Board Plugin
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I have used the board plugin and really liked it. I have to date resisted drawing parts (boards) in place and used a newpart.rb that I modified from the box.rb sample. However the board plugin changed the way I now model and for the better. I wrote 2 plugins that work with the board plugin and extend its usefullness (in my opinion). The plugin "BoardToLayer.rb lets you rename the board compnent (or accept the existing name) and place it on a new layer of the same or user entered name then make the layer visible in a scene named "Assembly". If the scene does not exist the program will create it the first time it runs. You access the plugin with a right click on a component and select "Board/Comp to New Layer" from the drop down.
The other plugin BoardToLayerK2.rb is simular except it uses layer names with my format of "A00-" prefix in front of the component name (A for assembly, 01 to 99 a layer number to keep layers in order of when they were made). There is no option in this version for the user to alter the layer name or format.
KeithBoardToLayerK2.rb
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Hi Keith,
@unknownuser said:
I have to date resisted drawing parts (boards) in place...
Out of curiosity, why is that?
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That was how I had worked in the previous CAD pgm. I would use my New Part and would enter length,width,thickness and name and get a component drawn at 0,0,0 on the layer I wanted it and already named. What I also liked was that I then knew the local axis of the part and flip was easy and placing texture also consistant. Using the key rotate plugin made rotating and placing in place fairly simple. However the Board plugin convinced me to try in place modeling again and except for the local axis I liked it. I am still working on my methods but basicly my steps are.
- Press B Shortcut assigned to Board.rb (depends on part some are easier by lines and pushpull)
- Draw the rectangle and pull to fit
- Check and change axis (red with grain, green cross grain)
- Use plugin to rename and move to layer
- To add detail to new part I would selece scene Layer0 and make part layer visible (I always have the layer box open) and edit part
This seems to work well for me.
Keith
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Thanks for the explanation, Keith. I like to try to understand how others work. After rereading your description several times, it seems a bit more complex to me than the way I work but as long as it works for you, that's cool.
One other question. Do you associate edges and faces with different layers in SketchUp or do you do as the Help files say and leave all edges and faces on Layer 0?
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I do leave layer0 as active all the time I just am changing the visibality to other layers. I don't a lot in sketchup as I only draw what I am going to build with the possible exception of some shop fixtures I have not actually completed. This is the desk I am currently working on and should start it in a couple of weeks. I am quite sure my methods are not the quickest but they are consistant and work for me. I changed from scale -1 to flip because I always seemed to have placed the object such that I needed to move after scale -1
Keith
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I use Flip for nearly all mirroring operations and have set up keyboard shortcuts for the six flip operations. If you do use Scal, -1, remember to hold Ctrl so scaling occurs about the center of the component. The end result is effectively the same as Flip, then.
Interesting desk. I wish I had room for something that big.
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Dave how do you set flip as a shortcut I didn't see it on the drop down when setting short cuts.
Keith
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As with any thing that would appear in the Context menu, in order to see it in the Shortcuts list, the state of the drawing must be such that it would show in the context menu. Select a component (single click) and then open Window>Preferences>Shortcuts. in the Filter line, type Flip and you should see the three Flip options. Set the shortcuts as desired. Click OK.
After you've set those, either open the component for editing and select the geometry or select two components and repeat the process.
I use F2, F3 and F4 for Flip along Component's Red, Green and Blue and Shit+F2, Shift+F3 and Shift+F4 for Flip along Red Direction, etc.
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