New API doc - typos and questions

Chris Fullmer · 9 May 2009, 09:27

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/view.html#zoom_extents

Does not give an example of view.zoom_extents. It gives an example of view.zoom

thomthom · 11 May 2009, 18:42

ModelObserver.onExplode
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/modelobserver.html#onExplode

The onExplode method is invoked whenever a component anywhere in this model is exploded. This is an easier way to watch explode events vs. attaching an InstanceObserver to every instance in the model.

The docs in InstanceObserver http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/instanceobserver.html doesn't mention any explode event. All though, I imagine there used to be. ModelObserver.onExplode is new to SU7, and I'm sure there was an explode related event in SU6. But it's MIA atm.

thomthom · 12 May 2009, 12:10

Face.position_material
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/face.html#position_material

Doesn't explain the difference between using 2,4,6 or 8 points.

thomthom · 13 May 2009, 12:39

Vector3d.samedirection?
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/vector3d.html#samedirection ?

@unknownuser said:

vector = Geom::Vector3d.new 0,0,1
vector2 = Geom::Vector3d.new 0,1,0
status = vector.sime_direction? vector2

thomthom · 13 May 2009, 14:24

Face.mesh
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/face.html#mesh

@unknownuser said:

The mesh method creates a polygon mesh that represents the face. See the PolygonMesh class for more information.

Valid flags are:
* 0: Include PolygonMeshPoints,
* 1: Include PolygonMeshUVQFront,
* 2: Include PolygonMeshUVQBack,
* 4: Include PolygonMeshNormals.
Add these numbers together to combine flags. A value of 5 will include all flags, for example.

No example given.

thomthom · 13 May 2009, 17:21

UVHelper.get_front_UVQ UVHelper.get_back_UVQ
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/uvhelper.html

@unknownuser said:

a Point3d containing the UV coordinates where the X value is the U value, the Y value is the V value and the Z value is a Q value (which is not used).

I does appear that the Q value is used. At least when you have a warped texture. (Texture mapped not as a rectangle or parallelogram.) See this thread for further details and sample data: http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=19041

thomthom · 13 May 2009, 17:21

And I'd also wish there was info about projected textures.

Chris Fullmer · 13 May 2009, 20:17

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/entities.html#add_curve

the .add_curve method says it returns a Curve object. It does not. It returns an array of edges.

I would prefer that it returned the curve object. But that might break the backward compatibility if other scripts have had to work around this?

Chris

Chris Fullmer · 14 May 2009, 23:24

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/webdialog.html#introduction

The Webdialog intro suggests using UI.getURL for opening a basic webpage instead of webdialogs. But there is no getURL method. It should be UI.openURL.

Jim · 19 May 2009, 21:46

UI.inspector_names and UI.show_inspector missing "EntityInfo" Dialog.


UI.inspector_names
["Materials", "Components", "Styles", "Scenes", "Shadows", "Layers", "SoftenEdges", "Outliner", "Instructor", "Fog", "MatchPhoto"]

thomthom · 20 May 2009, 06:40

Vector3d.*
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/vector3d.html#*

The example never displays the * method.

Also, for all the manual examples, such as the Vector methods: Vector3d.*, Vector3d.+, Vector3d.-, Vector3d.< It would be nice if they also said the result of the method.
Such as the .* method would then be:


vector = Geom;;Vector3d.new 1,0,0
vector2 = Geom;;Vector3d.new 0,1,0
vector3 = vector * vector2 # Returns [0,0,1]

Seeing the resulting value helps in understanding what it does.

thomthom · 20 May 2009, 17:11

Face.plane
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/face.html#plane

@unknownuser said:

The plane method is used to retrieve the plane of the face. See the Array class for information on how planes are stored.

It's unclear where this information is. I don't see it.

daiku · 20 May 2009, 18:07

@thomthom said:

Face.plane
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/face.html#plane

@unknownuser said:

The plane method is used to retrieve the plane of the face. See the Array class for information on how planes are stored.

It's unclear where this information is. I don't see it.

From the Geom module:
The plane is returned as an Array of 4 numbers which are the coefficients of the plane equation Ax + By + Cz + D = 0.

Along with this helpful tidbit:
NOTE: Lines and Planes are infinite. There are several good books on 3D math if you are new to the concepts of a line, plane, and vector.
But if you go back to your high-school geometry text book (or google "plane equation") you'll find something like this:
[a,b,c] will give a normal vector to the plane, and the normal distance from the origin is given by d / sqrt( a^2 + b^2 +c^2)

thomthom · 20 May 2009, 18:19

Ah, it referred to the wrong module.

thomthom · 20 May 2009, 19:32

Tool.onSetCursor
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/tool.html#onSetCursor

It says that it returns the view as an argument. When I do that I get an wrong number of arguments(0 for 1) error. When I leave the argument out everything works.

Another note;

@unknownuser said:

The onSetCursor method is called by SketchUp when the tool wants to set the cursor. If your tool needs to have more than one cursor, then you will need to implement this method, but if it only has one you can set the cursor in the activate method.

It says that UI.set_cursor(id) can be called from the activate method of the tool if you only have one cursor. When I try that the cursor briefly flickers then reverts back to the default arrow.

daiku · 21 May 2009, 12:53

I just want to take a second to thank Thomas for his diligence in finding and documenting these inconsistencies. It's really going to make life easier for a lot of folks. CB.

TIG · 21 May 2009, 14:58

Just noticed that 'behavior' has some typos in the examples - '.xxx =' rather than '.xxx=' ...

behavior.always_face_camera = NOT behavior.always_face_camera=
behavior.cuts_opening = NOT behavior.cuts_opening=
behavior.is2d = NOT behavior.is2d=
behavior.no_scale_mask = NOT behavior.no_scale_mask=
behavior.shadows_face_sun = NOT behavior.shadows_face_sun=
behavior.snapto = NOT behavior.snapto=

...

thomthom · 21 May 2009, 15:07

What? Whitespace matters?
I always put space between = .I believe that I used .is2d = for my doublecut plugin, and that appeared to work as expected...

TIG · 21 May 2009, 15:18

You are right in that it works... BUT the method is behavior.is2d= I thinks it's advisable to keep it like that...

thomthom · 21 May 2009, 15:25

So this is a ruby thing? That the = is part of the method name? What about other operations where you use * - + / etc?
(I'm used to languages such as Javascript, PHP, VB, C# - still getting to grips with Ruby.)