[Plugin] Loose Geometry to Groups (Updated August 28, 2009)

Chris Fullmer · 29 Jan 2009, 03:24

Hi, this is my first actual ruby script contribution. For all I know, this script might already exist. But it is something I have needed in my work flow once in a while, so I thought it would be a good one to write to help me learn a little bit of Ruby.

I wrote it because sometimes I am making box shaped buildings very quickly. I'll make a few hundred. Then I always wish they were all grouped as individual buildings. So that is what this script does. It makes groups out of all loose geometry. It works by grouping connected geometry. For example, I have 10 boxes that are not grouped, or components, and are not touching each other. When I run this script, it will make a group out of each box, for a total of 10 groups.

Here is all the code. Have I missed anything important that should go into a publicly released script? I only just barely remembered to make it add itself to the plugins menu, and register itself in the file_loaded array. Anything else I've missed?

Also, possible additions to the script include the option to make groups or components, checking to see if the user has selected geometry before running itself on the entire model, maybe some pop-up boxes saying it worked or didn't work or something, and maybe the option at the end to then group all the groups into a single group, and that's about all I can think of Thanks!

Chris

UPDATES:
v1.0 added support for a single undo command to undo all grouping.
v1.1 wrapped the script into a module so as to not interefere with all the important scripts you have installed already
v1.1 Also moved plugin to "Chris Fullmer Tools"
version 1.2 2009-08-28

Fixed a major bug where the script was not working with selections.
Fixed some internal coding that might make it slightly faster.
Added an entity counter to the Status Bar so you can see the script working.
Changed the Undo title from "Make groups" to "Loose to Groups" (this is the title that you see in the Edit > Undo command).

This script is now hosted at http://www.smustard.com/script/Loose2Groups

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 29 Jan 2009, 04:09

Oh, I think the first thing I want to change is to make the whole grouping thing a single undo. So I'll re-read my start_operation and commit_operation methods or whatever they are called. Then I'll repost the updated version later tonight

Chris

All right, I got that included. It worked out as easy as I was hoping it would. Now just one undo will undo all groups that were created.

thomthom · 29 Jan 2009, 07:58

I didn't have a time to look properly at it. But I got one suggestion; put your code into modules. That way you reduce the risk of problems with other rubys.

And I'm not 100% sure here, but I think the require statement should be outside your method.


#loose2groups.rb
#Chris Fullmer
#v1.0 Jan 28th, 2009
#Please use and distribute, but do not sell this script.
#Released to the Sketchucation.com website first. Go there
#to find updates (if there are any).

require 'sketchup.rb' # (!) note that this was moded

module ChrisFullmerUniqueModuleName # (!) pick the name you find fit which is likely to be unique
def make_groups

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
entity = entities[0]
entity_counter = 0

while entity_counter < entities.length
  entity = entities[entity_counter]
  if entity.typename == ("Edge" or "Face")
	ents = entity.all_connected
	group = entities.add_group(ents)
	entity_counter = 0
  else
	entity_counter = entity_counter + 1
  end
end
end
end # (!) End Module

if( not file_loaded?("loose2groups.rb") )
  UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("Loose Geometry to groups") { make_groups }
end
  file_loaded("loose2groups.rb")

Here's a suggestion. I maked the changed by appending # (!) at the end of the lines.

Chris Fullmer · 29 Jan 2009, 08:26

Great! Thanks thomthom. I've got the require sketchup line moved outside of the main method now.

Now for modules. I don't entirely understand classes, modules, and mathods. I thought that since I had put everything into a method that it would be insulated from all other scripts. So I also need to wrap it in a module. I've re-read Rick's warning post and it says:

@rickw said:

Encapsulate methods in a Module or a Class - within a class, you don't have to worry about method naming conflicts, and within a module, you can be less careful about both class and method names.

I'll try to read-up on modules and classes. Thanks for the advice. I'll make those important changes right now!

Chris

thomthom · 29 Jan 2009, 08:32

Classes are objects. Modules are like namespaces.

While the stuff inside your method was insulated from everything else, your method wasn't. If another ruby had a method with the name of make_groups (not a very unlikely name) there'd be a conflict.

Use Modules to group and isolate code. Use classes when you need new objects.

Chris Fullmer · 29 Jan 2009, 08:34

ok, updated to be inside of its own module. I also updated the code in the first post so its current. Now if I wanted to access a method in this script from another script, what would be the syntax. Is it possible? Or would I have to have made it a class instead of a module?

Chris

thomthom · 29 Jan 2009, 09:03


module SomeModuleName
def make_groups 
    ...
end

def foo_bar
    # lets call the other method
    make_groups
end
end # module end

SomeModuleName;;make_groups # prefix with SomeModuleName;; to access stuff inside

For classes, methods needs to be prefixed with self. inside the class. http://sidtalk.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/what-exactly-is-ruby-self/

Chris Fullmer · 29 Jan 2009, 22:23

EDIT: I don't need to bump the thread, but I wanted to say that I fixed the problem I was having below. I had to make the module name start with an uppercase letter, and then define the method as "def Modulename.methodname" format. So its all better now. Thanks!

Bummer, I think the module bit didn't work. I am getting this error:

Error Loading File loose2groups.rb
C;/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/loose2groups.rb;12; class/module name must be CONSTANT

And here is the code to my plugin:

#loose2groups.rb
#Chris Fullmer
#v1.0 Jan 28th, 2009
#Please use and distribute, but do not sell this script.
#Released to the Sketchucation.com website first. Go there
#to find updates (if there are any).
#History v1.1 added a single Undo command for entire script.
#History v1.2 wrapped it all into a module

require 'sketchup.rb'

module clf_loose_groups
def make_groups

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
entity = entities[0]
entity_counter = 0
model.start_operation "Make Groups"

while entity_counter < entities.length
  entity = entities[entity_counter]
  if entity.typename == ("Edge" or "Face")
    ents = entity.all_connected
    group = entities.add_group(ents)
    entity_counter = 0
  else
    entity_counter = entity_counter + 1
  end
end
model.commit_operation
end
end 
if( not file_loaded?("loose2groups.rb") )
  UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("Loose Geometry to groups") { make_groups }
end
  file_loaded("loose2groups.rb")

Thanks folks,

Chris

RickW · 30 Jan 2009, 06:28

Chris,
Congrats on your first script! Way to jump in and make things happen
Regarding classes and understanding them a little bit more - they are like the framework for objects. They contain the rules for behavior and parameters. When you want one of those objects, you create an instance of it. That instance will behave like other instances that share similar parameters.

I created this (overly simple) example a long time (5 years) ago, on the old SketchUp forum. Perhaps it will help.

As for understanding modules, let's continue with the Ball class. I like playtime with my 15-month-old son. He has several toy balls that he plays with. With him in mind, I would write the Ball class as in my linked example.

On the other hand, my wife loves to dance. With her in mind, I would write a Ball class like this:

class Ball
  def initialize
    #code goes here
  end

  def music=(style)
    #code goes here
  end

  def orchestra_size=(i)
    #code goes here
  end

  def refreshments=(good_eats)
    #code goes here
  end

end # class Ball

strictly_ballroom = Ball.new
strictly_ballroom.orchestra_size=50
strictly_ballroom.refreshments=["caviar","champagne","cheese","foie gras","hot wings"]
etc...

The problem is that both classes have the same name, but different methods and uses. A toy ball isn't likely to need refreshments or an orchestra size, and a grand ball with dancing and an orchestra isn't likely to be inflated or inclined to bounce. Yet if both files were loaded, a bizarre merger would occur where one could see bouncing ballrooms and round rubber toys stuffed with hors d'oeuvres. That's where modules come into play.

module Toys
  class Ball
    ...etc
  end
end

module Parties
  class Ball
    ...etc
  end
end

bouncyball = Toys;;Ball.new
grandball = Parties;;Ball.new

This significantly cuts down on the possibility of conflicting classes and methods, but even then, selecting a unique module name is important.

Jim · 31 Jan 2009, 01:37

Chris,

I just saw this - it doesn't do what you think it does.

if entity.typename == ("Edge" or "Face")

What does the right-hand-side of the evaluate to?

You need to write it like this:


if entity.typename == "Edge" or entity.typename == "Face"

or perhaps even this:


if( %w(Edge Face).include?(entity.typename))

Chris Fullmer · 31 Jan 2009, 02:40

Hmm, what does what I wrote do then? It seems to work. I was thinking that it would evaluate to a true or false depending if the typename was edge,face,component, or group (Edge or face = true, group or component = false). It seems to be working in the code, but I'm sure its just dumb luck and will probably fail in circumstances I have not tested. I'll re-write like your first example (because I don't follow what's happening in the 2nd example ). I need to look at what %w is. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through the script Jim,

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 31 Jan 2009, 02:53

ok, I think I'm getting the problem with what I wrote. I want an IF statement to essentially boil to down "if true"

but my code

if entity.typename == ("Edge" or "Face")

is evaluating down (over the 3 steps I've written out)

"if entity.typename == (true)"

if face == true

if false

So I should be getting a false no matter what the 2nd half of the evaluate is, since neither true nor false == face. Am I understanding the logic flow there correctly?

Chris

Jim · 31 Jan 2009, 03:51

Sorry, I tried to be too clever in my last example...

this:


("Edge" or "Face")

always returns "Edge" so your comparison always boils down to


if entity.typename == "Edge"

which works just fine since all_connected will pick up any connected faces.

Chris Fullmer · 31 Jan 2009, 04:19

Ohh! That makes so much sense now. I was wondering why it was working, but that explains it. But yes,it was not doing what I thought it was doing. Thanks for clearing that up Jim.

Chris

mimnbazhq · 31 Jan 2009, 06:24

Chris Fullmer · 29 Aug 2009, 01:33

This script had a bug that I updated. I also added a counter to the status bar so that you can see the script in action. It counts the entities as it processes them so you know where it is in the process (though it is possible that the Sketchup user interface might freeze and quite showing the counter while processing large selections).

version 1.2 2009-08-28

Fixed a major bug where the script was not working with selections.
Fixed some internal coding that might make it slightly faster.
Added an entity counter to the Status Bar so you can see the script working.
Changed the Undo title from "Make groups" to "Loose to Groups" (this is the title that you see in the Edit > Undo command).

This is script is located on smustard.com at:

(www.smustard.com)

Chris

bagatelo · 19 Dec 2009, 10:55

Hi Chris Fullmer

Great plugin, it is very usefull.

Would the plugin be possible to make components instead of groups??

TIG · 19 Dec 2009, 16:56

Just edit it when the group is made and group.to_component ?

Chris Fullmer · 19 Dec 2009, 18:03

Yup, add that line:

group.to_component

in between lines 82 and 83 - so right after this line:

group = @entities.add_group(to_group)

Its near the bottom of the scipt. about 25 lines up from the bottom.

Chris

bagatelo · 19 Dec 2009, 18:18

works very whell, thanks

Add in menu plugin this option