[Plugin] Skelion (solar, shadows)

Juantxo

http://skelion.netne.net/ is a free hosting. May be it is the reason.
In the future I'll change the hosting if I'll see interest in the plugin, but not now.

thomthom

Yea - it's a potential problem with shared hosting.
I'll have to check it out when I get home. I can't get around Trend's blocking.

watkins

Dear Thomas,

Here is a zipped copy I downloaded from the site.

Regards,
Bob

skelion.zip

jwood2012

So when I unpack the skelion.zip file the the script files have file extension rbs not rbz
consequently the files are not recognized as Ruby scripts by Sketchup. When I change the
file extension to rbz sketchup recognizes the file but is unable to install it referring
me to the installation instructions which are

Download SKELION plugin "skelion.rbz" from the Download Button and save it
In Sketchup 8 M2 (last version): Go to Window - Preferences - Extensions - Install Extension
Select "skelion.rbz" and accept to install it.
Accept license and restart SketchUp
Activate SKELION toolbar [View/Toolbars/Skelion]

So can anyone help me with the installation?

Gaieus

Jim, RBZ is a new file format (with M2) and it is actually a renamed ZIP archive (RBZ = RuByZip). RBS is a scrambled RB ("RuBy") file and you need (and can) not do anything with it.

Either simply copy the RBS file into your plugins folder or rename the ZIP file to RBZ and use the new installer. It will know what to do with it (unpack, install etc.)

thomthom

@jwood2012 said:

So when I unpack the skelion.zip file the the script files have file extension rbs not rbz
consequently the files are not recognized as Ruby scripts by Sketchup

Installing Plugins for SketchUp

Update: June 2014 This article was written right before Google sold SketchUp to Trimble. Since then the instructions has changed slightly. In May 2013 SketchUp 2013 was released which included the …

Procrastinators Revolt! (www.thomthom.net)

Juantxo

Sorry jwood2012, you need to clear the cache of your browser to download current version.
The problem is you downloaded an older version.

TIG

Jim

Read this: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=315127#p315127
which is the best guide to extracting and installing the contents of a .ZIP archive.
The .RB/.RBS file-types within a .ZIP or the extracted folder[s] are equivalent in their operation - it's just that you can't 'read' a .RBS file as it's been 'compiled'.

IF one day you should download a .RBZ you can install it in v8M2Pro via the menu item Window > Preferences > Extension > 'install archive' button...
IF you are brave enough to rename a .ZIP file suffix to .RBZ file you can then install it that way too.
Conversely if you have a .RBZ file you can make it into a .ZIP file by changing its suffix, and using the methods outlined for that archive type in the above link...

Hampson

I really like this plugin for SketchUp, had I'd known about it from the very beginning it would have helped me produce models quicker and easier.

Anyway, my main question regarding the plugin is how do I get it to maximise the full area when laying down solar panels? For example, I put a 16" offset from the edge of a residential roof. After selecting the now smaller area and when I have plugged in the tilt/azimuth, etc., the panels don't take up all the space available. They seem to work from the middle > out. I had to move them to one side to add an additional 2 rows within the same space.

Is this just in the free version or is it deliberately set up like this?

Juantxo

Please, send the model or an image please.
Plugin insert panels in rows, from down to the top, and centering panels of each row from borders.
Actually not maximize space in vertical. User must sometimes modify rows. May be in a future it will be improved.

Hampson

I must have been entering something wrong as it seems to match it now on some of our previous models we've done.

However, I did notice on the following attachment, that it doesn't seem to align itself along the roof edge and thus having an angled system from top left to bottom right.

Judging by the measurements we can get two rows of panels aligned with the rooftop edge, but just wanted to throw this out to you.

Cheers

Not quite aligning itself along the roof edge

Juantxo

Thanks for your post. Some people have problems understanding how to insert panels. So I think it's necessary make a video to teach how to insert solar panels, co-planar or with some tilt, over the roof.
With the plugin you can insert panels like you want, but it's necessary understand the concept of azimuth and tilt relative. This concept it's a bit dark...
Selecting an edge and a face, and using the rights azimuth and tilt relative you can insert the panels in many ways.
We'll try to make a video...

Juantxo

@stbovo said:

Unfortunately it does not work in Mac OSX

Finally, last version of Skelion runs on MAC.
Thanks to Dan Rathbun, driven and thomthom for their help in the task.

driven

Oddly, a friend asked me yesterday if I could draw up some solar panels on his house.
and the mac version arrives...

however, I only get one grey button, with no functionality, and no errors in ruby console.

As I can't see the script, I can't see what paths are expected.

Sketchup installed [via the rbz] into my ~/Library/ path, not not the normal HD/Library path.
The html for the license and one blank toolbar is all I got...
Possibly a paths issue.
does it have any dependencies? or require statements?

john

Juantxo

It will be a path issue or maybe you downloaded an older version. I had some problems in the web with browsers cache. Today I changed the name of file so name is "skelion_v52.rbz" for no confusion.

Plugin uses only one require,
require 'sketchup'
and statements similar to:
Sketchup.find_support_file "_1angles.html" ,"Plugins/_skelion"
Sketchup.find_support_file("moon_16.png", "Plugins/_skelion/images")

With normal users, and stored in normal path of a MAC, ir works. "Library/Application Support/Google Sketchup 8/Sketchup/plugins/"
May be is related with uppercase "Plugins" "plugins" or the place you are storing files....

thomthom

@Juantxo: Avoid using Sketchup.find_support_file to determine the path for your plugin - it might not be in the default SketchUp folder at all. Some times OSX users place then in their User folder - and some users place their plugins in a shared folder elsewhere.

Instead use the __FILE__ constant that returns the name and path of the current file.

Example:

<span class="syntaxdefault">root_path </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> File</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">dirname</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">__FILE__</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">support_folder </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> File</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">join</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> root_path</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'_skelion'</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">image_folder </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> File</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">join</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> support_folder</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'images'</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

That makes the plugin robust to any location it might be installed to.

Juantxo

@driven said:

Sketchup installed [via the rbz] into my ~/Library/ path, not not the normal HD/Library path.

Now is fixed. Download "skelion_v503.rbz".

masonc

I've tried the extension renaming trick, Sketchup still doesn't allow me to select the RBZ file. Any other way to get this done?

thomthom

@masonc said:

I've tried the extension renaming trick, Sketchup still doesn't allow me to select the RBZ file. Any other way to get this done?

You could try this plugin to help: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=42315#p375454
Simplifies installing .zip, .rbz, .rb, .rbs plugin files to your plugin directory.

masonc

@juantxo said:

@hampson said:

Anyway, my main question regarding the plugin is how do I get it to maximise the full area when laying down solar panels?...

One of the features you should consider adding is a roof edge spacing, as in, I want to calculate the amount of PV on this roof, here is the panel, here is the tilt, I want to remain 18" from the edges as per best practices. It would make it easier to calculate the maximum PV given a certain roof shape.