[Plugin] Three Line Tools (Updated March 9th, 2009)
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Just a remark concerning the 3rd script "normal lines".
After the normal line to a surface is drawn, if you change the spacial orientation of this surface, the line don't follow this change. Seems your line don't stick to the surface, right ?Another one. I'm using Sketchup 6.0 free. I've decimal and mm selected as units.
When I start your script, the first lenght equals 2540 mm. Of course I can change it in the VCB. But is it possible and where to change it? Lets say to 100 or 1000 ? -
Really nice improvements Chris. Thanks
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Suggestion
Maybe for another script or another line inside
Does it possible to make the same but for an ordinary "curve"?
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chris,
when i think this script has been perfected to a fault you come with an upgrade to make it even better. THANKS!
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Thanks! Nice plugin , it's very handy - nice one!
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@edson said:
perfected to a fault
That is exactly how I feel about this script - all it does is draw a vertical line! A script that draws a vertical line should not be upgraded a dozen times and should certainly never need to make it up to a version 2.0! They're just sinple lines.
But then again, I also agree that each upgrade has somehow made it even better. So thanks for being patient with the upgrades. And thanks for all the compliments. I wouldn't hasve thought so many people would find this thing so useful (though the normal line mode is pretty cool I think). THanks!
Chris
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Evey time I think to myself "The best think about Sketchup is how beautifully simple it is" somebody comes along and makes it more beautiful and simpler.
Thanks for this its one of those things you didn't know you wanted until it appeared. -
@paul russam said:
Thanks for this its one of those things you didn't know you wanted until it appeared.
perfect!
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Hey! When did this hit version 2? With a toolbar?
Nice one.I just realised I was doing some really weird stuff to draw lines normal to angled edges. Then some of my old grey slapped me around with a trout reminding me about this plugin.
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Heehhe, glad you remembered. And I think over last weekend it made the jump to 2.0 when I made the toolbar. That was new. I didn't know that toolbars require some diffferent menu coding than just regular menus. So that was good to learn. I also made it register itself with the plugins extension manager. So I felt like those 2 things really made it a real script that should be a full 2.0. Silly little script,
Chris
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Hi Chris:
Just saw your update. Nice going.
The Normals line tool might proof to be helpful in setting up the camera for particular scenes.
1- Draw a "Normals" line
2- Click drag the Position Camera Tool from one endpoint of the Normals line to the other endpoint.John
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This script I can use also excellent for light fittings in Su Podium, thanks.
Remember a request I do before. Can a normal set vertical to a line? Just the opposite of this fantastic script ( for ie balustrades or other stuff doing by follow me tool )
....and I know your workaround Ecuadorian
but looking for a better solution. -
@burkhard said:
Can a normal set vertical to a line? Just the opposite of this fantastic script ( for ie balustrades or other stuff doing by follow me tool )
Hmm, I'm trying to figure this out. A vertical line is vertical. And a mormal line is perpendicular to its base face/edge/vertex. Exaplain again what it is you would like? Maybe a diagram is needed
Chris
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sorry, for that. With your script you can set the line vertical to a plane/face. The opposite should be to set a face vertical to a line. ( If you have a stair and need to set the handrail as a profile to the line which follows the stairs, it is not easy to set the plane vertical to that line.) Just an idea for making it easier, but I know it is a bit highjacked here.
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@burkhard said:
sorry, for that. With your script you can set the line vertical to a plane/face. The opposite should be to set a face vertical to a line. ( If you have a stair and need to set the handrail as a profile to the line which follows the stairs, it is not easy to set the plane vertical to that line.) Just an idea for making it easier, but I know it is a bit highjacked here.
Ah, yea. That'd be useful. All though, after Profile Builder it's been less of an issue.
But being able to set a drawing plane relative to an edge would be great....and cue version 3...
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Just adding a face perpendicular to a line end is easy enough to do. It could be the same thing where it will use the VCB values to determine its size. I would probably make it grouped from the start so as to not interfere with other geometry. And it probably would just have to be a square face that can be used as a drawing plane. Though I suppose it would not be too hard to make a tool that you could select a face, then click on a line end and it could redraw that perpendicular to the line end. Maybe one face tool, one circle tool and one copy any face onto the end of a line tool. So like 3 new tools? And how much of this is done in profile builder?
Chris
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Well, profile builder let you add faces as profiles to it's library where you then select the profiles from a list where it then performs a FollowMe operation on the selected path.
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A Tool Idea I've been toying with is a Drawing Plane tool. A tool that let you define a virtual plane to which drawing tools can be used on, allowing you to draw geometry in empty space. Not quite sure how it'd be implemented though...
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Just a reminder, the profile builder is a great tool but it's commercial and not for everyone who don't need profiles a lot. This should be an easy step for the follow me tool. Let's see if there is a solution
To set up a plane to draw onto for follow me rotations is one tip I always suggested to my people when they are lost in free space. Yep, nice ideas here
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Well, its coming along nicely. I've got it mostly working for a single square face right now. Then I'll add a circle ability since many times we use plain circles. Then lastly will be a way to first select a face, then activate the tool and click onto a line endpoint and it will add that face to the end of the line perpendicularly. Once I get the face one working all the way, the others will be pretty straightforward. Hopefully I'll have it all done by late tongiht.
I think I need to create a single clf tools menu item and then add all my scripts under that single menu item. I feel bad clogging up people plugins menu with these small, but useful scripts.
Chris
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