How do you make plug-ins for sketchup

Chris Fullmer

I personally use notepad++ currently. And I use Jim's Web Console inside of SU. I use it to test chunks of code and then I copy them into notepad++ once I get things running as expected.

Chris

BTM

...any mac versions or mac text editors? I thought I could use textedit, but it doesn't have any way to save as ruby files. Neither does pages, but word seems to be able to save as ruby if I type .rb in manually. Still, a mac text editor would help.

jeff hammond

i think a lot of the mac heads use TextMate

http://macromates.com/

REGIS

Hi

Smultron can do it on mac, it's free.

regards

RickW

My MacBook has Xcode or something like that (I'm not a "Mac person" - I just got one for self-preservation for dual-platform SU ruby development ). It's color coded and has auto-completion capabilities as you type.

REGIS

@rickw said:

My MacBook has Xcode or something like that

You are a lucky guy RickW, I can't find Xcode on my mac (perhaps I got to check my cd install to find xcode ?)

I checked out this link and I'm not sure it's free.
BTW, thanks for the info RickW

Regards

Chris Fullmer

This is some good info on Mac code editors. I'll include it in whatever little tutorial I get thrown together.

BTM

I have Xcode too, downloaded smultron anyways, they both seem good, Xcode a little more complicated, but does have menus for picking the exact thing you want to make ( like ruby extentions), but I don't know which one's better.
...Anyone out there have experience with these sorts of things?

Chris Fullmer

Hey not too bad! Just keep that up and you're well on your way. Once you get the standard flow control methods down (which you have, the if/else/end, until/end, array.each do/end) your set. Then its time to dig into the sketchup API to see what methods/classes/modules that SketchUp has added to Ruby.

Chris

BTM

Nevermind, Xcode's my pick. I made my first ruby code too (not for sketchup)

keycode = false
puts 'INPUT CODE'
code = gets.chomp
puts 'CODE RECIEVED'
while (not keycode)
	puts 'INPUT CODE TO UNLOCK'
	if gets.chomp == code
		keycode = true
		puts 'ACCESS GRANTED'
	else
		puts 'ACCESS DENIED'
	end
end

It's a good thing I've used sketchyphysics before, or I would have no idea what I was doing.

Jim

@unknownuser said:

.also, how do you add global variables throughout the script? Is it still setVar("foo",1), getVar("foo"), and getSetVar("foo",0)?

These are not part of the Ruby API - they must be part of the SketchyPhysics API (to confuse things even further.)

BTM

Just looked it up in that pine-something-or-other tutorial. So it's if you put a @ in front of a variable that makes it global?

BTM

I've been taking a look at the sketchup API, and am currently a bit intimidated.
I never realized how many different methods, classes and modules there would be! Up until now, everything I've done has been very simple, but I don't even understand half of what these things mean, and it would take me forever to find anything specific!
...also, how do you add global variables throughout the script? Is it still setVar("foo",1), getVar("foo"), and getSetVar("foo",0), like in sketchyphysics?

Chris Fullmer

SketchUp has (at least)

variable - local variable
@variable - Instance variable
@@variable - Class Variable
$variable - Global Variable

local variables are available only within the method in which they are defined.
Instance Variables are available through the entire class instance.
Class Variables are available for all instances of a class.
Global variables are available for all classes. They can be accessed from any ruby script. If you make one called $my_special_global_variable and someone else makes one with the same name, there will be a conflict.

I know that doesn't explain instance and class vairables very well. Sorry, I'll have a go at it.

In SketchUp, when you make a tool, you make it as a class. So every time the tool gets activated, it creates a new instance of the class. Instance variables are only available within that instance of the class. When the tool is activated again, those old instance variables are not available to the new instance. But Class variables would be available from one activation of the tool (instance of the class) to the next. So lets say that you have a tool that draws a circle and the user can input the size and segments of the circle. If you used an instance variable to hold the user input size and segment count, then the tool keep their values only while it was active. Once they de-activate the tool, then re-activate it, it creates a new instance of the tool, and the instnace variables are lost, so it would return back to whatever defaults the script provides. But if you use Class variables, then those variables stay active from one activation of the tool to the next. They only get reset once SketchUp is closed down and restarted.

Thats it to the best of my understanding. I only really understand this within a SketchUp context. So I'm sure there;s more to it than just that. But that is a start on local, instance, class, and global variables.

There are also constants, symbols, and maybe more? THey are types of variables I think.

Chris

l.frisken

I've started trying to learn how to use ruby but I'm having a lot of trouble getting input points to work. U'm what would be the simplest way for me to make a simple tool that tells me the coordinates in 3 dimensions of whatever I'm clicking on?

Chris Fullmer

That seems to be a popular thing to want to do, but in my mind, its a pretty involved task. In order to get the onlinck function to work, it has to be implemented from within a tool. Have you already got a tool class working correctly?

Chris

l.frisken

within a tool? (hmm I need to study more! ) well I was wanting to make a line drawing ruby that involved two clicks like the example file. But from just trying to examine the file I realized that it was quiet a complicated process, much more than just drawing a line using ruby! I wish that google could have made this function a little simpler, seeing as like 80% of the plugins I have used use something like this. I guess I need to start on some other more simple things. I have read a book on O O programing before but things are a little rusty now! (classes, methods... arrgghh! )

BTM

Ahh, thanks for the advice on variables Chris! %(#808080)[(and thanks for all the other helpful advice and tips you've posted in this descussion )]

BTM

I've learned some of the sketchup ruby API, and understand why most codes work how they do, but my problem is making a code that works. I know how something works when I see it, but can't write one myself. It's like being able to hear or read, but not speak or write

Chris Fullmer

I think some of the "easiest" scripts to start writing are ones that begin by iterating through the model and doing something to the geometry. Here's a few variations of some basic examples. Then tweak them and expand on them to make them more and more involved.

pushpull all faces in the model
pushpull selected faces only
select all faces that have a certain surface area.
select all faces that have a surface area within a specified tolerance.
Delete all lines that are not drawn on an axis.
Delete all faces in the model or all faces from a selection, leaving just edges

Anyhow, thats a small start. Those should all be fairly straightforward.

Chris