New API doc - typos and questions

thomthom

Animation
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/animation.html

The first example on that page:


     # This is an example of a simple animation that floats the camera up to
     # a z position of 200". The only required method for an animation is
     # nextFrame. It is called whenever you need to show the next frame of
     # the animation. If nextFrame returns false, the animation will stop.
     class FloatUpAnimation
       def nextFrame(view)
         new_eye = view.camera.eye
         new_eye.z = new_eye.z + 1.0
         view.camera.set(new_eye, view.camera.target, view.camera.up)
         view.show_frame
         return new_eye.z < 500.0
       end
     end

     # This adds an item to the Camera menu to activate our custom animation.
     UI.menu("Camera").add_item("Run Float Up Animation") {
       Sketchup.active_model.active_view.animation = FloatUpAnimation.new
     }

It makes a class named FloatUpAnimation, but no mention of Animation. A bit confusing.
Is it like the Observers?
Should it say class FloatUpAnimation < Animation

scottlininger

It is like observers. It doesn't actually have to be a subclass to work. Any object that replies to the nextFrame callback can be used as an animation.

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

It is like observers. It doesn't actually have to be a subclass to work. Any object that replies to the nextFrame callback can be used as an animation.

Isn't observer like that as well? I realised once that I had used the wrong observer class as a base, but the observer still worked.

scottlininger

@thomthom said:

@unknownuser said:

It is like observers. It doesn't actually have to be a subclass to work. Any object that replies to the nextFrame callback can be used as an animation.

Isn't observer like that as well? I realised once that I had used the wrong observer class as a base, but the observer still worked.

Yes, that's how observers are as well.

thomthom

How much of this thread have you processed Scott?
I think I'm loosing track of what I have reported.

scottlininger

@thomthom said:

How much of this thread have you processed Scott?
I think I'm loosing track of what I have reported.

I have a lot of catch up to do. I have a paper copy here that I've marked as I update. I'll remerge that back into the forum soon.

designforlife

A small thing, just noticed a typo that I don't think is already covered. The entry for EntityObserver.onChangeEntity method states:

@unknownuser said:

The onEraseEntity method is invoked when your entity is modified.

Mike

thomthom

Scott: I think it's worth to also add some notes on the observers that aren't working. Especially those that seem to cause bugsplats. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=20676

cjthompson

I'm not sure if you've caught this yet, but transformation.xaxis, yaxis, and zaxis return vectors, not points.

thomthom

The Model collection some times doesn't list all the materials when you call .each on it.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=21243

thomthom

WebDialog.new
See Martin's post: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=21502

MartinRinehart

The following was agreed, in http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=21502 to correctly document WebDialog.new.

Alternate to the API docs, with help. This is for PC:

title - string - This text will appear in the title bar of your WebDialog

scrollable - boolean - This is a NOP. You get scrollbars, regardless. Workaround: <body scroll=no>.

key - string - If this is nil or an empty string, your dialog's size/location is stored in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Google/SketchUp7/WebDialog_". You should definitely include here the name of your Ruby, which will be concatenated:
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Google/SketchUp7/WebDialog_MyRuby"

width, height, left, top - integers - size/location, in pixels, of the first appearance of your WebDialog. All subsequent appearances will be taken from the registry entry.

resizeable - boolean - if false, your user cannot resize the dialog. Defaults to true, if omitted.

tomasz

class ShadowInfo

ShadowTime_time_t
SunRise_time_t
SunSet_time_t
TZOffset
UseSunForAllShading

Those keys are not mentioned/explained in the documentation.

MartinRinehart

Topic: WebDialog.new

The second parameter, scrollbars, appears to be operational on the Mac. PCs get scrollbars, regardless.

Jim

Just a general request for the API docs. When viewing a method which references another class, would it be possible to link to that class? For example, you are the viewing Model.bounds description - it would be nice to be able to jump right to the BoundingBox class.

Thanks.

Jim

I wonder if we should lock this list and start a new one for 7.1?

thomthom

@jim said:

I wonder if we should lock this list and start a new one for 7.1?

Maybe once Scott has updated the docs first?

thomthom

Entity.typename
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/entity.html#typename

I think it's worth noting here that .typename comparison is slow and should be avoided if possible. Ref: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=19576&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p166340
.typename is required if you need to identify entity types that don't have ruby API classes, such as DimensionLinear, DimensionRadial and Polyline3d. And if you scan for these that you check for entities of class DrawingElement before you do a .typename comaprison.

tomasz

"DisplayColorbyLayer" key of RenderinOptions should read "DisplayColorByLayer"

NewOne

@unknownuser said:

"DisplayColorbyLayer" key of RenderinOptions should read "DisplayColorByLayer"

What's wrong with Colorby Layer ?