Request - Fixed square metre

JAP · 11 Feb 2009, 11:02

Is there any script which fixes the square metres of a object? I think this could be very useful. For architects for example sometimes a client wants a certain square meter. With this plugin you can quickly try out several dimensions/proportions.

I imagine it works something like this:

you draw a box
you start the fix_m2 plugin and fixes square meter of the box.
Now you can push-pull for example the length of the box and automaticly it will change the width.

I can imagine it can work for a volume too (fixing the m3), but for that option there are 2 dimensions which can change after push-pulling.
Does it exist or is it possible/easy to make?
Thanks, JAP

todd burch · 11 Feb 2009, 12:30

This has been discussed before, but I don't remember seeing any script come out of the conversation. I'm pretty sure this could be done with Ruby.

thomthom · 11 Feb 2009, 13:31

Question is, are we talking about simple squares?

JAP · 11 Feb 2009, 13:39

@thomthom said:

Question is, are we talking about simple squares?

let's start simple with a square...

Chris Fullmer · 11 Feb 2009, 17:23

But it gets really tricky once you move passed a simple square. Its easy to resize a square to a rectangle and tell it to maintain a desired area. But changing the floorplan of a house is another story.

Chris

AcesHigh · 11 Feb 2009, 17:49

and if its irregular shapes, its even worst. WHERE to change the shape so as to maintain the area???

isnt it more rational, and not so difficult, to keep the entity info window open and resize and change the shape, keeping an eye at the area?

todd burch · 11 Feb 2009, 18:12

And how to let the user "lock" pieces of the floor plan that he likes, and how to take into consideration lot boundary limits, setbacks, etc, etc., etc...

These are a few of the reasons it probably has not been written yet. Lots of work for a "what if" type of tool.

thomthom · 11 Feb 2009, 18:26

A simple version would be a rectangle inside a group.

xrok1 · 14 Feb 2009, 04:09

have you tried driving dimensions plugin? this may help if i understand correctly. they're also going to implement dynamic dimension linking and equations so this could get you where you're going??

chrisglasier · 14 Feb 2009, 05:25

@chrisglasier said:

I guess the enclosure can be simply triangulated and area recalculated and reported after every move.

Rethink - use the entity info as AcesHigh suggests above or extract the area to a web dialog so it can be incorporated into an analysis or somesuch.

I wonder why the entity info result is in square millimetres not square metres to two places of decimals as is common in sensible metricificated places.

Chris

chrisglasier · 15 Feb 2009, 05:46

@jap said:

Is there any script which fixes the square metres of a object? I think this could be very useful. For architects for example sometimes a client wants a certain square meter.

Not a script but an idea how to tackle this thorny question particularly related to floor areas. I say thorny because so much faith is put into square foot allowances that it can override better considered design criteria. More later.

Anyway the idea is based on creating SU elastic nets (something like bounding boxes). Components are used to "fill out" these nets, the extremes being joined by straight lines (as is the case with elastic). Moving a component beyond a boundary will expand the net. As all the boundaries are straight lines, I guess the enclosure can be simply triangulated and area recalculated and reported after every move +++ see post after next.

From my point of view this would help illustrate a proper balance between historically strong square foot allowances, physical and legal site limitations and practical or aesthetic proportions, amongst other considerations.

SQUARE FOOT ALLOWANCES

Here is one source of square foot allowances and here a calculation.

Circulation area allowances account for some 40% of the gross. Let's assume that is accurate. Supposing there is a change to the accommodation resulting in this:

About 35% has been knocked off the circulation allowance but there may well be the same legal and practical minimum requirements for toilets, elevators, primary and secondary means of escape and so on.

With Sketchup we can deal directly with models like the ones in the website linked above, and simply substitute calculation with modelling.

What do think?

Chris

chrisglasier · 16 Feb 2009, 05:03

@chrisglasier said:

I wonder why the entity info result is in square millimetres not square metres to two places of decimals as is common in sensible metricificated places.

Chris

See toggle units . Thanks Matt!

Chris