[Plugin][$] Tools On Surface - v2.6a - 01 Apr 24

aiden · 3 Mar 2023, 18:42

My Coworker is using 2 GTX 1080 cards, running on driver version 528.49

I am now downloading the latest drivers. Will let you know if it helps.

Dave R · 3 Mar 2023, 18:48

My Coworker is using 2 GTX 1080 cards, running on driver version 528.49

A solid graphics card with good OpenGL support. The Nvidia GeForce and GTX-series graphics cards have always been recommended for SketchUp. Integrated GPUs such as the ones you are using have never been recommended because they historically have poor OpenGL support and because they are using CPU RAM instead of dedicated RAM for graphics processing.Based on the GPUs your coworker's computer would be a better choice for SketchUp.

aiden · 3 Mar 2023, 19:12

@dave r said:

@aiden said:

My Coworker is using 2 GTX 1080 cards, running on driver version 528.49

A solid graphics card with good OpenGL support. The Nvidia GeForce and GTX-series graphics cards have always been recommended for SketchUp. Integrated GPUs such as the ones you are using have never been recommended because they historically have poor OpenGL support and because they are using CPU RAM instead of dedicated RAM for graphics processing.Based on the GPUs your coworker's computer would be a better choice for SketchUp.

Just a note - if by "integrated GPU" you mean an on-board GPU, my RTX card is a dedicated separate unit like my coworker's GPU, using a PCI Express slot on the motherboard. The RTX 3090 is a fairly powerful unit with 24GB dedicated ram.
Did I rightly understand what you meant by "Integrated GPU"?

Second note - updated to newest driver (Studio) and still have very poor performance - but in fairness to Tools On Surface - my performance is slower in every aspect than my coworker's machine.

Perhaps the RTX cards have an issue here? I appreciate your time looking into this with me Dave.

panixia · 3 Mar 2023, 20:04

@dave r said:

@aiden said:

Integrated GPUs such as the ones you are using have never been recommended because they historically have poor OpenGL support and because they are using CPU RAM instead of dedicated RAM for graphics processing.Based on the GPUs your coworker's computer would be a better choice for SketchUp.

By no means Nvidia rtx3090 is an integrated gpu.
It's an high-end discrete gpu and it's actually waaaay more modern and powerful than the 1080.

panixia · 3 Mar 2023, 20:01

@aiden said:

Perhaps the RTX cards have an issue here?

I would suggest to check into the Nvidia control panel (you can find in the context menu if you right click on an empty space in your Windows desktop bakcground), go to application specific settings, scroll the drop down menu to select Sketchup 2021 and make sure that's using the 3090 and NOT the integrated gpu.

Dave R · 3 Mar 2023, 23:03

@aiden said:

Just a note - if by "integrated GPU" you mean an on-board GPU, my RTX card...

Sorry. I missed your RTX card and I was working with someone else at the same time who has an integrated GPU.

aiden · 3 Mar 2023, 23:16

@panixia said:

@aiden said:

Perhaps the RTX cards have an issue here?

I would suggest to check into the Nvidia control panel (you can find in the context menu if you right click on an empty space in your Windows desktop bakcground), go to application specific settings, scroll the drop down menu to select Sketchup 2021 and make sure that's using the 3090 and NOT the integrated gpu.

Thanks - I checked and it is set to use the RTX card. Really baffling.
My 3090 does great with other applications that are 3D intensive.

aiden · 3 Mar 2023, 23:19

@dave r said:

@aiden said:

Just a note - if by "integrated GPU" you mean an on-board GPU, my RTX card...

Sorry. I missed your RTX card and I was working with someone else at the same time who has an integrated GPU.

Of course - no problem. I appreciate the time you've spent helping. Wish it could have been an easy fix. Its weird to have so much horsepower but be limping along as if I were using an i3 from five years ago. I reinstalled Sketchup. Downloaded an even more up-to-date driver(game ready this time). Also disabled all plugins - and still no better. So strange. Meanwhile my coworker is flying along on the old 1080 GTX workstation.

panixia · 4 Mar 2023, 10:09

@aiden said:

it is set to use the RTX card

So we can exclude problems with GPU or model (because you say the same exact model works ok on a different machine).
Next troubleshooting steps:
I would check if it can be related the specific Sketchup version, because your coworker uses a slighty older one and works ok, and I myself use 2021.1.332 and works really fast with TOS.
Are you sure you are running the latest possible version of libfredo6?
If you try to use TOS with the ruby console opened, it gives you some error message?
Can you confirm that this problem only occours whith TOS? Or maybe it's present in other plugins?
Can you try to disable all the others plugins and use only TOS to see if there's some plugin "conflict" going on?

magedalex · 28 Mar 2023, 09:58

Is there any free alternative to Tools On Surface

Dave R · 28 Mar 2023, 12:08

@magedalex said:

Is there any free alternative to Tools On Surface

You can draw planar shapes and extrude them through your curved surface. Then use Intersect faces.

Please correct your forum profile. There is no SketchUp 2018 Make version. That information helps us help you if it is correct.

sabex · 22 Jun 2023, 15:21

hello. Any help in this situation?

Rich O Brien · 22 Jun 2023, 15:35

@sabex said:

hello. Any help in this situation?

Does it repeat after you restart SketchUp? Its normal to get this the first time you install because Fredo's extensions are complex and restarting SketchUp is needed to finalize it.

TIG · 22 Jun 2023, 15:56

You also need the latest version of LibFredo installing...
Also, because this is licensed, you need the newest version of SketchUcation tools for this...
After installation you must restart SketchUp to sync everything...

fredo6 · 1 Apr 2024, 12:57

NEW RELEASE: Tools on Surface 2.6a- 01 Apr 24

Requirements

LibFredo6: v14.3b
Sketchucation PluginStore: v4.4.0
Sketchup version: SU2017 and above

This maintenance release is for future compatibility

Please see main post for discussion

See Plugin download page for download

carlosmgilp · 22 May 2024, 17:58

Hello @fredo6 how are you.

I am writing to you about some differences I have had with the option of cutting the mesh.
Normally when one makes the cut on the surface, there are two options, the geodesic and the straight one.
In the case of Tools On Surface, it seems more like a geodesic cut, but I make comparisons with other software in AutoCAD and the difference is a lot.
I am passing it on to you in order to improve the plugin and make it better every day.

Geodesic cut.
A geodesic is a curve that represents in some sense the shortest path between two points on a surface.
Geodesic

I also wanted to request adding one more command, which would be the straight cut, I currently do it with another plugin, but I would not like to depend on third parties.

Cross section from two points or straight cut
Cross section takes two points as a cutting line and drops an imaginary vertical plane onto a surface. This is usually accomplished by viewing the surfaces from above in the XY view.

I attach an example file, so you can see the differences and the new function I requested.
Sample file.

Excuse my English, I only speak Spanish.
If you can't understand me, you can tell me and I will find a way to explain myself better.
If you need any collaboration from me on the topic of geodesics, you can tell me.
If you can help me with the issue, I appreciate it.
Thank you.

fredo6 · 7 Jun 2024, 15:18

@carlosmgilp

Thanks for the request, which I understand.

Currently, ToolsOnSurface does not use geodesic or any particular geometry-defined path on the surface. It just tries to go from the origin to the end with a cut path taken from the plane passing by the origin and ed, and roughly perpendicular to the surface met between the point (kind of average).

This is therefore approximate and error-prone, since this depends on the surface itself, which may be convoluted..

carlosmgilp · 7 Jun 2024, 15:18

@fredo6

Hello, how are you, thanks for your response.

Well, I hope that at some point you can update the cut to geodesics, which is the most correct and there would be no errors.
And you can also add the straight cut.

As always, thank you very much for your dedication and the collaboration you give us.