[Plugin] Custom Toolbars Plugin

CadFather · 8 Jun 2008, 12:44

great.. it could become the best way if google does not address the present toolbar layout nightmare

cornel · 10 Jul 2008, 17:22

%(#0080FF)[PKast wrote:”
“One command that you might consider, which is buried deep, Toggle crosshairs on and off.”
Jim wrote:
Unfortunately, there is no way to set or get the crosshairs option using Ruby.]

I’m curious if Ruby can toggle (artificially) “Display crosshairs” check-box by causing a mimic of Window Key-suite…!
1.If ‘Click-drag-release’ radio-button is selected:
Alt+W, P,P, Enter, D, Tab, Tab, Tab, Tab, Spacebar, Enter
2.If ‘Autodetect’ or ‘Click-move-click’ radio-button is selected:
Alt+W, P,P, Enter, D, Tab, Tab, Tab, Tab, Tab, Spacebar, Enter

Cornel

nankyo · 28 Jul 2008, 16:49

But how for example I can add toolbars of my own, I got many one-button TB and I want to combine them all in 1, like that also, I won't have to spend 20 min on arranging the toolbar anytime.... is it possible to make it user friendly add add buttons?

Jim · 29 Jul 2008, 22:08

@nankyo said:

But how for example I can add toolbars of my own, I got many one-button TB and I want to combine them all in 1, like that also, I won't have to spend 20 min on arranging the toolbar anytime.... is it possible to make it user friendly add add buttons?

Right now, there is no easy way to add your own buttons. If you have a specific button you would like available, I can add it to the list.

utiler · 30 Jul 2008, 00:25

Cheers Jim for a great solution!!!!

I need to get here a big more frequently, I miss so much!!!

CadFather · 30 Jul 2008, 10:52

Hi Jim, i actually have a request for a button (perhaps it's more a new script or added to the ruby toolbar)

basically i imagine a button that when pressed can call/load a script previously assigned: and that i can change/reassign a different script.. how does that sound?

Matt666 · 30 Jul 2008, 11:09

Hi Jim !
Is it possible to create a button that changes its icon depending on the result of the function? All icons are created before, and result of the function gives the adress of the specific icon...

Jim · 30 Jul 2008, 20:19

@cadfather said:

Hi Jim, i actually have a request for a button (perhaps it's more a new script or added to the ruby toolbar)

basically i imagine a button that when pressed can call/load a script previously assigned: and that i can change/reassign a different script.. how does that sound?

Yes, this can be done. I use a similar technique when writing and testing my scripts. I have a load and reload button. Load lets me browse for a Ruby script and then loads it. Reload reloads the last loaded script.

Can you clarify that you do mean to load a script, and not assign some selectable function to a single button?

Jim · 30 Jul 2008, 20:22

@matt666 said:

Hi Jim !
Is it possible to create a button that changes its icon depending on the result of the function? All icons are created before, and result of the function gives the adress of the specific icon...

I don't know, Matt. I'm not sure a Command can be modified after it is added to the Toolbar. Why not try and let us know?

CadFather · 30 Jul 2008, 20:56

Hi Jim, i do use the ruby toolbar to load the scripts.. but there are so many! i'm thinking of a way to load a script without browsing for it (click to open/load the tools)

say there is a way to link a specific script to a button, eg. i make it load subdivide and smooth whenever it's clicked.

say to another button i assign fredo's TOS. (ideally you can re-assign your favourite/s for different purposes)

not loading all the plugins at startup would make opening SU a faster and simpler situation - knowing that by clicking an icon i open only the specific set of tools i actually need..

the ruby masters could include their loader button with their plugin... or ?

Jim · 30 Jul 2008, 22:02

I don't see why not. Would be a sort of "Favorites" toolbar?

I agree about not loading all the plugins at startup - this is exactly how I work. I keep only a few "essential" plugins in the Plugins folder, and load other as needed using the Ruby Toolbar Load button.

CadFather · 30 Jul 2008, 22:24

yes a favourites toolbar - having a custom button/s would be an advantage to start with.. eventually who knows what will happen with v7 and webdialogs.

time eating difficult task?

Jim · 30 Jul 2008, 23:42

@cadfather said:

yes a favourites toolbar - having a custom button/s would be an advantage to start with.. eventually who knows what will happen with v7 and webdialogs.

I can only hope I am not wasting my time on V7 built-in features.

@unknownuser said:

time eating difficult task?

Not really. It's easy to create a toolbar button to load Subsmooth, but I can't get the SubSmooth icons to show using this method. We'd need to ask Whaat to fix that.

CadFather · 31 Jul 2008, 00:35

..so you can load subsmooth but the icons toolbar doesn't show up

it's probably worth waiting for the next release of SU - i heard it's very soon........ (jokin')

thanks Jim

Matt666 · 31 Jul 2008, 11:56

@unknownuser said:

Why not try and let us know?

I tried, but nothing came

fredo6 · 31 Jul 2008, 20:25

@cadfather said:

Hi Jim, i do use the ruby toolbar to load the scripts.. but there are so many! i'm thinking of a way to load a script without browsing for it (click to open/load the tools)

say there is a way to link a specific script to a button, eg. i make it load subdivide and smooth whenever it's clicked.

say to another button i assign fredo's TOS. (ideally you can re-assign your favourite/s for different purposes)

not loading all the plugins at startup would make opening SU a faster and simpler situation - knowing that by clicking an icon i open only the specific set of tools i actually need..

the ruby masters could include their loader button with their plugin... or ?

Isn'it precisely what the Sketchup extension manager does?

CadFather · 31 Jul 2008, 20:34

well not precisely Fredo.. for example not all plugins have the entry in the extensions - what i'd like is a way for me to assign the loading af a script to a button. call it a customised quick loader - the idea can of course evolve further.

fredo6 · 31 Jul 2008, 21:00

@cadfather said:

well not precisely Fredo.. for example not all plugins have the entry in the extensions - what i'd like is a way for me to assign the loading af a script to a button. call it a customised quick loader - the idea can of course evolve further.

It's easy to do (I could do it for ToolsOnSurface for instance), but then once loaded, you'll be faced again to the question of toolbar button proliferation (I mean, just TOS would come with 10 buttons!), and the only way to unload the scripts is to restart Sketchup.

Another possibility is that I include a button to hide or show all others. But then, you have the issue with the messy placement of toolbars in Sketchup 6.

Finally, you can also have only one button, which would then pop up a Web dialog which would contain all others (and the parameters of the one currently used), pretty much like the native entity info, Bucket paint windows. Probably better, but, you sacrifice a part of the workspace in most situations.

I agree with the requirement, but I don't see a 'universal' solution (yet).

Fredo

CadFather · 31 Jul 2008, 21:30

@unknownuser said:

It's easy to do (I could do it for ToolsOnSurface for instance), but then once loaded, you'll be faced again to the question of toolbar button proliferation (I mean, just TOS would come with 10 buttons!), and the only way to unload the scripts is to restart Sketchup.Fredo

..yes what i had in mind - only working solution at present. personally would rather have SU start fast and call the ruby when needed that viceversa. however, if the button worked as a toggle mode perhaps it could at least hide the toolbar?

@unknownuser said:

Another possibility is that I include a button to hide or show all others. But then, you have the issue with the messy placement of toolbars in Sketchup 6.Fredo

that is true (though this is not a big issue for me as i use batch files to save, restore toolbar configurations)

@unknownuser said:

Finally, you can also have only one button, which would then pop up a Web dialog which would contain all others (and the parameters of the one currently used), pretty much like the native entity info, Bucket paint windows. Probably better, but, you sacrifice a part of the workspace in most situations.Fredo

..the thing i least like is those palettes roaming about in my project! maybe it will be possible to have a webdialog that opens up under the icon, like web page submenus...

on further thought though, before v7 is out (spring 2013) - one solution could be having a thin vertical toolbar on the right which pops out the other icons on click. in fact now that i'm rolling we could have icons for all those greasy palettes like entity info, paint etc...

@unknownuser said:

I agree with the requirement, but I don't see a 'universal' solution (yet).Fredo

well you said it. the more i think about it the more i like the idea (together with 'floating shortcuts')

...

caronte01 · 3 Jan 2009, 01:49

Hi Jim, just trying your plugin, on a mac, on skp 7, and i´m getting a crash when selecting the select tool, after using 3d text. I´m not sure if it´s a sketchup related bug, or if it´s related to your ruby.

Cheers

santiago