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

Aerilius

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.

urgen

HA!...cool idea.thanks Aerilius

nektares

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

sdmitch

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.

Aerilius

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?

massimo

@unknownuser said:

Is someone else having this problem?

Yes the same here. Thanks for the plugin btw.

thomthom

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

Dave R

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

gullfo

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

Dave R

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

wind-borne

@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.

Dave R

That would explain it. I didn't catch that there was an update because the thread title wasn't edited to show that as is SOP here.

Dave R

So now I've updated the plugin and added the line as mentioned. I get some rather strange behavior now. See the video.

[flash=420,315:13s7e1sa]http://www.youtube.com/v/7IJXmgk8lio?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash:13s7e1sa]

TIG

I have the original version [that works] if anyone wants it...

Dave R

I guess I'd be interested.

raineysky

I would very much like to have it if it makes rope. I tried it but got results like Dave shows in the video.

Dave R

That apparently fixed it. Thank you.

McGyver

This is very cool! Thank you!

Edited to add- This is REALLY cool! I was just messing around with it and it works great for something I was making. THANKS!

Aerilius

Tools normally don't have weird behavior without reason. Running it with the Ruby console open gives often more definable results.
So I found and fixed an unobvious bug with the translations that stirred up all methods and I changed that the x-width of segments is variable to give always the same segment length.

Michaelv

Great Thanks.

There was another catenary tool (and other geometric curves too) here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=41310

I needed to make them like this though.

See below however, the first segment is much longer and they become smaller as they go on the curve: