Plugin for Wires, Cables, Ropes, Strings, Etc?
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Hey all. I am looking for a useful - and of course ideally free - plugin that will work with Sketchup 8 to help create long, stringy, ropey, cable-y etc type geometry. I'm trying Aerilius' WireTool plugin, which is for creating caternary curves (like a line or rope hanging between two anchor points at the ends) but need something useful for creating runs and bundles of cable etc that run along irregular paths in 3 dimensions (think conduit that snakes its way through the guts of an engine, or something).
Of course this can be done manually by creating paths and running sections of the desired cables along it using the 'follow me' tool but I'm hoping for something a bit more tune-able and automated.
thanks!
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just what does this "stringy, ropey, cable-y etc type geometry" look like. Please post a picture or model illustrating them.
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Just take any section
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Memory Clone can also help you
here a base module Rotate * 9 ° and move 20
At each click you make a new level
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Thanks! Just getting into working with curviloft now, which looks very useful. Advice and images much appreciated.
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Catenary curves with the Wire Tool.
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thanks Kristoff!
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I don't know why you're thanking me except to be polite... As usual I didn't read the whole post and didn't see you had already found this one. I'm notorious for just reading post titles. Sorry.
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You took a moment to help - sure, I'm happy to say 'thanks.' I did find a suitable tool earlier but the response is still appreciated!
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Try TIGs Tube Along Path. yes you have to create the path using maybe Fredo6's BezierSpline tool and then make the tube with minimal faces for file economy. There is also Pipe Along Path that specifies wall thickness if you need it for conduit for your cable.
Edit: This is an image using arcs but you can use bezier and other curves.
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Helix around Curve by Albertsoft
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Those look wonderful. Thanks again, I will definitely get to working with those tools!
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Is there a geometry aware tool for cables? Fox example if you have a table lamp and a wall outlet and you know cable is 6ft long - is there a tool where you would select endpoints, enter lenght and have it randomly generate cable between the two points, accounting for geometry and gravity? I'd pay if there was such plugin to buy.
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@davorp said:
Is there a geometry aware tool for cables? Fox example if you have a table lamp and a wall outlet and you know cable is 6ft long - is there a tool where you would select endpoints, enter lenght and have it randomly generate cable between the two points, accounting for geometry and gravity? I'd pay if there was such plugin to buy.
That would be very cool, I believe I have seen something like that in Blender and I'm sure one of our amazing plugin guys could write something similar in SU.
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@davorp said:
Is there a geometry aware tool for cables? Fox example if you have a table lamp and a wall outlet and you know cable is 6ft long - is there a tool where you would select endpoints, enter lenght and have it randomly generate cable between the two points, accounting for geometry and gravity? I'd pay if there was such plugin to buy.
Don't know about such plugin, Fredo's bz tools can help.
Look at the real world and try to reproduce.
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