[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

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

jeff hammond · 12 Apr 2009, 06:19

sweet.
the toolbar works. thank you.

i wouldn't necessarily say the icon looks ugly.. if anything, once you use the tool, the icon describes it perfectly.

i'm not sure what's up with the tiny icon.
they look good in their regular toolbar

all three of them are tiny with the custom toolbar though and they're the only 3 i've ever seen it happen with..

BTM has perpendicular face and a mac.. i wonder if he's getting the same thing?

jeff hammond · 12 Apr 2009, 06:21

hey chris..

re: toolbar
i'm wondering if you can add some lines in the future updates for the mac users.. supposedly macs don't remember if the toolbar is on or off in the same way pcs do and the scripts need a little something to help the macs along..

i replaced line 993 with this:

case toolbar.get_last_state
    when 1
       toolbar.restore
    when -1   
       toolbar.show
    end

it's working well. i can have the toolbar off when i quit sketchup and it will stay closed upon a relaunch..

fwiw, that code might as well be chinese.. i don't understand it but it's something fredo figured out..

here's a copy of the modification for you to look at and see if there would be any problems with keeping it in the future releases.
[edit - removed link -- no longer necessary]
(with perpendicular face tools, i did the same thing at line 748 of release 1.2)

thanks

[edit] oh, two more things..

the reasoning behind this for me is that i can customize the toolbar at the top of my SU window which can contain tools that only have one icon or for toolbars which contain more icons but i really only use one or two of them. if the toolbar doesn't let me turn it off, then have have two of the same icons in different places on my screen + the small toolbars (containing 1 or 2 icons) just seem a little lonely sitting amongst the bigger toolbars.
yeah, you should get one of the icon makers around here to make some for this script and perpendicular face.. here's a screenshot of the customized toolbar:

the little tiny spec sitting between the view selections and 1001bit extrude icon is the perp.face icon ... the shape bender icon doesn't have a transparent background. i think it'd be cool to get the same person to do your whole suite just for a consistent CF look..

and yeah, i hope i'm not bumming you out with these weird little nit-picks

Daniel S · 12 Apr 2009, 12:08

oops.. this version dosen`t work for me. I have progressbar.rb
I can select the first line and the endline. But it dosen´t show the object in wireframe mode and with enter dosen´t accept... so i can´t bend.

Any idea what is happening?

Daniel S

Chris Fullmer · 12 Apr 2009, 15:27

Boy, its giving a few errors there. But it sort of looks like I might have implemented the progressbar wrong in the exploding part of the program. Could you upload a model that is not working? Thanks,

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 12 Apr 2009, 15:29

Oh, I have another idea Daniel. Do you have component spray installed? If so, make sure you have the most recent version. Here's the link:

301 Moved Permanently

(www.sketchucation.com)

Chris

Daniel S · 12 Apr 2009, 15:55

@chris fullmer said:

Oh, I have another idea Daniel. Do you have component spray installed? If so, make sure you have the most recent version. Here's the link:

301 Moved Permanently

(www.sketchucation.com)

Chris

I update the component spray plugin and now Shape Bender works fine.

Thank you,
Daniel S

EarthMover · 12 Apr 2009, 17:00

Chris, thanks so much for the work you've put into this tool. It works very similarly to the Path Deformation modifier in 3ds Max, but is much easier and quicker in SU. I used the shape bender to bend an array of bullnose pool coping and mortar joints around the shape of a pool. It worked like a charm!

xrok1 · 12 Apr 2009, 17:06

please please if its possible could the script writters who make toolbars have them floating when they first appear! i'm getting soooo tired of rearanging my messed up toolbars its just not funny anymore.

Chris Fullmer · 12 Apr 2009, 18:29

Sorry xrok, I don't think its possible. I could be wrong, and if I am, I'll fix the script to do that.

@Earthmover, that looks great! That is a good example of where the script is helpful, thanks! In some future iteration of the script, I would like it to be able to work with closed loops, like a pool outline. Then you could easily bend the tiles around in one move.

I also have some plans for a few additional utilities for this tool.

Planned Utilities:

Scale the line to be the same length as the pre-bent shape
Scale the shape to be the same length as the line
Scale both the be the same length as the curve

I see all of these as being additional icons and menu items that can be activated before beginning to bend the shape (getting them to work while the bend tool has been activated already mgiht be tricky because of the shape subdividing that happens. But it might be do-able.).

Anyhow, just some thoughts for the future of the script. Then there is also planar shape bending to try to implement.......

Chris

sepo · 12 Apr 2009, 19:39

For some reason the last version is not working for me. The plugin starts and just stays without bending it. It shows error in console and on progress bar.Attached screen.