[Plugin][$] RoundCorner - v3.4a - 31 Mar 24

fredo6 · 23 Apr 2012, 21:02

I guess nobody has a solution? At least a suggestion of another program where I might try to round the corners of my object?

RoundCorner is based on pure geometry and therefore the overlap issues (when the offset is too large) has no satisfactory solution.
I think that Artisan by Whaat, which is based on a softer method, by subdivision, could help.

Fredo

AcesHigh · 23 Apr 2012, 21:58

@unknownuser said:

@aceshigh said:

I guess nobody has a solution? At least a suggestion of another program where I might try to round the corners of my object?

RoundCorner is based on pure geometry and therefore the overlap issues (when the offset is too large) has no satisfactory solution.
I think that Artisan by Whaat, which is based on a softer method, by subdivision, could help.

Fredo

Fredo, I noticed that the overlap issues in certain shapes occur even when the offset is MINIMAL...its just harder to notice, unless you zoom in.

fredo6 · 24 Apr 2012, 07:55

@aceshigh said:

Fredo, I noticed that the overlap issues in certain shapes occur even when the offset is MINIMAL...its just harder to notice, unless you zoom in.

The fact is that the algorithm is too geometrical to handle complex meshes. It is more adapted when the edges to round are aligned.

Fredo

AcesHigh · 24 Apr 2012, 15:22

@unknownuser said:

@aceshigh said:

Fredo, I noticed that the overlap issues in certain shapes occur even when the offset is MINIMAL...its just harder to notice, unless you zoom in.

The fact is that the algorithm is too geometrical to handle complex meshes. It is more adapted when the edges to round are aligned.

Fredo

from a non programer´s point of view (mine) it seems the plugin works very well with some very complex objects, but cant deal with other specific shape objects, that sometimes dont seem to complex.

in this particular shape I am getting problems, the overlapping occurs because the curve has like 10 lines/faces. When the plugin offsets the inner border, SOME of the inner lines get negative.

cant you adjust the offsetting feature to NEVER get negative values?

TIG · 24 Apr 2012, 15:55

I have a working [but yet unreleased] version of 'smartoffset.rb' that works on 2d shapes which ignores reversed curves like this where the internal offset's smallness/radius results in negative flipped forms. Thus, instead of an unwanted 'ear' of reversed edges getting made, the internal offset's corner is a made as a simple angle when necessary.

I use similar 3d code in the 'shell' part of my recent 'honeycomber' tool, to avoid convoluted forms where the internal offsets can flip over... So instead of unwanted 'appendages' being made on the tighter internal corners, they are made simple, with no reversing or interpenetrating of facets etc.

Fredo, perhaps you could look through that part of the code and crib some ideas to use in your own code... I can PM you other code if you like...

jeff hammond · 24 Apr 2012, 15:57

@aceshigh said:

@unknownuser said:

@aceshigh said:

Fredo, I noticed that the overlap issues in certain shapes occur even when the offset is MINIMAL...its just harder to notice, unless you zoom in.

The fact is that the algorithm is too geometrical to handle complex meshes. It is more adapted when the edges to round are aligned.

Fredo

from a non programer´s point of view (mine) it seems the plugin works very well with some very complex objects, but cant deal with other specific shape objects, that sometimes dont seem to complex.

in this particular shape I am getting problems, the overlapping occurs because the curve has like 10 lines/faces. When the plugin offsets the inner border, SOME of the inner lines get negative.

cant you adjust the offsetting feature to NEVER get negative values?

i saw your post in the artisan thread that had example pictures of the overlap problems you're having.. the problem, as i see it, is that you're trying to use roundCorner to put round (i.e.- radius) corners on geometry that doesn't accommodate a radius.. (trying to put a square peg in a round hole type situation)… there are ways to get surfaces in the areas you're showing (in that thread) but not with radius edges.. you'll need to use curviloft (et.al ) instead..

AcesHigh · 24 Apr 2012, 16:20

thank you for all the input folks.

right now, I solved my problem by reducing the number of lines in the bezier curves (to only 7, the minimal), so when using roundcorner, the problem remains, but it takes a bigger offset to cause the problem (since each inner line of the offset created is larger) and its also easier to MANUALLY delete the overlapping areas and fix them by recreating the lines correctly.

Fredo, your plugin is greater and I hope you find the time (easier said than done, specially since I am not the one spending time with it!) to look through TIG´s code and maybe improve RoundCorner to make it even greater!

This forum is definitly full of awesome people!

jeff hammond · 24 Apr 2012, 16:32

@aceshigh said:

thank you for all the input folks.

right now, I solved my problem by reducing the number of lines in the bezier curves (to only 7, the minimal), so when using roundcorner, the problem remains, but it takes a bigger offset to cause the problem (since each inner line of the offset created is larger) and its also easier to MANUALLY delete the overlapping areas and fix them by recreating the lines correctly.

have a look at the attached skp which uses copy/pasted geometry from the model you posted in the artisan thread..

rc_prob.skp

i'm not sure if that's the best example to explain what's going on but it is what's going on…

roundcorner automates a procedure which you could draw manually.. maybe if you try to do this manually then you can begin to recognize the issue? as well as understand what exactly it is that roundCorner is attempting to do?

fredo6 · 24 Apr 2012, 17:05

@tig said:

I have a working [but yet unreleased] version of 'smartoffset.rb' that works on 2d shapes which ignores reversed curves like this where the internal offset's smallness/radius results in negative flipped forms. Thus, instead of an unwanted 'ear' of reversed edges getting made, the internal offset's corner is a made as a simple angle when necessary.

I use similar 3d code in the 'shell' part of my recent 'honeycomber' tool, to avoid convoluted forms where the internal offsets can flip over... So instead of unwanted 'appendages' being made on the tighter internal corners, they are made simple, with no reversing or interpenetrating of facets etc.

Fredo, perhaps you could look through that part of the code and crib some ideas to use in your own code... I can PM you other code if you like...

TIG,

Thanks for the offer. Actually, RoundCorner does not rely on an Offset algorithm and simplification would not be useful here (I use simplification in OffsetOnSurface). Instead, RoundCorner strictly rely on the faces that border the edges to round, so that it can reconstruct the geometry without modifying the rest of the model.
So, if the offset is too large, or some faces are too narrow, the overlap effect makes it fail.

The solution would be to cut in a clean fashion the bordering faces at the given offset distance and then do the rounding. By 'clean fashion', I mean possibly reorganizing and smoothing the faces beyond those which are strictly bordering the edges to round. I am thinking about doing this one day, as well as introduce a quadmeshing method for the angles. But that's still in a non-predicatble future.

As Jeff mentioned, RoundCorner is just automating what can be done by hand with a pure geometric approach. And in some topology, there is no decidable solutions by this approach.

Fredo

rigidjar · 25 Apr 2012, 23:29

I downloaded both files, round corners and libfredo, (neither of which came as a Zip file), placed them into the appropriate Plug-Ins folder and it is not showing up in my plug-ins.

Going through preferences to install the plug-in... which file is it? I am not getting an option to open and install.....

Help, thanks.

fredo6 · 26 Apr 2012, 08:41

@unknownuser said:

I downloaded both files, round corners and libfredo, (neither of which came as a Zip file), placed them into the appropriate Plug-Ins folder and it is not showing up in my plug-ins.

Going through preferences to install the plug-in... which file is it? I am not getting an option to open and install.....

Help, thanks.

You need to respect the footprint in the Sketchup Plugin directory

LibFred06.rb
LIBFREDO6_Dir_44 (folder)
ROUNDCORNER_Dir_23 (folder)

If you don't have this, it won't work. And also, you do not need to go to Preferences.

Fredo

TIG · 26 Apr 2012, 09:20

These are zip files, so something in your download settings is adrift.
They should arrive into your specified download location as .zip files.
Extract the contents of the zips, keeping the [sub]folder structure of all files.
Once you have the one .rb file and two folders of other files extracted out of these zip files, put all three into your Plugins folder, fully intact.
There is no magic 'installer' needed [although IF you leave them in the zip format thomthom has made a 'SimpleInstaller' for v8M2 that will do the extraction and relocation for you...]
Restart Sketchup to auto-load the newly added tool.
Now open Preferences > Extension to activate the tool [one time only] - it is clearly named in the list.
Then use View > Toolbars to activate the tool's newly added toolbar - it is clearly named in the list...
Follow the tools instructions...
Happy rounding.............

jeff hammond · 26 Apr 2012, 10:19

[he's on Mac... probably using safari.. preference set to 'open "safe" files upon downloading'.. (ie- the files come in unzipped albeit inside a folder]

open the folder first, then place those items in the plugin folder..

TIG · 26 Apr 2012, 10:50

@unknownuser said:

[he's on Mac... probably using safari.. preference set to 'open "safe" files upon downloading'.. (ie- the files come in unzipped albeit inside a folder]
open the folder first, then place those items in the plugin folder..

So to recap, on some MACs, depending on preferences, downloaded zipped files can 'arrive' already unzipped inside a folder [presumably named after the zip-file itself]. In that case you then need to move the contents of that folder [which might be files/subfolders-intact] into Plugins...

Of course this rather messes up using zip/rbz archives with the new v8M2 'installer tool'

jeff hammond · 26 Apr 2012, 17:30

.rbz files aren't considered safe (according to this preference setting) so those will download as .rbz.. the 'install extensions' method used by sketchup also takes care of the extra folder created during the unzipping process.. basically, .rbz files take care of all the install problems that Mac users seem to have around here when installing rubies because most of the how-to instructions are geared towards windows users (unless the plugin is a single .rb file (no .zip).. then the instructions work ok on Mac)

ramedina · 27 Apr 2012, 23:11

Hi everyone. Just downloaded and installed both libfredo 4.4 and roundcorner2.3a but every time I try to use round corner sketchup crashes and I get a bugsplat. I'm usig sketchup 8 on window 7.

TIG · 28 Apr 2012, 08:56

Ramedina

Insufficient detail.
At what point does it crash?
As it launches, as you enter values, as it rounds edges ??
Are there any messages before the splat?
If you have the Ruby Console open as you run it what do you see ?
What are you trying to 'round' exactly ?
Can you post a simple example SKP that fails for you, with clear details of the settings you are using...

Are you 100% sure the files/folders are installed correctly??

ramedina · 28 Apr 2012, 13:02

Thanks for your reply TIG.
I started trying to use it with some furniture i had made but after having it crash several times i tried using it on a 1m x 1m x 1m cube and it also crashed. It crashes just after i click on the green check. There are no messages before the splat and nothing shows on the ruby console.

The folders and .rb files for both LIBFREDO and ROUNDCORNER are on the Plugins folder of the Google Sketchup 8 folder. Thanx in advance for your help.

TIG · 28 Apr 2012, 14:58

What size rounding and segment count are you using on the simple cube ?
Here's my 1m cube with the top edges rounded at radius=100mm and segments=6.

ramedina · 28 Apr 2012, 15:07

I`m using a 50 mm offset and 6 segments... i've tried on several other simple shapes on different files but it always crashes... the only other plugins i have installed are Podium and Podium's Render all. Could that be part of the problem??

Thanks