[Plugin] Zorro2 (beta)

sadyo · 30 Jan 2012, 04:27

Zorro2 with icon.7z
Dukejazz Zorro2 with icon, for newbie like me

Thank you Whaat

Raz · 22 Mar 2012, 22:09

Hello I am using Sketchup 8 Pro, and it seems to crash every time I try to apply this tool... Any ideas why?

TIG · 23 Mar 2012, 08:38

More details please...
How complex is the model?
Are you trying to slice-up raw-geometry or groups/components etc?
At what point during its use does it 'crash' [and what is this 'crash' like]?

ankh · 31 Mar 2012, 07:52

Happens to me too on both Skp 8 and 7. Both Mac and PC.

Even if I draw a simple box and try to slice it with either Zorro or Slice Model (from the section cut dialogue) ... instant crash.

(it`s not a "insufficient hardware" issue), the weird thing is that (on Skp 7) it actually worked one time and then it started crashing. I finally tried with a simple cube (non-group) and realized that the problem is with Sketchup, and not the file.

I`m still looking forward to a solution.

TIG · 31 Mar 2012, 11:01

Do you have any of these other plugins installed?
They might ill-advisedly overwrite some native class/methods and cause issues with legit scripts.

SketchyPhysics
DrivingDimensions
Matchbox
Solar[***+ something or other]
Some versions of Podium
Any other 'unusual' scripts you've recently installed???If so, try disabling them all [move their .rb/.rbs files out of Plugins temporarily and restart Sketchup...
Move them back in one at a time until the culprit is found - then you must choose between Zorro and that other tool auto-loading...
Report back...

dropemjackem · 30 Apr 2012, 06:15

having trouble opening it not sure wich file to use to open keeps tryin to open in sketchup

TIG · 30 Apr 2012, 10:49

@dropemjackem said:

having trouble opening it not sure wich file to use to open keeps tryin to open in sketchup
Do you have any idea how to install a plugin ?
There are several good help pages on this...

You do not need to 'open' it.

In the case of a single .rb file like this you just put it into your Sketchup Plugins folder [ensure you have suitable access-rights to do this].
Now restart Sketchup and the tool auto-loads and becomes available to use.
Read [and follow] its usage instructions available on the download page.

Note that a .rb file is just a kind of 'text file', if anything you should associate its opening with Notepad.exe, that way you can open the file and read the first part, which is often its usage instructions etc too...

Tools that are more complex often come inside a .zip file and consist of several 'parts' which need 'extracting' before they are 'installed' - again there are lots of useful pages on doing this - but let's not run before we can walk and leave this for another day

thomthom · 30 Apr 2012, 10:53

@dropemjackem said:

having trouble opening it not sure wich file to use to open keeps tryin to open in sketchup

Generic installation guide: http://www.thomthom.net/thoughts/2012/01/installing-plugins-for-google-sketchup/

rks218 · 8 May 2012, 06:40

does anyone know how to download the given .rb, I went to Window > Preferences > Extensions, and
checked all the boxes; but Im still not sure how to download the plugin. thanks

TIG · 8 May 2012, 09:44

@rks218 said:

does anyone know how to download the given .rb, I went to Window > Preferences > Extensions, and checked all the boxes; but I'm still not sure how to download the plugin. thanks
Please see thomthom's recent post in this thread for a helpful link... [he has also made a 'simple-installer' that lets you 'auto' install many kinds of downloaded files/archives more easily...]

The Preferences Extension installer only works on 'archives'*** [that is .rbz files which are a kind of .zip file].
Once you have downloaded such a file then you can run the installer on it.
Also if a downloaded file is a .zip, then you can rename it as a.rbz and it'll work that way too...
Complex toolset usually com as 'archives'.
A rbz/zip archive is a collection of files and subfolders, which need to be extracted and put into the Sketchup Plugins folder in the same relative relationship - the v8M2 installer assists you, but in all prior versions you has to do this installation 'by hand'...

B U T - now read this carefully - ***the Zorro tool is relatively simple and it comes in a single .rb file; this is easy to install: simply download it by clicking its link and specifying its destination folder on your computer... and then move that .rb file into the Sketchup Plugins folder, then restart Sketchup to auto-load the tool - it should then appear in the the specified menu - follow the tool's usage instructions...

fcbschwein · 28 May 2012, 08:02

superb!

masum_nobi · 8 Jun 2012, 08:27

Thanks.......

bobpineo · 14 Sept 2012, 13:38

Whaat!
thank you so much for making this plugin!
I been using SU for about 8 years now, and I do projects in a variety of scales and for different project types...
Zorro is one of the most useful plugins I have (and I have alot!).
Very simple, but very very powerful.
Thank you for thinking of it.
Bob

volatile_ant · 21 Oct 2012, 05:55

This is a great plugin, thanks for sharing!

Now for a question: Maxwell render has the ability to hide groups from the camera, essentially allowing a real-light section perspective to be rendered (instead of holes in the model letting light in at the section cut).
Is it possible to keep the 'trash' geometry (what will eventually be 'hidden' in a rendering) and have the two halves of the model in two separate groups?

Being that I know enough about programming to get myself into trouble, but not enough to get myself out, I was able to modify your script so the 'Slice Model at Section' tool no longer deletes any geometry, but am completely lost when trying to end up with two groups at the end.

Keastone · 30 Oct 2012, 06:53

I'm trying to install Zorro2 on my mac. When I read the write ups on how to install it says a .rbz file is needed for SU8. Well I have SU8 but the only zorro2 file I can manage to find is the .rb file which is mentioned for SU7. I've tried both ways to install the plugin and neither seems to work. Any ideas?

TIG · 30 Oct 2012, 10:20

@keastone said:

I'm trying to install Zorro2 on my mac. When I read the write ups on how to install it says a .rbz file is needed for SU8. Well I have SU8 but the only zorro2 file I can manage to find is the .rb file which is mentioned for SU7. I've tried both ways to install the plugin and neither seems to work. Any ideas?
You are misconstruing things.
I have never seen anywhere saying you HAVE to have a RBZ archive to install a script in v8 - rather it says that with v8 there is an additional format of archive [RBZ] devised to assist in a simple automated installation... obviously this has only confused some of you

Version 8 CAN automate the installation of toolsets that are packaged as RBZ archives.
BUT this in no way precludes you from manually installing RB/RBS, or any files or subfolders of files that have been properly extracted from a ZIP archive [an RBZ is simply a ZIP file with its filetype suffix changed!] Thomthom has made a v8 'Simple Plugins Installer' that automates the installation of all such file/archive types - get it from the Resources > Plugins Index. It'll stop you over thinking things.

Since this tool here comes as a simple RB file [i.e. there are no complications of support files in subfolders - additional helper files, toolbar/webdialog files and the like] - thomthom's tool can easily auto-install it for you. Alternatively you can simply drop this lone RB file into your MAC's 'plugins' folder, and restart SketchUp... However, I still recommend thomthom's solution as it applies to all types with little effort/though on your part... This method will also avoid some MAC issue where a user installs a plugin manually into the 'plugins' folder and it doesn't work - because he's not used the correct folder in the HD Lib path, rather using the wrong folder in the 'User' Lib path.

Incidentally ensure that you have FULL access-rights permissions to that 'plugins' folder, because you need it to install files but some tools need to write log-files or make/write to their own subfolders etc with that folder - and limited access-rights can cause issues...

kevo · 30 Oct 2012, 16:20

I'm going to try this when I get chance, many thanks.

Can I use a curved sandbox plane as shaped cutting plane? Either with this, or some other plugin, btw?

Gaieus · 30 Oct 2012, 17:05

No, Zorro2 will use the section plane as a cutting plane and that is always flat by nature. I cannot think of another plugin that would perform such a cutting operation now (this does not mean it does not exist) and of course, a manual intersection may be extremely tedious with complex geometry and/or lots of nested elements in groups/components.

Some boolean tools may make it easier but still, nested things can be an obstacle.

vanderbijlps · 30 Nov 2012, 08:09

Firstly - Awesome plugin!!! Well done and thank you very much for sharing

I get a bugsplat every time I've tried to use Zoro2. Then went through the exercise of disabling all my plugins one at a time. The problem is caused by the SU Podium plugin - the moment I disable it, Zoro2 works!

Any way around this?

Kind regards
PvdB

pilou · 30 Nov 2012, 09:01

@unknownuser said:

Any way around this?

Make 2 folders "Plugins" one with Podium, and one without it
And rename them when you want use Zorro2