[Plugin] follow me rotate

[maxosmedia]

not for macintosh again

[Matt666]

@kilgo said:

Wiki, Thanks for the reply.

I made an observation using the supplied SKP file that you included with the .rb file called "far.skp"

Opening the file and looking at the last model I notice that the vertical line segmented. When I apply the FFR ruby to this line and its shape the ruby functions well as in your examples. But if I draw a line that has no segments it does not behave the same way. The plug in fails to activate, it acually doesnt do anything after selecting it.

A simple Push-Pull can do that

[kilgo]

@unknownuser said:

A simple Push-Pull can do that

Matt,

Wiki's ruby is designed to "Twist" the shape as it follows the path. Do you mean the push pull tool will rotate a shape as well as extrude it?

[Frank0503]

@unknownuser said:

Maybe this can help you
For weld a curve used the plug linked

The Plug Weld 3.0 by RickW (free) at Smustard.com

Thank you so much, so your plugin you share that truly the key of "follow me rotate"

[AthidhiTM]

thanks dude

[CAD Addict]

Hi,
It doesn't seem to work with straight paths. If the path I use is a curve it works, if it is a straight line it doesn't do anything. Is that how it is supposed to work?

[Jim57]

It works on Macintosh running 10.5.6. Get the .zip file if you have trouble with the .rar.

Wow, this is a great plugin— thanks!!!!

It blows up on me if I scale up more than about 1.1. Looks like it scales once for every segment on the line— I was expecting it to scale over the whole length. This makes for a very sensitive scaling feature.

[thomthom]

@cad addict said:

Hi,
It doesn't seem to work with straight paths. If the path I use is a curve it works, if it is a straight line it doesn't do anything. Is that how it is supposed to work?

Yes.

@wikii said:

The path must be a curve which is constructed with several segments!

[boilingsnow]

@cad addict said:

Hi,
It doesn't seem to work with straight paths. If the path I use is a curve it works, if it is a straight line it doesn't do anything. Is that how it is supposed to work?

you can divide a line into many segments and then weld them again.

It works!

[Jim57]

I love what this does!

While it worked fine for me at first, now I'm having troubles. If anyone has fixes, let me know, I need this script!

-sometimes the script reverses the follow line. It starts from one side, but when I select the script it flips to the other.

-sometimes the script does not work, even after welding my follow lines religiously

-sometimes all the script does is place a 2" long construction line on the underside of the face, one segment's length away from the face.

-I just tried again. The first time, it didn't work. The second try, it placed the 2" construction line on the underside and reversed the path. The third try, it worked great, with the path coming from an offcenter construction point. The following five times, it shifted the path from the construction line to the center of the face and, other than that, worked.

-not a bug, but a feature request: as I posted earlier, scaling and rotation are per segment of the follow path, not over the whole length. It might be more intuitive and controllable if they were measured over the whole path.

Again I will repeat, I always weld my follow lines or use unexploded curves. I'm using FAR on a Mac and some posters feel it is Win only— Is this the issue? SU seems buggier as I use FAR, though this may be coincidence, or confusing the cause and effect.

Thanks for any assistance,

Jim

[Jim57]

I checked the Ruby Console at some point during my last experiments, and here's what I was getting:

@unknownuser said:

fError: #<ArgumentError: Cannot create unit vector from zero length vector>
(eval):340:in intersect_line_plane' (eval):340:in wikii_push_pull'
(eval):339:in collect' (eval):339:in wikii_push_pull'
(eval):319:in each_index' (eval):319:in wikii_push_pull'
(eval):141
(eval):340:in `call'
(eval):340
Error: #<TypeError: can't convert Symbol into String>

I don't seem to be able to reset the Console without quitting and restarting Sketchup, so it's hard to tell at what stage things were going wrong.

[sepo]

This video does not work for me. I have only black screen.

[Click Draw]

Hi Miguel,
Great tutorial. I noticed some quick shots of your tools which don't look familiar. Would you mind posting a screen shot of your tools so I can see what ones you have that I don't?
Thanks,
Jeff

[Dave R]

"...in response to this tutorial found on the web:"

I wish I could see your video. I've tried the plugin but it doesn't yield the same thing I showed in the tutorial. I did the tutorial without the plugin because of that and because I was asked to demonstrate a manual way of drawing that.

[Jean-Franco]

+1 with Sepo !

[Ecuadorian]

Hello, Dave. I'm sorry, I'll be more careful with the wording in the future.

I liked your tutorial because it is actually the best way to do it in SketchUp without having to install any additional scripts.

It's just that I really think that Follow Me Rotate is an extremely cool script thas not everybody is aware of, so I wanted to share with your readers an even faster way to do the same balaustre.

Here's the Youtube link for those who can't see it embedded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eBIQC2Cgps
(Weird, it's working fine in Google Chrome...)

And sorry for my bad English, I learned it through Pink Floyd songs...

-------------------UPDATE--------------
Video does not work in Internet Explorer 6, but works fine in Firefox 2 and Google Chrome.

[Ecuadorian]

Thank you, very much, wikii. This tool is extremely useful and solves one of my main gripes about SketchUp.

I created a video tutorial for twisted balaustres/legs...

[flash=425,344:10ax4kg1]http://www.youtube.com/v/0eBIQC2Cgps&hl=en&fs=1file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eBIQC2Cgps[/flash:10ax4kg1]

...in response to this tutorial found on the web:
http://finewoodworking.taunton.com/item/6095/doin-the-twist

I hope you see the BIG difference your script makes. Without Follow Me Rotate, it is like being in the stone age!

By the way, I discovered that if I don't deselect the line after dividing it and make sure it has been properly divided, sometimes Follow Me Rotate will extrude in the opposite direction.

Thank you again.
And thanks to Simon Bonnet for the tip on posting Youtube videos here.

---------------------18:08 31/01/2009 UPDATE--------------
Here's the Youtube link for those who can't see it embedded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eBIQC2Cgps
I've just discovered that the video shows only a black screen in Internet Explorer 6, but works fine in Firefox 2 and Google Chrome.

[Dave R]

I appreciate you wanting to show the readers a faster way but you need to provide the links for the plugins or they're not in any better position.

[Ecuadorian]

Sure, I posted the links in the Youtube video description. click on "(more info)" to show it. I'll copy the description here:

"
Today I read this tutorial for doing a "twisted leg": http://finewoodworking.taunton.com/item/6095/doin-the-twist
But I remembered that in the SketchUp Community Forums there are free tools that can do the same thing in a snap. So I decided to record a video tutorial.

You'll need the SCF Power Toolbar, which includes the "Join edges" tool by Rick Wilson:
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=14770&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=powertoolbar
And the "Follow me rotate" script, by wikii:
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=13014&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

In this video I did a counter-clockwise twist. To do it clockwise, simple input a negative value in the "Rotate" field of the Follow And Rotate script.

Remember to check that the line was properly divided before using the "Join Edges" tool; if you don't, the Follow And Rotate tool might not work properly.

Tutorial created with Camstudio, a free and open-source excellent little piece of software, and subtitles added in Windows Movie Maker.
"

[Dave R]

Now I see. It's all hidden normally.

Thanks.