[Plugin] 1001bit Tools - Architectural tools for SketchUp

utiler

Hi Goh Chun Hee,
Firstly, pardon my asking but can you tell me your first name? Or is it Goh or Goh Chun? I don’t want to be rude and get it wrong….

I have been playing with the 1001bits tools quite a bit and find them fantastic!!! I’m glad I stumbled across them, I guess you are being inundated with requested and comments via the pushpullbar and SCF forums….
I have a few questions about a couple of the tools.

Selection method…
I note that for some functions you need to select the face first then select the function whereas others require the function to be set up first then select the face. This would be much easier if the process was consistent across the board. Eg: select face first or set up function first.

Edits and Modify tools
I know you have an extend tool for lines but what I would like to see is a tool for lines and or faces to extend to a plane. Eg: say you have a roof of 5 degrees and you want the walls to extend and trim to the underside of the roof plane.
• Select faces and or edges of the top of wall
• Select face to extend to [whether in the group or not]
• Walls extend and clean up to the cut plane…..

Horizontal / Vertical Louvres
I think these need to have the option of a ‘zero’ thickness as the window and door functions do. This allows for painting a translucent material to a plane rather than having to paint both front and back…

Roof
I love this tool!!!! However, have you thought about creating a setup tool to create the selection face to define the roof? I know there is a ‘roof.rb’ tool created by TIG http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=153&t=3470 which creates the whole roof profile. All you would need is to write a script that asks for
• Roof pitch
• Overhang length[vertical or sloping fascia]
• Skillion, Gable or hip roof

Also, give the option in the dialogue box to toggle on or off rafters or purlins. This would make the tool more flexible for use with structural steel buildings…..

And another idea; I note that the screens and grills tool allows for a profile to be selected. This would be fantastic to integrate into the rafters or purlins tool for such members as ‘I’ beams, ‘C’ and ‘Z’ purlins…. In the case of purlins, the ultimate would be for a line profile to be selected as they are generally 1.2mm thick and it makes not sense to create additional faces than needed.

BTW, as for the version, can you advise what version is current? I have 1.1.0 registered to utiler. [Windows]
Thanks again, I look forward to hearing from you soon….

gohch

hi Andrew,
Thanks for the detailed suggestions.
Most ppl call me Goh (which is actually family name) i'm perfectly happy to be called by that, easier to remember.

version 1.1.2 works both for Windows and Mac. in fact. i'll be putting up version 1.1.3 in the weekend (after i've finished with some minor touchups)

version 1.1.3 will include an extrude tool, which will extrude selected face profile through curved and sloping path(edges).
SU's standard followme has the problem of twisting the profile along the way,
this extrude tool will fix that.
Meant for extruding handrails for spiral staircases and curved car park ramps.

also the louvres in v1.1.3 will have the option of 0 thickness, single face louvres.

there's also a newly added slope edges tool which is creates or modify selected edges to a fixed gradient.

I hope to put it up for download by Sunday.
The activation keys for version 1.1.0 is still valid (will remain valid for all version 1.1.x).

cheers!
Goh C H

utiler

Goh,
Having a problem with Dividing panels..... [see attached]

Each time I set my parameters then select the face, the panel is placed at the axis origin. What am I doing wrong!!!

Cheers

1001bit-divingPanel-issue.swf

gohch

@utiler said:

Goh,
Having a problem with Dividing panels..... [see attached]

Each time I set my parameters then select the face, the panel is placed at the axis origin. What am I doing wrong!!!

Cheers

hi utiler,
can you send me the skp file? (if the file is big, just a skp file containing the problematic face will do.)
Thanks & cheers!

thomthom

@utiler said:

Goh,
Having a problem with Dividing panels..... [see attached]

Each time I set my parameters then select the face, the panel is placed at the axis origin. What am I doing wrong!!!

Cheers

That's the same problem I had with horizontal louvres. vertical works fine oddly enough. Open the Ruby Console and see if you get any messages.

gohch

@utiler said:

Goh,
Having a problem with Dividing panels..... [see attached]

Each time I set my parameters then select the face, the panel is placed at the axis origin. What am I doing wrong!!!

Cheers

hi utiler,
The panel divider is meant for dividing a face into a few segments;
1 row and 1 column will be the minimum.
1 row and 0 column doesn't really make sense, hence the failure.
I'll put in checking mechanisms in the dialog boxes in future so that undesired entry are either corrected or highlighted to the user.
cheers!

gohch

@thomthom said:

That's the same problem I had with horizontal louvres. vertical works fine oddly enough. Open the Ruby Console and see if you get any messages.

hi thomthom,
you're right, there's a bug there. just emailed you the patched hlouvres.rbs file.
I'll put this in the version 1.1.3 release, hopefully tomorrow or day after.
cheers!

thomthom

Excellent!

utiler

Thanks Goh, I'll go try it out..... I assumed 1 row or 1 column would add a mullion or transom to the panel...

utiler

I did try that Goh but still the problem is occurring. I will PM you the .skp file and a short .swf file of the process.....
thanks!!!

gohch

hi Andrew,
really odd, because i have no problem using the panel divider tool on the same face that you seems to have problem with,
with the same settings.
utiler-dividepanel.swf
i'll try a few different configurations and see....
thanks

gohch

hi everyone, version 1.1.3 is now ready for download.
Upgrades include:

1) Slope selected edges tool - converts selected edges to slope along a fixed gradient.
http://www.1001bit.com/products/slopeedges.shtml
user can enter:

height difference
angle (in degrees)
gradient (as in 1 to 200)
pick end level

This tool comes with an interactive dialog box that can be used to calculate angles, gradient, or height.
slope edges dialog box
This tool can be used to create sloping path/driveway from flat plane.
example of sloping foot path using slope edges tool

2) Extrude along path tool - extrude profile along selected path.
http://www.1001bit.com/products/extrude1.shtml
This tool solves the twisting problem that occurs when you extrude a profile along a curved and sloping path with SU's standard followme tool.

Useful for creating handrails for spiral staircases, carpark ramps, cicular ramps etc.
sloping curved ramp using extrude along path tool

3) Bug fixes on horizontal and vertical louvres tools.

User can now enter 0 for louver thickness to create single plane louvres.

4) Option to show different toolbars separately.
from menu View >> Toolbars

Installation
Just download the file
http://www.1001bit.com/download/1001bit(1.1.3).zip
and replace/overwrite the current files in your 1001bit folder.

The user license that you have for v1.1.x is still valid. If you choose to delete the old folders before installing the new ones,
Please keep a copy of the 1001bit.key file, which contains your license information.
As long as you put this file back into the 1001bit folder, your license remains valid.

Thanks and cheers!
Goh C H

utiler

Way to go, Goh!!!

pilou

Works like a charm!
Except Undo to the beginning of the start session Seems block after Extrude profil along a path!
Soften Edges seems the blockage! And it's repeatable at any times!
So Big bug! (V6) (Plug not install in the V7)

gohch

hi Pilou,
Thanks, missed that out.
Bug fixed -- download the patch from
http://www.1001bit.com/download/extrude1_patch(15-Mar-09).zip
and overwrite the extrude1.rbs file.
Thanks and cheers!
Goh C H