Help with grouping groups

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.