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    Face Sun Plug-in

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    • pilouP Offline
      pilou
      last edited by

      This one gives 45°shadows Elev45Shadows.rb by TIG
      I don't know if that can help you 😄

      Frenchy Pilou
      Is beautiful that please without concept!
      My Little site :)

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      • C Offline
        construsol
        last edited by

        Thank You Pilou, but what I need is not about shadows, but about selecting a plane and rotate it in such a way that it faces the sun. Thanks for your reply.

        @unknownuser said:

        This one gives 45°shadows Elev45Shadows.rb by TIG
        I don't know if that can help you 😄

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        • J Offline
          Jim
          last edited by

          A plug-in does not exist as far as I know, but it wouldn't be hard to write.

          How's your Ruby programming?

          Hi

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          • C Offline
            construsol
            last edited by

            Jim:

            I also think it wouldn't be hard, but I dont do Ruby, or any kind of programming. I hopping someone can help making the program or telling where I can learn to do it.

            @jim said:

            A plug-in does not exist as far as I know, but it wouldn't be hard to write.

            How's your Ruby programming?

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            • TIGT Offline
              TIG Moderator
              last edited by

              We can get the vector to the Sun's rays ( Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["SunDirection"]). This should be equivalent to the face.normal, so we just need to make a rotation transformation to align these two vectors [say about the face.bounds.center with the axis obtained from the cross of the vectors ?] and then apply that to the face's vertices en mass (I assume it'd be a loose 'face' ??)... 🤓

              TIG

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              • thomthomT Offline
                thomthom
                last edited by

                Would also need a Shadow observer to update when as the Sun changes.

                Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                • TIGT Offline
                  TIG Moderator
                  last edited by

                  @thomthom said:

                  Would also need a Shadow observer to update when as the Sun changes.

                  That's assuming it was to auto-update its orientation - otherwise a one-off - 'set_the_face_to_look_at_the_sun_now' tool would simply reorient the face to look direct at the current sun's position - but if the sun moved the face wouldn't ?

                  TIG

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                  • thomthomT Offline
                    thomthom
                    last edited by

                    I got the impression live update was part of the request.

                    @construsol said:

                    . It would work like the existing feature "Face Camera"

                    But if a one of adjustment is all that is needed then it'd simply things - avoiding pesky observers.

                    Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                    List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                    • TIGT Offline
                      TIG Moderator
                      last edited by

                      With it auto-updating via 'pesky observers' you would get a weird model, with things turning to the sun as it changed between scenes like a time-lapse movie of flowers ??? Better, but much more convoluted code-wise...

                      TIG

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                      • facerF Offline
                        facer
                        last edited by

                        The SunTools plugin by Guedi Capeluto has a feature called "Sun View"
                        which gives an axonometric view from the Sun.

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                        • C Offline
                          construsol
                          last edited by

                          Hi Thomthom:

                          Live update is not needed, just make a plane face to a direction in which the sun would be in a specific date and time, and keep that orientation fixed even if the sun starts to move.

                          @thomthom said:

                          I got the impression live update was part of the request.

                          @construsol said:

                          . It would work like the existing feature "Face Camera"

                          But if a one of adjustment is all that is needed then it'd simply things - avoiding pesky observers.

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                          • thomthomT Offline
                            thomthom
                            last edited by

                            Made a quick plugin: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=27499

                            Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                            List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                            • GaieusG Offline
                              Gaieus
                              last edited by

                              I have also seen a dynamic component of a solar panel that followed the sun.

                              Gai...

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                              • thomthomT Offline
                                thomthom
                                last edited by

                                Yea - good point. Though I never manage to find it when I want to use it as an example...

                                Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                                List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                                • C Offline
                                  construsol
                                  last edited by

                                  Thank you very much, this is just what I needed with the "Face Sun" Plug-in. I tested it by putting a perpendicular line to the plane that is facing the sun and it does not cast shadows, so it looks that it works great. One question, ¿How can a plane of a cube be selected and then the entire cube, not just the plane, faces the sun? Thanks again.

                                  @thomthom said:

                                  Made a quick plugin: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=27499

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                                  • GaieusG Offline
                                    Gaieus
                                    last edited by

                                    @thomthom said:

                                    Yea - good point. Though I never manage to find it when I want to use it as an example...

                                    I got it - posted here:

                                    Subject: Solar panels that track the sun

                                    @dsarchs said:

                                    The solar panel is under the "solar panel" tab for this component

                                    Gai...

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                                    • thomthomT Offline
                                      thomthom
                                      last edited by

                                      @construsol said:

                                      Thank you very much, this is just what I needed with the "Face Sun" Plug-in. I tested it by putting a perpendicular line to the plane that is facing the sun and it does not cast shadows, so it looks that it works great. One question, ¿How can a plane of a cube be selected and then the entire cube, not just the plane, faces the sun? Thanks again.

                                      @thomthom said:

                                      Made a quick plugin: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=27499

                                      I could make it orient the connected geometry to the selected faces. Doubt I have time until after the weekend though.

                                      Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                                      List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                                      • C Offline
                                        construsol
                                        last edited by

                                        Thom:

                                        I would greatly appreciate it if you can do this. Thanks again for your help.

                                        @thomthom said:

                                        @construsol said:

                                        Thank you very much, this is just what I needed with the "Face Sun" Plug-in. I tested it by putting a perpendicular line to the plane that is facing the sun and it does not cast shadows, so it looks that it works great. One question, ¿How can a plane of a cube be selected and then the entire cube, not just the plane, faces the sun? Thanks again.

                                        @thomthom said:

                                        Made a quick plugin: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=27499

                                        I could make it orient the connected geometry to the selected faces. Doubt I have time until after the weekend though.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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