[Plugin] SectionCutFace

anderskouv · 16 Mar 2010, 17:51

I posted a message one hour ago, but I have learned that the sectioncutface.rb does work with mac. Needed to make the folder Plugin in my libary. Thanks for the solution to a big problem.

TIG · 16 Mar 2010, 18:50

Most scripts work on a MAC as well as a PC.
It's relatively easy to spot the platform and make minor internal adjustments to suit...

lazychild · 22 Mar 2010, 06:09

hum.. I have just installed this plugin.
It does the cut but how do I render my section with V-ray after?

Vray still seem to catch whats 'un-cut' and rendered my entire model.
Thanks in advance.

TIG · 22 Mar 2010, 10:52

@lazychild said:

hum.. I have just installed this plugin.
It does the cut but how do I render my section with V-ray after?

Vray still seem to catch whats 'un-cut' and rendered my entire model.
Thanks in advance.

This tool only adds a filled in section-cut group - to do it so it's cut for Vray etc you need to copy the skp and then physically cut the model in two [using Zorro] and throw away the unwanted half - there's a detailed thread about this already - http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=184604#p184604

lazychild · 23 Mar 2010, 00:19

@tig said:

@lazychild said:

hum.. I have just installed this plugin.
It does the cut but how do I render my section with V-ray after?

Vray still seem to catch whats 'un-cut' and rendered my entire model.
Thanks in advance.

This tool only adds a filled in section-cut group - to do it so it's cut for Vray etc you need to copy the skp and then physically cut the model in two [using Zorro] and throw away the unwanted half - there's a detailed thread about this already - http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=184604#p184604

Thank you very much!
Just what i needed

brookefox · 26 Mar 2010, 00:32

Thanks only. Pity the poor saps like me making building sections by hand, albeit an SUF hand...
(Duh... must try the native 'creating grouped section slices' sometime.)

The fortunate ones stumble on, perhaps to eventually find a real hand up.

ahornet · 17 Apr 2010, 04:43

thanks bro
this is really good

shoeb_cars · 17 Apr 2010, 12:59

this plugin was much much awaited TIG
gracias amigo

pauldubois149 · 16 Jun 2010, 01:59

how do i have the permision to see the link?

Gaieus · 16 Jun 2010, 09:35

Hi paul,

When logged in (just like when you wrote this post), you should be able to access the download link in the first post. Is there any problem with your login?

Starling75 · 29 Jul 2010, 08:32

I know, that actually section plane don't slice the model physically ... and it is not necessary.

It would be interesting to add "island detection mode" to existing section plane tool so we could see virtually filled faces during section plane movements.

Complementar improvement would be the ability to pick onto section plane and ON/OFF virtual fill of picked enclosed area.

Correct look of the sectioned portion of the model could be adjusted this way and after obtaining satisfactory result we could run SectionCutFace command to get correctly filled real section slice.

TIG · 29 Jul 2010, 08:35

Filled section-planes built in to SUp would be great but like with SectionCutFace it is impossible to get the island detection perfect if you model intersecting volumes... sometimes it will guess wrong and make solid void and vice versa!
I looked at adding an observer to a sectionplane and then updating the SectionCutFace as you change the sectionplane but it was very slow AND buggy!

Starling75 · 29 Jul 2010, 08:44

@tig said:

Filled section-planes built in to SUp would be great but like with SectionCutFace it is impossible to get the island detection perfect if you model intersecting volumes... sometimes it will guess wrong and make solid void and vice versa!
I looked at adding an observer to a sectionplane and then updating the SectionCutFace as you change the sectionplane but it was very slow AND buggy!

You were creating and deleting real filled geometry on fly?
I was thinking about virtual coloured editable mask on the section plane.

I am not a programmer and my ruby knowledge is approaching zero, so I don't know, whether it's "doable"
My idea is:
*a) Observer gets data about section plane(SP) position and sectioned geometry

b) Island detection algorithm (IDA) analyze this data onfly and compute filled and void areas

c) IDA solution is displayed via some kind of graphical preselection mode - it is projected onto SP like filled contours

e) This preselection filled mode could be interactive - you could pick with cursor on areas filled "wrong" and invert IDA solution at these areas (filled/void). It would keep this inverted solutions in memory when moving SP until change of section cut topology

f) Actual modified/unmodified IDA solution stored in memory would be used for real section cut generation if needed.*

Dynamic interpretation of the model - not dynamic remodelling

Starling75 · 30 Jul 2010, 08:35

Well, we will see, what Googles are baking in their secret labs for SU 8

Anyway, your plugin works like a charm TIG. Thanks a lot.

patD · 2 Aug 2010, 11:06

I'm running SU Pro7.1 latest version on a Mac 10.6.4 and Section Cut Face is causing SU to crash. Everything seems to be fine, the cut face appears instantly in the model window but then after a few seconds SU hangs and I have to force quit. Any suggestions to help solve this would be welcome. If you need more details I'll try to provide them but I'm having problems typing as I developed a severe vision problem following a stroke a couple of months ago. I'm just trying to get out floor plans from 3 existing models using layout before I stop working altogether.

TIG · 2 Aug 2010, 15:56

Pat. I have PM'd you about this...

architect_85 · 24 Aug 2010, 21:08

Hi, I am using SketchUp 7.1.6 on Snow Leopard. I downloaded the plugin at the top of he page but when I try to drag it into the plugins folder it does nothing and will not appear at all. Can you please provide a possible link so I can get the correct plugin and maybe some info on how to activate it if? I would appreciate any help. Thanks

Gaieus · 25 Aug 2010, 07:36

Hi Jonathan,

The plugin (if correctly installed) will register into the context menu of the section plane. Have you tried there?

TIG · 25 Aug 2010, 10:11

When you say "it won't appear" I assume that you mean you can't see it in the Plugins menu ??? that's because it doesn't appear there
Like several other tools that rely on a specific 'context' to work, SectionCutFace ONLY appears as a right-click [or whatever you do on a MAC] context-menu item, and then ONLY IF you have just ONE Section-Plane selected - then that is the one that'll get the 'faces'.
Also remember that lots of tools can appear in menus other than the Plugins one - e.g. File, Draw, Tools, Camera etc!
As with any Ruby script please read the accompanying posts and guidance notes before using the tool...
Note: you can simply read any .rb file by opening it in a plain-text editor and its guidance text is almost always at the start of the code...

ArkiX · 24 Sept 2010, 16:55

Hi to All and really many thanks to you Tig for your great plugins!

....Unfortunately i have the same problem that it happens to PatD:
Over recent years I use this your most important one (for me... ) plugin but often SketchUp goes in crash; In this moment I am on SU8 and SnowLeopard but it happened to me also with 7, etc.
I've noticed that it's able to create the new layer, then adding the face but, after an anomalous consumption of the RAM till to use it all (4gb. .sic), he goes in crash repeatedly, even if I close layers and maintain only the walls and little more.
it is also true that I use it on rather complex and detailed models of architecture (many groups and components and of dimension, from 10mb up…) but...
What I can say if not ..... please, please HELP TIG!
Thanks in advance to you and to this great forum and many salutes from Italy