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    SketchUp RUBY API Wishlist [way of coding wishes, please]

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    • J Offline
      jessejames
      last edited by

      hello Scott,
      Thanks for your interest in helping out. That game you made was pretty cool.

      I would like to see some convience methods like in the Blender API. This may not be appealing to Gurus but might be quite helpful to the new rubyist. Something like...

      
      obj.LocX --> (0,0,0)
      obj.LocX += 20
      obj.LocX --> (20,0,0)
      obj.loc = 0,0,0 #set loc
      obj.getMatrix()
      
      

      i am also wondering why there is no way to do simple and dirty animations, like...

      
      Loop
          obj.LocX += 10
          sleep(.02)
          SU.Redraw()
      
      

      I really like most of the SU API's layout compared to Blender, except the Transformation module, it seems a little clumsy. But i might be missing something important. I am not an engineer, just a real brave lad, thats all.

      So if you want to enlighten me, feel free 😄

      Always sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow!

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      • daikuD Offline
        daiku
        last edited by

        I'd like to be able to specify the font size for text objects.

        Clark Bremer
        http://www.northernlightstimberframing.com

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        • T Offline
          tomot
          last edited by

          I would like to see a GUI added to the Ruby API. This has been sadly lacking from when the Ruby API was first added to be the scripting language for SU. Please add this to your SU8 wish list. Failing that, perhaps an easier task maybe to add a Python API with GUI to SU. I see no reason why SU can't function with 2 scripting languages.

          [my plugins](http://thingsvirtual.blogspot.ca/)
          tomot

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          • thomthomT Offline
            thomthom
            last edited by

            A GUI to the API what do you mean? As oppose to Webdialogs?

            Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
            List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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            • J Offline
              jessejames
              last edited by

              I think what tomot wants is a GUI toolkit built-in for SU scripting. Web dialogs are quite lacking. Scriptwriters need widgets!

              Text, Listbox, Entry, Button, Frame, Toplevel, Spinbox, Label, Scrollbar, Dialogs, RadioButton, CheckButton, Menu, Scale, LabelFrame, Canvas, OptionMenu, PanedWindow, Image Support

              Python has all this built-in to the language as Tkinter(Tk widgets) An easy to use GUI builder with every thing a script writer/SUupper needs, amoung others.

              I will also volunteer to do most of the dirty work to grow a Python API(and i could get others to help also -- SU DEV would not have to do much).

              One of the best things about Python as compared to Ruby is the tons and tons of great documentation. This would be very appealing to those who wish to script but cannot find good docs for Ruby. And the built-in GUI is just icing on the cake!

              Always sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow!

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              • T Offline
                tomot
                last edited by

                @jessejames said:

                I think what tomot wants is a GUI toolkit built-in for SU scripting. Web dialogs are quite lacking. Scriptwriters need widgets!

                Text, Listbox, Entry, Button, Frame, Toplevel, Spinbox, Label, Scrollbar, Dialogs, RadioButton, CheckButton, Menu, Scale, LabelFrame, Canvas, OptionMenu, PanedWindow, Image Support

                Yes that's exactly what I meant. Here is a Google definition of Webdialogs:

                By using powerful cross-browser Javascript and CSS, WebDialog renders dialogs, windows and even modal dialogs inside the browser window. It avoids the problems caused by restrictive popup blockers and gives you greater flexibility when designing your web application's user interface.

                That's not going to help my scripting endeavors without now also having to learn Javascript and CSS.

                JJ you put a generous offer of the table, I would like to contribute where ever possible. Lets hope we can get ScottLininger on board? Because without some support from Google I can't see this going very far.

                [my plugins](http://thingsvirtual.blogspot.ca/)
                tomot

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                • thomthomT Offline
                  thomthom
                  last edited by

                  Coming from a webdesign background I forgot that HTML, CSS and JS is also a thing to be learnt. I see your point. I was just confused because you allready have most of the controls JJ mentioned. But as you say, it a new set of languages to learn.

                  As for the lacking set of widgets, there are many frameworks that can easily be added on to extend the widget collection.

                  But I'm puzzled by another thing, tomot; you would be willing to learn Python to make a GUI, but not CSS+JS?

                  Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                  List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                  • T Offline
                    tomot
                    last edited by

                    @thomthom said:

                    But I'm puzzled by another thing, tomot; you would be willing to learn Python to make a GUI, but not CSS+JS?

                    It may surprise you Thomas; I'm not a Ruby programmer or a LISP programmer nor GDL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_Description_Language programmer.
                    I could not sit down with a text editor and bang out a new Ruby without at the same time having open on my Desktop at least 2 or 3 existing Ruby's whose content may help form the basis of a new ruby idea I'm trying to bring into being. Then through lots of cutting and pasting of code and many trials and errors of loading and reloading the same script into the console, over and over again, I eventually arrive at the solution. The programming related lines I can't solve I usually bring forth to this forum for help from those that have real programming knowledge, and I'm always grateful for their support. The following piece of code was provided by Jim Foltz.

                    normal = useanamehere.normal
                    normal.length = -$xxx
                    tr = Geom;;Transformation.translation(normal)
                    group.transform! tr
                    

                    This small piece of code has been invaluable, its used repeatedly to offset distances that make 2d lines into 3d, planes, without it Window and Door Tools could not exist.

                    Its also one of the reasons I'm grateful that not each Ruby contributor decides to use obfuscation on their code. Obviously if everyone did this, this community would not have benefited from my Window and Door Tools scripts.

                    If this Python API works out, I will approach scripting with it the same way I do with Ruby. Firstly I would ask for some simple existing Ruby's to be converted to Python. I would use that as a springboard to start scripting in Python.

                    [my plugins](http://thingsvirtual.blogspot.ca/)
                    tomot

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                    • J Offline
                      jessejames
                      last edited by

                      @tomot said:

                      ...I could not sit down with a text editor and bang out a new Ruby without at the same time having open on my Desktop at least 2 or 3 existing Ruby's whose content may help form the basis of a new ruby idea I'm trying to bring into being. Then through lots of cutting and pasting of code and many trials and errors of loading and reloading the same script into the console, over and over again, I eventually arrive at the solution.

                      I agree tomot,
                      The work flow for writing scripts in SU is frustrating. This must be improved. Nobody(pro or not) has the ability to write bug free scripts in one go.

                      1.) A built-in text editor(very simple) with syntax highlight so a new scripter can get started easily
                      2.) a multi-line Console(for testing snippets with proper indentation) to replace the single line Ruby Console
                      3.) a real GUI toolkit(Python has TK built-in to the language)
                      4.) a good SU specific scripting tutorial.( most important )

                      These are the key to happy SU scripting.

                      The current work flow is painful and a real determent to all who wish to learn, or write scripts for SU. Something must be done. Scripting must be made available to all, not just a few professionals at the top.

                      SU design is flawless everywhere but this area. Once we can fix this, the full power of SU will be available to all.

                      Always sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow!

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                      • Al HartA Offline
                        Al Hart
                        last edited by

                        UI.openpanel - bugs and improvement requests

                        I would like UI.openpanel to be much more powerful.

                        I have at three problems with it.

                        1. Patterns for file extensions

                        This first code snippet should display all files with either a .zip or .rb extension.
                        When I use it in SU 7 Windows, the openfile panel displays only the .zip files, (no .rb files), and showed this '*.zip;_.rb' in the File name box: (with an underscore instead of a *)

                        fn = UI.openpanel "Select a zip file.", "",  "*.zip;*.rb"
                        
                        

                        When I pass it just one extension, it works:

                        UI.openpanel "Select a zip file.", "",  "*.zip"
                        

                        But if I pass it a starting folder it fails:

                        UI.openpanel "Select a zip file.", "c;/tmp",  "*.zip"
                        

                        showing '_.zip' in the File Name box

                        1. Passing patterns and a starting file separately

                        I should be able pass a file name (e.g. the last file the user opened), as well as a set of patterns.

                        1. Passing filters.

                        The Windows openfile dialog allows you to pass a set of filters which display at the bottom. UI.openfile should have a similar set of patterns.

                        #2 and #3 could be implemented with new, optional parameters.

                        1. Required file

                        Windows Openfile has a setting that required that the user enter a valid, existing file. This would be a nice feature for UI.openpanel.

                        Al Hart

                        http:wiki.renderplus.comimageseefRender_plus_colored30x30%29.PNG
                        IRender nXt from Render Plus

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                        • Al HartA Offline
                          Al Hart
                          last edited by

                          Bug/new feature request for Sketchup.load

                          Sketchup.load does not set the filename or binding properly. errors during loading are not reported, and executaion errors are not reported properly.

                          Here is a test file with an error which only occurs during execution.

                          rps_test1.rb

                          
                          printf "rps_test1.rb\n"
                          def test1
                                  printf xxx
                          end
                          
                          

                          When you load it with ruby's load and execute 'test1' you get this error:

                          
                          Error; #<NameError; c;/tmp/rps_test1.rb;6;in `test1'; undefined local variable or method `xxx' for main;Object>
                          c;/devc_2005/rptools/rpt_debug/ruby/rps_test1.rb;6
                          
                          

                          When you load it in Sketchup.load (either the .rb or the compressed .rbs), you get this error message:

                          
                          
                          Error; #<NameError; (eval);11;in `test1'; undefined local variable or method `xxx' for main;Object>
                          (eval);11
                          
                          

                          Having the file name and line number for a ruby is very important both when creating a ruby application and when debugging client problems. I have to go to a lot of trouble to work around this bug. 😞

                          Assuming that 'eval()' is eventually used by Skethcup.load to load, binding and a file name could be passed to cause errors to be reported properly.

                          e.g.: eval(string, TOPLEVEL_BINDING, filename, start_line)

                          Al Hart

                          http:wiki.renderplus.comimageseefRender_plus_colored30x30%29.PNG
                          IRender nXt from Render Plus

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                          • T Offline
                            todd burch
                            last edited by

                            I haven't read through this post, so some of these might be duplicates. If they are, consider mine a +1.

                            • Expose the Surface class.
                            • Change the data model for Text so its not a global thing, but an entity thing. That way, each text-related entity can have it own font and other attributes.
                            • Expose Dimensions.
                            • Fix all the bugs I've reported. Really. 😒
                              Thanks, Todd
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                            • N Offline
                              NewOne
                              last edited by

                              Sorry if off-topic.
                              But... did you guys heard something about Sketchup 7 ruby documentation? What's really new here? Will it appear? When?

                              Thank you. 😄

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                              • scottliningerS Offline
                                scottlininger
                                last edited by

                                We summarized the new SU7 features in a blog post:

                                Link Preview Image
                                What's New in SketchUp 7

                                Posted by Scott Lininger, SketchUp Team SketchUp 7 contains several improvements to the Ruby API. Here's a quick tour of the best changes. I...

                                favicon

                                (sketchupapi.blogspot.com)

                                I can't give an exact date for the detailed documentation. We're working on it.

                                Thanks,

                                • Scott Lininger
                                  SketchUp Software Engineer
                                  Have you visited the Ruby API Docs?
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                                • thomthomT Offline
                                  thomthom
                                  last edited by

                                  My suggestion of way of coding: Being able to hook up a debugger. Sorely needed some times.

                                  Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                                  List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                                  • N Offline
                                    NewOne
                                    last edited by

                                    To be able to add new menus in SketchUp menu bar.


                                    2009-03-10_135226.png

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                                    • J Offline
                                      jadema
                                      last edited by

                                      Extend the UI class to support the selection of a directory. Currently you can select files, but there doesn't seem to be a way to select a directory or folder.

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                                      • snicoloS Offline
                                        snicolo
                                        last edited by

                                        The New Ruby API documentation is up and running.

                                        Take a look at:
                                        http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/index.html

                                        enjoy.
                                        Simone.

                                        Simone Nicolo
                                        QA Manager
                                        http://www.sketchup.com

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                                        • J Offline
                                          jadema
                                          last edited by

                                          How about a method to refresh the SketchUp display when executing long scripts? Today the interface looks like it is frozen when you change focus to another window and then back to SketchUp. The display gets refreshed only when the script completes or a dialog box that requires user input is displayed.

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                                          • M Offline
                                            Matt666
                                            last edited by

                                            Hi all!
                                            To have possiblity to call a tool by its ID, with function Sketchup.send_action.
                                            For example :

                                            Sketchup.send_action 21022
                                            

                                            It works great on PC. On Mac, it returns this bug below in the console :
                                            @unknownuser said:

                                            Error: #<TypeError: can't convert Fixnum into String>

                                            Frenglish at its best !
                                            My scripts

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