Help with grouping groups

honoluludesktop

I am trying to group other groups. So, the following to create an array of groups:

group = @entities.add_group(new_group)
@all_groups.push group

The code below worked with edges and faces, but when written to group groups it fails at new_group = sel_ents[0].all_connected

sel = @group_all
sel_ents = sel.to_a
first_entity = sel_ents[0]
while sel_ents.length > 0
  if (sel_ents[0].is_a? Sketchup;;Group) and sel_ents[0] == first_entity
    new_group = sel_ents[0].all_connected
    sel_ents = sel_ents - new_group
    big_group = @entities.add_group(new_group)
  else
    sel_ents1 = sel_ents - [sel_ents[0]]
  end
end
model.commit_operation

thomthom

Groups doesn't have an .all_connected method.

Is this geometry created by your script earlier? Or is it geometry modelled by the user which you want to group via your Ruby?

honoluludesktop

It's created by my script.

thomthom

When you create geometry while modelling you draw the geometry first, like a face, then group it.

But, when you build geometry via the API, create the group first and then the geometry directly inside it.

honoluludesktop

OK, let me run with that for a while. Do you mean something like:
group = entities.add_group group.add_line . . .
Shoots its 3:30 am, I better go to bed, and get back to this tomorrow. Anything you can post to help me is appreciated. Good night:-)

thomthom

Yes, like that.

honoluludesktop

I think I get my problem. I am trying to use one procedure group1 = @entities.add_group(@selection) to create all my groups, and maybe I can't. If I can't, how do I create a different groupX where X is the times I come back to make a new group.

thomthom

You lost me a bit..
there should be no limit to how many entities you can add to a group.

honoluludesktop

No that's not what I meant. How can the following proc_1 be called multiple times to create a different group each time its called? The following doesn't work, yes?

def main
  aFile.each do |e|
    proc_1
    proc_1
  end
end
def proc_1
  group1 = @entities.add_group
end

thomthom

That will create a different group.

This will also create new groups
group1 = @entities.add_group group1 = @entities.add_group group1 = @entities.add_group

All this is doing is setting group1 to refer to the new group you create each time you call .add_group

thomthom

proc_1 does nothing.


def proc_1
  group_1 = @entities.add_group
  list_of_groups.push group_1
end

You're creating a group
then adding the reference to that group to a non-existent array list_of_groups

list_of_groups in main has no relationship with list_of_groups in proc_1.

Have you looked up in Ruby how arguments and return values work? And variable scope? It's some fundamental concepts to programming.

I was a about post an example of what you can do, but I'm not sure what you intend with the code.
You are reading a file, and for each line you want to add a group to a bigger group?


def main
  big_group = @entities.add_group
  aFile.each do |e|
    sub_group = big_group.add_group()
    # now you can add entities to the sub-group
    sub_group.entities.add_face(...)
    sub_group.entities.add_line(...)
  end
end

?

honoluludesktop

Ok, so how are the different groups placed in a big_group? My attempt fails at the 6th lines.

def main
  big_group = @entities.add_group #do I need?
  aFile.each do |e|
    proc_1
    proc_1
    big_group.add_group(list_of_groups)#fails?
  end
end

def proc_1
  group_1 = @entities.add_group
  list_of_groups.push group_1
end

The following works with all Sketchup::Entity except for Sketchup::Group

def main
  aFile.each do |e|
    proc_1
    proc_1
    #following works except for adding groups
    @entities.add_group(list_of_groups)
  end
end

def proc_1
  group_1 = @entities.add_group
  list_of_groups.push group_1
end

honoluludesktop

I am reading a Cad file of entities, making SU entities from that list. Some of the entities are Cad blocks (a bunch of Cad entities), that I am trying to turn into SU Group(s)

I can insert and group, edges and faces, but not groups.

honoluludesktop

Well, I made it work in the web console, now back to the program.

` model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities

master_group = []

point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(0,0,0)
point2 = Geom::Point3d.new(20,20,0)
point3 = Geom::Point3d.new(10,10,0)
point4 = Geom::Point3d.new(30,30,0)
point5 = Geom::Point3d.new(10,30,0)

line1 = entities.add_line point1,point2
group1 = entities.add_group line1
master_group.push group1

line2 = entities.add_line point3,point4
group2 = entities.add_group line2
master_group.push group2

line3 = entities.add_line point3,point5
master_group.push line3

entities.add_group(master_group)`

edit master_group, select group1

thomthom

When you model you draw face/line - then group.
But when you build geometry with the API, make the group first and then add the geometry directly inside the group - instead of moving it afterwards which is prone to crashes.

` model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities

master_group = entities.add_group

point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(0,0,0)
point2 = Geom::Point3d.new(20,20,0)
point3 = Geom::Point3d.new(10,10,0)
point4 = Geom::Point3d.new(30,30,0)
point5 = Geom::Point3d.new(10,30,0)

group1 = master_group.entities.add_group
line1 = group1.entities.add_line(point1,point2)

group2 = master_group.entities.add_group
line2 = group1.entities.add_line(point3,point4)

group3 = master_group.entities.add_group
line3 = group3.entities.add_line(point3,point5)`

honoluludesktop

Yes, I read something about that in the API, but I thought that was a problem for SU versions prior to 8.0. Anyway, I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help, thanks.

thomthom

It is safer in any case - as you don't risk your edges/faces merging with stuff it should not merge with.