How to import several models to designated positions

lbsswu

I want to import three car models to designated positions. These position are designated by 3D coordinates, e.g. [0,0,0], [0,200,0], [100,0,0]. I want to do this just by script, without mouse. Could any one help me?

kwalkerman

Take a look at entities.add_instance:

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/entities#add_instance

and the DefinitionList, especially DefinitionList.load and DefinitionList.load_from_url:

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/definitionlist

--
Karen

thomthom

If the models are not SketchUp models, look at:

Model.import
https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model#import

lbsswu

@kwalkerman said:

Take a look at entities.add_instance:

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/entities#add_instance

and the DefinitionList, especially DefinitionList.load and DefinitionList.load_from_url:

https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/definitionlist

--
Karen

I got it. Thanks very much!

lbsswu

@thomthom said:

If the models are not SketchUp models, look at:

Model.import
https://developers.google.com/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model#import

My original models are .3ds. Thanks for your tip!

lbsswu

@thomthom said:

I had a look at model.import and found that it annoyingly didn't return the definition to the imported model. Instead it activates a tool for the user to place it.

I created this little snippet that worked around that and placed the imported model at a given coordinate:

<span class="syntaxdefault"><br />module Test<br /><br />  def self</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">import_3ds</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> file </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'c;/cube.3ds'</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> position </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ORIGIN </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_model<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Cache camera position because model#import will change it.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    camera </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_view</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">camera<br />    eye </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">eye<br />    target </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">target<br />    up </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">up<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Begin import operation.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">start_operation</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'Import 3DS Model'</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> false </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Cache existing list of definitions.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    cache </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definitions</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">to_a<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Import model, this will attach it to the cursor.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">import</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> file </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">select_tool</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> nil </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Deactivate Place Model tool.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Find root definition because the import creates multiple definitions.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># The sub-components are maked as #internal? - so we look for the one<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># without the mark.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    imported </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definitions</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">to_a </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">-</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> cache<br />    definition </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> imported</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">find </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">{</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">|</span><span class="syntaxdefault">d</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">|</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">!</span><span class="syntaxdefault">d</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">internal</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Place instance in current context.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    tr </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Geom</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Transformation</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> position </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_entities</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_instance</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> definition</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> tr </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Restore camera.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">set</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> eye</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> target</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> up </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Finished! ;)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">commit_operation<br />  rescue<br />    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">abort_operation<br />    raise<br />  end<br /><br />end </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># module<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

I test the code, it works well. Thanks!

But now I find a problem about the given coordinate which is designated by me. After importing the model, the position of the model may not be the one I designated. This is because of the file I want to import. Use the Bed.skp file as an example. Suppose I have two Bed models as these in the attachment, if I import them into sketchup with the same given coordinate, after importing, however, the positions of them are not same.

I want to import model with its center at given coordinate in sketchup, no matter where the model is in the import file. Is there any way to implement it?

first type of model I want to import

second type of model I want to import

thomthom

Ah, then you would find the centre of the imported model based on its bounds - and work out where its origin is relative to this centre.

Dan Rathbun

Why not get the selected component instance BEFORE you deactivate the MoveTool ???

Then you can get the instance's definition without all that search part.

AND... There IS a standard Ruby module Test (and the API added a few methods in there,) that should really not be modified.

Something like this... wrap inside a module Temp, or at the very least, in a submodule of Test, such as... Test::Import

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

Why not get the selected component instance BEFORE you deactivate the MoveTool ???

Oh... the instance is in model.selection ? duh!

@dan rathbun said:

There IS a standard Ruby module Test

There is a Test module part of the Ruby that ships with SketchUp?

Dan Rathbun

@unknownuser said:

@dan rathbun said:

There IS a standard Ruby module Test

There is a Test module part of the Ruby that ships with SketchUp?

YES. And.. John H & Co. added test methods to it:

Test.methods(false).sort
%(#000000)[>>] %(#008000)[["AutoClickTime", "AutoClickTime=", "AutoDragDistance", "AutoDragDistance=", "CorruptModel", "FindFile", "eat_mem", "face_to_mesh", "flip_images_for_origami", "project_textures_from_photo", "show_fps", "time_display", "time_pick", "use_sg_off_screen", "use_sg_on_screen"]]

This is the same module that gets defined when you use the Standard Library Extension for unit testing. However.. in this case the Test module is only used as a namespace. (That is not to say that other library extensions, might add methods to module Test.)

thomthom

flip_images_for_origam

thomthom

I had a look at model.import and found that it annoyingly didn't return the definition to the imported model. Instead it activates a tool for the user to place it.

I created this little snippet that worked around that and placed the imported model at a given coordinate:

<span class="syntaxdefault"><br />module Testbed<br /><br />  def self</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">import_3ds</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> file </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'c;/cube.3ds'</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> position </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ORIGIN </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_model<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Cache camera position because model#import will change it.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    camera </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_view</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">camera<br />    eye </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">eye<br />    target </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">target<br />    up </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">up<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Begin import operation.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">start_operation</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">'Import 3DS Model'</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> false </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Cache existing list of definitions.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    cache </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definitions</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">to_a<br />    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Import model, this will attach it to the cursor.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">import</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> file </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">instance&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">selection</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">]<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definition&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">instance</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definition<br />    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">select_tool</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> nil </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Deactivate Place Model tool.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Place instance in current context.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    tr </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Geom</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Transformation</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> position </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_entities</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_instance</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> definition</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> tr </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Restore camera.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    camera</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">set</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> eye</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> target</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> up </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Finished! ;)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">commit_operation<br />  rescue<br />    model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">abort_operation<br />    raise<br />  end<br /><br />end </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># module<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

'Cube.3ds' test model

Dan Rathbun

When I first listed the methods, I thot for a moment (until I looked twice,) that the seventh method was named eat_me! ...