[Plugin] Lines to tubes

ntxdave

While I like the plugin and seem some valuable uses, I am having a problem with it.

Here is a screen capture of the problem I am having:
Capture - Pipes 2 Lines problem.png

I tried to be very careful when connecting the three segments (made sure the arch that connected the two straight lines was tangent) but I have many occasions where I will need to draw some pipes with multiple curves.

I will assume I am doing something wrong. I have also attached the skp file (I moved the resulting tube so that the original line can be seen).

Lines2Pipes.skp

driven

@nxtdave,
download tig_weld and weld your 3 lines first...
john

ntxdave

@driven said:

@nxtdave,
download tig_weld and weld your 3 lines first...
john

Already had weld installed. Just did not use it. When I welded the lines, it worked perfect. Even tried a freehand line and it worked fine as well.

Thanks..........I should have thought of that

Might be something that should be explored for a future release though. Just out of curiosity, I also have the free version of Profile Builder and it worked fine on the original lines though without using the Weld tool.

Just a thought..........

josephkim626

@sdmitch said:

@josephkim626 said:

As I am often giving precision 4 to give a rectangular look, im just wondering if there would be a way to rotate the profile 45 degrees. Effectively, having a rectangular tubes.

Yes, but this particular plugin is scrambled so only the creator can make that change.

In the mean time, maybe this will help. You can copy and paste into the Ruby Console to try it out.

mod = Sketchup.active_model
> ent = mod.active_entities
> sel = mod.selection
> unless sel.empty?
>   vars=UI.inputbox(["Number of Sides;"," Length of a Side;","Angle of Rotation;"],[4,1,45],"Tube Specifications")
>   if vars
>     n,l,d=vars
>     a=180/n
>     r=l/Math.sin(a.degrees)/2
>     edgs=sel.grep(Sketchup;;Edge)
>     edgs.each{|e|
>       p,v=e.line
>       grp=ent.add_group;ge=grp.entities
>       tube=ge.add_ngon(p,v,r,n)
>       face=ge.add_face(tube)
>       ent.transform_entities(Geom;;Transformation.rotation(p,v,d.degrees),face)
>       face.followme e
>       grp.explode
>     }
>   end
> else
>   UI.messagebox "Select Edges"
> end
>

Thank you so much, this helped for me at least this time.
I had to remove "grp.explode" line as I wanted them to be a grouped members.
who is the creator of this plugin? I know it has been tossed around couple times.
(I will still need an option to use "mm" units, follow welded edges as solid)

sdmitch

Didier Bur is the creator of the "Lines2Tubes" plugin.

Guilherme Bera

I'd like to thank you by this plugin.

But it doesn't have a toolbar, and once that the plugin "Toolbar Editor" from Aerilius, induced me to make the workspace more visual. I decided to modify a bunch of scripts just enough to support toolbar, but your script is scrambled, so I can't do it by myself. So I'd be glad if you could modify your plugin just enough to support toolbar.

Then a simple way to add the toolbar support is like TIG commented in another topic (bit.ly/29PAk6T

@unknownuser said:

An example of the menu making command is:

unless file_loaded?(__FILE__)
>    cmd = UI;;Command.new("SomeCommandName"){ SomeCommand.new() }
>    UI.menu("Plugins").add_item(cmd)
> ### START - ADD TOOLBAR HERE...
> ### END -   ADD TOOLBAR HERE
>    file_loaded(__FILE__)
> end

If it's a 'Tool' the CMD setup is slightly different...

An example to use that within a toolbar is this additional code added between the ### markers:

cmd.tooltip = "SomeCommandName"
> cmd.status_bar_text = "SomeText"
> cmd.small_icon = File.join("SomeCommandFolder/ImagesFolder", 'icon-24.png')
> cmd.large_icon = File.join("SomeCommandFolder/ImagesFolder", 'icon-32.png')
> toolbar = UI;;Toolbar.new("SomeCommandName")
> toolbar.add_item(cmd)
> toolbar.show if toolbar.get_last_state.abs == 1 # TB_VISIBLE/NEVER

Note how addition properties are needed for the cmd to be used in a toolbar.
The path to the button icons and their names is up to you...

PS: If it could be helpful, I attached icons created for the toolbar.

pilou

Does it possible to modify the plugin
for have a rotation input?

Now we have this!
As you remark there is an Up Orientation!

Wanted!

josephkim626

@pilou said:

Does it possible to modify the plugin
for have a rotation input?

Now we have this!
As you remark there is an Up Orientation!
[attachment=1:1rui9dug]GIF_tube.gif[/attachment:1rui9dug]

Wanted!

[attachment=0:1rui9dug]squares_w.jpg[/attachment:1rui9dug]

Sdmitch has his own plugin that does what you are describing.

http://sdmitch.blogspot.co.uk/

find "Edge To Tube"

josephkim626

@pilou said:

Seems bugged!
Or works only for curves ?
Seems working only from polys of 5 segments!

[attachment=1:17is50ip]GIF_bugged.gif[/attachment:17is50ip]

Indeed it behaves funny when it is run on rectangles.

But it seems fine for some others.

[attachment=0:17is50ip]tube.gif[/attachment:17is50ip]

pilou

Seems bugged!
Or works only for curves ?
Seems working only from polys of 5 segments!

pilou

The "Do curve" is somptuous!
(not my video
(currioussly don't works for the rectangles!

Bravo to Sdmitch!

Ps Will be very fine for any "section"

ntxdave

One thing that does not work correctly for me is the Materials parameter. It will only allow me to select a material that has already been used in the model.

Maybe I am doing something wrong................

TIG

@ntxdave said:

One thing that does not work correctly for me is the Materials parameter. It will only allow me to select a material that has already been used in the model.
To give you access to the potentially thousands of material SKM files that are not currently used in the model could be unbelievably complex, even it it were easy to do in the API - which unfortunately it is not...
To be frank having any material choice seems overkill, as it is really a a geometry creator ?

sdmitch

@josephkim626 said:

Indeed it behaves funny when it is run on rectangles.

But it seems fine for some others.

Fixed the problem with rectangles in my Edge_to_Tube plugin. Normal rectangles are bounded by 4 edges and not a 'curve' as polygons and circles are.

edge to tube.gif

pilou

Excellent!

And can we imagine the same with any section ?

rv1974

My $0.02:

Fredo's Make curves (weld)
S4u 'Make Frame'

pilou

Yes but quid of differents number of segments of sections ?

@Sdmitch
Seems the "Do Curve" don't works in the new version!
Edit: Sorry I don't draw a polygon but a rectangle!
The trick is draw a poly with 4 edges then resize with FredoScale!

fionmacool

Merci pour le Plugin. : )

huajiet

@sdmitch said:

Yes, but this particular plugin is scrambled so only the creator can make that change.

I'm hoping to set the default 'Precision' input at 20. looked into the .rb file but it's all scrambled. anyone can help?

sdmitch, where can I download your Edge_to_Tube plugin?

Munene

How do you download the extension