[plugin]Random replacement of components

[Edson]

@unknownuser said:

@Edson ("Definition Name" and "Name" are two distinc thing in a component)
select some components with different "Definition Name" in any position
Give the "Name" Source to these selection with the Info Dialog box

Draw another one component: Draw copy past it anywhere you want in any position
Select all these copies
Give the "Name" Target to the all selection copies with the Info Dialog box

launch the plugin Random Replacement
I can't be more clear

(the 24 positions is another plugin not yet released

thanks, pilou. you are right: in writing, the explanation is very clear.

I have been asking for a similar plugin for a long time but no one seemed willing to create one. for me it will be very useful to randomize vegetation and windows (closed, open, half this, half that, etc).

a comment though: one does not necessarily have to name the source components source and the target ones target for the plugin to work. first I named them as you suggested and then I named them 1 and 2. the plugin worked in both situations. so, as long as there is a named source group and a named target group it works fine.

[pilou]

@Edson

No, Source and Target are not nescessary names
It's just these given by default in the dialog box
you can put any names you want (of course these that you have yet renamed your components in the Info Box
But carreful it's sensitive cases !!!

[pilou]

And here the 24 positions plug of Sdmitch
With his autorisation!

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Pilou24Positions.rb

[AcesHigh]

there are many uses for this plugin.

for example... think of 3D tiles on a roof. Each tile is a component. But the roof gets so artificial, with all the tiles exactly the same color, no stains, etc. With this plugin, you would be able to, for example, create some 10 different roof tiles, each of them a slight different color variation, some stains, etc. And randomly replace the original components along the entire roof.

another possibility: a building with a glass façade. Real such buildings will have curtains/blinds behind the windows. Make the the building with window components. The random replace them with OTHER window components, each window component with blinds in different positions (no blinds, blinds half way pulled, pulled down completely)

there are so many uses!!!

[rachmatrf]

Thhank you Sdmitch

[pilou]

Sdmitch has made a new variant with no Random integrated!
(see second post for more precsion of use

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31 May 2012

[pilou]

A little tut
No limite of number of any components source or target!
You can name all your source components by hand but it's painfull when you have numerous!
So a little trick
Just select Components source and copy this in the ruby console
Sketchup.active_model.selection.each{|c| c.name='Source'}
Your source components are now named "Source"
You can make the same for Target Component
Just select Components source and copy this in the ruby console
Sketchup.active_model.selection.each{|c| c.name='Target'}

Edit : In fact for the rename Source and Target you can make the just with the Entity Info Box!

You can now use the random plug (click for zoom)

Of course it's infinite possibilities

You can fill the space with no periodic infinite volumes

you can play with this speedy one

Edit 31 May 2012
A new variant without random is integrated!

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Dice2.skp

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renameInstances.rb

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31 May 2012

[solo]

This is not working for me, Pilou can I send you a sample model by pm and you show how to do it?

[pilou]

Of course yes you can!
with a small file (sufficient for the concept) and a save as V7!!!

[solo]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1129899/test%20tree.skp

Strange how the size of file increases 50% when saving as SU7 from SU 8.

[pilou]

Sorry it's always V8 when its arriving at home !!!

[solo]

Here is a SU 6 version

Dropbox - 404

(dl.dropbox.com)

[JBJDesigns]

This is an awesome plugin... thank you both very much!!! Jo

[coty82]

This plugin is indeed great with so much potential. Do you think it could be possible to
make it able to replace child components that are inside mother componennts?
You could do so many patterns just by replacing components inside components.

[sdmitch]

coty82

Please check Personal Messages.

[coty82]

Hello sdmitch
Thanks for the fast reply! I have installed it but unfortunatelly when i try to use it it just freezes Sketchup no matter if i choose to include child components or not. Is it working for you?

[coty82]

Update
I am trying to use it like this :
I have two components. One of them is named Target. I select them both and make them a mother component. This is how i was thinking of it to work.
I create another component named Source. When i use the plugin like this it just freezes.
But when i have two componenets and make them a group, and try to use the plugin, nothing happends, but it doesnt freeze neither.
Sorry i cannot reply in private because i dont have enough activity on the forums

[sdmitch]

@coty82 said:

Update
I am trying to use it like this :
I have two components. One of them is named Target. I select them both and make them a mother component. This is how i was thinking of it to work.
I create another component named Source. When i use the plugin like this it just freezes.
But when i have two componenets and make them a group, and try to use the plugin, nothing happends, but it doesnt freeze neither.
Sorry i cannot reply in private because i dont have enough activity on the forums

The plugin does not look for groups, components only. I see that the plugin has a bug, that I will fix, when there is only a single "Source" component. Create a second "Source" component and try again.

Check PM's for updated version.

[coty82]

Allright, it works now, thanks alot ! But i noticed that it only works with a single level in the components hierarchy, that is when i have some individual components part of a mother component. But if i include this in another larger component, it doesnt work. Even if i copy the source inside the larger component. Its still great but i wonder if this would be a difficult property to implement?

Anyway i have another ideea about it . In a previous post you said it is also able to replace components based on a rule? For example i have 3 sources 1, 2, 3 And i want to distribute them according to a repeating pattern for ex 11231123, etc. They could replace an array of targets. This would be amazing for creating panelling patterns for facades for example. But it would probably need to work with something like series, to know the start and ending point. Dunno if its possible or how complicated?

[sdmitch]

Yes, it currently will only work for one level, mother and child, no grand kids.

As the name implies, it is supposed to be a random replacement.