Profile Builder released!

dtrarch

Dale
You said

BTW, I intend to create more free downloadable profile libraries based on user requests. There are also ways to create to Profile Libraries from an Excel spreadsheet. I hope to create a tutorial for this someday. If you take a look at the file format for the PLB files, you can probably figure it out. The format is 'NAME x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3 ....'<

Please explain how to format for spread sheet (CSV ?) and also how to convert the spread sheet to a vector graphic of each profile.

We all would like to share libraries and just need a little help to set them up and edit outside of PB.

Thank you

dtr

haynesc

problem fixed, my axis were incorrect ...

utiler

@utiler said:

Another few things:

the "build" icon sit right over the cursor which makes it difficult to snap to points... in your video you used the standard cursor which was a little easier, can you look at this?

the X and Y offset values don't seem to be saved with the profile. I think this is imperative that they are. When you chose another library and or profile the offset values stay the same as the previous profile which means working it out for each one. For simple profiles, sure it's easy but complex profiles this is very tedious....

Dale, any comment on these issues...?

utiler

Just wondering if you guys see this suggestion for enhancing PB worthwhile:

I'd like to see Profiles not just be restricted to faces but also 'profiles' as well. Not all modeling needs a thickness [eg: wall and roof sheeting / purlins / gutters] Would be great to be able to create a profile out of a polyline and build a path, pre-defined or as you go...

Also, a thinking a little beyond PB. Dale has obviously bought us some scripts of late that are like no other; they're more 'activities' rather than functions within SU. I think Dale is not far from bringing us a complete set of 'activities' specific to individual industries. Eg: I'm in the architectural field; I'd like to see building components targeted such as windows, doors, stairs and roofs. As we all know we are yet to work out how to cut two planes with SU to make windows and doors easy to handle. It seems if Dale's Booltools were integrated with a script to create windows and doors, we shouldn't be far from getting it right!!!
These additions along with TIG's "roof" script would almost complete SU for me. What are your thoughts?

david_h

I tried to use a profile to make a picture frame and it wouldn't close (miter) properly at the end as it would do with just the normal follow-me? What am I doing wrong?

David

utiler

David, try setting the offset to zero and starting from the bottom left or bottom right location. I found this to happen also but seems to close only when using these placement points....which renders the offset options a little useless really.

kagrani

I had the same problem when I started playing with PB yesterday, but I think I stumbled upon a fix: just continue the path around/past the 4th corner as well, and it will miter correctly. And I couldn't find excessive geometry afterwards.

Can anyone confirm?

Knut

plot-paris

I think that is because PB relies on SketchUp functions to draw the members. so the actual problem doesn't lie with ProfileBuilder, but with SketchUp. it works indeed better, if the offset is set to one corner of the profile (can be quite difficult to determine, when you have a complicated profile, of course).
but I think Whaat has covered all this in his superb manual

thomthom

Would it be possible to make the script set focus to the SU window after you click the Build tool button? I find that I often want to start at a location on another profile's path, but in order to do that I need to enable the PMPI. When I click the build button I have to first set focus to the SU window before I can begin. It's something that I do often so it'd be very nice if the plugin would do this automatically.

Also: Hotkeys for each of the buttons in the PB window? Pleeeease? I'm a hotkey addict.

utiler

Thomas, why don't you make your own hotkeys to suit?

thomthom

I can't. When you go to the SU preferences for hotkeys it doesn't the commands.

And I did mean that I wanted to be able to set my own and not hard coded hotkeys. Might not been clear.

david_h

@unknownuser said:

but I think Whaat has covered all this in his superb manual

You mean I have to read something?

Thanks for the input!

david_h

here's another little glitch i am running into . . .I trace a path for a door casing and it seems to follow the path fine, but then when I finish the command. .there's nothing there!

Whaddup???

thomthom

You're not drawing onto a hidden layer?

david_h

Nope. that was the first thing I checked for. I Draw exlusively on layer 0, so that typically is not a problem. I am going to try a restart of the program, cuz when I just doodled in a test file, it worked fine, but in my work model. .. nuthin'.

D

Whaat

@unknownuser said:

here's another little glitch i am running into . . .I trace a path for a door casing and it seems to follow the path fine, but then when I finish the command. .there's nothing there!

Whaddup???

Is this repeatable? Are you using SU6 or SU7? Any error messages in the Ruby Console? Check your outliner window to see if the member was created.

utiler

Dale and All,
I am building a library of AU specific profiles for UB's, UC's, PFC's, EA's, UA's, RHS, SHS, CHS, etc, etc..

Dale, I noticed you built the basic profile without the radius on edge. I am building the library with a 3 to 6 sided curve to depict the real thing.
Also, for RHS, CHS, SHS profiles I was only going to create the external profile, not inclduing wall thicknesses. [in some cases steel thicknesses are 1.6mm]

Any thoughts either way?

When I'm done, I'll let you know and PM me if you'd like me to email you the libraries....

Whaat

@utiler said:

Dale and All,
I am building a library of AU specific profiles for UB's, UC's, PFC's, EA's, UA's, RHS, SHS, CHS, etc, etc..

Well, I had intended to provide a AU steel library at some point. It is not difficult for me to do it. If you have a spreadsheet of the section properties I could save you the trouble. Real-world accuracy is very important so please double-check your dimensions before submitting the library.

@unknownuser said:

Also, for RHS, CHS, SHS profiles I was only going to create the external profile, not inclduing wall thicknesses. [in some cases steel thicknesses are 1.6mm]

Thanks but I can't directly use a profile that is not composed of a solid face. 1-D profiles may never be supported by PB. I haven't decided yet.

Thanks!

utiler

@whaat said:

Well, I had intended to provide a AU steel library at some point. It is not difficult for me to do it. If you have a spreadsheet of the section properties I could save you the trouble. Real-world accuracy is very important so please double-check your dimensions before submitting the library.

I actually jumped the gun last night Dale and got into it!!! I have compiled UB's, UC's and PFC's so far. Yes, I have section properties of actual sizes and have diligent in creating actual real world sizes. [some webs and flange sizes needed to be rounded up or down to the nearest millimeter; I don't think 0.5mm will be a drama!!]

@unknownuser said:

Thanks but I can't directly use a profile that is not composed of a solid face. 1-D profiles may never be supported by PB. I haven't decided yet.
Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I mean the CHS profile from the face created by the outside diameter, not the 1.6mm - 6.0mm thickness of the member. Obviously, just trying to cut down on faces....

Whaat

Phil Rader has graciously created a profile library of concrete curbs. It is now available on the Smustard website: http://www.smustard.com/script/ProfileBuilder. Thanks so much Phil! I welcome any others who wish to share their library files. If you are interested, you can send it to the email address at the bottom of the Smustard site.