Saving selection to file, and placing on the mouse pointer.

[Chris Fullmer]

You can save a component definition out to a file with this:

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/componentdefinition.html#save_as

So you could take the selection, then turn it into a component, save that out, then explode the component (or don't, whichever). And I'm trying to rememeber, but it seems like when you add a component instance to the model, SU will stick it to the cursor automatically (sticking the "instertion point to the cursor).

So perhaps converting to components is the way to go in this case?

Chris

[thomthom]

Yes, if you make a ComponentDefinition out of your entities, then you can use model.place_component.
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model.html#place_component

[honoluludesktop]

Thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow.

[honoluludesktop]

In order to get the entities in my_selection into my_definition, and make the file my_component.skp, is it necessary to do it for every entity as follows?

my_selection.each do |e|
  if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Entity
    face = []
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
      face = e.vertices
      my_definition.entities.add_face face
    end
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
      ci=e.definition
      ti=e.transformation
      my_definition.entities.add_instance(ci,ti)
    end
    #do if end for each entity type
    #
  end
end

success = my_definition.save_as "my_component"

Or, is there an easier way? How do I make a curve an arc, or circle?

[honoluludesktop]

For those who may be interested, here is the whole snippet. Problem is the selection attaches itself to the mouse pointer by the model's origin. Should have thought of that:-( Anyway, you may remove the "commented out" in the code to erase the selection from the model. Although you can recover by ^z, It needs a automatic undo, if you quit before locating the selection.

Another problem is that Su entities are faces and edges, so arcs and circles lose their geometric attributes. Although you can add_... them, they are not Sketchup::Entities. Actually still not sure how all that stuff works.

model = Sketchup.active_model
definitions = model.definitions
entities = model.entities
selection = model.selection

definition = definitions.add "Selection" 
my_definition = definitions.add "My Selection" 

selection.each do |e|
  if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Entity
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
      my_definition.entities.add_face e.vertices 
    end
#   if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Curve
#     result = my_definition.entities.add_curve e.vertices
#   end
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Edge
      my_definition.entities.add_edges e.vertices
    end
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;ComponentInstance
      my_definition.entities.add_instance(e.definition,e.transformation)
    end
    if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Group
      group = my_definition.entities.add_group
      entities = e.explode
      entities.each do |ge|
        if ge.is_a? Sketchup;;Face
          my_definition.entities.add_face ge.vertices
        end
        if ge.is_a? Sketchup;;Edge
          my_definition.entities.add_edges ge.vertices
        end
      end
    end
    #e.erase!
  end
end

success = my_definition.save_as "mycomponent"

show_summary = true  
status = model.import "mycomponent.skp", show_summary

File.delete("mycomponent.skp") 

[thomthom]

Why not group the selected entities and convert it into a component?

[honoluludesktop]

OK, I'll give that a try.

[rvs1977]

How to attach a group to the mousepointer:

First, I think, you have to use the "Tool"-class, because in this class you have the onMouseMove-method.
(see also \plugins\examples\linetool.rb - it shows in detail how to use the tool-class)

class My_tool
  def initialize # a good place to put variables. Notice the "@". It means you can see the variable
                 # in the whole My_tool class. If no "@" it would only be visible inside the def.
    @mod = Sketchup.active_model 
    @ent = @mod.entities    
    @state = 0
         
     @pts = []
     @pts[0] = [0,0,0]
     @pts[1] = [10,0,0]
     @pts[2] = [10,20,0]
     @pts[3] = [0,20,0] 
     
  end 

  def activate  # activates the tool    
  end 

  def onMouseMove(flags, x, y, view) 
     ip = Sketchup;;InputPoint.new
     ip.pick view, x,y
     ip = ip.position 

     if (@state == 0) # Create Wall_group 
      @my_group = @ent.add_group
      my_face = @my_group.entities.add_face @pts 
      my_face.pushpull -10
      
      # ip is the input point from the mouse, converted to a 3d point 
      point = Geom;;Point3d.new ip 
      new_transform = Geom;;Transformation.new point  
      @my_group.transformation = new_transform
      @state = 1
    end
    if (@state == 1) # @my_group follow mousemove
      Sketchup.status_text = "@state = 1 ; Inputpoint; ", ip
      point = Geom;;Point3d.new ip 
      new_transform = Geom;;Transformation.new (point)
      @my_group.transformation =  new_transform
    end

    if (@state == 2) # onLMouseButton place @my_group in choosen position
      Sketchup.status_text = "@state = 2 ; Inputpoint; ", ip 
      point = Geom;;Point3d.new ip 
      new_transform = Geom;;Transformation.new (point)
      @my_group.transformation =  new_transform
      @ip1 = ip
      UI.messagebox "that should do it, Honolulu ;) - Press space to exit"
      @state = 3      
    end
     
  end # onMouseMove
  
  def onLButtonDown (flags, x, y, view)
    if (@state == 1)
      @state = 2
    end
  end # onLButtonDown
  
end # class My_tool
#------------------------------------
#------------------------------------
# Here you activate the defined tool in your program...

     mytool = My_tool.new 
     Sketchup.active_model.select_tool mytool

Regards RVS

[thomthom]

If you just want to place the a component you can simply SU's use native tool model.place_component

[honoluludesktop]

RVS, thanks for help with the snippit. I have another use for it.

tt, finally got to it, shoot, that was too easy:

my_def = definitions.add "My Selection" my_inst = @master_group.to_component my_def.entities.add_instance(my_inst.definition, my_inst.transformation) my_inst.erase! repeat = false model.place_component my_def, repeat