[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

joergj · 10 Apr 2009, 18:21

Hi Chris,
first of all, thank you so much for all your brilliant plugins. They are absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, Shape Bender does not work well for me. Well, it kind of works, but I can´t keep the results,
Here is what happens:
Bild 1 - Shape selected
Bild 2 - Shape bender activated, one klick on the strait line, one klick on the curve
Bild 3 - hit enter
Bild 4 - hit enter second time
Bild 5 - hit enter third time...
Bild 6 - changed to the select tool after first time hitting enter

with each additional enter, the shape bends a little more.

am I doing something wrong?

btw: Mac OS 10.4.11, SketchUP 5 pro

anyway, I can´t thank you enough!
Jörg

xrok1 · 10 Apr 2009, 18:30

@unknownuser said:

Are you seeing it happen more often than expected? If so, could you upload a model where it is behaving poorly, thanks!

well actually i expect it to never happen

seriously, i noticed if you unsmooth it then resmooth it after its bent that its fine, what about doing it that way in your script?

dtrarch · 10 Apr 2009, 19:24

Hi Chris

Just a basket full of Easter eggs and thanks.

Here is one that just went by me.
When the script is executed the original shape just seemed to disappear.
HMMMMM.?
While the bend conversion does make a saved component out of the original shape it would be nice to have the shape remain in place instead of disappearing when the script is executed.

Also with all your super scripts growing daily an icon set would much appreciated by all to have them at the ready 24-7.

Just a couple of thoughs for the day and thanks again for all the killer stuff you have created.
Happy Easter to all

dtr

david_h · 10 Apr 2009, 19:32

Chris. . .the first iteration worked like a charm. The next version. . .not so great.

All kinds of wierd results. Should I dump it and reload or what?

Chris Fullmer · 10 Apr 2009, 19:56

@David, your line is not lined up on the red axis in that example. I'll add a check to the system so that it will not select a line that is not on the red axis. I think that is the problem there.

@Jorg - hmm, there is a command that is called after the user hits enter to de0activate the tool. It looks like it is not being called. Could you open the Ruby Console and then run the script. It should write a lot of errors to the screen just after you hit enter. Could you copy and paste those this forum for me? I'll see if I can put in a workaround for people still on version 5. Thanks!

@xrok, smoothing in SU doesn't remember what angle/degree the smoothing was set at. The angle is used only to tell SU what lines to apply a smooth to. But it then promptly forgets what angle it was. So there is no way to find and retain that information. So I can't just implement a shape-wide smoothing at a certain degree. thing about models that have some places smoothed where the angles are at 90 degrees, and other places where the angles are flat, but they left line unsmoothed to give it a highlight. A global resmooth would break all of that. It essentially is set up to run an intersect with model on the shape. All the new lines that are created should be smoothed, and all the others should be left alone. But any line that already existed precisely where that intersection takes place, is going to be smoothed, regardless of its previous setting. Also, some faces get bent in ways that I have not figured out how to determine ahead of time. SU does some bending and adds lines on its own. Those are the lines that are not smoothed that should be smoothed. Perhaps there is a setting to have SU add them as pre-smoothed edges. That would be ideal. Otherwise I'll have to find a way to determine where SU is going to need to add breaking-lines and add them myself before SU does, so I can smooth them when I add them. I only explain it all in this detail in hopes that someone will understand the dilemma and help me find a better solution.

@dtr, thanks! I do like the idea of leaving the original component/group back where it was originally. If it was a group, I might need to convert it to a component. Is that acceptable? Perhaps not, I'm not positive. I'll play with it. It would nice in my mind too. And I do keep thinking about putting together an entire toolbar of all my scripts. I suppose I'm not opposed to it. But I would want to figure out a good way to make it so the user can selectively turn off unwanted icons while leaving others on. Maybe once I think that through all the way, I can make a comprehensive set.

Thanks everyone! Great round of suggestions. I'll probably be working on it for the next for hours if anything else comes up.

Chris

joergj · 10 Apr 2009, 20:23

Hi Chris,
here is what I find in the Ruby Console after hitting enter once:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method to_component' for #<Sketchup::Group:0xb2357a0>> /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:103:in activate'
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904:in select_tool' /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904 /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904:in call'
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method to_component' for #<Sketchup::Group:0xb22f698>> /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:885:in componentizer'
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:230:in `onReturn'

and this after hitting enter a second time:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method to_component' for #<Sketchup::Group:0xb2357a0>> /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:103:in activate'
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904:in select_tool' /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904 /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:904:in call'
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method to_component' for #<Sketchup::Group:0xb22f698>> /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:885:in componentizer'
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:230:in onReturn' Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method to_component' for #Sketchup::Group:0xb22f698>
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:885:in componentizer' /Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:230:in onReturn'
/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 5/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:885

thanks a lot!
Jörg

Chris Fullmer · 10 Apr 2009, 20:28

oh bummer. I'm sure I can put in a workaround. It might take a little while though. I'll probably need to find a version of SU 5 to install to make the testing go faster.

If I get it fixed, I'll try to remember to PM you directly too. And I'll put a note in the first post that its not currently compatible with version 5. Thanks!

Chris

joergj · 10 Apr 2009, 20:58

Chris, you don´t have to pm me, I will be on the watch . You have more important things on the list! Anyway, I can use the free version of SU 6 ore 7 to do the bending stuff.

Thank you!!!
Jörg

jeff hammond · 10 Apr 2009, 21:22

here's my issue with certain rubies.. this one included.
i understand that it probably has something to do sketchup being a polygon modeler and how its curves have segments/vertexes..

scene 4 though -- that gives me hope
bending_reup.skp
[EDIT] oops - the first one i uploaded had scene four drawn wrong (it was the same as scene 8).. it should be ok now

i hope the skp is pretty explanatory.. i think it's less confusing than the 5 paragraphs i had type up

dtrarch · 10 Apr 2009, 23:05

Chris

Whatever is needed for the original to stay put would work.
Drove me crazy until I looked at the Component pulldown.

Selective icons would be perfect

Maybe a universal script to access and integrate other's work???

An aside:
My wife heard your little one in the backgound on the video.
Mother's ears never rest.

Cheers

dtr

Chris Fullmer · 11 Apr 2009, 00:27

UPDATED v0.3 beta!

0.3 Beta:: 2009-04-10

Added a check to disable the up and down keys until the correct selections have been made.
Added more checks to make sure that the line and curve being selected are acceptable selections. Pops up messageboxes letting you know if your selection was invalid.
Now it leaves a component where the original group/component was located. It remains mostly untouched, but it might get a name change, and if its a group it gets changed to a component.

ok, a few more safety checks to help the selection process and now the original shape gets left in place.

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 11 Apr 2009, 00:34

I had accidentally uploaded my testing version. It was online for about 2 minutes. If you get an error something like "You must a single group/component before activating this plugin" when you start Sketchup, that means you got the bad copy. Just delete it and re-install with the copy that is up right now. Thanks!

Chris

Also, the idea of a universal script to control all plugin's toolbars has long been a dream of lots of people. so far it seems like a no go. I could probably get it working for just my scripts, but it would require a little bit of thinking. I know fredo has implemented something like it (plus lots more) for his scripts.

BTM · 11 Apr 2009, 03:41

You might not believe this, but on my first try, I managed to find what script was breaking it...
I don't know if it's for all versions, but I know that at least the version I have is breaking it...
(drumroll)...

SketchyPhysics3X. I still don't know which file in particular, but something in sketchyphysics seems to break the ability to toggle in your script.
... bad luck for me...

BTM · 11 Apr 2009, 03:45

The home and end keys don't seem to work either
I'll try to figure out which script might be breaking it...

The good news: when all other rubies are removed, I don't get the problem, so it MUST be another script breaking it.

Chris Fullmer · 11 Apr 2009, 04:14

Oh bummer! Well I just PM'ed Chris Phillips, we'll see if he has any thoughts about what the problem might be and if its fixable.

The alternative is to always draw the line from right to left, and if the arc is oriented the wrong direction, just cancel out of the shape bender and scale the arc manually on the red axis. Then re-run shape bender and the curve will be oriented correctly. a litle more time consuming, but its not bad.

Chris

BTM · 11 Apr 2009, 10:45

@chris fullmer said:

Oh bummer! Well I just PM'ed Chris Phillips, we'll see if he has any thoughts about what the problem might be and if its fixable.

The alternative is to always draw the line from right to left, and if the arc is oriented the wrong direction, just cancel out of the shape bender and scale the arc manually on the red axis. Then re-run shape bender and the curve will be oriented correctly. a litle more time consuming, but its not bad.

Chris

...I just move the first line to the other side of my shape. it seems to do the same thing.

gilles · 11 Apr 2009, 14:28

One word: GREAT

I attach here two files LIMON2-en.skp and LIMON3.skp.
The first one is a tuto I made for staircase stringer creation (translated by GreyHead).
The second is the same shape made with SHAPE BENDER.

The result is the same but you can imagine how much time the first one takes to do.

GREAT.
THANKS.

LIMON2-en.skp

LIMON3.skp

jeff hammond · 12 Apr 2009, 02:38

nice example of putting this ruby to use gilles.. great results and i can imagine it being one heck of a time saver.

Chris Fullmer · 12 Apr 2009, 05:43

UPDATED v0.5 beta!

You must delete the clf_chap_bender.rb in the plugins folder if you had an older version of this plugin installed.

0.5 Beta:: 2009-04-11

Added a toolbar and icon
Added new mouse pointers that sort of hint at what you should be trying to click on next
Fixed the bug where the bent shape would not appear smoothed until you double clicked on it. Should look good now immediately after bending.
Added extensions support so this plugin can be turned off through the extensions manager.
Added Progressbar.rb support. It is now required. Get it at smustard.com

The icon is not great. I'd consider replacing it in the next release if anyone feels so motivated to design a better one.

Also, this plugin now requires progressbar.

ok, thanks!

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 12 Apr 2009, 06:01

Updated - minor. v0.51 beta

Ok, thanks Jeff. I got the code in place for the Mac please test it and let me know if I got it right. I also gave the icon a transparent background so it doesn't stand out so much. Its still ugly though

And Jeff, why is your perpendicular face tool icon so tiny? That's kind of weird. It should be the normal size.

Chris