Flights of Ideas Plugin

Cubcrafter · 3 Mar 2014, 02:19

I have been using this plugin for sometime but it was last updated in 2010.
It worked fine in SketchUp 8 and 2013.

A long list of errors when loading in 2014.

It converts faces to .svg files that I then import into CorelDraw for laser cutting.

At the web site below for the plugin there does not seem to be any way to contact the original author.

Would anyone have any leads to the author or be willing update this for 2014.

Google Code Archive - Long-term storage for Google Code Project Hosting.

(code.google.com)

My current work around is to save my file as 2013 and then do my exports.

Larry

Dave R · 3 Mar 2014, 02:24

Did you try the e-mail over on the left side of the screen in the link you posted? Maybe it goes to the author?

Cubcrafter · 3 Mar 2014, 02:33

I tried that and it went to something called metaface.

The link to the blog went to server not found.

Larry

Dave R · 3 Mar 2014, 02:39

Hmmm....

Maybe if you post the error messages you get when starting up, one of the Ruby gurus here will tell you what needs to be fixed. Maybe it's not too difficult.

Cubcrafter · 3 Mar 2014, 02:47

Here is the beginning of the load errors. Looks like you can't make the dialog box larger to see the rest of the errors.

Larry

Krisidious · 3 Mar 2014, 03:02

I think you can right click in that area and select all. then copy.

Dave R · 3 Mar 2014, 10:14

Kris is right. You can copy and paste the text from the error message.
Looks like there might be a bunch of editing to do but the message pretty well spells it out.

TIG · 3 Mar 2014, 10:48

There are several badly coded method (args) lines.
Earlier Ruby versions just warned about it but let it work, BUT v2.0 just fails with it !
It must be written as method(args) - that is, with NO space between the method and the first (
I have fixed these problems - the v1.00 RBZ I have attached is now working for v2014 [and earlier]...
However, as I understand it, although making and distributing a modified version is permitted under the terms of its GNUGPLicense, the original author really ought to 'publish' it properly...

sketchup-svg-outlines-plugin-1.00.rbz

Cubcrafter · 3 Mar 2014, 14:29

Thanks TIG.

You are absolutely the best. Trimble should be paying you big bucks.

Larry

argo2 · 6 Jun 2014, 11:02

Just to advise. I think I've found a bug where the SVG file is not created properly (0kB xxx.svg) if there is text in your Sketchup 2014 drawing. This even though only a face is selected. Temporarily delete the text and the script runs fine.

BRG · 9 Aug 2017, 05:20

HELP!

I have recently installed Sketchup 2017 in a Windows 10 system. I have created a document in Sketchup that I want to save as a .svg file so I can transfer it to Inkscape.

I have downloaded Flight of Ideas and installed it in the plugins folder of the Sketchup folder (Not as easy a process with the elimination of the Window>Preferences>Extensions box.). When I click on the Flight of Ideas icon, I get the Export to Faces dialog box. I make the necessary changes and click "Save." Nothing seems to happen as the dialog box remains open. (See screenshot.)

I then click exit and the dialog box closes but the file does not save as an .svg file.

Anyone have an idea why the file is not saving and, more importantly, how to fix it?
If not, anyone know of a good, reliable .svg converter program that is easy to install and use in Sketchup 2017?

I am only trying to get my document into Inkscape. Also, since I am not a computer programmer, grateful if you would use simple English -- like you were explaining the process to your grandfather.

Thank you.

Maddeningly frustrated,

BRG

Dave R · 9 Aug 2017, 09:31

@brg said:

I have recently installed Sketchup 2017 in a Windows 10 system.

Did you install SketchUp by right clicking on the installer and choosing Run as administrator from the context menu? You must do that for correct installation of SketchUp.

@brg said:

I have downloaded Flight of Ideas and installed it in the plugins folder of the Sketchup folder (Not as easy a process with the elimination of the Window>Preferences>Extensions box.).

How did you install the plugin, then? Did you use Install Extension in the Extension Manager?

@brg said:

Anyone have an idea why the file is not saving and, more importantly, how to fix it?

It could be due to incorrect installation. It could due to needing to be updated to work with newer versions of SketchUp. The newest version I see is TIG's from March of 2014.

@brg said:

If not, anyone know of a good, reliable .svg converter program that is easy to install and use in Sketchup 2017?

I don't know anything about it but a Google search turned up this: https://simonbeard.github.io/sketchup-svg-outline-plugin/

If you still have problems after making sure both SketchUp and the plugin are correctly installed, maybe check out that link.

BRG · 10 Aug 2017, 05:58

David R,

Thank you for your help. I am halfway there.

I removed the previous version of Sketchup 2017 and reinstalled it, making sure I right clicked and with Run as Administrator.

I still could not get the FlightsofIdeas .svg plug in to work. I did some internet hunting and came across https://github.com/JoakimSoderberg/sketchup-svg-outline-plugin, with its plugin v1.2 at https://github.com/JoakimSoderberg/sketchup-svg-outline-plugin/releases. I cleaned out the previous files of FlightsofIdeas plugins and installed the v1.2, using the Sketchup Extension Installer.

After that, I was able to save the test document with newly installed FlightsofIdeas svg file. However, Inkscape did not pull up the .svg test document when I tried to import it.

One thing I noted was that, in the export to svg dialog box, the file type bar under the document naming bar is blank and does not offer up any file options, much less .svg file options.

Any idea what else I need to do?

Thanks again,

BRG

Dave R · 10 Aug 2017, 11:02

It does sound like you're making progress. Have you tried appending .svg to your file name? Maybe it doesn't automatically add the extension?

BRG · 11 Aug 2017, 03:11

Dave R,

You are a genius! Typing .svg at the end of the document name worked. Who'da thunk it?

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

BRG

Dave R · 11 Aug 2017, 08:54

I'm happy that helped.

I expect there's something the author could have added to make the extension fill automatically. I've forgotten what it is but some other program I use requires the extension to be typed when exporting so I've gotten used to the idea of typing it when I don't see it already there.