New API doc - typos and questions

thomthom

Sketchup.read_default
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/sketchup.html#read_default

True if successful, false if unsuccessful.

Surely it would return the value being accessed?

Dan Rathbun

Sketchup.read_default
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/sketchup.html#read_default

True if successful, false if unsuccessful.
Surely it would return the value being accessed?

Verified!
Sketchup.read_default('Preferences','SnapAngle') returns 15.0
[My current setting; which happens in this case to be class Float.]

The API doc is vague about the default argument. The definition should read (as things work now):
"(optional) A value to return, if the variable is not found or empty."
[The way it is written, I read it as being a value to write into the registry.]

The lack of error checking in this method, can easily create false Resistry Keys.
Example: if you misspell the key (section on the Mac,)... ie:
[note misspelled 'Preferences']:
Sketchup.read_default('Prefer ances','SnapAngle')
... the method creates a new 'Preferances' key, with nothing under this new WORTHLESS key. (No Valuename, no value.) The method then just returns nil. [On Win32, we must manually use the Registry Editor to get rid of this junk!]

If the key is correct, but the Valuename is wrong (or does not exist,) the method just returns nil, [again,] or the default ReturnValue.

If the the Key is correct, AND the Valuname is correct, but the Value is empty, the method returns nil, [once again,] or the default ReturnValue.

So we have 3 situations in which the method can return nil, and no way thru the SU API to tell what the situation is. [yes we can use one of the full ruby Win32 Registry modules, and I may begin doing this.]

A fourth situation, is if the value is an empty string, (ie '' or "" are stored in the registry value the method just returns the empty string (and NOT nil.) The return class of the method is string in this case.
This can happen if you use Sketchup.write_default( key, valuename, ""), but its not necessary as each value in the registry has a type, and strings don't need delimiters.
We should use instead Sketchup.write_default( key, valuename, nil) to clear a string value in the registry.

I would propose a change to this method...

(1 as is.) IF everything exists, it works OK, and the value is returned.

(2 as is.) If (the Key exists, AND the Valuename exists,) AND the value is empty, then the method should return NIL without a default Return Value (3rd parameter,) OR the 3rd parameter if given.

(3) If the EITHER the Key OR the Valuename do NOT exist, then the method should raise an exception similar to a hash index error, viz:
Error in myprog.rb:22:in `Sketchup.read_default': key not found (IndexError) ...

Then (reference methods for Hash class):
CREATEseveral new boolean methods similar to Hash.has_key?, Hash.has_value? and Hash.empty? so the programmer can decide in their RESCUE block what action to perform;

I'd envision these boolean methods to be named similar to:
Sketchup.default_empty?
Sketchup.default_has_key? (perhaps with a Mac alias .default_has_section? for plist files)
Sketchup.default_has_valuename? (perhaps a Mac alias .default_has_variable? for plist files)

.
Thoughts?

Dan Rathbun

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

@unknownuser said:

Valid flags are:

[condensed: 0, 1, 2, 4 ]

Add these numbers together to combine flags. A value of **5** will include all flags, for example.

I seem to get 7 (as shown in the example,) when I add all the flags.

thomthom

Some of the methods to access toolbars needs clarification.

UI.set_toolbar_visible UI.toolbar_names UI.toolbar_visible?
These only works on the native Sketchup toolbars. And UI.toolbar_names doesn't list all native toolbars.

UI.toolbar is used to return Ruby toolbars. But (!) it will never fail if you try to refer to a non-existent toolbar - it will create a new one. Have not found a way to detect if a Ruby toolbar exists or not.

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=21156

thomthom

View.draw2d
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/view.html#draw2d

In order to draw lines with an odd number thicksness without looking "fuzzy" - then you need to specify .5 to all numbers. This is because the points makes up the centre line so the points for odd numbered thickness must then lie in the middle of the pixel.

thomthom

UI.inputbox
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/ui.html#inputbox

It should be noted that the default value types you pass to the input box controls the return types.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=23288&p=197300#p197298

thomthom

http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/releases.html
The release notes says:

@unknownuser said:

Cleaner, hash-based syntax for initializing

But there's nowhere any example of what the hash should look like, keys etc.

Jim

Thom, you are right it needs to be documented.

This is from the webtextures_loader.rb. The constants are defined a little earlier in the code, but this gives some idea about the keys:


 # Create our dialog.
    keys = {
      ;dialog_title => title,
      ;scrollable => false,
      ;preferences_key => WT_DIALOG_REGISTRY_KEY,
      ;height => WT_DIALOG_HEIGHT,
      ;width => WT_DIALOG_WIDTH,
      ;left => WT_DIALOG_X,
      ;top => WT_DIALOG_Y,
      ;resizable => true,
      ;mac_only_use_nswindow => true}
    @dialog = UI;;WebDialog.new(keys)

thomthom

Thanks Jim. Would probably be able to guess most - but...

What's unexpected there is :mac_only_use_nswindow - Same as WebDialog.navigation_buttons_enabled?

Dan Rathbun

@thomthom said:

What's unexpected there is :mac_only_use_nswindow - Same as WebDialog.navigation_buttons_enabled?

Isn't 'nswindow' a base Cocoa (or Carbon) window class?

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

@thomthom said:

What's unexpected there is :mac_only_use_nswindow - Same as WebDialog.navigation_buttons_enabled?

Isn't 'nswindow' a base Cocoa (or Carbon) window class?

hm... I Googled 'mac nswindow' seems that you might be onto something.
http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ApplicationKit/Classes/NSWindow_Class/Reference/Reference.html

Does it give any visible difference when it's set to true as oppose to false?

Dan Rathbun

@thomthom said:

Does it give any visible difference when it's set to true as oppose to false?

I don't know. I don't have an Apple machine. [..wish I could install OSX of my 686 clone for devlopment. XCode looks like a neat IDE.] There are so many attributes, methods, etc. there it's hard to guess what the SU API is refering to.

thomthom

Edge.reversed_in?
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/edge.html#reversed_in?
The reversed_in? method is used to determine if the EdgeUse object is traversed in the corresponding direction as its corresponding edge.

Apart from the EdgeUse typo - what does the method really do. I don't understand at all from the description what it does.

TIG

@thomthom said:

Edge.reversed_in?
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/edge.html#reversed_in?
The reversed_in? method is used to determine if the EdgeUse object is traversed in the corresponding direction as its corresponding edge.

Apart from the EdgeUse typo - what does the method really do. I don't understand at all from the description what it does.

I use it in my 'orient faces' method - although I agree that it all seems pretty arcane and badly explained. If an edge is reversed in a face it is going contrary to that face's logical loop direction. If you test an edge belonging to a selected face and that edge has that face face plus another one that both return as being either reversed or not-reversed then you know that this other face has the same 'orientation' as the selected face: if the other face has the opposite 'reversed-ness' to the selected face then it needs to be flipped over (reversed) so it orients the same way as the selected face...

thomthom

There's a logical orientation of the loops?

TIG

@thomthom said:

There's a logical orientation of the loops?

If you get a set of vertices for a face's loop it's always listed as an ordered array: it will be rotating 'counter-clockwise' to the face's normal if it's an external loop, or 'clockwise' if it's an internal loop... If an edge's start/end vertices break this 'rule' I think it's said to be 'reversed in the face' ? That is the order of the edge's vertices don't follow the loops 'handed-ness' so are flagged thus...

jarl

@unknownuser said:

Your help in finding typos/missing details are very welcome!

On http://code.google.com/intl/da/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/point3d.html#+ it says that the argument is a Point3d, but it should say a Vector3d.

Jarl

thomthom

Geom;;Point3d.new(10,10,10) + Geom;;Point3d.new(20,20,20)
Error; #<ArgumentError; (eval);261;in `+'; Cannot convert argument to Sketchup;;Vector3d>
(eval);261

TIG

@jarl said:

@unknownuser said:

Your help in finding typos/missing details are very welcome!

On http://code.google.com/intl/da/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/point3d.html#+ it says that the argument is a Point3d, but it should say a Vector3d.

Jarl

If you add two pointstogether it returns a vector (or another point if it's taken as an array) ?

thomthom

Color
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/color.html

When creating a Color object you can specify an alpha value. Not mentioned in the examples.

Color.new
http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/color.html#new
The way the arguments are presented now it looks like they are all equal, but it's actually wither RGB(A) values or a String. It also takes Hex, array with Integers or Floats.

Oddly enough, you can do: Sketchup::Color.new(128) and get a Red-ish color. But not Sketchup::Color.new(128, 255) - where it will throw an error saying at least 3 values are required. So if you can specify 1, 3 or 4 values for the RGBA combination.