Problem with FFD

[Jim57]

I'm new to FFD, and haven't been using SketchUp all that long either. FFD isn't working for me.

I downloaded FFD and placed it in my Plugins folder. I select an object or a group, control-click to get FFD, select Make Patch. The group unselects, that's it.

I tried it with the Ruby Console open and got this:

@unknownuser said:

SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in startFFD' /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65 /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in call'
/Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65

I don't know code, but it seems to me it's quitting pretty quickly.

I checked the script, and it starts with

@unknownuser said:

require 'sketchup.rb'

When I searched for sketchup.rb, I could not find it on my computer. Is it another script, or a part of Sketchup that enables Rubys, or what?

I have to say that I'm on a recent Mac, and I find the search functions pretty weird— I can't always find things that I know for certain are there. In this case, I hand searched the Plugins folder and I can say for sure it's either not there or invisible. But if this is something I"m supposed to have, I don't know why it wouldn't be there either.

Any light on this situation is appreciated.

Jim

[remus]

Have you tried clicking 3x3 instead of patch? I never really understood what patch was for...

[Click Draw]

Can someone please post the original thread address to when FFD was release here with a video.
Thanks, Jeff

[remus]

http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=6029

[Jim57]

When I Control-click, I get FFD. When I click that, I get three options, Lock Edges, Unlock Edges, and Make Patch. All of them unselect the object and nothing else.

Perhaps I missed the first line in the error console. I quote it again:

@unknownuser said:

Error: #<ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (2 for 3)>
/Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in startFFD' /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65 /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in call'
/Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65
Error: #<ArgumentError: wrong number of arguments (2 for 3)>
/Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in startFFD' /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65 /Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65:in call'
/Users/jimbo/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchyFFD.rb:65

I just reloaded the script, which I think I first got from Frenchy Pilou's site. I took the most recent copy from the forums at this address. Be sure to get the revised one, not the first one.
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=6029&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=free+form+deformation

Best,

Jim

[Jim57]

Wow, this is weird. I just tried it again and it worked, with one exception. The guide points are not laid out in proportion to the original. This might be because I rotated axes of this group at one point, and did not get them back the proper way.
There's more to the confusion than that, and re-orienting them does not help. Sometimes it's easiest to start over.

Thanks for your help,

Jim

[remus]

Im not sure what causes the points in the group to go wonky, but you can sort it out by exploding the group and regrouping it.

[solo]

As a rule I always explode, regroup before using FFD.

[CPhillips]

Sounds like you worked it out. Yeah you have to explode and regroup most groups.

[debbio]

Sounds to me like you made a component instead of a group...