Alittle more experimentation - by not using the component option and only making into a Group. the conversion went well. On the Sketch up blog it said component or group

You don't need Java for webdialogs. Javascript on the other hand, and HTML + CSS.

Thanks, can't see why i didn't think of that...

@hfm said: You could use Layout for this. Simply load the Sketchup-file; open it twice at a different scale and draw the circles yourself. So, it apparently already exists, if you have SUPro, which you may or may not. Back in the days of graphic cards with CAD drivers on steroids ($$), such a thing existed. Now we have SUP ($$).

Hey thanks, this last one was a very good tip. I think what AdamB proposed is a very professional approach of the problem. I 've tried it out in my code and it works fantastically. Yet, it would be interesting to understand WHY this actually works, does someone know a bit more about the matematical background of this vector based solution?

There is a Unfold.rb with a visual demo somewhere in the forum. See if this can help?

Wow TIG, thank you so much! Both edits work a treat , but yes yours is definitely more succinct - I have always had issues with my code being a tad too verbose, and possibly missing the trees for the forest... After my previous post, I was thinking it did seem odd that I wasn't working directly with the definition, but I'm sure I would never have found it without the help Thanks again - now onto the next tweak... Cheers, Doi!

Thanks Kyyu, will try it out right now. Javier @kyyu said: This should get you started. I really can't help you more. It just happens, I am researching something similar, so familiar with the rotation commands. I am starting from your 2nd picture and assuming the plane normal is the green axis. The simple script just rotates whatever is selected with the assumed normal. About the origin, 30 deg and then 50 deg. So just select the parts, and type this into the ruby console to run the script (correct the path to where you have the script): load 'c:/Rotate_Plane_example.rb'

@mac1 said: I don't know how many tools do this. I expect only circle and arc segments.

I think there was another post about this, and I thought about a clunky solution for this. Have you ever taken an architectural model on a base out into the sun to mimic what shadows would be like at a specific time of day/year (ok this is for those of you who built models prior to 3d modeling apps). There was a little sun dial type of thing you put on the base, and that would make sure you had the proper orientation. So that is an odd kind of SketchUp solution. This would idealy best be done on a copy of your file as it involves moving your geometry. User experience: Setup the camera view(s) that you want for your final presentation. When you run the ruby a dialog box comes up asking the angle and azimuth you want for the sun. The ruby then takes the difference between the current sun location and your requested sun location, and rotates your model in the reverse direction. (Since you can't move the sun, move the model) Cameras for the views requested are similarly moved, so what you see for each scene is still the same. Now maybe this transformation is saved, so that it can be undone, but I wouldn't want to put my model through that. Probably best done by having it open an new file and place your model in it as a component. Then when your model is updated, you can update the component and your desired sun location and cameras are intact.

@mgianzero said: @thomthom said: @mgianzero said: But how do I convert these x, y coordinates into something useful, like RGB (or true x,y,z) cartesian coordinates? I know is has something to do with the InputPoint method. Yes - you create in InputPoint object and call the .pick method with the x and y arguments given from the Tool's mouse events. After the pick you can extract the various data you want. For X,Y,Z use inputpoint.position. Thanks for the comments. But could you please show exactly what you mean by example? Perhaps using my code above and modify it. Sorry but I find that I can follow these suggestions better when I have a piece of code I can work off of. Hi Marc, I have just started leaning ruby and not a programmer, so can't help with programming info. But look at Plugins\Utilities\utilitiestools.rb as an example. You have to activate the extension "Utilites Tools". You use the tool from the Tools menu in sketchup => Tools/Utilities/"Query Tool". It displays cursor position in the bottom title space and the VCB. Using that as an example, helped me to write a plugin. With a little cut and paste and trial/error. My plugin just rotates everything, that is initially selected, to be parallel with an axis. You select, two points to indicate a line. And the line provides the angles for the rotation. -Kwok

"I went to shoe school..."

Plugin also tested on Windows 7 and it is working. So OS's tested are: (1) Mac OS X 10.5.8 (2) Windows XP Pro (3) Windows 7 I uploaded a quick tutorial, that shows how to operate this plugin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_XpB2e-ZDw&fmt=22 Enjoy

Thanks Fredo. This has been asked in a Russian forum for a help - it is not mine. I'm gonna ask for the model and post it here.

TIG thanks that worked like I needed it to. Next time I'll remember to add the code brackets. I am in the process of adding features to my makepart ruby and as someone wrote the monkey see monkey do coding only goes so far. Keith

Version 1.1 now allows regex matching, get it here... http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=240727#p240727

The edges 'you can't see' on a sphere are NOT "hidden" lines - they are smooth / soft lines - a 'hidden' object is just not visible - just substitute these types into the code like this... Sketchup.active_model.entities.to_a.each{|e|if e.class==Sketchup;;Edge;e.hidden=false if e.hidden?;e.soft=false if e.soft?;e.smooth=false if e.smooth?;end} This makes all of the model's hidden/soft/smooth lines into normal ones. If you want to change the entities inside groups/components use then this... Sketchup.active_model.definitions.each{|d|d.entities.to_a.each{|e|if e.class==Sketchup;;Edge;e.hidden=false if e.hidden?;e.soft=false if e.soft?;e.smooth=false if e.smooth?;end}} Copy/Paste these lines into the Ruby Console + <enter> to effect the changes... I have also removed all 'code' hat was expecting something to be defined earlier - like 'model'... If you want to make it with a one-step undo then add this snippet to the start of the line of code Sketchup.active_model.start_operation("MakeLinesVisible"); and this to the end ;Sketchup.active_model.commit_operation

model location plugin allows you to set the north point anywhere in 360 degrees of the model, turn on daylight saving time, set lat and longitude, etc

I have successfully installed the screw plugin, thanks anyway Chris. I'm trying to install the FredoScale plugin but my problem is I can't find it on plugins menu even I downloaded the latest version together with ZLoader_FredoScale.rb I can't find also the the submenu "Fredo6 Collection" on Sketchup tools to make use of these icons. Can you help me with this one Chris? Thanks again.

@keith benson said: @thomthom said: Sandbox Tool. You might need to enable it first under Preferences -> Extensions. I can see how to place a 2 dimensional outline onto a 3D terrain, I am having difficulty dropping a 3d outline onto a flat surface. Keith It's the same procedure. Select the 3d surface and activate the drape tool to drape down to the flat face underneath.