[Plugin] Select Curve

mitcorb · 23 Sept 2010, 11:27

I think it is like Jeff said. You'd probably need some kind of filter(adjustable perhaps)that scouts for forks or deviations within a "cone of vision" such that it would find the most direct route. Sort of like that salesman's map algorithm that looks for the optimal routes for a circuit.

watkins · 23 Sept 2010, 17:31

Dear Thomas,

Can your script be modified to both find a 'circle' and to 'recreate' that 'circle' so that it has the correct entity assignment (not a curve, nor an arc, but a circle).

When a solid is made by revolving a closed profile about an axis (see the attached jpeg) the circles so formed are made up of individual edges, and so the circles do not have the entity assignment 'circle'.

There are many occasions when I need the circles to be circles. Is this something that can be done? A proper 'revolve' tool would be even better. The tool would allow a closed profile to be revolved about an axis (in the plane of the profile) such that all the circles so formed were circles. An option to place a cpoint at the centre of each circle would be the icing on the cake.

Kind regards,
Bob

thomthom · 23 Sept 2010, 18:00

hm... recreate a curve into a proper circle entity when it's attached to faces... hm.... not sure if/how it can be done...

ken28875 · 25 Sept 2010, 08:56

Yes, finally you wrote this script.

It will save me so much time compared to selecting edges one by one.

It was a request I made back in March.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=26957

I noticed that selecting the curve works only if the perpendicular edges to the one we pick are hidden. For the next release, would it be possible to be able to select invisible edges, as well as selecting the looping curve when all the edges are visible?

Thank you so much, Thomas!

_KN

thomthom · 25 Sept 2010, 09:09

@ken28875 said:

I noticed that selecting the curve works only if the perpendicular edges to the one we pick are hidden. For the next release, would it be possible to be able to select invisible edges, as well as selecting the looping curve when all the edges are visible?

This is related to the discussion earlier in this thread - going by only visible edges between forks is an easy filter. If you are to take into account all edges, then things gets more complicated in determining the path to choose.

ken28875 · 26 Sept 2010, 04:07

Hi Thomas,

I was working on this project Friday night and spent a lot of time selecting each of the edges of the circle. Then I took a break by visiting Sketchucation. And guess what, I saw your Select Curve plugin thread. I was like, wow just what I needed! Thomas you're the man.

I was mentioning to you about the possibility of selecting the hidden edges of the curve. I did actually find a plugin that does the trick. I don't know who wrote it, but it's called "Connected edges by Angle" and it works just fine.

I also find out that you posted a bunch of new awesome plugins this past few weeks. Thank you so much for taking time to write them. I will feed you some cookies.

Anyway, here are some images of what I was working on that needed your Select Curve last night.

All the Best,

_KN

thomthom · 26 Sept 2010, 10:25

@ken28875 said:

I was mentioning to you about the possibility of selecting the hidden edges of the curve. I did actually find a plugin that does the trick. I don't know who wrote it, but it's called "Connected edges by Angle" and it works just fine.

Oh yea - that is a feature in Selection Toys.

Dave R · 26 Sept 2010, 12:02

@watkins said:

Dear Thomas,

Can your script be modified to both find a 'circle' and to 'recreate' that 'circle' so that it has the correct entity assignment (not a curve, nor an arc, but a circle).

Kind regards,
Bob

Dear Bob,

Although it won't change the Entity description from 'Curve' to 'Circle', Weld.rb will at least make it select like a circle. Would that help?

thomthom · 26 Sept 2010, 12:04

Ken - what kind of machine are you creating there??

ken28875 · 27 Sept 2010, 03:50

@thomthom said:

Ken - what kind of machine are you creating there??

Hi Thomas,

I am working on a time traveling machine. I will go back 15 years ago when I was an architecture student and will create Sketchup so I can do crazy stuff instead of using pencil, markers, spray paints, and tracing paper.

Just kidding.

It is for a contest I am doing that is due next month. http://news.deviantart.com/article/128272/

You can see some of the WIP here: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=27030

Have a nice week!

_KN

thomthom · 27 Sept 2010, 06:10

Ooh, sweet prices. I don't really pay attention any more what goes on at dA...

watkins · 27 Sept 2010, 09:33

Dear David,

My usual method is as follows:

a) Find the centre of the broken circle, and mark with a cpoint.
b) Using the cpoint, draw a circle over the broken circle and delete any unwanted face so formed.
c) Use move+copy to move copies of the reconstructed circle entity up/down to recreate other broken circles.

For point c), think of a simple circular flange and copying the top outer edge to the bottom outer edge (same diameter)using move+copy.

The above method reconstructs the circle and re-assigns the entity 'circle' to the feature, but it takes time and one has to be careful to delete unwanted faces.

Yes, I could use weld, but the resulting feature has the assignment 'curve' rather than circle, which excludes the use of 'point at centre', which I use frequently for alignment. Chris Fullmer's Arc Centrepoint Finder has helped enormously, but it would be nice to revolve a shape and have circles formed. Thank you for considering my request.

Kind regards,
Bob

thomthom · 27 Sept 2010, 09:44

So simply drawing an arc or circle over an broken acr/circle mends it? hmmm

I already have the code to find the centre of exploded curves...
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30506&p=267835&hilit=[Plugin]#p267835

winooo · 28 Sept 2010, 20:39

Awesome,thx

horizon · 3 Aug 2011, 06:32

I have managed to install your select curve on my laptop running xp but it will not load on my desktop running win 7... i wonder if there is an issue with it being a 64 bit machine?

thomthom · 3 Aug 2011, 20:26

64bit is no issue. I run 64bit Win7.

Do you get any errors or anything?

Orthogon · 25 Jan 2014, 18:56

Excellent, works cleanly. But wondering why it isn't added to the right-click context menu, where one usually looks for such things -?

Mythos · 12 May 2014, 09:13

Thank you very much for this plugin. I like a lot! I want to propose a little improvement: Would it be possible to let the user even click on a face to automatically select all edges by this tool?

Dave R · 12 May 2014, 21:32

Although the "improvement" might be possible, since you'd already have the Select tool active, why not just double click on the face? That would select all of the bounding edges of the face without the added step of activating a plugin.

Mythos · 12 May 2014, 22:02

@dave r said:

why not just double click on the face?

Certainly you are right, but then you have to press SHIFT wait a second (to avoid tripple clicking) and then you have to click again to deselect the face (since you only want the edges be selected). It would be much more convenient to have a curve-only selection tool that even can select the edges of a clicked face.