FlexTools Updates

halroach · 24 Jan 2019, 05:00

Flexwindows are mirrored from one side to the other cutting new holes but removing the original holes from the side copied from..

[img][attachment=0:3bf4o6r3]FlexToolsMissingHoles.jpg[/attachment:3bf4o6r3][/img]

Hi Epix3d,

Like Juju mentioned, this a good example where the refresh button/s come in handy

A quick explanation:
When you first place a wall cutting window, it is automatically glued to a surface and it generates an opening. When you mirror and copy it, one or both of the components (The original or the mirrored) can become unglued, and the WallCutter algorithm doesn't know that the mirroring/copying happened, so it doesn't try to cut through anything. Moving the problematic window a little left and right OR doing a refresh, OR re-opening the model will jolt the window back to behaving as expected. Note though, that one of the windows will still be unglued.

I think it also depends which mirroring plugin you are using. I just tried to re-create this, and the original component's opening closed up, where as the copied component worked correctly and generated an opening... This seems to be the opposite of what is happening in the image you posted.

There are a few more 'advanced' situations where the refresh function is very useful. There are some good examples with animations at the learn pages:
https://flextools.cc/learn/wall-cutter/#Advanced-Operations

I just added a few mentions about the Mirroring situation.

Thanks for finding this!

halroach · 24 Jan 2019, 05:08

@unknownuser said:

Thank you Juju,. I will try that next time.

I have suggestion.

I often use CleanUp3 plugin to clean my files for unecessary geometry.
The door arc in FleTools Doors should be locked to avoid disappearing when cleaning for stray lines.

[img][attachment=0:2iqdcvlq]LockArc.jpg[/attachment:2iqdcvlq][/img]

I don't quite remember why now, but something tells me not to lock components by default. Maybe it's the red color every time you select the component...

Other than locking, another thing you could try in order to avoid the lines getting erased is to open the arc component and draw the radius lines so a surface is generated. Then hide the lines and the surface.

See if that works.

After which ever change suits you, you can then save the component aside with ComponentFinder for future use.

Epix3D · 24 Jan 2019, 09:27

I cannot find any problem with locking the arc by default as it is locked steps inside the component.
i have made some door libraries previously working like this. If you want to delete the arcs(which should not be necessary as it is on own layer) you just unlock it.
I think default is best way to avoid customers deleting arcs by mistake.

pilou · 25 Jan 2019, 00:01

seems all works fine!

halroach · 4 Feb 2019, 12:08

You can now produce 45(+) different Dynamic Doors, thanks to Mr. pcmoor and his extremely useful Multi Dynamic Door Panel.

How? By combining it with FlexDoor

We've known about this multi door panel component for quite some time now, but it had a catch. The minute you made a copy of it, and altered one of the copies, both DCs would jumble up with sub-components flying all around your model. The only solution was to delve deep into each component and make all of it's sub-components unique - A very time intensive process. So... we decided to develop a tool just for this called 'Make Totally Unique'. After applying this tool to your new door variations, the door and all of it's sub-components will instantly become unique and they will all behave just right.

See more details in this FlexBlog post.

porschegt2 · 4 Feb 2019, 18:05

Hi all,

Iam using the flextools pro but i cant Access to parameters from Windows and doors… anyone can help me out solve this issue?

thanks a lot

carlos

juju · 4 Feb 2019, 18:43

click into them a level or so to access more DC options

halroach · 5 Feb 2019, 04:41

@porschegt2 said:

Hi all,

Iam using the flextools pro but i cant Access to parameters from Windows and doors… anyone can help me out solve this issue?

thanks a lot

carlos

Hi Carlos,
I just replied to your email about this issue. If you still can't get to the parameters, please post a screenshot/video.

*** Edit for reference:**
The issue had to do with a crazy DC plugin bug - '/u' was appearing in the folder path where the SKP file was being saved to which would then cause the DC plugin to fail with errors.
More about this issue at: https://forums.sketchup.com/t/error-on-component-options-window-when-downloading-in-window/19991/21

Ivan K · 27 Feb 2019, 14:15

Just came to say a very big thank you to you all for including the hidden door!

I was designing an interior renovation with "EZY Jamb" details and you showed up just in time!!!!

Thank you!

juju · 28 Feb 2019, 19:10

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 05:17

@juju said:

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

Hey Juju,
I'm unaware of this DC door. Can you send a link?
When you say to incorporate, do you mean to get it to work as a wall cutting component?

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 06:06

We’ve had a chance to visit a manufacturer of beautiful high quality hidden doors called Minimal Doors .

Now we’re happy to share with you their elegant, hidden, very minimal (now flex) doors, and a new WallCutter feature ‘Hide Cut Edges’.

Learn more about how to hide frames in this FlexBlog post .

juju · 1 Mar 2019, 08:59

@halroach said:

@juju said:

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

Hey Juju,
I'm unaware of this DC door. Can you send a link?
When you say to incorporate, do you mean to get it to work as a wall cutting component?

Man, you guys must be real busy...

See your BlogPost & mail comms of 01 February 2019.

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 09:24

@juju said:

Man, you guys must be real busy...

See your BlogPost & mail comms of 01 February 2019.

Hah
Well... we are crazy busy, that's true!

I thought you were referring to a different (complete) door component that I haven't seen in the 3D warehouse, and not to the dynamic panel.

The blog post/video basically show how to insert the door panel into FlexDoor, and you can always save it aside with Component Finder for later use.

We could theoretically incorporate it into one of our components by default... but should we?

It's a cool panel, though the workflow with it - the need to use the 'make totally unique' tool, isn't a straight forward process. I think it would confuse and frustrate sketchuppers who first install flextools. They would copy the door around and then find that things are acting really weird with components flying around, and they wouldn't know why. It's also a bit heavy/slow in larger models. I think it would be problematic.