[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

Rince · 28 Oct 2012, 22:09

Apparently I am very tired. Everything works perfectly. The bended shape was created about 50 meters up and out of sigh. Thanks Chris, amazing plugin, my new friend in work.

TIG · 28 Oct 2012, 22:13

@rince said:

After many tries I give up. I get to the green preview part, click enter and... nothing happens. Any ideas ? Someone had this problem before ?
Don't give up without a fight !
Clear thousands of users can't be wrong, and you be right... YOU must be doing something wrong... [or at least something is conflicting and tripping you up...]
Run it with the Ruby Console open... are there any error messages as you use it?
Does the 'green preview' look like what you want / expect ?
What exactly happens / is left when you press <enter> ? Is it really 'nothing' ?
Is the object you are trying to bend very tiny or very small ?
Extremely tiny facets can't be made by SketchUp / OpenGL.
If you scale the object up x100 does it then work?
You can always scale down afterwards...

PSP · 30 Oct 2012, 04:44

Hi, I have downloaded the Shape Bender plug in but an unable to install it by moving it into the plug in folder or through preferences than extensions. When I drop it into the plug in folder and re-start Sketchup i get an error message and when trying to add through preferences the "rb" file is not able to be selected.

I have done some googling, is this because Sketchup 8 needs a "rbz" file??? I think this is the case.

If so what is the way around this.

many thanks in advance.

TIG · 30 Oct 2012, 10:03

@psp said:

Hi, I have downloaded the Shape Bender plug in but an unable to install it by moving it into the plug in folder or through preferences than extensions. When I drop it into the plug in folder and re-start Sketchup i get an error message and when trying to add through preferences the "rb" file is not able to be selected.

I have done some googling, is this because Sketchup 8 needs a "rbz" file??? I think this is the case.

If so what is the way around this.

many thanks in advance.
You are misconstruing things.
Version 8 CAN automate the installation of tools that are packaged as RBZ archives.
BUT this in no way precludes you from manually installing RB/RBS or any files or subfolders of files that have been properly extracted from a ZIP archive [an RBZ is simply a ZIP file with its filetype suffix changed!] Thomthom has made a v8 'Simple Plugins Installer' that automates the installation of all such file/archive types - get it from the Resources > Plugins Index. It'll stop you over thinking things.

This tool here comes packaged as a ZIP archive - so thomthom's tool can auto-install its contents for you. Alternatively you can rename it with a '.RBZ' suffix and the Preferences > Extensions button will then let you find it and install it that way... I still recommend thomthom's solution as it applies to all types with little effort/though on your part...

If you gave us the error message you got it means we don't need telepathy
I suspect that you have not installed the additional 'progressbar.rb' from Smustard.com that is clearly explained and linked on this tool's download page...

Once you have somehow successfully placed ALL of the required file[s]/related subfolder of support files, into the Plugins folder, then on a restart there should be an additional Preferences > Extensions item for the tool - so firstly this needs activating.
When this is activated its new View > Toolbars toolbar can be activated - thus allowing you to use the tool - provided of course that you have selected a suitable group/component-instance, a line that's parallel to the red-axis and a curve to bend around [the last two should be separate geometry, not touching any other geometry in the model...]

If you are still having issues check that you have FULL access-rights to the Plugins folder - simply being an Admin might still not give you enough access-rights - e.g. to add files or subfolders of files to the Plugins folder...

Also note that the required 'plugins' folder is the one in the HD Lib path and NOT the similar one in the Users Lib path...

leadalchemist · 1 Nov 2012, 18:34

hi there
this has been a PAIN to install...the final thing that worked was CREATING a folder plugins on the apple directory...it wasnt there before, then it showed up...
I hope that when 9 comes out they raise the price and put these plugin in the program

wish i had the time to learn Form Z which I own, luckily i have work to do

be well all

alan

Dave R · 1 Nov 2012, 21:35

Well, it's unfortunate that you didn't look at the thread on installing plugins first. You'd have found that the Plugins directory already exists so you don't need to create one. SketchUp comes with some files already included in the Plugins folder.

thomthom · 2 Nov 2012, 08:55

@leadalchemist said:

the final thing that worked was CREATING a folder plugins on the apple directory...

That doesn't sound correct... Here's a guide: http://www.thomthom.net/thoughts/2012/01/installing-plugins-for-google-sketchup/

thegoodguy · 2 Nov 2012, 23:06

Thanks for this waaaaay clever and useful script Chris.

alexxur · 11 Nov 2012, 04:20

Christian: este es uno de los mejores plugins que eh visto por aquí. Es gratificante ver hasta donde puede llegar el ingenio humano. Felicidades y gracias..

ningsiman · 12 Nov 2012, 02:39

I'm doing a natural trail in su and I hope this can help! Thank you so much!

Flowrellik · 12 Nov 2012, 07:58

By far the best plugin I've seen. This reminds me very well of the Days at highschool when I practiced AutoCAD. Thank you very much.

Chris Fullmer · 12 Nov 2012, 19:17

Thanks everyone. Its nice to hear from people when it works, and not just from people who can't figure out how to install it.

Leon1217 · 14 Nov 2012, 15:13

This is really amazing! Thank you a lot!

alexxur · 19 Nov 2012, 02:47

Upss ... I forgot to download "progressbar.rb" as they say in the beginning. perhaps this requirement should be highlighted or larger font.

Dave R · 19 Nov 2012, 10:02

It's bold and highlighted with the word 'Requires' in larger, red, bold text.

Chris Fullmer · 19 Nov 2012, 17:10

Ok, if it will help, I've gone ahead and made it bigger, bolder and redder! And I added another notice at the bottom of the page. So it says it at the top and bottom. Maybe this will help. Thanks,

Chris

mgonzavega · 26 Nov 2012, 07:04

HI Chris,

I have a problem with the shape bender tool. I select the objecy (group) and then hit the shape bender button. Then an arrow with a short line appears but it does not select the line the is on the red axis. Why? Please help!

Chris Fullmer · 26 Nov 2012, 07:48

Probably you installed it incorrectly. Please open the Ruby Console and then try to run shape bender again. It will probably write some errors. Please copy and paste those back here.

TIG · 26 Nov 2012, 09:59

Another possibility is that you are 'above average intelligence' and that you have installed it correctly [you say you are getting the custom cursor etc which is a good sign and hopefully you have also installed the required 'progressbar.rb' script too to avoid the tool falling over a little later on ]...

Perhaps your first line that you select [which must be parallel to the red axis and in the same context as the group you want to bend] might be touching some other geometry - it must be freestanding otherwise it can't be selected - the tool needs it to have no connected geometry. Similarly the 'curve' that you need to select next cannot touch other geometry either [the line/curve can touch the group or other groups/instances, but not each other, or other nearby loose geometry].

With these two possibilities addressed how does it perform...

AnthonyPatschorke · 28 Nov 2012, 01:02

Chris how exactly do i get this plug in. Its just not working out for me.