Create component with a subroutine question

[shirazbj]

Hi,

What I want to do is to create a component like a table. I use one same subroutine to create the four legs and the top.

I declared a component definition in the Main like this:

$new_comp_def=Sketchup.active_model.definitions.add("MyComp")

then try to add some face entitites in a subroutine to it like this:

points ...
face=$new_comp_def.entities.add_face(points)
face.pushpull(height)

The error I got is some nil faces which can't be pushpulled. It seems the global virable $new_comp_def has no efect. I can't save the entities into it. Sometimes the error message says I was referencing a deleted entity.

Are these faces deleted when the subroutine finished?

Thanks

[thomthom]

Could you post the exact error?

I'm wondering though, if the points you feed .add_face doesn't make up a face. Do a check if the value face has after .add_face, if it's nil, then the method failed, which leads .pushpull to fail because you are trying to pushpull a nil value.

Btw, I'd recommend that you don't use global variables. It could interfere with other scripts. Encapsulate your script in a Module or Class and use Module/Class variables instead.

[shirazbj]

Made some changes and works now.

It seems I have to declare one definition,add entities and place the component. After that, declare anonther component definition,....

If I declare a few definitions at the same time, when the subroutine is called for the second component, it will report the entities has been deleted.

[Chris Fullmer]

If you are creating them all like this:

$bad_global_variable_new_group = entities.add_group $bad_global_variable_new_group = entities.add_group $bad_global_variable_new_group = entities.add_group $bad_global_variable_new_group = entities.add_group
The variable only points to the last one. The first 3 will be lost.