[Plugin] Align tool 3D (bug fix)

Edson

Dear Didier,

I cannot seem to get the "Align Group/Component" option to work properly from the right-click context menu. The "Align" option works fine. When I try the "Align Group/Component" option the script first toggles on the group/component axes and then sets the starting co-ordinate system co-incident with the axes of the selected group/component(no choice given). It then asks one to define the end co-ordinate system. I was expecting to define the start co-ordinate system, as per your user guide. Also, in this mode I have to toggle off the group/component axes by going to Model Info and then deselecting the component axes option.

Is this how you intended the script to work?

Regards,
Bob

bob,

i also wondered about that but later realized i was not 'working properly'. in many cases all you need is to set the ending system; in this cases go for align group/component (as it takes the axis alignment of the group/component as the origin system); it saves you half of the work involved in the process. in cases when you do need to set the origin, then choose align and set both systems. does it make sense to you?

watkins

Dear Edson,

Yes, that does make sense. It also makes me think more carefully about the axes when creating a component.

Thanks for your interest.

Kind regards,
Bob

Didier Bur

Edson,
You've understand ALL (and explained it clearly too).

Magnus123

Ohh Thanks Didier this will come veeeery handy for me!

SU Reviewer

Great plugin! I have been l;ooking for something like this

At first it was tough to use but I got used to it. I made a little instructional animation enjoy..

Design Tech

Hi,

I am trying to install the Align tool in sketchup pro 7 on a mac. I followed the simple instruction in the PDF file but still cant seem to get it to work.

What am i missing here, or what am i doing wrong?

I put the file in my plugins folder and restarted sketchup, but dont see where the tool shows up to use?

please help

Didier Bur

Hi,

Doc says: "...you'll find a menu item under the "Tools" menu",..."if you select some entities and right-click, you'll find an "Align" option in the context menu, "if you select a group or a component and right-click, you'll find an "Align group/component" option in the context menu".

So if you don't have any of these opttions in your menus, there is something wrong.

Please open the Ruby Console and type: $align_loaded (Enter)
Please report what it says then.

Regards,

Panoplos

Hello Didier,

I am also trying to install this on the Mac Version of Sketchup Pro 7. The plugins folder contains files with extensions of .plugin, not .rb. I tried both using the .rb and .plugin extensions with no luck.

When typing $align_loaded in the Ruby Console, the variable is nil.

Perhaps there has been some change the to plugin format in version 7?

I am looking forward to using this tool, so your support is much appreciated!

jeff hammond

@panoplos said:

Hello Didier,

I am also trying to install this on the Mac Version of Sketchup Pro 7. The plugins folder contains files with extensions of .plugin, not .rb. I tried both using the .rb and .plugin extensions with no luck.

When typing $align_loaded in the Ruby Console, the variable is nil.

Perhaps there has been some change the to plugin format in version 7?

I am looking forward to using this tool, so your support is much appreciated!

yikes panoplos, you're in the wrong spot..

if your 'plugins' folder is showing .plugin files then you're at

applications folder > sketchup.app > (show package contents) > contents > plugins..
that's the actual app and those 'plugins' are the file importer/exporters..

ruby plugins go here:

Macintosh HD> Library> Application Support> Google SketchUp (#)> SketchUp> plugins

try that out instead.

irsa

thank you so much, its so useful

simon le bon

Hi!
until Joe Simhon showed how "Align Tool 3D" was working I hadn't noticed its interest..

Playtime:

A rhombic triacontahedron consists of 30 golden rhombus perfectly identical. This Quasicrystal (Quasicrystals discovered in 1984) has been many fears for crystallographers because some had seen as a crystal with a symmetry of order 5, which is not like any self-respecting crystallographer knows!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasicrystal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_rhombus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhombic_triacontahedron

[flash=640,480:2rhrdrml]http://www.youtube.com/v/qjuIm6Bd33s[/flash:2rhrdrml]

++ simonlebon

pilou

@unknownuser said:

hadn't noticed its interest

Indispensable as soon as you have some objects who are not regulary oriented!

alexdobras

thank you !

jbrfrk

really useful.... thanks

archman212

fantastic..i have been looking for this one...

Omez

THANK YOU!
I even not trying it yet, but i believe its very useful... once again, Thanks!

john2

couldn't understand 4m the pdf. is there any video tutorial

Didier Bur

Yes here: http://sketchuppluginreviews.com/2010/06/01/align-tool-google-sketchup-plugin-review-2/

Google is your friend

ken

@didier bur said:

Yes here: http://sketchuppluginreviews.com/2010/06/01/align-tool-google-sketchup-plugin-review-2/

Google is your friend

Didier

Not asking anything to be changed, however it took me some time to determine that what you call the "X axis" and "Y axis" can be any particular orientation. I was always trying to determine what the "X and Y axis" were while using the plugin. Lead to much frustration.

I always wanted to be able to get inside the plugin and change the "X" to "1" and the "Y" to "2". To me that would have been more logical to remember, I wanted the "1's" and "2's" to align with each other.

Thank you for your contribution.

Ken

Didier Bur

Hi Ken,
You can also think that X represent the red axis, Y the green axis, just as when you locate/translate/rotate the SU axis system.