SketchUp RUBY API Wishlist [way of coding wishes, please]

[jadema]

How about a method to refresh the SketchUp display when executing long scripts? Today the interface looks like it is frozen when you change focus to another window and then back to SketchUp. The display gets refreshed only when the script completes or a dialog box that requires user input is displayed.

[Matt666]

Hi all!
To have possiblity to call a tool by its ID, with function Sketchup.send_action.
For example :

Sketchup.send_action 21022

It works great on PC. On Mac, it returns this bug below in the console :
@unknownuser said:

Error: #<TypeError: can't convert Fixnum into String>

[iceman]

Let me add my two cents. I've only been using the API for a couple of days now, and I can see that dimensions aren't accessible from it. This would be very important to me. I can see it's been requested a couple of times already...

Thanks for such a great tool.

Just thought of another one. Last night I tried to create a script to let me control the camera like you would in a video game: WASD and mouselook. Turns out that key press events are consumed by shortcuts before they can get to a script. Also, you can't copy the shortcut keys, change them temporarily while your tool is running, and then restore them when it's deactivated. A way around this would be nice. I know the walk tool lets you use the arrow keys, but it would be nice to a) be able to change those keys and b) use mouse look at the same time

[TIG]

@iceman said:

I've only been using the API for a couple of days now, and I can see that dimensions aren't accessible from it.

You can work-around this dimensions_not_being_API_accessible issue...
Make a component-dimension one_unit long and save it
In the script insert it at the first picked point, then transfoem it...
Rotate it to the angle given by the second picked point and scale it in its X to match the distance_between_the_two_points : one_unit
The dimension numbers should change to match, which the ticks and leaders remain fixed.
You could have a third picked point to locate the text and scale it in the Y to suit ?
You could then explode that instance if appropriate...

[JClements]

If its not going to be part of the core program, then a way to export as a Flash Animations.

A means to use object tweening within a scene or between scenes [ie., apply a name to a group ie., Object1<TweenBegin> in Scene1, and on Scene2 place a copy of that object with a name of Object1<TweenEnd> ]. Any transformations to Ojbect1<TweenEnd> such a scale, position, and rotation would be tweened between Scene1 and Scene2 at whatever frame rate the user designate to the properties of objectname<TeenEnd>.

[billbell52]

Maybe I am thinking about this wrong but I think a good idea is to develop a rubygem that exposes the SketchUp Ruby API to a standard ruby install. You can continue to develop the embedded Ruby capability but a lot of existing Ruby capability/code/gems can be put to immediate use. The relieves the pressure to urgently add capability that exists someplace else. For example I may want to couple SketchUp to a RubyOnRails environment. I don't expect you to embed ROR into SketchUp. I would have the capability of doing it on my own if I could access the Ruby API from a standard Ruby install.

Also, as I understand the Sketchup Ruby API is based on 1.8.0. Exposing the Ruby API to an external Ruby environment would allow users to use a more current release.

Does this make any sense?

[buk2noy]

@daiku said:

This is music to my ears, Scott. Here's another vote for ruby control of dimension objects. CB.

nice post!
ok, how about this my officemate send me a cad file to be SU, problem is when i import them to SU the lines in 2d are not they seem to be.. they are in different axis can SU place it in one axis,

(is this an existing ruby script?
if so kindly send to me)

[trottolino]

@jadema said:

How about a method to refresh the SketchUp display when executing long scripts? Today the interface looks like it is frozen when you change focus to another window and then back to SketchUp. The display gets refreshed only when the script completes or a dialog box that requires user input is displayed.

I'm experiencing the same problem with a routine that generates thousands of faces. The calculation is sometimes very long, but with the screen locked is impossible to understand the percentage of completion and when the calculation will end.
You have found a solution in the meantime?

[mpowell1234567890]

I have a SketchUp RUBY API Wishlist:

1. A ruby script that coverts multiple lines to 1 whole line.
2. A ruby script that speeds up shadow rendering.
3. A ruby script that ables a follow-me tool to cross multiple lines "For example: a cross using any shape"
4. A ruby script that Measures a volume of a model in Gallons, Liters etc..

[remus]

@mpowell1234567890 said:

I have a SketchUp RUBY API Wishlist:

1. A ruby script that coverts multiple lines to 1 whole line.

Have a look at weld.rb http://www.smustard.com/script/Weld

@unknownuser said:

2. A ruby script that speeds up shadow rendering.

That would need to happen in the core SU code i.e. google needs to do that.

@unknownuser said:

3. A ruby script that ables a follow-me tool to cross multiple lines "For example: a cross using any shape"

Hard to know what you mean without more details. Could you post a pic in a new thread?

@unknownuser said:

4. A ruby script that Measures a volume of a model in Gallons, Liters etc..

There are a couple of volume scripts out there at the moment. Id guess it would be a fairly simple task to convert their output to litres/gallons. This would be a good place to start: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=3188

p.s. I think this thread is meant more for wishes regarding the ruby API itself, rather than individual scripts.

[TIG]

My Volume scripts already let you select the results in gallons [US and UK] and litres as well as most other volume units...

[thomthom]

Being able to set Layer colour.

[thomthom]

• Being able to set Material name.
• Being able to delete materials.
• Being able to delete ComponentDefinitions

[TIG]

You can delete a definition's instances and then that individual definition from the component-browser thus:

model.start_operation("Delete Instances and Definition")
  definition.instances.each{|instance|instance.erase! if instance.valid?}
  # this 1st step is optional since all instance become nil anyway when the definition is emptied
  definition.entities.erase_entities(definition.entities.to_a)
model.commit_operation

Assumes you have set model and definition... It empties a definition and therefore it disappears off the browser listing. It must be inside an operation to work.

PS: You can delete a material BUT it's pretty convoluted. I'll publish a script for it shortly...

[thomthom]

I've not had 100% success with deleting definitions like that. I seemed to run into bugsplats. But I'll do new tests.

As for materials, I seen how V-Ray for Sketchup renames and deletes materials:
Deleting: iterate the whole model and remove the material - then apply unused materials to dummy groups and purge.

Rename: Create new material identical to old with new name - iterate and replace the old material with new. Then run the Delete method.

Ugly hacks which I'd rather not use. When model grows in size this just bogs down.

[TIG]

I've also made the equivalent layer.delete method here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=166985#p166985 ...

[TIG]

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=166978#p166978 has material.delete method - I've streamlined it as much as possible ???

[TIG]

I've also made a material.name="new_name" method here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=167219#p167219 ...

[TIG]

material.name="new_name" method now v1.1 - here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=167219#p167219
Temp folder fixed for Mac users...

[narongwit12]

Be able to track the shadow area on each face. This could make the calculation of shading possible for energy simulation.