How to use Ruby API

[TIG]

This makes a 'list' called faces of all of the faces inside the group...

faces=[] 
### *** note how the list must be defined outside of the {...} block
group.entities.each{|e|faces<<e if e.class==Sketchup;;Face}

This approach can be adjusted to suit any type of 'entities' list and any type of 'class' of thing you want to extract from it - faces, edges, cpoints, clines, text...
Then of course you can loop through you faces for say a particular material (or any other property)...

red_faces=[] ### ***
faces.each{|f|red_faces<<f if f.material.name=="Red"}

red_faces now contains all of the group's faces that are "Red" etc etc...

PS: Note that the .entities method returns all of the entities associated with the specified object - i.e. model/group/definition... There is another list of entities: model.active_entities that applies to the current set of entities available in the present edit session - this could equivalent ot the model.entities or if you are editing a group or component-definition the available entities within that - e.g. group.entities...

[honoluludesktop]

OK, I put:

   if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
       name=e.definition.name#e.typename
       faces=e.definition.entities
       WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)
   end

And:

  
def WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)# procedure or method
   faces.each do |e|
     info = e.typename
     if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
       UI.messagebox(name+"; "+info)
     end #endif
   end #end do
end #end method

So, you declare a array=[], but a collection (something like an array) makes itself?
OK, how do I make a collection of the geometric imformation inside each face so that I can access it later? Wild guess to start below:

  
def WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)# procedure or method
   faces.each do |e| #why do we use e; can I use f?
     info = e.typename
     if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face

        facegeo=e.something #get face geo collection goes here?

     end #endif
   end #end do
end #end method

[TIG]

@honoluludesktop said:

OK, I put:

I USE CAPITALS FOR EASE OF READING ONLY !!!

>    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
>        name=e.definition.name#e.typename### NAME IS THE 'NAME' - LIKE 'BED' TYPENAME IS THE CLASS/KIND_OF ETC
>        faces=e.definition.entities### THERE WILL BE MORE THAN FACES IN ENTITIES - AT LEAST EDGES TO FORM THE FACES
>        WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)### IF YOU WANT TO PASS THE DEFINITION THEN PASS E.DEFINITION NOT ITS 'NAME'
>        ### REMEMBER THAT 'FACES' IS 'ENTITIES' THAT WILL INCLUDE FACES BUT NOT JUST FACES ALONE...
>    end
> 

And:

  
> ### START DEF WITH lowercase LETTERS !!! wmy_putdxf etc
> ### THIS GETS YOU NOTHING EXCEPT A MESSAGE LISTING THE DEF'S NAME AND EACH FACE IN TURN...
> def WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)# procedure or method
>    faces.each do |e|
>      info = e.typename
>      if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
>        UI.messagebox(name+"; "+info)
>      end #endif
>    end #end do
> end #end method
> 

So, you declare a array=[], but a collection (something like an array) makes itself?
AN ARRAY FACES=[] IS A LIST
OK, how do I make a collection of the geometric imformation inside each face so that I can access it later? Wild guess to start below:

  ### REMEMBER THE lowercase LETTERS TA THE START
> def WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)# procedure or method
>    faces.each do |e| #why do we use e; can I use f? ### CAN USE ANY VARIBALE 'E' IS OFTEN USED FOR 'EntitY'
>      info = e.typename
>      if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
> 
>         facegeo=e.something #get face geo collection goes here?
> 
>      end #endif
>    end #end do
> end #end method
> 

HERE IS MY GET FACE VERSION...

if object.class==Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
  faces=[]
  object.definition.entities.each{|entity|
    faces<< entity if entity.class==Sketchup;;Face
  }
  ### now do stuff to these faces...
end#if

Done with sub-defs or anything... Tests if the object is an Instance and if so make an Array [list] of its Definition's Entities' Faces to process...

[honoluludesktop]

Thanks guys. Will work on this later tonight after I get home. About the lowercase, if the def is inside a module, will it make a difference?

This runs ok on my system:

require 'sketchup.rb'
 
module WMY_putdxf
 
  def WMY_putdxf.main
 
    model = Sketchup.active_model # make db of active model
	entities = model.active_entities
    selection = model.selection # make db of selections
	
   if model.selection.empty? 
       entities = model.active_entities    
   else 
      entities = model.selection    
   end
	 
 	# test if selection made
    entities.each do |e| # do loop through database and place entities in type array
	    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
			#comp_file_name=e.definition.name
			name=e.definition.name#e.typename
			faces=e.definition.entities
			WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)
		end
	end
 
  end # .main method
  
  def WMY_putdxf.get_faces(name,faces)# procedure or method

	faces.each do |e|
	   info = e.typename
	   if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
			UI.messagebox(name+"; "+info)
	   end #ednif
	end #end do
    
  end
     
end # WMY_putdxf module
  
#----------------menu------------------
if !file_loaded?(__FILE__) #_FILE_  permits renaming the file
  UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("Yet Another Test") { WMY_putdxf.main }
end
 
file_loaded(__FILE__)

But with WMY_ as wmy_ this error message:

Error Loading File yet_another_script.rb
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GO2494~1/Plugins/yet_another_script.rb:3: class/module name must be CONSTANT

Sorry for the uneven indenting, when I copy from notepad++ and paste, the indent spacing changes.

[Chris Fullmer]

module names always must start with a capital letter. methods do not start with a cap. Classes start with a cap. That is the basic rule. Constants are variables that start with a capital letter, and should remain constant - like Pi.

Chris

[thomthom]

@chris fullmer said:

module names always must start with a capital letter. methods do not start with a cap. Classes start with a cap. That is the basic rule. Constants are variables that start with a capital letter, and should remain constant - like Pi.

Chris

Normal convention is to type constants in all caps.

[TIG]

Sorry for the confusion - I didn't realise there was an enclosing module / class. They need initial CAPITAL letter; whereas defs and variables need lowercase. Consonants ion caps e.g. ORIGIN...

[honoluludesktop]

OK I am stuck again. Problem is with the last box of code below:

This is the main proc, methods below are at the bottom of the code in this section:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
selection = model.selection

if model.selection.empty?
  entities = model.active_entities
else
  entities = model.selection
end

entities.each do |e|
  if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
    the_name=e.definition.name
    stuff=e.definition.entities
    counter=0
    faces=[]
    stuff.each do |e|
      if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
        counter=counter+1
        faces.push e
      end ###if
    end ###loop
    points=[]
    add_face_vert_to_file(faces,points)
    make_comp_face_file(the_name,faces,counter,model,points)
  end ###if
end ###loop

Method to make a collection of face.vertices

###make vertices file of faces in component
def add_face_vert_to_file(faces,points)
  faces.each do |e|
    points.push e.vertices
  end ###end loop
end

Method to make empty text file, then (where I fail) to take the face.vertices and copy them as string to the text file.

###create file ComponentName.txt
def make_comp_face_file(the_name,faces,counter,model,points)
  the_line=the_name+" ",counter," faces"
  UI.messagebox(the_line)
  model_filename = File.basename(model.path)
  path=File.dirname(model.path)+"\\"
  out_name=the_name+".txt"
  out_path=path+out_name
  $mesh_file=File.new(out_path,"w")

  #HERE is problem code. How do I take the collection
  #of face.vertices and copy as strings to the text file.
  points.each do |e|
    $mesh_file.puts(e.x.to_s)
    $mesh_file.puts(e.y.to_s)
    $mesh_file.puts(e.z.to_s)
  end ###loop
end

Am writing with the Web Console, and having some problems. Saving seems to drop characters, and the indents are gone. Any ideas?

[TIG]

points.each do |e|
    $mesh_file.puts(e.x.to_s)
    $mesh_file.puts(e.y.to_s)
    $mesh_file.puts(e.z.to_s)
end ###loop

Adds x/y/z into file on separate lines...
to test if it's at least getting the points values use plain puts so it appears in the console

points.each do |e|
    puts(e.x.to_s)
    puts(e.y.to_s)
    puts(e.z.to_s)
end ###loop

To write an xyz line use

points.each do |e|
    $mesh_file.puts(e.x.to_s+","+e.y.to_s+","+e.z.to_s)
end ###loop

Does

$mesh_file=File.new(out_path,"w")

actually make the file ?
You need to open the file for writing AND then close it after you are done writing to it.

$mesh_file.close

perhaps it's still open and so a second [separate] attempt to write to it fails...

[Chris Fullmer]

@thomthom said:

Normal convention is to type constants in all caps.

Oh yeah! I rarely intialize them. Thanks Thom,

Chris

[honoluludesktop]

TIG, Just got up, and finished reading at your post. Thanks I think I understand, and have a lot to work with.

$mesh_file=File.new(out_path,"w")

Made a 0 byte file that I can see in "My Computer". I assumed it was open, guess it wasn't:-). Looks like a lot of stuff to work on later today. Good advice about using "puts" to check output. I use the messagebox a lot but that is slow.

puts(e.x.to_s) prints Sketchup::Vertex:0xea24668 ?-(, Crossed this bridge once before, but don't recall how to get output as a number.

[Chris Fullmer]

puts(e.x.to_s) should return a numerical "x" position if e is a Point3d object. if e is a vertex, it should return an error. If e is a vertex, you can do e.position.x and that will return the x position of the vertex.

That sounded confusing to me. A few more lines of your code and I could give a slightly more complete example.

Great job so far!

Chris

[honoluludesktop]

"oops: - I" A little slow this morning, didn't get it until now. Thanks guys, lets see how far I can get with what I have before I, OOPS:-(, need help getting off the floor. Might not take too long.

Tig, I can now open, write to, and close files:-)

Chris above here is where I stumbled on the code.

It occurred to me that a "method", a "function" in other languages (I missed this one), was in my day know as a "procedure", having evolved from a "[C}all". Before this I did a Basic "sub routine", itself born out of "jump xxxx:xxxx, where xxxx:xxxx began a set of instruction that ended in "return". Before "Buddha" it was all 1111's and 0000's

[honoluludesktop]

Help! How do I get a number that repersents the location of a face vertices? The following is setup for Web Console. When I output to UI.messagebox(e.vertices), I get:

#Sketchup::Vertex:0xfc83800#Sketchup::Vertex:0xfc837e8#Sketchup::Vertex:0xfc837d0

The main proc is at the bottom, and the methods are above it.

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
selection = model.selection

### Test is selection made
if model.selection.empty?
  entities = model.active_entities
else
  entities = model.selection
end

###create file ComponentName.txt
def make_comp_face_file(the_name,faces,counter,model)
  the_line=the_name+" ",counter," faces"
  UI.messagebox(the_line)
  model_filename = File.basename(model.path)
  path=File.dirname(model.path)+"\\"
  out_name=the_name+".txt"
  out_path=path+out_name
end

###make vertices collection of faces in component
def add_face_vertices_collect(faces,points)
  faces.each do |e|
    points.push e.outer_loop
  end ### loop
end

###make 3dpoint from vertex HELP HERE!!!! I think
def print_vertices_collect(points)
  points.each do |e|
    UI.messagebox(e.vertices)       ###puts to test will be 
    ###$points_file.puts(e.vertices)###put here when works
  end
end

###Get su;;component collection
entities.each do |e|
  if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
    the_name=e.definition.name
    stuff=e.definition.entities
    faces=[]
    counter=0
    ###Locate faces in each component and make faces collection
    stuff.each do |e|
	if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
	  counter=counter+1
	  faces.push e
	end ###if
    end ###loop
    make_comp_face_file(the_name,faces,counter,model)####Have to
    points=[]
    add_face_vertices_collect(faces,points)          ####nest these
    print_vertices_collect(points)                   ####later
    $points_file.close
  end ###if
end ###loop

[Jim]

The Vertex entity has a position.

point = vertex.position

The position will be relative to parent container, and not relative the SketchUp axes.

[TIG]

### points>>>vertices
vertices.each do |vertex|
  $points_file.puts(vertex.vertices.point.to_a)
  ### FILE of VERTICES POINTS AS AN ARRAY ONE PER LINE...
end

[honoluludesktop]

Hi guys, Thanks for your help. I stumbled on e.vertices.x.position after starting over. Now how do I read the SU Ruby API to make this easier to understand?-(

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
selection = model.selection

if model.selection.empty?
	entities = model.active_entities
else
	entities = model.selection
end

entities.each do |e|
	if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
		ci_name=e.definition.name
		#UI.messagebox(ci_name)
		ci_collection=e.definition.entities
		#UI.messagebox(ci_collection)
		ci_collection.each do |e|
			ci_faces_collection=[]
			if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
				ci_faces_collection.push e
				ci_faces_collection.each do |e|
					faces_vertices_collection=[]
					if e.vertices
						faces_vertices_collection.push e
						puts(e.vertices.x.position)
					end
				end
			end
		end
	end 
end

[TIG]

Edges, Loops, Curves, Faces, etc have vertices and those vertices have a position vertices.position (i.e. a point)
points have x/y/z values vertices.position.x
DON'T muddle them up!

[honoluludesktop]

OK, so how do I get the coordinate values for each vertex on each face.vertices? I think I understand vertex.position, and face.vertices, but how do I get a collection of vertex for each vertices.

Can't be impossible, can it?

[Chris Fullmer]

look at the Face.vertices here:

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

it says what it returns - an array of vertx objects. So to get positions for all those vertices, you need to loop through that array. Something like this:

` vert_array = my_face.vertices
position_array = []
x_position_array = []

vert_array.each do |v|
position_array << v.position
x_position_array << v.position.x
end`