[Plugin] 1001bit Tools - Architectural tools for SketchUp

gohch

Thanks bagatelo,
Thanks, there's still quite some ideas that i wish to complete with 1001bit tools before going into something for interiors and furnitures. But i'll keep this in mind. I do not have a 'crystal clear' thinking process on how to approach interior and furniture design yet.... need to 'meditate' on that for a while...

btw, thanks to Teox, there's now an Italian language pack for 1001bit tools!
http://www.1001bit.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=129

also, the English version of 1001shadows is now available too!
http://www.1001shadows.com/en/index.html

cheers!
Goh

haynesc

@unknownuser said:

Thanks bagatelo,
Thanks, there's still quite some ideas that i wish to complete with 1001bit tools before going into something for interiors and furnitures. But i'll keep this in mind. I do not have a 'crystal clear' thinking process on how to approach interior and furniture design yet.... need to 'meditate' on that for a while...

btw, thanks to Teox, there's now an Italian language pack for 1001bit tools!
http://www.1001bit.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=129

also, the English version of 1001shadows is now available too!
http://www.1001shadows.com/en/index.html

cheers!
Goh

will 1001 shadows be free for students like 1001tools are ?

gohch

@unknownuser said:

will 1001 shadows be free for students like 1001tools are ?

hi haynesc,
noop, we're not giving out free student license for this one
we're can consider giving free license to schools/institutions for teaching purposes though

bagatelo

Is it possible to access and to use the tools of great GOHCH for other scripts, enlarging Google Sketchup's API or something like this?

thomthom

@bagatelo said:

Is it possible to access and to use the tools of great GOHCH for other scripts, enlarging Google Sketchup's API or something like this?

For most scripts I'd think it'd be possible to call it from an external script. Would depend how it's built. Fredo do offer a documented API for this LibFredo library.

But I'd not expect commercial plugins such as 1001bit and Whaat's commercial plugins to get any open API.

Is there something in particular you got in mind with this?

bagatelo

The use of their tools could be increased if they opened a type of API of their tools, not opening the code of their scripts. They could make more money if they documented the use of their tools by another scripts.

What do I have in mind? I have a lot of things. Use your imagination.

gohch

hi bagatelo,
That's an interesting thought. Haven't thought about the tools from this direction.
Current tools were written with very specific and rigid work flow. To create modules which are useful(and will have to be flexible) will definitely require a lot more thoughts than what i'm doing now.
Can't say much about whether i'll move along this direction in future at this stage.
(I'm working on some improvements to the tools, as well as some new ideas, which i hope to finish within the next few months.)
cheers!

bagatelo

I don't know the way of the professional users' of Sketchup around the world works, but in my case, I work with precise units, with certain patterns that never change, in although the forms can change. I know that technology BIM could be implemented inside of Sketchup. I see windows opening a hole automatically in the wall when inserting the component window. I see kitchen closets that turn off drawers when inserting in the place equipments as ovens or dishewasher.

Is possible to insert components of the library through script or plugin?

Something that I think it would be fantastic in the sketchup it would be the possibility to record macros or actions, like Photoshop ou Microsoft Excell.
Please watch those videos to understand how I think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_rEiL69k40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puo1oAQpDtk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPuFPN02AKU

gohch

I haven't tried Chief Architect and Revit; however looking from the videos, they are standalone applications. I've heard that Revit is really good by the way...
Working as standalone application has its advantages because you are in total control of how users use the model, and you do not have to make room to capture things that are not created by your application. This allows you to integrate a lot of functions because you can be sure that all entities created/imported by your application has been properly 'prepared' and their associated parameters properly indexed and stored.
The downside is, you had better have a good team developing this because you will need to have almost everything an architect needs to use ready all by yourself.

Opposite of that are plugins, which handles only specific functions. Because of that nature, and that you cannot possibly be the single source to solve all users' need, a good plugin should (IMHO) be very clear on how it is intended to fit into a working environment where the users may very well have other plugins by other ppl installed. In my mind you should keep everything as open and neutral so that it is easy for others to pick up the model and continue working on it with some other plugins. This is the main reason i have been hesitant to assign material, or layers or adding attributes to the groups created using 1001bit tools. I do have plan to allow users the options to define layers in future; but that will only be on preference basis, not a rigid requirement.

I hope i haven't bored anyone to death yet....

bagatelo

Ok, I understand. Each side has their advantages and disadvantages.
I will post here in this topic some ideas that I have growing i my mind about your plugins.

Possibility to create and to save presets of tools. Possibility to export and import these presets.
Possibility to see in real time the alterations in the controls of the tool. It would be as the controls of tools of the photoshop, that allow to see in real time which will be the result of the taken action.
Possibility to edit the created objects.
I can translate your plugin to portuguese.
Possibilities to create grooves in angles, not just in the horizontal. Sometimes that I need to create Grooves in the vertical. Sometimes I need to create grooves in X.

For now is enough. Cheers

Elibjr

WOW Goh, this is really useful now. Thank you for such a great plugin!

@unknownuser said:

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

1001bit version 1.1.7 update is now ready for download!
http://www.1001bit.com/v1.1/download_registration_v1.1.shtml

3 new tools are added into this update:

Rectangular grille tools: convert edges into rectangular sections.

Circular grille tools: convert edges into circular sections.

both the grille tools only create grilles on a common plane defined by the first 3 points it finds from the selection.
any edges that are not on the plane will be projected onto the plane.

Extrude while maintaining tapering effect.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas, and all the best in the coming year!

[flash=][/flash] Now I can go from this ...

..to this...

...and combine it with Fredoscale and get this! Thank you!

gohch

hi Elibjr,
wow, that's some nice work there!

Someone asked me about creating standing seams for the roof of irregular shape.
I used the roof tool, set the rafter width to 5mm, height to 20mm and distance to 200mm and uncheck the batten/purlin
and here's the result with a single click:
standing seam created using roof (very tiny rafters)

Elibjr

That's great thinking Goh. Now I have a quick wat to create a standing seam metal roof! I have really appreciated the "modify selected vertex on entity" tool. It's great when you want to edit an irregular object one node at a time to get the exact shape. The "create screen" is truly my favorite for creating a simple continuous ceiling grid with ceiling panels. Thanks again.
EBell.

gohch

We've just launched 1001bit pro, and inside there's a metal deck tool which can be used to generate corrugated sheets, metal decks as well as standing seams

Take a look at the userguides on the tools in the Pro version at
http://www.1001bit.com/pro/userguide.html

onetoughkooky

Hi Goh! I'm a SketchUcation n00b and I just discovered your toolset. AMAZING!!!

I have one question though, I'm trying create louvers for a curved surface (since my building is curved and I'm putting the louvers on its south-facing wall). Right now I'm playing around with "View Hidden Geometry" and then generating the louvers on a per-surface basis, but it's taking me quite some time and doesn't look very clean. Is there any way to generate the louvers (both horizontal and vertical) from a curved surface?

gohch

hi,
I'm afraid there is currently no single function to generate louvres on a curved surface. What i would do, would be to use combination of 'extrude along sloping path' and 'linear array'
Step 1: select the path (can be different edges, but has to be connected)
Step 2: create a face on x y plane to define the profile of the louvre.
Step 3: use the 'extrude along sloping path tool'

Step 4: select the created louvre then use the 'linear array' tool to create multiple louvres

cheers!

gohch

hi everyone,
Haven't been doing much programming for the past few months... my day job has been getting quite crazy lately.
Anyway, I managed to work on the Panel Divide tool.
Previous version has issues of either conflict or simply unstable.
I have re-written the tool, and was hoping that this version works better
(this is a patch for the Pro version by the way. Once i'm sure that this is ok, i will write another for the standard version.)
Just replace the paneldivide.rbs file in your 1001bit_pro folder with this one.
Thanks and cheers!
Goh

paneldivide(16-Apr-11)_patch.zip

ken

Sir

How do I tell what version of your software I am using. The latest version is 1.1.7 however as you can see, that is not what the info screen shows.

Ken

ScreenHunter_01 Apr. 29 11.40.jpg

gohch

Ooops
I have not been updating that version information!!!
(just uploaded the corrected zip file);
the info should show version 1.2 if your installed with the latest zip file (from the above link)

Sorry for the confusion
GohCH

ken

@unknownuser said:

Ooops
I have not been updating that version information!!!
(just uploaded the corrected zip file);
the info should show version 1.2 if your installed with the latest zip file (from the above link)

Sorry for the confusion
GohCH

OK, I have tried to download Version 1.2. And again, I have now 30 day trial version has expired. And when I send in for another authorization number, I get that two authorization numbers have already been issued for this computer. Dam right, apparently I need a new number every time you upgrade the software. YOU HAVE THE LEAST UNDERSTANDABLE UPGRADE PROCEDURE THAT I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH.

So, one can not determine which version he has on his computer, because you don't keep track of the upgrades in the license info box, and when I do upgrade I have to go thought hoops to just get the software running again.

Dam, you have good software, just figure out how to do better with your license number. I went thought this not to long ago when I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.

Pissed I am, Ken

It shouldn't be this hard to do an upgrade.