Menus & Tools

[PaulG]

Hi,

I have been trying to make a new tool and organize it a bit better, but I can't work out how to get it running. I have a menu rb file in the plugins file which I want to call the tool in it's own folder.
Previously I have had the tool file in the plugins folder with the menu adding code and tool in the same file and used active_model.select_tool(RNC_Files::Tool_1.new()) to get the tool running.

#menu file
module RNC_Files
   menu = UI.menu("Plugins")
   submenu = menu.add_submenu("RNC_Tools")
   submenu = add_item("Tool_1"){Sketchup.load("RNC_Tools/Tool_1.rb")}
end

#tool file
module RNC_Files
   class Tool_1
      def initialize
         UI.messagebox("Tool_1 has been called")
      end
   end
end

Hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction, maybe I'm taking the wrong approach. Any advise will be greatfully recieved.

[Diggsey]

Just load the tool script once at the start of your main script, and then instantiate your tool in the UI handler the same way you were doing before.

[thomthom]

<span class="syntaxdefault"><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">#menu&nbsp;file<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.require(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools/Tool_1.rb"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /><br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">module&nbsp;RNC_Files<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;menu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Plugins"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">submenu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_submenu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">submenu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_item</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Tool_1"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">){&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">RNC_Files</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Tool_1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new&nbsp;}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end</span>

[PaulG]

Thanks for that,the require method includes code from the tool file into the menu file same as require sketchup.rb? Is there a practical limit on the number of files you can require?

[thomthom]

@paulg said:

Thanks for that,the require method includes code from the tool file into the menu file same as require sketchup.rb?

require and load will both make the ruby interpreter load and execute the content of the file you specify. You must use this when you need to use another file. require if different from load in that it ensure the file is loaded only once. I recommend you read up on these methods as they are essential to Ruby.

[PaulG]

Ok thanks, so require is basically like including a header file, so if I have 20 menuitems calling 20 different tools in my menu I will need to require 20 files, this seems like im including code I wont need if my user only uses 1 tool. Is there a more efficiant approach to this?

[thomthom]

<span class="syntaxdefault"><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">#menu file<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">module RNC_Files<br />  menu </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Plugins"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  submenu </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_submenu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  submenu </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> add_item</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Tool_1"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">){<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.require(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools/Tool_1.rb"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    RNC_Files</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Tool_1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end<br /></span>

I guess that will work - not sure if it's any good practice for lazy loading...

Just remembered - as I was typing:
autoload
http://www.rubyinside.com/ruby-techniques-revealed-autoload-1652.html

<span class="syntaxdefault"><br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment">#menu&nbsp;file<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">module&nbsp;RNC_Files<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;autoload&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Tool_1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools/Tool_1.rb"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Plugins"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">submenu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_submenu</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"RNC_Tools"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">submenu&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_item</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Tool_1"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">){&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Tool_1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new&nbsp;}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end<br /></span>

[PaulG]

Thanks thomthom, much appreciated

[niccah]

@thomthom said:

@paulg said:

Thanks for that,the require method includes code from the tool file into the menu file same as require sketchup.rb?

require and load will both make the ruby interpreter load and execute the content of the file you specify. You must use this when you need to use another file. require if different from load in that it ensure the file is loaded only once. I recommend you read up on these methods as they are essential to Ruby.

I had a similar problem: I could start a plugin in a folder just once. At a second click, nothing started. So, with your help, I could fix it! (I replaced "require" by "load").

Just a small question: Why you are writing "Sketchup.require"? Are there any differences to the "normal" require?

Thanks Thomthom for your helpful explanations!!

[Dan Rathbun]

@niccah said:

Just a small question: Why you are writing " Sketchup.require"? Are there any differences to the "normal" require?

FYI: The "normal" require (and load,) comes from module Kernel.

Sketchup.require and Sketchup.load can call the internal decryption for rbs files, but the Kernel ones cannot.

[niccah]

@dan rathbun said:

@niccah said:

Just a small question: Why you are writing " Sketchup.require"? Are there any differences to the "normal" require?

FYI: The "normal" require (and load,) comes from module Kernel.

Sketchup.require and Sketchup.load can call the internal decryption for rbs files, but the Kernel ones cannot.

Okay, this sounds logic! Thanks for the information!