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[Plugin] WireTool (Catenary) (1.4.1) – updated 06.03.2013

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  • A Offline
    Aerilius
    last edited by Aerilius 27 May 2012, 02:05

    This Plugin allows to draw physically accurate wires and ropes (catenary curves) between two points with only two clicks.

    [floatr:t2flpn38]preview.png[/floatr:t2flpn38]
    Installation: Open Window → Preferences → Extensions → Install Extension and select this file; alternatively use an unzip program to extract the contents into the SketchUp/Plugins folder. [previous downloads: 778]
    Version: 1.4.1

    Date: 06.03.2013

    Usage:
    (Menu) Plugins → Draw Wires

    • Type a number + %(#000000)[s] to change the number of curve segments:
      %(#000000)[24s]
    • Type a number + %(#000000)[%] to set an arc length (relative to the distance between source and target point):
      %(#000000)[120%]
    • Type a length to set a fixed arc length:
      %(#000000)[72.5m]
      %(#000000)[30.66"]

    History:
    version 1.4.1: 06.03.2013

    • added Spanish translation
    • fixed non-convergent numerical approximation for curve lengths near 100% of distance
      version 1.4.0: 01.03.2013
    • converted into a SketchUp Extension
    • image and cursor added
      version 1.3: 03.06.2012
    • fixed wrong segment length (only noticeable with big sag like 200%)
    • changed segments to have equal angles (visually best result, but not all segments have the same length)
    • added optional parameter @@segment_distribution_mode in the script to toggle back to equal length segments (edit the ruby file)
      version 1.2: 30.05.2012
    • now all segments have equal arc length (no more equal x length)
    • error with translation in activate didn't properly activate the tool
    • @state=0 fixed
      version 1.1: 27.05.2012
    • translations
    • better precision (changed threshold for numerical calculations)
      version 1.0: 27.05.2012
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    • K Offline
      Krisidious
      last edited by 27 May 2012, 04:00

      sweet thanks.

      By: Kristoff Rand
      Home DesignerUnique House Plans

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      • B Offline
        Bob James
        last edited by 27 May 2012, 07:21

        I can really use this! Thank you. 👍

        i7-4930K 3.4Ghz, 2x GTX780 6GB, 32GB DDR3-1600 ECC, OCZ Vertex 4 500GB, WD Black 3TB, 32TB NAS, 4x 27" Monitors, SpaceMouse Pro, X-keys XK-60

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        • T Offline
          thomthom
          last edited by 27 May 2012, 11:18

          @aerilius said:

          Type a length to set a fixed arc length:

          !!! I tried on this a couple of years ago! Never worked out how to do a fixed length curve. I need to snoop around in your code. I wanted to make a tool that would anchor the end point to other geometry so when you moved of the the object it was attached it the curve would update.

          Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
          List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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          • I Offline
            iichiversii
            last edited by 27 May 2012, 11:24

            Now this is a great plugin, thanks 👍

            Bring on the Rain...

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • G Offline
              gullfo
              last edited by 27 May 2012, 13:39

              very cool! this is one of the more useful shapes in acoustics!

              Glenn

              http://www.runnel.com

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              • T Offline
                thomthom
                last edited by 27 May 2012, 14:03

                @gullfo said:

                very cool! this is one of the more useful shapes in acoustics!

                That I wasn't aware of. Guess I need to read up on it again.

                Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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                • M Offline
                  mitcorb
                  last edited by 27 May 2012, 14:54

                  Another good tool concept. By the way, Remus Knowles has another version in the Plugins Index.

                  I take the slow, deliberate approach in my aimless wandering.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • I Offline
                    iichiversii
                    last edited by 27 May 2012, 18:06

                    @mitcorb said:

                    Another good tool concept. By the way, Remus Knowles has another version in the Plugins Index.

                    Any idea what his version is called?

                    Bring on the Rain...

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • A Offline
                      Aerilius
                      last edited by 27 May 2012, 18:22

                      Remus' plugin is the Simple Catenary Curve . It "just" calculates the curve for a given set of 17 points but it put me on the right path to look on Wikipedia after I had a paper full of integrals that didn't want get further simplified.

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                      • U Offline
                        urgen
                        last edited by 27 May 2012, 19:35

                        HA!...cool idea.thanks Aerilius 👍

                        --pupil forever...------

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • N Offline
                          nektares
                          last edited by 29 May 2012, 04:35

                          I always did this with splines, this is a much better and precise way to do it, Thank you!

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • S Offline
                            sdmitch
                            last edited by 29 May 2012, 14:38

                            When I tried the plugin, I kept getting a canatnary drawn from the origin to my first pick point. Adding a @state = 0 to the def initialize method fixed this problem.

                            Nothing is worthless, it can always be used as a bad example.

                            http://sdmitch.blogspot.com/

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                            • A Offline
                              Aerilius
                              last edited by 29 May 2012, 15:37

                              Hi Sam,
                              thanks for the tip. I wonder why this happens, although the initialize method does not have @state=0, this should be set when the activate method calls reset.
                              Is someone else having this problem?

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • M Offline
                                massimo Moderator
                                last edited by 29 May 2012, 16:13

                                @unknownuser said:

                                Is someone else having this problem?

                                Yes the same here. Thanks for the plugin btw. 👍

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • T Offline
                                  thomthom
                                  last edited by 29 May 2012, 16:30

                                  create_geometry and draw_geometry can be refactored into one method that returns an array of point3d objects - the only difference between these methods are the final statement. DRY

                                  Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
                                  List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • D Offline
                                    Dave R
                                    last edited by 29 May 2012, 17:00

                                    I didn't experience the same thing that Sam reported.

                                    Etaoin Shrdlu

                                    %

                                    (THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE)

                                    G28 X0.0 Y0.0 Z0.0

                                    M30

                                    %

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                                    • G Offline
                                      gullfo
                                      last edited by 29 May 2012, 21:42

                                      i added the @state=0 and it made a difference in terms of being able to select the first point. very nice tool!

                                      Glenn

                                      http://www.runnel.com

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • D Offline
                                        Dave R
                                        last edited by 29 May 2012, 21:57

                                        So why don't I have this same problem? I didn't modify the script and it works fine for me.

                                        Etaoin Shrdlu

                                        %

                                        (THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE)

                                        G28 X0.0 Y0.0 Z0.0

                                        M30

                                        %

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • W Offline
                                          wind-borne
                                          last edited by 29 May 2012, 22:13

                                          @dave r said:

                                          So why don't I have this same problem? I didn't modify the script and it works fine for me.

                                          Which version are you using?
                                          initial version works fine for me, updated version moves to origin.

                                          "To read between the lines was easier than to follow the text."OSX 10.11.6

                                          %(#BF80BF)[SU 8 pro

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