Thanks Gai. I searched there and could not find what I was looking for. But it is good to know that it is there. I remembered what we had to do (finally). If, during execution of ruby, you change the model, (even just adding an attribute), then all smoothing normals are lost. They get restored when the ruby exits. But you cannot use them -- for instance when exporting faces from Ruby -- unless you let the ruby routine (and any routines which called it), exit first. We get around this by altering the drawing, and then executing the next function with a 0 length timer. This causes the second function to get executed after the first function completes. This code will not work because the normals do not get recalculated. def do_export Sketchup.active_model.active_entities.set_attribute("t1","t2","t3") export_data # calls another ruby to export faces and normals # normals are not recalculated properly after the model was changed... end#def def export_data #export the data end#def This code, which sets the attribute and then uses a time to execute "export_data", will work properly. def do_export Sketchup.active_model.active_entities.set_attribute("t1","t2","t3") # use time to run second routine after model cleanup UI.start_timer(0, false) {UI.stop_timer(id); export_data} end#def def export_data #export the data end#def I seem to remember that there is some command you can issue to get SketchUp to clean up or repair the model, but I can't remember what it is. If anyone remembers, let me know!

Strange things actually. On a PC with Windows XP in French, Sketchup v6.0.277, I get the following: Sketchup.get_locale --> "FR" Skectup.os_language --> "EN" (so two characters only). On another laptop, with Windows XP US International version and Sketchup v6.0.515, I get: Sketchup.get_locale --> "EN" Skectup.os_language --> "EN" (so two characters only). So this new behavior you report seems pretty recent.

This is normal. For German characters, you do not need Unicode. So you should swith it off. For MSVC, I don't know if there is an efficient way to enter the extra characters. I am personally using Notepad++.

Thanks Jim and Todd. Really appreciated. Finally back on track... Don't worry, I'll probably be back with more stupid questions...

dezip library for SU Ruby - download it can be used to check .skm files and unzip textures it will evolve in a .skm sometime - if anyone wants to jump in, feel free

Thanks mate. Thats very helpful.

WOW! I really do need this. Till now I have used SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), but there are some problems with different browsers, SVG plugins and HTML formats. Thank you for this information! azuby

Not only there an API blog, but all the Ruby documentation is now in a wiki style format. Todd

Each script usually contains in it some copyright and/or license clause. Most scripts (if not all) that are available from that website are free to use for personal or commercial use - but read the script itself to be certain. You can open the script with a simple text editor. Occasionally, the author will encrypt a script so you can't read it. If that's the case, then from your perspective, consider it free to use. Also, be sure to check out http://www.smustard.com for several commercial grade scripts. Todd

Aaaah TIG it's good to have your brain beside me... Thanks (and merry Christmas) !

Yeah, I just revised the whole site and the "tour" and thinking of how it may work, well, it may indeed. Maybe I post this to the guy at the free forums. Thank you very much!

Thanks Didier!

I think you should contact tech support with all of this stuff. They may have something for you. The best way to contact tech support nowadays is from within the help menu of an open application of SketchUp.

Looks, that it has something to do with Sketchup LangHandler.rb azuby

Thanks mirjman, I was wondering what it did.

Thank you , that makes things very straightforward and easy.

how 'bout that. it's right there. just one little folder away. thanks Gai

Mover will only work with groups and components http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2007/08/plugin-mover-2.html . And look at Render Plus plugins Space Design and Retools http://forums.renderplus.com/wiki/index.php?title=RpTools . Space Design is a free subset of RpTools. RpTools has additional things like making alpha channels within SU, a nice Component Explorer window, component axis aimer, PDF stuff, and eventually Flat Path will be reintroduced, etc. Al's move wizard will move individual bits of geometry.

Mmmm, I must check that asap...

@lekonna said: However the model should be always solid so it would be enough for me to just check the normals of the faces and compare those to the camera and if they are not opposite i could just reverse the face. If you imagine a box with 6 faces which are all aligned correctly, the 3 faces which are visible would have their normals match the camera and the three faces which are invisible would have their normals the opposite of the camera. So the "trick" is to determine which faces are visible, and which faces are obstructed by other faces. Todd Burch was working of a script to solve this problem, but I never heard if he got it finished. I don't know any easy way to determine if a face is visible or obscured in a particular view.