[Plugin] View Parts (1.2) — Sept 13 2011

cmd · 2 Aug 2011, 20:17

The View Parts ruby script will build a scene for every unique component and group in a selection set.

The idea behind the ruby was to find a quick way to isolate and view each part of an assembly either for general viewing or to put into the SketchUp LayOut program for dimensioning and part arrangement.

Here is a video to see it in action:

UPDATE - 09-06-2011
Changed code to reflect best practices mentioned by TIG.
UPDATE - 09-13-2011
Menu load correction

Feel free to hack away at the ruby and improve it as you see fit.

Enjoy !

CMD

version 1.2

Rich O Brien · 2 Aug 2011, 20:23

Very useful. Thanks

EarthMover · 2 Aug 2011, 21:01

Very cool. This should be very handy for presentation work.

Dave R · 2 Aug 2011, 23:15

Very interesting indeed. Thank you.

baz · 2 Aug 2011, 23:30

Useful, thanks.
Baz

Chris Fullmer · 3 Aug 2011, 15:29

Awesome, thanks for posting that Chris!

Ben Ritter · 3 Aug 2011, 17:21

Thank you.

Bob James · 3 Aug 2011, 18:09

Thank you

wyatt · 3 Aug 2011, 18:46

This is great. Thank you!

spence · 3 Aug 2011, 18:53

Oh this is fabulous, thanks Chris.

Jean-Franco · 3 Aug 2011, 21:28

Very useful, thank you !

studeag · 4 Aug 2011, 01:58

Extremely usefull,

Thank you!

TIG · 4 Aug 2011, 11:13

This is a very good idea.

I have a few points...

Please remember to parenthesize you arguments, for future Ruby compatibility - e.g. it's best like
model.pages.add("Initial State")
and NOT
model.pages.add "Initial State"
I know the API is full of 'wrong' examples and they do work... BUT with changes to the way Ruby works across versions, then if they aren't inside () you will get issues...

You should protect you code inside a module - someone else might have also defined hideAll too in their 'unwrapped' code... which might mess up you [or them] !
So let's call it
` module CMD

ALL code goes here

endThen recast your three methods with a leading self.like this def **self.**hideAll()
...etc, Also ensure that any calls of those methods then appear as **self.**hideAll()etc The menu section also needs to use ...{**self.**viewParts()}if it's within the module, but if it's outside of the module then it becomes ...{**CMD.**viewParts()}`

Also you could replace the
if file_loaded?("viewparts.rb")
etc with
if file_loaded?(File.basename(__FILE__))
as __FILE__ returns the path to the script itself and doesn't rely on the file keeping a certain name.

Personally I'd also put this Tool under the 'View' menu rather than in 'Plugins'... but that's me...

Please don't take my comments as criticisms of a great idea, that's well executed - it's just that these minor tweaks would make it more 'robust'...

MALAISE · 4 Aug 2011, 12:04

Great tool for complex mechanisms

Thanks a lot

fastech370 · 4 Aug 2011, 20:39

Awesome Plugin. This saves a lot of time!!!!!

driven · 4 Aug 2011, 20:56

hi,

does anyone have this working on a mac... [EDIT-the examples on a mac!!!]

I tried both standard and a version using TIG's mods, and although both create scenes, everything is hidden.

the only way to see any content is to use 'edit>>unhide>>all' but then 'ALL' are unhidden in 'ALL' scenes.

I tried using the hide 'other' feature to see the individual elements, but this gets zeroed when I switch pages[scenes].

does the model need to have separate layers for each group/component?

any ideas?
john

Jean-Franco · 24 Aug 2011, 15:07

Hi,

@driven said:

I tried both standard and a version using TIG's mods, and although both create scenes, everything is hidden.

I've the same situation under Windows XP 3.
If I select components within a group and launch Viewparts, it creates all the needed scenes but all is hidden. And no way to unhide anything.

Have a look at the attached file.

Driven, If you don't mind, I'd like to have your updated script with TIG's modifications to do a test.
I'm sorry but I'm really not a Ruby scripter.
Thanks.

cerificateur-scenes.skp

yellow peril · 31 Aug 2011, 11:44

Hi has anyone any idea why this script seams to lock up my files while using the arc tool, I have unstalled this excellent script and found that all is working fine, maybe its a mac issue, some help would be much appreciated........

Thank You

rjhorky · 13 Sept 2011, 18:58

for the life of me I cannot figure out why I cannot get this to work. I click on the link, save to the plugins folder within SU8. It does not show up anywhere but I can see it in the folder. Any ideas?

Dave R · 13 Sept 2011, 21:10

Did you restart sketchUp after installing the file in the Plugins folder? Did it install with the .rb extension?