Best way to delete entities

[xiobus]

Anyone know the best way to delete all the entities except for one layer? I also noticed when you do a foreach entity delete it does not remove them all here is the code

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
entities.each { | entity| entities.erase_entities entity }

[thomthom]

To delete one entity: use Entity.erase!

entity = Sketchup.active_model.active_entities[0] entity.erase!

To delete multiple:
model = Sketchup.active_model entities = model.active_entities model.active_entities.erase_entities entities

The reason you find, in your example, the only only delete some, is that you iterate the same collection of entities you erase from. So the indexes reshuffles without the .each method adjusting for it.
To make it work, use the array of the Entities collection:
model = Sketchup.active_model entities = model.active_entities entities.to_a.each { | entity| entity.erase! }
this way you are working on a array copy of the entities collection which isn't affected when you erase entities. But when erasing multiple entities, use the previous example: Entities.erase_entities

[daiku]

Thom is correct. It's a Ruby No-no to delete items from a container as you iterate through them.

[fredo6]

@xiobus said:

Anyone know the best way to delete all the entities except for one layer? I also noticed when you do a foreach entity delete it does not remove them all here is the code

model = Sketchup.active_model
> entities = model.active_entities
> entities.each { | entity| entities.erase_entities entity }

You could take inspiration of the following code snippet

model = Sketchup.active_model
lst_del = model.entities.find_all { |e| e.layer != my_layer_to_keep }
model.entities.erase_entities lst_del

Be careful with that code, because the code is really 'destructive'.

Note that it only check layer at first level. If there is a component or group at first level, which contains some geometry put on your leyer-to-keep, then it will be erased. To overcome this, you would have to loop on all components and groups in the model (there's no API method to get the list of entities on a given layer).

Fredo

[MartinRinehart]

@unknownuser said:

If there is a component or group at first level, which contains some geometry put on your leyer-to-keep, then it will be erased.

As recursive code is fun, I was going to write something to solve this problem, but I thought better of it. Can anyone suggest an example of a sensible model that does not keep groups/components on a single layer with their entities?

[TIG]

@martinrinehart said:

@unknownuser said:

If there is a component or group at first level, which contains some geometry put on your leyer-to-keep, then it will be erased.

As recursive code is fun, I was going to write something to solve this problem, but I thought better of it. Can anyone suggest an example of a sensible model that does not keep groups/components on a single layer with their entities?

Almost all 'properly' structured models have ALL base geometry on 'Layer0' and their containers - Groups or Component Instances - put on specific layers - so a group with its contents on different a layer id the NORM rather than the exception ?
The only time you move base geometry onto a layer other than the Default [Layer0 et al] is if you are doing something complex like showing hiding bits in Scenes...

[daiku]

Almost all 'properly' structured models have ALL base geometry on 'Layer0'...[/quote]

I agree. Is there a ruby out there that will "sanitize" you model to enforce this "rule"? It would ignore groups and comps, but any base geometry would be moced to layer0. CB.

[Jim]

Hi Clark,

There is such a plugin here:

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=7638&hilit=default+layer

[daiku]

Excellent. Thanks Tig.

[TIG]

@daiku said:

Almost all 'properly' structured models have ALL base geometry on 'Layer0'...

I agree.
@unknownuser said:

Is there a ruby out there that will "sanitize" you model to enforce this "rule"? It would ignore groups and comps, but any base geometry would be moced to layer0. CB.

See this: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=115749#p115749
copy/paste the code into a file called something like default_layer_geometry.rb in the Plugins folder...

[artmusicstudio]

[quote="thomthom"]To delete one entity: use Entity.erase!

entity = Sketchup.active_model.active_entities[0] entity.erase!

hi tig,

in my first ruby i have already managed it to copy one master-component (created with ruby at [0,0,0] and copying it, where ever i want.

after placing it in all places wanted, i would like

to DELETE this particular master-component.

i found your code:

entity = Sketchup.active_model.active_entities[0]
entity.erase!

but how can i define , which component is to be deleted? is there a name somewhere? or index, i could "memorize" while creating the master component? is the [0] maybe a place for a definition?

thanx a lot for helping!
stan

[TIG]

@Stan

How are you making the initial component instance?
How are you 'copying' it ?
To have done that you must have had a 'reference' to its definition - let's say it's called ' defn'...
To find that definition's first instance and then to delete it use:
defn.instances.first.erase!

[artmusicstudio]

hi tig,
probably i have a mistake in the component-description.

i define a master component (two tubes).

#DEF PFOSTEN MASTER COMPONENT

   model = Sketchup.active_model
   entities = model.active_entities  

   pfm1 = [0, 0, 0+thickness]
   pfm2 = [0, 0, 0+thickness+sl-((5/faktor)/100)]
   pfm3 = [0, 0, 0+thickness+sl-((5/faktor)/100)]
   pfm4 = [0, 0, 0+thickness+sl]        
   
   group = entities.add_group
   
   entities2 = group.entities
          
   new_line = entities2.add_line pfm1, pfm2
                length = new_line.length
                centerpoint = pfm1
                vector = pfm2
                vector = vector.normalize!
                 
                edges = entities2.add_circle centerpoint, vector, pradius
                kreis = entities2.add_face edges
                kreis.pushpull length
     
     
   new_line2 = entities2.add_line pfm3, pfm4
                length2 = new_line2.length 
                centerpoint2 = pfm4
   	            vector2 = pfm3
            vector2 = vector.normalize!
		                     
	    edges2 = entities2.add_circle centerpoint2, vector2, pradius/3
	    kreis2 = entities2.add_face edges2
                kreis2.pushpull -length2
                
   masterpfostenl = group.to_component

and then copy it to different places to ponits pf1,2,3:

componentinstance =
entities.add_instance(masterpfostenl.definition, pf1)
componentinstance =
entities.add_instance(masterpfostenr.definition, pf3)
componentinstance =
entities.add_instance(mittelpfostenm.definition, pf5)

after all components are placed, i will try the

defn.instances.first.erase! (have still to find out, how to point the right "instances-group"

thanx
stan

[TIG]

You have got it !

defn = masterpfostenl.definition

The masterpfostenl is a reference to the first 'instance' of the new 'definition'...

Then see my previous example...

BUT to delete it it use masterpfostenl.erase!
Because you already have a reference to it, which you have set up early on...

[artmusicstudio]

yes sir,
it works perfectly. so this deletes the master-component.
i just wonder, how then can be identified the ,daughter'-components.

per x,y,z ?

anyway, thank you very much for this solution.
stan

[TIG]

@stan

Assuming 'defn' is a reference to the component's definition then
defn.instances
gives you a list of all current instances, in the order of their creation.
let's say you want to find the first one [remember that arrays start at 0 NOT 1 !]
instance = defn.instances[0]
To find out where it is in its current context use
point = instance.transformation.origin
There are also other transformation properties available to get the orientation of the objetc's x/y/zaxis too...
There are also some methods available to get rotations, scaling etc from the instance.transformation search for them - here's an example... http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=411972#p411972

[Al Hart]

I couldn't get this to work:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
model.active_entities.erase_entities entities

I get thi error:

Error: #<TypeError: wrong argument type (expected Sketchup::Entity)>
<main>:in `erase_entities'

But I was able to get this to work: (adding .to_a which probably serves to isolate the entities array)

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
model.active_entities.erase_entities entities.to_a

[TIG]

The entities.erase_entities(array)
Expects an array NOT an entities collection, so adding .to_a resolves that.
BUT entites.clear! is even easier.

[Al Hart]

great - that's what I was looking for anyway