[Plugin] RichSection V0.5.8 UPDATED march 2015

davecoopstl

I've been using the newest update to RichSection, and I read your post about the new way to use Materials.

While I understand why you did it this way (to prevent materials for automatically loading into the model), I have to say that it is a bit confusing and un-intuitive. If I want to change a Section Material, I have to navigate to the Material folder in the Materials dialogue box, pick the material, Right-Click, and Add it to the model. THEN, go back to RichSection, and choose it from the available list of Materials. And I have to repeat this for each Material I want to try out.

And the option in the RichSection Settings to change the Default Material to load your RS_VO_14.mat.skp (to get ALL of your custom Section Materials) is a good solution. However, maybe you could add the path to "materials/RichSection/RS_V0/RS_V0_14.mat.skp" in a pull-down menu in the Settings. Otherwise, I have to figure out that path EVERY time I want to load all the materials.

And perhaps there could be an option to make that path the Default, for those users that DO want to load all of your Section Materials every time, so I don't have to change that setting on each new model.

It's great to have all your custom materials to choose from. It just needs to be easier to load them up and try them out.

Just a suggestion.
Dave.

pgarmyn

@davecoopstl and others

There is an error for loading an other Library than the default.
Sorry, i have to work on it....

caronte01

HI pgarmyn

I watched your videos and was very impressed!!!

I installed it from the plugin store, and upon restarting got this:

Error: c:/users/s/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2014/sketchup/plugins/piga_richsection/richsection.rbs:4164: invalid multibyte char (UTF-8)
c:/users/s/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2014/sketchup/plugins/piga_richsection/richsection.rbs:4164: syntax error, unexpected $undefined, expecting keyword_end
s2="\é\è\à\ç"
^
c:/users/s/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2014/sketchup/plugins/piga_richsection/richsection.rbs:4164: invalid multibyte char (UTF-8)
C:/Program Files (x86)/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/Tools/extensions.rb:197:in eval' C:/Program Files (x86)/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/Tools/extensions.rb:197:in require'
C:/Program Files (x86)/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/Tools/extensions.rb:197:in load' C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:32:in register_extension'
C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:32:in <module:RSection>' C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:14:in module:PiGa'
C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:13:in <top (required)>' Error Loading File PiGa_RichSection.rb Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method l_ctrl' for PiGa::RSection:Module>
C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:33:in <module:RSection>' C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:14:in module:PiGa'
C:/Users/S/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/PiGa_RichSection.rb:13:in `<top (required)>'

Running 2014, windows 8

Thanks a lot

TIG

The file is NOT currently offered as compatible with v2014...
Although many scripts need no adjustment to run on any version of SketchUp 'out-of-the-box'...

The error message looks like an incompatible file encoding.
Ruby2.0 used by v2014 needs UTF8-without-BOM for its files' encoding.
If any ANSI file has crept into the setup it can fail.

I fell foul of this where some FRench language translation files were supplied to me in ANSI format.
Everything worked fine in all SUp versions until someone tried the tool with their locale set to FR - it failed !

Looking at the files in the current set I see that several of the files in the subfolder relating to language-translations are indeed in ANSI !!! [dam' FR ]

It is straightforward to use Notepad++.exe to change their coding to be UTF8-without-BOM and save them.

This might be an interim fix, but the author really ought to issue an updated set - this is not rocket-science

pgarmyn

@TIG @Caronte01
I'm actually working on RichSection for SU-2014....

pilou

@TIG
[dam' FR ]
accents, cedilla, etc...
Sure : and because of that some cool Program like ZBrush will never had French UI because that will say rewrite all the code!!! A tragedy for us!
A multi-languages system was not built from the start!

pgarmyn

RichSection has been updated for Sketchup 2014
See first post:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=55072#p499865

caronte01

Hi pgarmyn,

It now works perfectly with 2014!!! I love this plugin!!! It´s exactly what i needed for my sketchup/layout workflow.

I was playing with material by layer assignment (which works great), but wondered if there was a possibilty of implementing some kind of wildcard support for material assignment.

For example, in my construction models I normally have a very strict layer organization, and use prefixes to separate architectural elements from structural ones, furniture, etc. I use a- for architectural elements, es- for structure, etc. Usually, structural elements are concrete in my country, with some exeptions, and I normally use different layers for slabs and columns, yet they both are concrete, and should show the same hatch pattern. Right now, I have to create two identical materials for slabs (#es-placas), and for columns (#es-columnas).What if instead of this, I could create a material called #es-*, and that material would cover everything with the es- prefix. That could decrease the amount of materials per model significantly.

Edit, I´ll play with all the options of material assignment some more....

But, independent of this, it is a great plugin.

Keep it up.

Thanks a lot!!!!

Krisidious

"Error Loading File PiGa_RichSection.rbundefined method ~+' for nil:NilClass"

On Win7 SU8 and 2013

after changing folder permissions I got "uninitialized constant PiGa::RSection"

Plugin shows up in preferences/extensions but not in toolbars or plugins after installation but then SU errors on restart.

pgarmyn

@Caronte01
Thanks for testing on Mac. So it works on Mac

pgarmyn

@Krisidious
Strange, it works for me with SU 8, 2013 and 2014.
Maybee a conflict with another plugin. Can you test by unloading other plugins?
If that didn't work :
I need more information : can you ...

deactivate the plugin, restart Sketchup
open the ruby console and type :
load 'PiGa_RichSection.rb'
Copy and send me the output.
Thanks

Bob James

Works fine in the 'standard' plugin location (C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\SketchUp\Plugins), but does not work (gets loading errors) in additional plugin location

TIG

@bob james said:

Works fine in the 'standard' plugin location (C:\Users\Bob\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\SketchUp\Plugins), but does not work (gets loading errors) in additional plugin location
That sounds like the RBS uses Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins') and looks for files in the main Plugins folder.
This has long be sorted by using File.dirname(__FILE__) to find the location of a loading RB file to link other files to it, so it loads properly from any folder.
This path can be set in the initial loader RB.
Unfortunately the main code inside the subfolder is RBS and until v2014 encrypted code couldn't use __FILE__ inside itself...
BUT a cross-version friendly way is to define a value [Constant or @var] in the body of the RB file's code, that carries over into the same RBS method[s] too...
There is no intellectual property rights to protect in setting some folder-paths.
A common way is to have the 'initial_loader' RB in Plugins - which sets up the Extension, and in turn loads another RB 'code_loader' in the matching subfolder sorting out folder-paths etc, and then loads the various RBS [or other RB] files it needs to complete the tool's creation... That way the 'code_loader' can access FILE etc and set 'module based variables', accessible in the companion RBS files which it about to load too...

pgarmyn

@Bob, @TIG
Thanks for the information. Yes i read about the RBS - find_support_file issue.
Just forgot about it, since i only use 'standard' file locations.
I will put a note in 'known issues' and update the plugin.

caronte01

@pgarmyn said:

@Caronte01
Thanks for testing on Mac. So it works on Mac

I don't know. I switched to windows recently.... I'll update my profile to reflect that.

S

Krisidious

pgarmyn says that mine are warnings and that my plugin is being loaded twice. I used plugin store to install and used the standard plugins location. any ideas?

pgarmyn

@krisidious said:

pgarmyn says that mine are warnings and that my plugin is being loaded twice. I used plugin store to install and used the standard plugins location. any ideas?

YES/No. Errors in your first post (above)
Warnings after loading manually by the command 'load ....' (private post)

Try again this :

In Menu Windows/preferences/extensions by shure to have activated the plugin
If not, do so.
If still no Panel or Menu (plugin/RichSection) is visible :
Disable the plugin in Sketchucation Plugins Manager (I wrote deactivate, wich was wrong)
Open The Ruby console and type (correction .rb! and not .rb ) + return key
load 'PiGa_RichSection.rb!'
Copy and post the output in the Ruby console
Thanks

Krisidious

following that route I get

load 'PiGa_RichSection.rb!'
true

but plugin does not load.
shows in extensions
not in toolbar.
not in plugins.

restarting SU shows Ruby warning of
"Error Loading File PiGa_RichSection.rbundefined method ~+' for nil:NilClass"

SU locks and acts as though there is an dialog box open somewhere and needs prompting. but no dialog is visible. Process must be killed to restart. plugin must be removed to get SU going.

I have 3 screens and perhaps the dialog is off screen somewhere. I can't find it.

caronte01

Hi pgarmy

A couple of questions:

Is there a need to have a style created per scene? In the model I´m working on right now, I have 15 rich sections, and that creates 15 different styles. Maybe have a switch to create only two, when the first rich section is created?

I know it has been asked before, but an option to only create 1 scene instead of two. I kind of understand, from reading previous posts that it is necessary, but maybe an option to only create one.

There is a bug (i think). I renamed a couple of rich sections with the context menu. The layer was renamed accordingly, but only one of the two scenes was.

Also, some of the cut geometry will not create a face. I checked and they are solids (report a volume). What else should I look for when this happens?

Thanks

Santiago

Screenshot 2014-03-24 14.40.53.png