[Plugin][$] FredoScale - v3.6a - 01 Apr 24

fredo6

to all users

First of all thanks very much for your warm encouragements. Note that the reward should also go to the SU team, for the native capability of the 3D application and for the design of the API, which is quite powerful (and of course the choice of Ruby). Stretch is actually simply based on the functionality of the native Move tool, and the other deformations just rely on the capability of Sketchup to transform faces and edges when you move vertices.

A few remarks based on comments received:

For Bend, I would recommend that you configure the slicer with a 'negative' number. This allows to adjust automatically the number of slices based on the angle. With a small angle, you will only get a few slices. The convention is based on a 12-sides circle (360 degree). For instance "-3" corresponds to a circle of 36 edges.
The slicer is based on the Sketchup "Intersect With" functionality(to answer a question from Whaat). Unfortunately, the API method does not seem to be able to cut lonely edges. If you have some in your model, they wont be smoothly bent and could even create some geometric mess.
Plane Shear is a simple transformation, but it also 'shears' the axes of the components, so that they are no longer orthogonal. Although in most cases you do not have to bother, it might be that some scripts encounter problems with those components if they assume that the axes are orthogonal. Just in case, though I don't have any script in mind!
I forgot to mention the "Make Unique" function. All transformations manage it automatically, but again, it easy to mess up or get bugsplat with too quick Undos. So if you know for sure that you want to transform complex sets of embedded components, you can use the Make Unique function once for all.
I recommend you watch the edges generated by Bend and Twist with slicer on. By default, they are created as soft and smooth, so the surface may look smooth. It is good however to check the details to avoid late surprise. In most cases, you should avoid to deform twice the same area.
The protractor plane-lock works in Toggle mode. You do not need to keep the Shift key down. Lock is also set when pressing arrow Up, Left, Right for the axes. Arrow Down will unlock the plane.
For the Donation, there is a menu in FreeScale. So you do not need to care about the HTML file. Thanks for those who already donated. Again, the script is totally free.

Please do not hesitate to report bugs and problems so that I can improve the plugin for all.

Fredo

PS: by the way, if some knows how to embed a YouTube video within a message!

solo

@unknownuser said:

PS: by the way, if some knows how to embed a YouTube video within a message!

I embedded the youtube video in your original post.

urgen

---Thanks!!!!!
------Thanks!!!!!
----------Thanks!!!!!

Pixero

Fantastic!
I was waiting for the bend tool and now we got the others as well.
Then the stretch tool. Just wow! What a timesaver.
I'm shocked at what you can do by yourself.

It would be quite interesting to be a fly in the SU teams office when they see this plugin.
Google team shame on you +2.

sepo

"1) For Bend, I would recommend that you configure the slicer with a 'negative' number. This allows to adjust automatically the number of slices based on the angle. With a small angle, you will only get a few slices. The convention is based on a 12-sides circle (360 degree). For instance "-3" corresponds to a circle of 36 edges."

How do you do that? I do not seem to have any GUI. In your video there is one.

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

Plane Shear is a simple transformation, but it also 'shears' the axes of the components, so that they are no longer orthogonal. Although in most cases you do not have to bother, it might be that some scripts encounter problems with those components if they assume that the axes

I might be working on one at the moment. A script that generates a second cutout for cutout components so you can cut through double faced walls. I haven't checked yet, but I have a suspicion that it might not work out the position properly. So I'll see if I can account for this.

solo

Hit the tab button

fredo6

One thing I forgot to repeat and insist on.

All transformations in FreeScale are purely geometric. So they totally ignore the behavior of Dynamic Components.

I simply hope it does not mess up anything however.
Personally, I have not played yet with Dynamic Components (I don't have the Pro version) and I have found nothing in the API allowing to inspect or act on such DC behaviors.

Please tell me if you encounter any problem between FreeScale and Dynamic Components.

Fredo

sepo

Cheers Solo

solo

Works great for rigging too, see Matrix bullet dodge timelapse.

dacad

That's cool solo, but don't you mean posing solo?:)

That gave me an idea for an update to ffd plugin for use in posing characters, if we could just place the ffd points in the mesh instead of the standart box position they appear. Is that possible?

solo

DacaD, Posing and rigging, same thing.
What would be great is to be able to select a spot and make joints, then using the bend option it only bend at the joint.

however what we have now works pretty good.

Dan

Cher Fredo, je n'ai qu'un seul mot a vous dire: SUPERBE!

Hey, Google SketchUp, don't you think Fredo deserves a free license of SU 7 PRO ? I think that his plugins brought you a bunch of extra buyers.

dacad

ups, my mistake then, but i tough rigging was the stuff related with doing the bones for a mesh and conecting them that was then used to animate or pose the mesh, at least from what i can remember from animating in 3dsmax. I also called it posing because of the transpose feature of zbrush that they say artists use to pose characters wihtout doing any rigging... i'm not even sure if that name is righ (in technincal terms and english terms )

That's a good ideia too, to animate in sketchup, a mix between sketchyphisics and freedo's free scale/bend. the Phisend plugin....lolol

pilou

@unknownuser said:

clean selection?

Yes clean selection by architectboy or cleanup_model.rb by J.H. Aughey

pilou

And then after use Fredo's bend, clean selection can be useful for lighten the object
clean selection by architectboy or cleanup_model.rb by J.H. Aughey

thomthom

@thomthom said:

@unknownuser said:

Plane Shear is a simple transformation, but it also 'shears' the axes of the components, so that they are no longer orthogonal. Although in most cases you do not have to bother, it might be that some scripts encounter problems with those components if they assume that the axes

I might be working on one at the moment. A script that generates a second cutout for cutout components so you can cut through double faced walls. I haven't checked yet, but I have a suspicion that it might not work out the position properly. So I'll see if I can account for this.

Did some testing; no problems at all. I don't have to do any consideration for skewing.

troyhome

@dan said:

Cher Fredo, je n'ai qu'un seul mot a vous dire: SUPERBE!

Hey, Google SketchUp, don't you think Fredo deserves a free license of SU 7 PRO ? I think that his plugins brought you a bunch of extra buyers.

Free for life if you contribute something this helpful without asking anything but feedback in return.

jmmad

I wrote this not so long ago for your last plugin.

@jmmad said:

Thxs a lot Fred for this plugin, your ruby scripts are amazing.
Do you think you could add more transformations to it, like bend, twist, Bulge
Maybe for a commercial plugin?

And now you make all of our dreams come true and freely?
SU was needing trasformations badly
Thanks for this plugin and for your generosity

I really love the user interface of those deformations, specially Stretch and Bend, so easy and precise to use.
Bend Shear Taper are even easier to use than Bonzai3D deformations.
And stretch its amazing I have never seen something like that before, your solution to the problem of keeping some geometry untouch its genius. Only one feature you could add is to give the strech tool the ability to make more paralel planes that deform the model, so it can afect more parts of the geometry at the same time.
I only have one problem with the stretch tool some times when i strech something even a simple geometry SU freezes and does not respond, and i have to restart SU.

With all your plugins you are giving Sketchup so many atractive and usefull features it's geting updated constantly.
Google should change the name of the program for something like FredoUP
Thanks again.
And yes i think Google should give you a eternal Licence + 1000 for that

utiler

thanks you Fredo, there is nothing more I can say....