Copy tool --> no preview

[njeremy2]

Hello everyone,

I know is useless because this tools already exist but I have created a plugin which copy a component and paste that copy every where you click on your design but I don't know how to have preview before putting the component on the design.

1. You select the component
2. launch the plugin
3. click where you want to put the copy of the component (ex : a mailbox)
4. push "space" bar to quit the component

The benefit of this plugin is you don't have to press "CTRL" or reselect the component you want to copy.

Original tool with the preview before putting the component

My tool :
Tool activate, before clicking

after clicking on design

But I cannot have the preview like the original plugin. Without this, the accuracy is bad...
Someone can tell me how to add this preview ?

[TIG]

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model#place_component
model.place_component(component_definition, true)

[Dan Rathbun]

Here is another way which can copy multiple objects (be they components, groups, primitives, or any combination of them.)

1) Select the component, or the selection contains anything(s) you wish to copy.

2) Sketchup.send_action("copy:")

3) Sketchup.send_action("paste:")

User presses ESC to unselect the copied things. (But the MoveTool is still active afterward.)
You can clear the selection via Sketchup.active_model.selection.clear() and then reset the original selection if you have first saved it to an array.

All this can be done with the Edit menu options, or the Copy and Paste buttons from the Standard toolbar, or CTRL+C/CTRL+V shortcuts.

[njeremy2]

@tig said:

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model#place_component
model.place_component(component_definition, true)

I LOVE YOU !!!
It works great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since monday, I try to find the solution on the observer but it didn't work ... lol

Just for my personnal culture, what is the observer ? how do you use that ? (I read so many times the pdf and search on the net but I don't understand exactly the purpose)

I know it use for retrive any change on edge, entities, component ... but what for ?
Can you give me example ?

[njeremy2]

@dan rathbun said:

Here is another way which can copy multiple objects (be they components, groups, primitives, or any combination of them.)

1) Select the component, or the selection contains anything(s) you wish to copy.

2) Sketchup.send_action("copy:")

3) Sketchup.send_action("paste:")

User presses ESC to unselect the copied things. (But the MoveTool is still active afterward.)
You can clear the selection via Sketchup.active_model.selection.clear() and then reset the original selection if you have first saved it to an array.

All this can be done with the Edit menu options, or the Copy and Paste buttons from the Standard toolbar, or CTRL+C/CTRL+V shortcuts.

Yeah, I think it could be a great solution but the tool i've made is really useful for people who works for making forest on sketchup for example.

You select your first tree, activate the plugin, and put your tree everywhere you click (like the video game SIMS on computer )

BUT I WOULD THANKS TO ALL OF YOU !

[Dan Rathbun]

I think there is a component spray plugin that you could use to spray trees into a model.

[njeremy2]

@dan rathbun said:

I think there is a component spray plugin that you could use to spray trees into a model.

yeah ! but it's not only trees

[njeremy2]

I want to put a name on each copy
the name is store on that variable : @nameCompo

I put that code

newCompo = @model.place_component(@composantDef, true)

I try

newCompo.name = "#{@nameCompo}"

but it didn't work

I try also

@model.place_component(@composantDef, true, "#{nameCompo})

didn't work too...
Can I have all parameters of "place_component" ?

[Dan Rathbun]

@njeremy2 said:

Can I have all parameters of "place_component" ?

There are only 2.

And the API is wrong.. the method always returns the model object. (It cannot return the new component instance because there may be many off them.)

So instead do this:

before = @composantDef.instances.to_a
toolset = Sketchup.active_model.tools
@model.place_component(@composantDef, true)
tid = UI.start_timer(1.0,true){
  if toolset.active_tool_id != 21013
    UI.stop_timer(tid)
    after = @composantDef.instances.to_a - before
    after.each {|inst| inst.name = @nameCompo }
  end
}

[njeremy2]

@dan rathbun said:

@njeremy2 said:

Can I have all parameters of "place_component" ?

There are only 2.

And the API is wrong.. the method always returns the model object. (It cannot return the new component instance because there may be many off them.)

So instead do this:

> before = @composantDef.instances.to_a
> toolset = Sketchup.active_model.tools
> @model.place_component(@composantDef, true)
> tid = UI.start_timer(1.0,true){
>   if toolset.active_tool_id != 21013
>     UI.stop_timer(tid)
>     after = @composantDef.instances.to_a - before
>     after.each {|inst| inst.name = @nameCompo }
>   end
> }
> 

I'm gonna try this now, I will tell you again when it's working

[njeremy2]

Dan, if you were a girl, I could fall in love with you !!!

It's working !

Thanks to Dan and TIG !!

If you need a help from me for Sketchup, ask me I'm a professional almost ! lol

[thomthom]

Instead of a timer, wouldn't DefinitionObserver.onComponentInstanceAdded be better..?
https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/definitionobserver#onComponentInstanceAdded

[Dan Rathbun]

@thomthom said:

Instead of a timer, wouldn't DefinitionObserver.onComponentInstanceAdded be better..?
https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/definitionobserver#onComponentInstanceAdded

He is a month-old newbie.. I didn't want to go into observers with him yet.

[njeremy2]

@dan rathbun said:

@thomthom said:

Instead of a timer, wouldn't DefinitionObserver.onComponentInstanceAdded be better..?
https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/definitionobserver#onComponentInstanceAdded

He is a month-old newbie.. I didn't want to go into observers with him yet.

right ! thanks

not "month-old", I'm "week-old" newbie !