Zoom Selection

N Lindenthal

@CadFather
Your list of mistakes I could verify. But with right mouse click I could leave the marked object.

@Matt
Is there a difference to zsel.rb?

I look to your Zoom Selection, because I look for a way to find objects in my SU-model by name by dragging them in the middle of screen with even same distance. Looking distance for example even 200 cm. This way, all found objects are shown with same scale.

Matt666

@CadFather,
When the tool's activating, you can read on the bottom left of the screen : "Right-click to quit..."

@n lindenthal said:

Is there a difference to zsel.rb?

Yes but this is not what you want... I don't understand what you want, sorry... Can you show some images, perhaps ?

CadFather

thanks Matt, but i'm slightly confused. the idea is to zoom a selected object to screen (and if nothing is selected all objects) - what is the right click for? obviously i'm missing something..

Matt666

The last script was for N lindenthal. But i don't understand what he relly wants... My poor english language !!

This last script zooms on selected entities, and hide others. The right click stops script and gives last view before starting script.

CadFather

thanks Matt, i understand now (to be sure i also don't grasp N lindenthal idea - maybe with some screenshots..).

here is my alternate idea: the script centers the selection to screen (one can assign a shortcut key). however, if say CTRL is pressed then all other objects (not in the selection) get hidden. But there is no right click.

N Lindenthal

@matt666 said:

…
But i don't understand what he relly wants... My poor english language !!
…

My poor english language, too.

What I want: Zoom selection with distance by preference. For example: I select a door and zoom it. The door comes to the middle of the screen and zooms to fill the screen. Now I measure the distance. Next selctions will be the door handle or the door hinge. If one of them is selected and zoomed, the model will only slide so that the door handle is in the middle of screen but is not zoomed. So the scale of door and the scale of door handle are the same. I see the door handle and the door in same scale (with same distance).

How can I measure the distance to selection? How can I set the distance to an object by name?

Jim

@cadfather said:

ok, this is what happens to the script: if i am inside of a group/component and 'hide rest of model' is on, zoom selection does not work. surely this must happen to everyone?

You are correct, it does not work. There are 2 ways to zoom to a selection using the API and they both fail when "hide rest of model" is enabled.

I'm not seeing a quick solution other than Matt's idea of temporarily switching 'hide rest' on, zooming, and then switching it off again.

I'm sure a better "Zoom to Selection" could be written, though - one that would work in all configurations.

CadFather

Jim, you mean if a script was written from scratch it could be done?

Jim

@cadfather said:

Jim, you mean if a script was written from scratch it could be done?

Yes, a camera zoom is simply moving the camera closer to the target, and can be done using Ruby.

N Lindenthal

@jim said:

…
a camera zoom is simply moving the camera closer to the target, and can be done using Ruby.

Please, Jim, tell me how to move the camera to a selected item with distance of 2 meter by ruby script.

Jim

model = Sketchup.active_model
view = model.active_view
camera = view.camera

eye = camera.eye
target = camera.target
up = camera.up

vector = target - eye
vector.length = 2.m
eye = eye + vector

camera.set eye, target, up

N Lindenthal

Unbelievably, Jims code moves my model. Thank you very much.

I have to play a lot, because I don’t understand, what the code makes. Repeating brings my model nearer and nearer. Change the unit from 2. to 2000. makes bigger steps. Change the unit from 2000. to -2000. turns the direction (the model goes remote).

So, how can I see one part of my model with distance of 2 meters?

RickW

I think if the last 4 lines are

vector = eye - target
vector.length = 2.m
eye = target + vector

camera.set eye, target, up

then you will get the desired result

N Lindenthal

Sometimes RickWs code works pretty. But often it does not work. Then sometimes the error is:
@unknownuser said:

Error: #<ArgumentError: (eval):197:in 'set': Eye and target points must be different>

My goal is to select one item by name and to show this item with camera with distance 2 meters.

N Lindenthal

@n lindenthal said:

…
But often it does not work.
…

To make it work, I had to »Start Animation Observer«.

@Rick
Your code works properly. Thank you very much.

D1scon

@pixero said:

@cadfather said:

if i select something inside of a group it does not work - but will fit the contents to screen if nothing is selected.

What do you mean with "It doesnt work" ? What do you want it to do?
If you are inside a group the group itself isn't selected.
My script zooms in to whats selected. Inside group or not.

Thx a lot! Great plugin. Work fine, no problem with selection zoom.
Can you recommend me any other useful plug?