Basic question - groups as array ?

artmusicstudio

hi,
is it possible to create and define GROUPS as ARRAY?

example: #create needed groups for later element assignment


$groupname[0] = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group
$groupname[0].entities.add_line([0,-50,0],[0,-50,140])   #element [0] will be later deleted
$groupname[0] = "$groupname[0]"

$groupname[1] = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group
$groupname[1].entities.add_line([0,-50,0],[0,-50,140])   #element [0] will be later deleted
$groupname[1] = "$groupname[1]"

.....

after this, one could assign elements to those groups within a loop using a
the loop-step as the arry-index

thanx stan

Dan Rathbun

(1) Creating groups for later use requires at least 1 entity in them, so we usually add a cpoint into them at ORIGIN (the predefined global constant which is a Geom::Point3d == [0,0,0].)

(2) Ruby does NOT have variables. It has 2 things. Objecs and references to those objects.

You can create as many references to a single object as you wish, depending upon your needs.

a = []

a is a reference to a Ruby instance of class Array.

A Ruby array is a non-unique collection of references to other objects.

(3) So YES you CAN use arrays to hold references to ANY kind of object you wish.

(4) You need to stop using global references, and use module, class, instance or local references, within your own namespace module:

module AMS
  module SomePlugin
    @@groups = [] unless defined?(@@groups)
    # other code
  end # SomePlugin
end # AMS

tt_su

Mind describing what you are trying to achieve on a more abstract level?

Dan Rathbun

@artmusicstudio said:

... after this, one could assign elements to those groups within a loop using a the loop-step as the array-index

You CAN use an index, but it is not needed:


@@groups.each {|g|
  g.entities.add_line([0,-50,0],[0,-50,140]
}

IF you WANT to use an index:


0.step( @@groups.size-1, 2 ) {|i|
  ents = @@groups[i].entities
  ents.add_line([0,-50,0],[0,-50,140]
}

But you can also use the each_with_index method, (because the Enumerable module is mixed into the Array class:


@@groups.each_with_index {|g,i|
  if i.remainder(2).zero? # even indices only
    ents = g.entities
    ents.add_line([0,-50,0],[0,-50,140]
  end # only even
}

artmusicstudio

hi, thank you all, i tried to put my groups in the suggested ways into a loop, but i always get errors. with '@@groups' i would reach all grups, wouldn't i ?
i will try to describe the whole problem:

i have a defined amount of groups with one basic construction point (thanx dan), the amount changes by user input, so it must be variable, so there may be 2 or 20 @group_handlauf_mitte - groups.

@group_handlauf_mitte1
@group_handlauf_mitte2
@group_handlauf_mitte3
@group_handlauf_mitte4
and so on

i cannot find out, how can i access those 'group_handlauf_mitte ' groups in a loop to be able to select a group by
@group_handlauf_mitte[index].entities. (my index here ist PODESTNR)

i also tried to create the group name as a string-combination within a loop


for step 1..20
a = "group" + step.tp_s.name 
a.name =  a
end

but that's obviously not working , too.

at the moment i have to define like this:


                                        if @podestnr == 1
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte1.entities
					new_line = entities.add_line rl13, rl14
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte1.entities

					elsif @podestnr == 2
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte2.entities
					new_line = entities.add_line rl13, rl14
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte2.entities      				

					elsif @podestnr == 3
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte3.entities
					new_line = entities.add_line rl13, rl14
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte3.entities  
    				
       					elsif @podestnr == 4
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte4.entities
					new_line = entities.add_line rl13, rl14
					entities = @group_handlauf_mitte4.entities 
					
       					end

instead of this i would like to make a loop in which STEP decides, which grop's entities will become ENTITIES, but only for those groups, not all groups i have.

hopefully i can once understand the syntax for group selection by index, because i could then make the ruby-code many times shorter.

in this loop i need the griup name 1,2,3,4 to become dependent from the index MTH


model = Sketchup.active_model
            
 
 y1 = 0 - @run ## the overall variables come from earlier code !!!
 y2 = 0
 y3 = @run
 z = @rise
 pf = []
 for mth in 1..10
 
            entities = @group_handlauf_mitte1.entities ### MTH instead of 1 needed
            entities.erase_entities entities[0]
             
            rl1 = [0, y1, 0]
            rl2 = [0, y2, z]
             
group = @group_handlauf_mitte1 = entities.add_group      ### MTH instead of 1 needed
            entities2 = @group_handlauf_mitte1.entities  ### MTH instead of 1 needed
            new_line = entities2.add_line rl1, rl2
            length = new_line.length
 
 pf[mth] =  [0,  0 - @run+@run*@il*(mth-1)+@run*@la*(mth-1)+@ro.abs, (mth-1)*@il*@rise+@sr] #mitte
             
           #point1 = Geom;;Point3d.new pf51
           #constpoint = entities.add_cpoint point1
           
           centerpoint = pf[mth]
           new_line = entities2.add_line rl1, rl2                              
           vector = new_line.line[1]
           vector2 = vector.normalize!
           
           edges = entities2.add_circle centerpoint, vector2, @thradius
           kreis = entities2.add_face edges
           entity1 = entities[0]
   	   kurvem = entity1.all_connected
   	   
 	   status1 = kreis.followme kurvem
  
 end

thanx for helping
stan