[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

TIG · 20 Aug 2014, 09:28

Missing facets are indicative of tiny geometry.
This has been cover ad nauseam...
SketchUp has a tolerance of 1/1000".
Points closer than that are considered coincident and so very short edges do not get made.
In consequence any faces relying on those omitted edges are not made.
Hence you get missing facets.
This occurs in the native tools, like FollowMe, and scripts making new geometry where there might be tiny facets formed.
The 'trick' is to work at a size that does not create such tiny geometry.
Scale up the object in question x100 [depending on its starting size x10 to x1000 might be more appropriate].
Do the operation.
You should now have a perfect result.
Scale it back down to the desired size.
Tiny geometry can exist, but it cannot be made from scratch.
It the group is still not a 'solid' under 'Entity Info', use thomthom's 'Solid-Inspector' to see what is up...
Then manually fix the indicated issues, or try a tool like my 'SolidSolver' which will try to 'heal' it...
But, if it is not a solid to start with it certainly won't be after bending it.

sarabando · 17 Nov 2014, 00:29

Hi!

I'm having trouble with the plugin installation...

I've read that the plugin runs both on mac and on windows, but i'm a mac user and its not that straightforward has all the users are finding it to be.

i download the plugin from the link on page 1 and i get, besides the .png files, clf_shape_bender.rb and clf_shape_bender_loader.rb.

I can't click on neither to install or run the plugin. (it opens on text wrangler and its chinese to me)

when i enter SU8 and go to Preferences>Extensions (i don't see the plugin) >Install Extension, the .rb files are all "grey". It seems they don't get recognized by SU8 and I end up having nothing to click on...
I don't have extension warehouse on my window tab. Don't know why. But thatts why I haven't tried this.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for your time.

Regards

Joao
Portugal

TIG · 17 Nov 2014, 11:46

The linked ZIP on the first post is out of date anyway, and your web-downloader seems to be extracting its contents as it arrives !

Can I suggest you get the latest version of the tool in RBZ format from the PluginStore...

SketchUp Plugins | PluginStore | SketchUcation

SketchUp Plugin and Extension Store by SketchUcation provides free downloads of hundreds of SketchUp extensions and plugins

(sketchucation.com)

Use Preferences > Extensions > Install... button, to automatically install and load everything for you from that RBZ...

chon · 9 Dec 2014, 10:19

Hello all,

i'me using clf_shape_bender_0-6-1_0 (last version on EWH), working fine with SU2015 when saved in the C:\Users\XX\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp\SketchUp 2015\SketchUp\Plugins but doesn't work when saved in my Fredo6's additionalPluginFolder.
It is not an error when loading the plugin at the start of SU but after selecting my component, when clicking the Shape Bender button, i've got the "Please select a single line that lies on the red axis" message on the bottom of the screen, but the selector arrow turns to white without the little line under and i can't select any line on the red axis ???

I tried to install the TIG's version of the post just above with no more success. I tried to modify the rb file as explained by TIG in this post but i didn't find those lines in the 3 Shape Bender rb files...
Did i miss something ?

Any suggestion ?

Many thanks !

EDIT : I think i've found the lines to be changed in the clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender_data.rb file. Lines 106 to 108.
I've changed them from :

line_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("line_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images") curve_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("curve_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images") default_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("default_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images")

to :

line_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "clf_shape_bender/images", "line_pointer.png") curve_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "clf_shape_bender/images", "curve_pointer.png") default_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "clf_shape_bender/images", "default_pointer.png")

Now, the plugin works fine but the selector doesn't change its icon in the different steps of work. It keeps the white arrow all along.

Another little thing to change ?

TIG · 9 Dec 2014, 11:22

The latest versions of this plugin is available through the EWH and PluginStore as RBZ, BUT it still includes three lines of code which prevent it loading and working properly from a folder than is not the default Plugins folder !
I suggest you reinstall it afresh in case you have messed up something...

The code that is problematical is in the file:
../clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender_data.rb
In lines #106/107/108
line_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("line_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images") curve_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("curve_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images") default_cursor_path = Sketchup.find_support_file("default_pointer.png", "Plugins/clf_shape_bender/images")
Open that RB file using Notepad or a similar plain-text-editor [not a wordprocessor], then make these three changes and save it.
line_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "images", "line_pointer.png") curve_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "images", "curve_pointer.png") default_cursor_path = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), "images", "default_pointer.png")
Restart SketchUp and it should then work fault-free from any custom-plugins-folder in the $:

chon · 9 Dec 2014, 11:57

Many thanks TIG !

Works fine now as usual.

Chris Fullmer, if you want to replace this file in your RBZ archives :

clf_shape_bender_data.rb

littleche · 25 May 2015, 18:37

I came a problem. with this curve .
shape bender Can not provide the correct ramp .

What was wrong with my model?

Group_48.skp

TIG · 25 May 2015, 18:48

It might be that you need to locate the guide line and the curve more logically - line and curve having the same ~length - and also place the group directly above the curve.
What did you expect the extrusion to look like ?

sdmitch · 25 May 2015, 22:19

@littleche said:

I came a problem. with this curve .
shape bender Can not provide the correct ramp .

What was wrong with my model?

The line on the X-Axis should be the same length as the width of the base of the group.

littleche · 26 May 2015, 04:32

HI

I am familiar with the operation of the shape bender. The thing that makes me question exactly is model uploaded .This curve will disrupt the operation of the Shape Bender.
If you want to test,do it on a file that is uploaded.

thanks TIG and sdmitch . I love the two of you. your plugin are awesome!

pbacot · 26 May 2015, 06:09

toggle the arrow keys

littleche · 26 May 2015, 08:15

@pbacot said:

toggle the arrow keys

Hi

I used arrow keys . But the result at best Is what you see!
Please try a file that I have uploaded.

thank you ...

pilou · 26 May 2015, 10:07

I have loaded your file !

Kill the "straight line" who is in several segments
Redraw a single line from origine to the curvated line
Draw a single line at the bottom of your component
Select the component and call Shape Bender
and all will work fine!

littleche · 26 May 2015, 12:24

yeeeeeeeeeeee ! it is !

The problem here was exactly : ""straight line" who is in several segments"

Thanks pilou for your help .

Dave R · 26 May 2015, 12:36

So a case where GIGO reared it's ugly head.

pbacot · 26 May 2015, 14:56

I tried the file and it worked. Albeit it worked nice once, and I couldn't repeat, so there was some issue.

littleche · 26 May 2015, 17:20

@dave r said:

So a case where GIGO reared it's ugly head.

Hi dave

My English is little poor.I did not notice you.You get guys easier to say?

@unknownuser said:

I tried the file and it worked. Albeit it worked nice once, and I couldn't repeat, so there was some issue.

hi again

solved problem and i test it again and again and again ...
There is not a problem for me anymore .
Everything was strange!

Dave R · 26 May 2015, 17:25

Sorry, Nabi. GIGO is computer nerd speak for "Garbage In, Garbage Out"

In your example, the bad geometry of your curve was creating a bad bent component.

littleche · 26 May 2015, 19:50

@dave r said:

Sorry, Nabi. GIGO is computer nerd speak for "Garbage In, Garbage Out"

In your example, the bad geometry of your curve was creating a bad bent component.

ok dave ! get it ! thank you .

I realized that with the offset tool we can test health of workline !
It is hard for me to explain . In summary I can say Everything depends on a correct offset!

eidam655 · 11 Aug 2016, 08:06

hi

i'm using the latest version downloaded from the extension warehouse (0.6.1). However, in combination with SU 2015 Pro I'm getting the following errors:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method all_connected' for nil:NilClass> C:/Users/eidam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender_data.rb:255:in line_picker'
C:/Users/eidam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2015/SketchUp/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender_data.rb:187:in `onLButtonUp'

As witnessed on the Extension Warehouse website, there are more users with this issue. Has it been resolved since then? Or is there an alternative plugin that achieves similar results?

Thank you for any answer.