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    [Plugin] Hole Punching Tool

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    • TIGT Offline
      TIG Moderator
      last edited by

      @kwalkerman said:

      Awesome Plugin!!! I thought about doing something with a similar approach, but you beat me to it!

      Two comments:

      1. The plugin works session to session (which is awesome) IF you open your file by double clicking on it and opening it directly. It doesn't seem to work if you open SU first, then do "file, open." Minor issue.

      2. After punching, if you select any of the reveal faces, all of the other reveal faces are selected, but the window component remains unselected. Again, minor, but worthy of a fix.

      3. If you create a new file by selecting "file, new", the windows are punched, but the hole doesn't move when the window is moved (same issue as #1, I think)

      Anyway, overall AWESOME plugin. Definitely saves much time & effort.

      Karen

      1. This is because the way the observers run / work - it is fixable - thanks for bringing it up.
      2. This one IS deliberate - if you want to adjust the reveals without affecting the punching-component - e.g. make the reveals splayed by adding a temp face and scaling it.
      3. This issue IS similar to 1., and again it's because of the way the observers run / work - and again it's fixable... πŸ€“

      TIG

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      • TIGT Offline
        TIG Moderator
        last edited by

        Here's v1.3 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=271170#p271170
        A new AppObserver has been added to keep the 'hole_punch' observers firing when a model is 'from menu' as 'open' or 'new'.

        TIG

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        • GaieusG Offline
          Gaieus
          last edited by

          TIG, this is an awesome plugin!

          I've had my quite easy routines to do this but of course, such a useful addition is always welcome (and of course, the transition part of it - when you move all the necessary parts together - is the greatest part of it)!

          Thank you very-very much! πŸ‘ πŸ‘ πŸ‘

          Gai...

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          • K Offline
            kwalkerman
            last edited by

            TIG,

            #2 makes sense. Thanks for updating the plugin with an app observer. Definitely an awesome tool.

            --
            Karen

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            • GaieusG Offline
              Gaieus
              last edited by

              TIG,

              I have some minor issues (although of course it can easily be fixed and I guess fixing the plugin itself would need some completely different approach you are using now...)

              See the attached screenshot of the same window from the front and from the back. The front has a "frame" which will obviously make the cutting face larger than the inside, "tunnel" part.

              If the plugin's method (which I guess) is to duplicate the front cutting shape on the back, there is a hole around my tunnel (I can fix this manually by offsetting the outer edges out and filling that gap while hiding the surrounding edges).

              Can the plugin be somewhat effortlessly modified so that it tries to detect such a hole and heals it somehow? See example model attached, too.

              Another question; when copying the window along a face, SU seems to handle all the components together (like a single entity). So if I Move-Copy an instance and then want to go on doing with other instances, all the existing ones move along. Why is that?


              Punch hole.png


              Punch hole.skp

              Gai...

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              • TIGT Offline
                TIG Moderator
                last edited by

                Gai

                The simple answer is 'No' !
                It detects the intersection of the component and the face it's glued onto - i.e. it uses the component's cutting-hole as the punched holes edges.
                If the component itself has some internal faces to it then there will be no 'gaps'.
                If the component is effectively an outer 'frame' placed onto the wall with an inner hole then you need to set the 'frame' forward by 1mm and the hole-cutting parts at z=0, so that the whole frame no longer lies on the wall and so it does not cut it...
                Here's an example...Capture.PNG So the solution is in the design of your hole-cutting-components not the hole-punching tool itself πŸ€“

                TIG

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                • GaieusG Offline
                  Gaieus
                  last edited by

                  Okay TIG, thanks. Yes, I know the solution - was just wondering if there was an easy way to modify the plugin. If not then I will have to modify my workflow of course - no problem with that at all.
                  πŸ˜‰

                  And the other question?

                  @gaieus said:

                  Another question; when copying the window along a face, SU seems to handle all the components together (like a single entity). So if I Move-Copy an instance and then want to go on doing with other instances, all the existing ones move along. Why is that?

                  Gai...

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                  • TIGT Offline
                    TIG Moderator
                    last edited by

                    It's in the guidance notes...
                    If you copy a pre-punched hole [and it's reveals] the links get twisted because the original component is linked to all of the reveal copies and the instance can't then cut the face.
                    If you want to copy a pre-punched component you must 'un-punch' it first [i.e. delete the internal hole/reveals], then copy the component instance, and then select it and its copies, and then punch the holes again... πŸ€“

                    TIG

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                    • GaieusG Offline
                      Gaieus
                      last edited by

                      Okay,. thanks (and I know - RTFM) Sorry. I will do so.
                      πŸ‘

                      Gai...

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                      • K Offline
                        kwalkerman
                        last edited by

                        TIG,

                        one option for Gaieus' suggestion is to add a Tools Observer, if a punching component is in the selection, the move tool is active, and the tool goes to 'copy' mode, then un-select the linked components and copy only the hole punching component... or would this mess with some other functionality with the tool??? It would be handy though.

                        Again, awesome plugin. I've been waiting for something like this for a looooong time.

                        Thanks again,

                        --
                        Karen

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                        • P Offline
                          Phil Rader AIA
                          last edited by

                          FLABERGASTED...This is Awesome...What a time saver this will be.

                          http://www.philrader.com

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                          • TIGT Offline
                            TIG Moderator
                            last edited by

                            @kwalkerman said:

                            TIG,
                            One option for Gaieus' suggestion is to add a Tools Observer, if a punching component is in the selection, the move tool is active, and the tool goes to 'copy' mode, then un-select the linked components and copy only the hole punching component... or would this mess with some other functionality with the tool??? It would be handy though.
                            Again, awesome plugin. I've been waiting for something like this for a looooong time.
                            Thanks again,
                            Karen

                            The problem I have is there is no observer for the Move Tool that differentiates whether it is in Move or Copy mode.
                            In the Move mode we want the 'cutting_component' and its 'hole' to be linked and thereby move 'as one' - so I'm stuck.
                            The simple advice is, if you want to copy a 'cutting_component' that is already 'punched' first you need to 'unpunch' it using the context_menu tool [or by erasing the inner 'hole' geometry completely by hand], then copy it as needed so it will cut holes in its face with each copy, then you simply select it and all of its copies and then use the context_menu to 'punch' them all again - that way all of the holes will punch with individual links and can be moved etc individually afterwards... πŸ€“

                            TIG

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                            • K Offline
                              kwalkerman
                              last edited by

                              TIG,

                              I've been using this tool and love it, however, I've come across some strange behavior when shadows are turned on...

                              When viewing the building from the outside, shadows show correctly:
                              Shadows Viewed From Outside

                              but when I place the camera inside the building, something strange happens with the shadows...

                              Shadows viewed from inside

                              The same window attached to a single surface correctly displays shadows from inside and outside.

                              I'm not sure why this is happening... It very likely has something to do with how my windows are constructed (I am using TIG's suggested method of creating a separate cutting surface than the window geometry).

                              Thanks,

                              --
                              Karen

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                              • TIGT Offline
                                TIG Moderator
                                last edited by

                                Here's v1.4 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=271170#p271170
                                Punching-components can now be copied using Move+Ctrl or Rotate+Ctrl with xN or /N for Array copies if desired and the reveals etc remain linked to individual instances... please read the notes regarding this new ability - e.g. arraying a non-punched instance and then punching it and the copies en mass is more than three times faster than doing it to a pre-punched one, simply because of the extra operations needed to re-glue/un-punch/re-punch all of the copies... Also note that Edit>Copy>Paste can be unreliable depending on the punched-instance's geometry/origin, also undoing such an array needs two undoes etc etc...

                                This uses a plethora of observers and attribute linking, so whilst it has been extensively tested before issue I am sure that some of you will manage to invent unexpected ways of breaking it πŸ˜‰

                                Feedback please... πŸ€“

                                TIG

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                                • TIGT Offline
                                  TIG Moderator
                                  last edited by

                                  Here's v1.5 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=271170#p271170
                                  It has two new options in the context-menu...
                                  Redo Punch: which lets you easily redo a hole-punching instances punched hole - useful if you have swapped the instance's definition for another definition [or edited the actual component] so it is now a different shape to the punched hole. This will undo and redo the punching in one step for all selected hole-punching component instances.
                                  Reglue: which 'reglues' selected instances onto the face they are currently placed on. This is useful if you have accidentally erased a face that contained instances that cut-holes, remaking the face will not remake the cut-holes. To reglue [and thereby re-cut] instances to their rightful faces you first select them and then pick 'Reglue' - they are then each glued to the appropriate face and the appropriate hole is 'cut' in it. Note that this tool will work for both standard hole-cutting components and this tool's own hole-punching cousins... πŸ€“

                                  TIG

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                                  • TIGT Offline
                                    TIG Moderator
                                    last edited by

                                    Here's v1.6 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=271170#p271170
                                    'Reglue' now only appears in the context-menu if the current selection contains potential [re]gluable instances.
                                    DeBabelizer/lingvo-file language translation options added for EN-US, DE, FR, ES etc. I'm sure my basic translations will make some native speakers smile ruefully... πŸ˜’ They are the first attempt - so please adjust and post better translations in your own locale languages; also other locale versions would be appreciated - e.g. Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin et al...

                                    Happy New Year - I'll see you all in 2011...

                                    TIG

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                                    • TIGT Offline
                                      TIG Moderator
                                      last edited by

                                      Here's an improved ES lingvo file from Defisto [thanks!].
                                      It will be included in any future update... but for now if you have a Spanish locale please extract the file into ../Plugins/TIGtools folder and it should be used on a restart of Sketchup...#HolePunchToolES.zip

                                      TIG

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                                      • EdsonE Offline
                                        Edson
                                        last edited by

                                        tig,

                                        I must have said a dozen times about your plugins: AMAZING! 😍 πŸ‘ πŸ‘ this is an extremely useful new tool.

                                        thanks a lot.

                                        edson mahfuz, architect| porto alegre β€’ brasil
                                        http://www.mahfuz.arq.br

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                                        • TIGT Offline
                                          TIG Moderator
                                          last edited by

                                          Thanks πŸ˜„

                                          But... I fear that out of the millions of Sketchup users only ~100 have this new tool... which does what many have wished for......... πŸ˜•

                                          TIG

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                                          • Rich O BrienR Online
                                            Rich O Brien Moderator
                                            last edited by

                                            Maybe it's the name...it frightens me 😲

                                            Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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