Interesting posts!

Or this post ? else the Thomthom Ray tracer / Components by Bounds above works very fine but without image from you I have some difficulties to see what you want Components or groups must be horizontal above the object before the drop ! [image: KaRl_bounds.jpg]

problem was nvidia nview desktop manager

Tricky uses of the Tig's plug!

@juantxo said: (I used random because a friend told me I can use it to solve problems of browser cache but actually I don't need it so I erase it.) If caching is an issue then it's better to set the correct HTTP headers than adding random characters to the URL. Here is an extract of a PHP script I use to serve plugins in either zip or rbz format: <span class="syntaxdefault"><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">// fix for IE catching or PHP bug issue<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Pragma; public"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Expires; 0"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment">// set expiration time<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Cache-Control; must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">// browser must download file from server instead of cache<br /><br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Cache-Control; private"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault">false</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment">// required for certain browsers<br /><br />// force download dialog<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Type; application/force-download"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Type; application/octet-stream"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Type; application/download"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">// use the Content-Disposition header to supply a recommended filename and<br />// force the browser to display the save dialog.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Disposition; attachment; filename=\"$requested_filename\";"</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">/*<br />   The Content-transfer-encoding header should be binary, since the file will be read<br />   directly from the disk and the raw bytes passed to the downloading computer.<br />   The Content-length header is useful to set for downloads. The browser will be able to<br />   show a progress meter as a file downloads. The content-lenght can be determines by<br />   filesize function returns the size of a file.<br />*/<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Transfer-Encoding; binary"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">header</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Content-Length; "</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">filesize</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">$real_file</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">));<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">readfile</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">$real_file</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">);<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

I use defoult SU Explode- right click on object. Do not need any plug in to make explode. [image: 46Ig_RC.PNG]

TIG - great! Exactly what I was looking for. Especially when working with large scenes my old workflow took some time. With your script, a menu-item & keyboard shortcut it's nice and easy. Thanks a lot Greetings, Max

@unknownuser said: there's another way to use the follow me tool that i suppose you're unaware of. -select the path first -choose the follow me tool -click on the profile face this way, you don't have to manually drag the profile along the path. doing it this way will also allow you to do what (i think) your question is asking. That draws the resulting form using the face as a starting point. In other words, if the path is 20' away it will start at the shape. I want it to start AT the path. In practice I have a series of curves drawn along a curved face. I want to extrude a shape along each of those curves. If I could just define the profile curve once and then have it extruded starting at each path's location, that would be ideal. Make sense? I'm going to look at Tig's plugin. Hopefully that will save me from having to place the profile curve at the start of each path individually.

Thanks so much guys! I tried Camera Memory because it looked the simplest and it works great! I'll probably try the others too. Thanks.

Cool I'll have to check those tools out. For now I just used a file renamer to prepend the subfolder name into the file names, then I used suction to pull all the files into a single folder, then I installed sketchup on a virtual machine and loaded & saved all 11k or so textures in one full swoop. Then I threw the files back into their subfolders and copied the folder into the main sketchup directory on my original OS. Everything is now loaded and works a charm, so looks like I should be good to go for a while My main OS is due for a re-image, it's been a while and is getting buggy, just haven't gotten around to it, so it turns out that was the culprit.

Well never tried it, but there is also the Ferrari plugin. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=286168#p286168 Here's the link to some tutorial. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=361338#p361338 Anyway if you want something more "interactive" maybe you can combine Soap&skin (or Ferrari) and SketchyFFD. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=222122#p222122

Thank You for this wonderful tool. i have been making complex shapes in just minutes and the file size is staying small. i rendered one shape with SU Podium as a test, it is not very stable and crashes often so be careful. its acting like a true beta. I was able to get a quick rendering by saving the file closing and reopening sketchup.

@unknownuser said: The little "flats side" disappear/transform along the path! But yes put the forms on the path resolve the problem That is because placing them at the extremities of the path-rail fixes their relationship to the path; otherwise an assumed relationship is inferred from each profile's vertex nearest to the rail start/end as appropriate - hence the 'twisting' that you had.

Just another option Make a new layer called Lines >>> go to wire frame mode >>> Select all the lines you want to hide >>> Then with the Layer dialog put them on the layer called lines >>> now return to shaded with textures or what ever style you want >>> then turn off (un-check visibility)for the Lines layer... The nice thing about this method is that the lines are not actually hidden just the layer. This will give you more flexibility and ease of use since you can turn the lines on and off easily by just selecting the visibility of the lines layer. Just my 2 cents worth.

Just use + ctrl

thanks a lot guys!

Thanks Tig

@tails said: They are official resellers on 1001bits website, but I'll go direct. Good choice. Top tool

@nickgenerator said: I am new to Sketchup and right now completely overwhelmed by all those plugins. Can I somewhere find a up-zo-date list where they are sorted by categories - modelling, rendering, import/export, etc. - and download numbers? Just to remind you all. Above is the initial post. As he says, he is new to sketchup and overwhelmed by all these plugins! Oh woe! He doesn't understand how plugins develop over time. He seems to expect to be informed to keep him up to date. He must think this is a sort of Acad without the cost of constant paid updates. Lazy or ignorant I reckon. I have a personal relationship with my plugins. I check for updates out of interest. I follow the development of a plugin out of interest.Mostly, I don't need 'em, (until I do). But it is fascinating to watch the ruby gurus develop a plugin with feedback from members. It is the beauty of SU and this forum. Would someone with more cred than me please address this issue, which I believe has the potential to destroy "3D for Everyone". I am reminded of a quote from John Brunner's book 'Zanzibar'.... ..." It's supposed to be automatic, but actually, you have to press this button".

wow! I anxiously await the release of this plugin. So much progress on UV mapping on several fronts.