[Plugin] Pipe Tool (UPDATE 3/19/2011)

[Builder Boy]

I made a free version of 3SKENG !!! I changed the name to "Pipe Tool" to avoid copyright issues (if there are any). I don't have a T pipe tool yet because I wasn't sure how to make the user interface. But I have made a "Pipe room" tool that makes a room to hold all of you're pipes.

Pipe Tool.zip

-Note: This plugin is not nearly as powerful as 3SKENG . For one thing, it uses dialog boxes instead of inputpoint , or pickhelper . However, it lets you make multiple pipes at once. all of these new pipes you make are all the same component definition. What that means, is that if you edit one of them, all of them reflect the change.

-Known bugs and limitations: This plugin does not always work properly when the user input is 0. On the curved pipe tool, "Angle" does not work with any multiple of 360. (0, 360, 720, 1080...)

-If anyone has any tweeks, please post them

-UPDATE: v4.3 sets ALL of the radii and segments equal after making a pipe.

also see All my other plugins . I hope that some of them will end up here .

[Gaieus]

Michael,

Don't get me wrong here for this question; you "made a free version of it"? (Meaning you used that code and such)

OR you made a tool yourself that has similar features as 3SKENG?

Maybe it's just your wording. But you know, we take piracy and such very seriously here.

[pilou]

Seems you must change the title of the subject in "Pipe tool"

[Gaieus]

OK, thanks. I have not tried it yet but then I will! I hope you do not mind my question!

(And thanks for the plugin, too - maybe Pilou is right and you should give some other title/subject...)

[Gaieus]

By the way, in order to get your plugin to the Index, simply add [Plugin] to the subject line. That page is automatically generated (somehow - that's too crazy to think about)

[Rich O Brien]

I would suggest to title this [Plugin]Pipe Tool as it's possibly infringing on it's bigger brother's territory.

But its a great gesture to share this here

[tridem]

Nice work Builder Boy, very useful ... I just cannot figured out what's the meaning of the pipe room is it a grid that helps to positioning the components...or what?
Thanks

[thomthom]

@unknownuser said:

I would suggest to title this [Plugin]Pipe Tool as it's possibly infringing on it's bigger brother's territory.

Ditto.

A couple of notes about the distribution:
Could you make sure that the icons are in a sub-folder - so you only have the .rb file in the root. That way it's easier to manage the plugins folder.
(It's the common practice of distrobuting plugins: one .rb file in the plugins folder, and the remaining files in a sub-folder.

Is the "previous versions" folder needed?

I looked at your code - saw you added a method under class Geom::PolygonMesh

<span class="syntaxdefault">def&nbsp;add_lathe</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pts</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">center</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">dir</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">angle</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">numsegments</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#&nbsp;Copyright&nbsp;2004-2005,&nbsp;@Last&nbsp;Software,&nbsp;Inc.&nbsp;(I&nbsp;changed&nbsp;it&nbsp;a&nbsp;little)&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

This might cause problems since you changed the code. If some other plugin relies on the original Geom::PolygonMesh.add_lathe then your plugin will overwrite this.
Avoid such conflicts by not using the same method name as the one you modify. Personally I prefer to never extend the base classes just in case someone else should be thinking of adding a method of the same name. We've already had and still have issues where plugins conflict over methods extended in the base classes.
This add_lathe would be very easy to port into a method under the PipeTool class you use in the rest of the plugin.

[Edson]

it would help if you could make a short video demonstrating what the plugin does.

[Builder Boy]

@edson said:

it would help if you could make a short video demonstrating what the plugin does.

How? I don't have any software. I don't even have a microphone.

@thomthom said:

Is the "previous versions" folder needed?

No

[Builder Boy]

Look at this .

[Ben Ritter]

Thank you for sharing.

[d12dozr]

@builder boy said:

How? I don't have any software. I don't even have a microphone.

Cam Studio is one free screen capture program...maybe you can just make a video of you making that futuristic motorcycle and other examples, and upload it to YouTube. Voiceover isn't even necessary, but then you could make some explaining text to supplement the video.

Thanks for your efforts!

[Builder Boy]

@unknownuser said:

What has this got to do with your 'plugin'?

I built it out of the pipes I made with my plugin. The wheel is 4 curved pipes that I combined. The handle is made out of a few pipes. The only things I didn't use my plugin for is the headlight and the red light on the back and the room I rendered it in and, a little hand modeling. (erasing unnecessary geometry, adding color Etc...)

---

Motorcycle.skp

[unclex]

Anybody can use this plugins?

Upzip it to the Plugins Cata
But Nothing Happening........

[Builder Boy]

@unclex said:

Anybody can use this plugins?

Upzip it to the Plugins Cata
But Nothing Happening........

I don't understand what you're problem is. Can you explain it better?

[perryman]

@unknownuser said:

Anybody can use this plugins?

Upzip it to the Plugins Cata
But Nothing Happening........

You need to put the file "Pipe Tool v4.0.rb" along with the .png files in the ..\plugins folder. You cannot put the folder in the ..\plugins directory.

I also want to thank you, Builder Boy, for a very nice plugin, great work!!

A few pointers that may be possible to implement:

• T-junction button?
• Flange button?
• is it possible to have metric, milimeter units, as standard?
• is it possible to make the pipe and parts hollow, with a thickness parameter?

Overall a very nice plugin. I would like to contribute but I'm sorry to say I don't have the knowledge to write or program a plugin, hmm...

[tridem]

@perryman said:

• T-junction button?
• Flange button?

+1

except the pipe room, I see that overriding the values without " it uses metric units

[unclex]

@builder boy said:

@unclex said:

Anybody can use this plugins?

Upzip it to the Plugins Cata
But Nothing Happening........

I don't understand what you're problem is. Can you explain it better?

if i don't change anything， it works

but i want change the PNG catalog，or change the PNG name(ofcouse i changed the file‘s name,too)， change ‘ " to mm，it cannot work……

For example

@srad = '6"' change → @srad = '300.mm '

piperoom.small_icon="Pipe Room.png" → piperoom.small_icon="PipeRoom.png"

[TIG]

I haven't even looked at the code... but if @srad is being set as a string '1"' and then .to_l is used on it to return a 'length' then you can change it to another default unit e.g. '25mm' [no '.']. If it's a length already @srad = 1.0 [in inches if NO units] or =1.inch then you do use a '.' as in @srad = 25.mm to make it in 'mm'...

The problem in using a string is you are forced to use a units suffix.
If it were a length to start with then it's always a length and in 'current' units, so if you have 'mm' set in Model Info even it it were set to be 1 ["] it'd show as 25.4 [mm]...