@jim said: Al, would you mind splitting this trace code off to its own thread? It's useful, and being in its own thread would make it easier to find. Thanks. Will do

TIG: Thank you. It works. Don't ask me why. Your and my code are identical with the exception of a couple of blank lines. I checked that twice and then again. And side by side. And then again. And I have no idea. But it its working. I added input for xyz coordinates as you can see on the image. The crinkled surface was distorted only along the z axis, the top plane of the cube was distorted in three dimensions. This is just for fun. Please use at your own risk and save before using. It crashed on me a couple of times already. Thank you much for all your time. G [image: k3UM_xyz_distort_examples.jpg] gl_xyzdistort.rb

if there was a way to retrieve the bitmap information, that might be a gread addition to the component spray tool distribution by bitmap...

@gaieus said: Looking forward to the results - really curious how it works. Hi there, Just got back to this today. The code worked really well thanks Tig. Attached is the sketchup file I used to create the trees from LIDAR Its a bit fiddly but the result could be useful. More could be done to change the nature of the component to get a feel for different tree types. Use the layers to turn off the constructino points to see what the trees look like. Note I havent done all the trees. I added very basic lines as trunks and this helps visualise the tree a bit better. Remember these are New Zealand trees so they might look different to yours. Cheers. SU7.1 file

TIG also has an x-ref stlye plugin. I have not used it, but I understand its pretty good. Chris

Martin, I've found your VisMap Tool really useful. ......... However, I've hit a possible bug when running it on one particular (massive) model. This model contains 174 Layers, 46 Scenes (Large No of Layers Mainly Due to XRef'd Components). ........... Error messages attached. I'm using the latest VisMapPro version, but I also get the same error message with the previous version of VisMap ......... I'm running this script after opening the file - no scenes / layers have been edited so its nothing to do with scenes not being updated. Initially I thought it might be a conflict with Xref'd Components (TIGs wonderful script). But I've eliminated that as I can get VisMap to run with other skp files that have Xref'd components. .......... Unfortunately, it won't be possible for me to send u a copy of the troublesome skp file, but if you get the chance to have a look at attached error msg files, or if you've come across this with other skp files I'd be interested. Anything you can do, much appreciated. .......... Thanks once again for producing your fantastic script. Regards Howard Leslie [image: nnkr_Err_Msg.jpg] [image: 6Vw6_Debug_Msg.jpg]

A combination of Erase-Coplanar-Edges and the Remove-Inner-Faces, then Erase-Coplanar-Edges again gets rid of most internal faces and edges BUT it can't remove inner faces that are subdivided and not coplanar or have a single-faced edge... I thought about getting the all_connected face/edge and vertices and using the shape's topology - Euler Factor - v-e+f=2 etc to see if that helped - but so far not much use. If you remove the coplanar-edges first it does return 2 for simple solids + 1 for every internal cell making face...

componentizegroupsinstances.rb This script will do what you want - put it into the Plugins Folder. You need to type [or copy/paste] componentizegroupsinstances into the Ruby Console... However, it can easily have a menu item added if it's needed more frequently...

Now just 'mesh' it Very good... See also 'K_tools.rb' for similar ideas...

yES, i DEFINITELY SEE THE POTENTIAL SELECTION PROBLEMS IN THIS VIDEO. aND bOOL TOOLS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR THIS, INDEED. (oops - sorry for the caps lock but I am lazy to retype )

Yup. I used the name VisPro with a detailed description so the user would know its origin. I guess you could delete the Proxy Scene at the tail end of the script. Not sure creating and deleting would slow things down tho.

hmmmmm....im doing some tests with TOS on the mesh

Hi Didier I would like to use your 'component spray tool' to add life to my models. For that 'point spray' would be greate. But the problem is, when I 'spray' inside a bulding, the people I add are placed outside the group and on top of the roof, not inside the building as I would like. I'm I doing something wrong or is it not possible ? Thanks

Works fine (click image if scrollers) [image: NvDz_flashy2.jpg]

Wordpress apparently uses a subversion repository for their (user submitted) plugins: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/ Cheers, Alex

Very nice although I only get either yellow, blue or light gray guidelines. Coloring them the same as the axis to which they are parallel would be very handy.

If you can do VBA macro programming, you've got the foundation for Ruby. Warning: Ruby is a big language. Solution: Google up Chris Pine's Ruby tutorial. New topic. Don't Edit/Hide (or Shift+Erase). One of the things I missed coming from DWPro to SU was the former's two-state hidden model. Hiding something moved it into a second model. A shortcut let you toggle back and forth between the "hidden" and "not hidden" models. It was nice. Then I realized that SU had this capability, only better. Don't use Edit/Hide. Create a "hidden" layer and slide geometry into that layer. Or use multiple "hidden" layers. The gremlins that do untimely unhides don't mess with your layers.

Here is some more inspirational material... [image: teaser.jpg] http://johanneskopf.de/publications/solid/index.html [image: tsynex.jpg] http://www-sop.inria.fr/reves/Basilic/2009/WLKT09/

I also wrote a re-glue script: you select ONE face the components to re-glue onto it and run the tool - they are glued to the face ? Is that what you want ? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=349699#p349699 [moved to own thread] Re_Glue.rb

Good suggestion. Didn't know SU could do this. And to think that all along I've just let the SU carpenters lay the floor however they wanted! [image: DSKd_rotatedtexture.jpg]