[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

rob-m · 29 May 2012, 19:37

This tool looks incredible! I haven't gotten it to work yet, though. I have created a ramp and an arc and a line that stretches the length of the ramp - the line is on the red axis as the instructions indicate. I select the component (the ramp), then I select the shape bender tool and then try to select the single line. It doesn't seem to recognize the line - or anything once I've selected the shape bender tool.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

I have the same issue. I have an object(in this case some simple 3d text). I have a curve. I have a line on the red axis.
I select the object, hit the bend button, and cannot do anything else. It won't let me click a line or otherwise.
With the ruby console open, I get this message repeating on mouse move or clicks:
Error: #<TypeError: can't convert nil into String>

I am using the free version of SU8.0.14346
I get the same issue on SU7

TIG · 30 May 2012, 08:56

Rob-m

Are you sure you have installed the files/subfolder correctly, and have got/installed the separate progressbar.rb helper file as directed on the download page ?
I suspect that the tool is failing because it can't find some file it needs, probably a cursor image file in the tools subfolder...
This is what your file/folder 'footprint' should be...
Also if it looks like this check there is no "Compatibility Files" button on the Plugins folder window - with Vista/Win7 if you don't have FULL security permissions to write to a folder the system might shunt things off into a side folder without telling you, thereby breaking the paths needed by the scripts...

rob-m · 30 May 2012, 12:33

Thanks TIG. if progressbar.rb is not installed there is normally an error when the shape bender is started. the issue I had was putting everything in the TOOLS folder, not the PLUGINS folder.
Dropped the clf_shape_bender folder and progressbar.rb into the plugins folder, retarted SU8 and all works fine now. Many thanks

Dave R · 30 May 2012, 12:47

@rob-m said:

the issue I had was putting everything in the TOOLS folder, not the PLUGINS folder.

You should never put anything into the Tools folder.

rob-m · 30 May 2012, 12:58

So I'm learning. Many of the plugins I have picked up had instructions for placing in the tools folder. I will remedy that on my end.

thomthom · 30 May 2012, 13:17

@rob-m said:

So I'm learning. Many of the plugins I have picked up had instructions for placing in the tools folder. I will remedy that on my end.

Do you remember which ones? If they are located here on the forum we can see if we can correct that.

rv1974 · 30 May 2012, 13:33

Chris bending along 2-segment curve results are wrong. It wont keep the parallels.
Could you tweak the code please?

Dave R · 30 May 2012, 13:53

@rob-m said:

So I'm learning. Many of the plugins I have picked up had instructions for placing in the tools folder. I will remedy that on my end.

I've never seen a plugin with instructions to put it into the Tools folder. I'd also be interested to know which ones those are. There are plugins that will appear in the tools menu but that's entirely different.

rob-m · 30 May 2012, 14:29

I actually don't recall which ones, sorry. Not from this site, I found them elsewhere before I found SketchUcation. Everything I need seems to be here or referenced here. Strangely though, all other plugins I had in the Tools folder seemed to work.
Thanks for the help.
My goal was to take a 3d wall carving and wrap it around a post for cutting on a 4 axis cnc router. This should work very well. thanks for this great plugin!

carammilla · 2 Jun 2012, 14:43

nice

pbacot · 2 Jun 2012, 21:15

Hello,

Thanks for the great plugin work! This is one I've never tried before so I thought I would, since it is often mentioned here. Is it supposed to work on Macs?

In this test I wish to make the rectangular bar bend in the shape of the curve shown. Are there any further tips on how to make it look more like the arc shape?

Thanks, Peter

AutoSave_shape bender test.skp

Dave R · 2 Jun 2012, 21:27

Peter,

I got it to go but only after I deleted your funny shape, purged unused stuff from the file, saved it and reopened it. Notice I also moved the line relative to the component. The distance between the line and the component will be used at the distance between the new component and the arc. I expect there distance you had in your set up was a bit too much for Shape bender to create the properly bent shape from the straight version.

AutoSave_shape bender test.skp

pbacot · 2 Jun 2012, 22:34

Dave,

Thanks for the help! I didn't pick that up about the distance. I didn't find anything to purge but the object created by the plugin.

Peter

Dave R · 2 Jun 2012, 22:40

You can play the distance thing to your advantage so it the curve is the centerline of the bent shape, you'll put the straight line on the centerline of the unbent form.

I found 13 unused materials also.

pbacot · 2 Jun 2012, 23:22

Thanks. Yeah, I forgot to look at the materials!

sags · 11 Jun 2012, 06:18

thank you for the shape bender sir..

huntress_ss · 12 Jun 2012, 09:53

Hey Chris,
I've tried ading this plug-in to my sketch-up but it's not working. Show's up with error load with "Error Loading File clf_shape_bender_loader.rb
no such file to load -- progressbar.rb"

Any suggestions on how to get this working?

Gaieus · 12 Jun 2012, 10:04

Please, read the instructions carefully. Chris clearly wrote that you (also) need to install progresbar.rb.

mwm5053 · 25 Jun 2012, 03:33

Not sure if this has been covered but getting error when using Shape bender with a slew of plugins in plugin folder when all are removed but
Shape Bender it works fine screen shot on ruby console
Thanks in advance.

TIG · 25 Jun 2012, 10:25

This is an odd error... it relates to a variable that should be set to a number by one of the tool's methods in line #676, clearly it's failing to do that hence the 'nil' error message when its used for a '/' divide calculation...
@offset = **@y_total** / 6
This is set around line #641, as either
@y_total = @line_y - @ymin
or
@y_total = @ymax - @ymin
So it seems the get_max_y method is failing somehow.
That is turn is called from the get_geom_ents method; which is in turn called in line #249 when the user has picked the required objects to trigger the 'bending'...

This suggests that if there's no error in the script [used without issue by thousands?] then perhaps another script is making an 'unwrapped' call of its method[s] with similar names and thereby causing the issue - unlike the usual rogue scripts which redefine how Sketchup treats Groups etc, which is far more awkward...
A 'fix' could be to do a find/replace on all of the code in the script [using Notepad osa], so that all of the get_max_y become say get_max_y_CLF and get_geom_ents become get_geom_ents_CLF - then any clash with other scripts might be averted...