[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

Chris Fullmer · 13 Apr 2009, 22:53

Sorry Jeff, I just don't see how its possible at all. At least, not so that it would work with any regularity on more than a small handful of objects.

But I do have a question, you say (in another post, and I'm paraphrasing) that the geometry is useless to you the way it currently is working. What are you planning on doing with the geometry after you bend it that makes it so useless?

Chris

jeff hammond · 13 Apr 2009, 23:16

i have to build it.

pretty much everything i build is curved so in that regard, SU is a weird program to work with but the segmented curves aren't a big deal as long as key intersections/joints are at vertices... unless i go insanely high poly with the drawings, i can be out 3/4" or more which just isn't an option..
also, if i'm colliding multiple curves then the resulting geometry isn't a radius or an ellipse and i have to plot points for construction... if those points aren't in the right spot, my measurements are off again..

realistically, i have ways to build this stuff without drawing it first but by working through it on a computer first, i can do it more easily on site and/or have a way to show someone on my crew to make the cuts.. it's still faster for me to spend the hour or two on the computer getting my points in the right spot than it is to build without the drawings but if i can streamline the process even more then i'm not complaining .

[add] - as far as the actual drawing goes, there are problems as well.. these shapes are just shells and i often have to continue on to figure out the framing in tricky areas.. if the planes/lines aren't where they should be, it just doesn't work out too well.

Chris Fullmer · 13 Apr 2009, 23:51

Oh yes, now I remember the kind of stuff you use SU for. I think you need an entire plugin of your own for that skateboard park type work. That is definitely well beyond the scope of what I was thinking of with shape bender, as it would require a different type of bending calculation I think. Definitely better suited for a solid modeler or something. Sorry I can't be of more help at this point Jeff,

Chris

jeff hammond · 14 Apr 2009, 02:31

@chris fullmer said:

I think you need an entire plugin of your own for that skateboard park type work.

oh man, that would be nice.. if times were better, i'd be into paying for 2-3 custom scripts.. maybe in another year or two. :hope:

@unknownuser said:

Sorry I can't be of more help at this point Jeff,

ha, your plugins have already helped immensely.. i used to have to draw stuff like this line-by-line and being able to bend things now cuts more than 1/2 the time it used to take.. don't sweat it..
you gotta realize that i know i'm asking for some weird requests that only I or maybe a handful of others would actually use ..

just in case anyone else has the need to get the lines to break like this, i put a little step-by-step together...
custom_arc_tut.skp

i actually do it a little bit different than this (esp. steps 4-6) which is a little easier/less confusing but it was harder/more confusing for me to show how i do it.. this should get the idea across though.

wolfy · 14 Apr 2009, 03:48

Chris, you are a machine!! (the good kind, of course)

Chris Fullmer · 14 Apr 2009, 03:57

Jeff, I want to emphasize a bug in the code since it might matter to you, since you are making shapes that get built. But the first and last angles might not be calculated the way you would expect - I suppose that depends on what you expect. The image shows the problem. Every sliced part of the model lines up correctly to the curve expect the two ends. That is because I am not actually finding that outer angle at this point. It is a planned improvement

So I thought you should be aware of that so that it doesn't cause you undue pain when you can't figure out why stuff is not lining up right,

Chris

jeff hammond · 14 Apr 2009, 04:53

yeah, i noticed that.. i didn't realize it was a bug though and i more/less attributed it to being like using the follow-me tool on an arc.

here's a top view showing that problem:

the workaround (and the same workaround goes for shapebender) is to make sure there is some flat before going into the bend.

followme_problem.skp

i guess if you manage to figure out how to fix your bug, pass that info along to google so they can fix follow-me

[fwiw - if you look at the skp titled bend2.skp a few posts ago, you'll see that i added the flat ends.. the flat won't affect the setup i do to get all the intersections to match up because there are no vertices on it.. if i add 4' of straight wall prior to bending, i'll also add 4' of straight line before the curve]

sepo · 14 Apr 2009, 09:41

Chris

It seems make faces makes error but makes faces nevertheless. Here is an extract from the console.

Error: #<ArgumentError: comparison of Float with nil failed>
(eval):44:in >' (eval):44:in update'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:146:in makeFaces14' C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:140:in each'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:140:in makeFaces14' C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:163 C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:163:in call'

dtrarch · 14 Apr 2009, 14:56

Chris

I'm not sure if this is the core issue, but rotating the arc to mid segment works for this simple try.

dtr

Rotated_Arc-Bend.skp

jeff hammond · 14 Apr 2009, 15:24

dtr...
the problem with doing that is it throws off all the measurements.. the SU arc is only correct at the vertices -- not the midpoints of the segments.

ideas_arte · 14 Apr 2009, 17:06

Thank you very much..!

dtrarch · 14 Apr 2009, 21:14

Jeff

Got it and thanks.

dtr

waltw · 22 Apr 2009, 14:36

Draw line on red axis, build and group a cube, draw an arc all on the same plane. Select tool.

Can't seem to get by 'please select a single line on red axis' I don't know much about ruby but thought that the following info might be pertinent??

Line 165 refers to code snippet: @line_pointer = UI.create_cursor(line_cursor_path, 15, 2)

My cursor does not change in anyway. Supposed to??

I thought there might be a conflict with other scripts so I removed them all (other than progress bar) to test - no avail.

Using XP SP3, SU7

OpenGL problem? Any suggestions as to what to tweak?

Thanks, Walt

Chris Fullmer · 22 Apr 2009, 15:54

That sounds like it did not get installed quite right. There should a file called clf_shape_bender.loader.rb in the main plugins folder. Then there should be a folder caled "clf_shape_bender" and inside that folder should exist the files:

clf_shape_bender.png
clf_shape_bender.rb
clf_shape_bender_small.png
curve_pointer.png
default_pointer.png
line_pointer.png

I'm guessing you might have ended up with everything in the main plugins folder. So manually create the clf_shape_bender folder and move all those files above into it, leaving only clf_shape_bender_loader.rb in the main plugins folders.

See if that is by chance the problem and let me know, thanks!

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 22 Apr 2009, 17:09

I gotta admit, neither of those uses crossed my mind! They look great. I'm going to a cad manager meeting and I'm doing a presentation on Dynamic Components and Ruby. I'll be sure to include that example in my presentation!

Chris

sepo · 22 Apr 2009, 17:26

Chris is there any solution to my problem yet?

Gaieus · 22 Apr 2009, 17:48

What I'd absolutely love (and don't get me wrong, Chris, this is a brilliant ruby in its kind anyway) is if the UV maps (say positioned texture and such) would keep their maps relative to the modified (bent) mesh. I.e. if the texture bent along with the mesh itself.

Example: just imagine building perfectly textured arches in seconds.

massimo · 22 Apr 2009, 18:41

Many thanks for the plugin, Chris.
It can make this...

or this!!

Chris Fullmer · 22 Apr 2009, 23:42

Hi Sepo, thanks for reminding me. At this point, no, I've got nothing for that. It is odd that its the same error that most people get when they have a conflicting script. But you said you unloaded all other scripts and the problem persisted, right?

sepo · 23 Apr 2009, 15:24

Yes that is correct. I have installed it my quad desktop with vista and it is really fine. I have also loaded it up on my laptop xp and it fine. It is only on this xp desktop which is making error. I can't work out why. I will go again through the plugins, but these are the same ones which I have on the laptop. I must point out the first version worked fine on the xp desktop . It is the last version I have problem with. It seems it has something to do with progress.rb but I do not know where to look. BTW plugin is awesome and I see much more use for it than simple bending. Using form to do transformations seems to give a lot of possibilities.