretty straight forward. I have written software to perform this kind of task many times in my past life, but it was not done for Sketchup in Ruby. As a retired programmer, I thought I might look into creating a g-code generator. So a Ruby script that outputs geometry info serves two functions: offers a concrete example I can build on; and offers a concrete example I can learn from. I know I will learn Sketchup and Ruby much faster if I have a problem that's of interest to me. Woodworker Bob, retired programmer - I'm so old I wrote programs using paper tape and teletypes.

Standalone version - doesn't extent the base class and also returns the definition for Group, ComponentInstance and Image entities: # Returns the definition for a +Group+, +ComponentInstance+ or +Image+ # # @param [Sketchup;;ComponentInstance, Sketchup;;Group, Sketchup;;Image] instance # # @return [Sketchup;;ComponentDefinition] # @since 2.0.0 def self.definition(instance) if instance.is_a?(Sketchup;;ComponentInstance) # ComponentInstance return instance.definition elsif instance.is_a?(Sketchup;;Group) # Group # # (i) group.entities.parent should return the definition of a group. # But because of a SketchUp bug we must verify that group.entities.parent returns # the correct definition. If the returned definition doesn't include our group instance # then we must search through all the definitions to locate it. if instance.entities.parent.instances.include?(instance) return instance.entities.parent else Sketchup.active_model.definitions.each { |definition| return definition if definition.instances.include?(instance) } end elsif instance.is_a?(Sketchup;;Image) Sketchup.active_model.definitions.each { |definition| return definition if definition.image? && definition.instances.include?(instance) } end return nil # Error. We should never exit here. end

I think the answer is to export as Collada (.DAE,) and have the website use the Google O3D plugin. (Manipulation and User Interaction is done via Javascripting.)

My ideas was do create a Fence-Builder where you can plan fences for your garden. So you could be able to snap the fences vertically and horizontally. Add doors and so on. Thats what snap alignment would be great for.

That's one but there's also http://rubyzip.sourceforge.net/

Don't think you can. It's one of the several annoying limitations of the Tool class. (Why doesn't activate return an view argument?)

I was trying to get the function name in the trace as well. It turns out that adding this line after every function definition may work well. It displays the rotuine name as well as the file and line number. puts("TRACE: " + caller(1)[0].to_s) if $rps_show_traces