Call to Mac users for script portability

jeff hammond

here's a little bit more... i'll get to the rest of them after dinner

B1 Does the RETURN / Enter keys works? (you can use them instead of mouse clicking)

yes, the return key works.. for instance, with joint_push_pull or soap_skin_bubble, i can trigger the operation with either a mouse double click or by hitting the return key..

@unknownuser said:

B2 Does some or all of the Function keys work? FreeScale uses F2, F3, F4, F5

they work but not with freescale.. os x has the function keys set up for expose, dashboard, volume, brightness, play/pause/rr/ff etc... i can set my keyboard so those features only work if i push the 'fn' key first and the function keys work normally but even then, they don't work with freescale. i can however set the function keys as sketchup shortcuts and they do work then..

@unknownuser said:

B3 Does Tab works? It is used for calling dialog boxes for parameters

yes, tab works.. that's what i have to use in order to trigger the slicer in freescale.

@unknownuser said:

B4 Any other issue with the keyboard or mouse?

not that i can think of.. the arrow keys for changing the orientation of the protractor DO work with freescale/OS X while in a script chris fullmer is working on, the arrow keys don't work on macs..

@unknownuser said:

C. MENUS AND TOOLBARS

C1 Any particular issues?

the menus work great and all of your scripts (actually all scripts i've used) are fully integrated with leopard's menu search system.

some of your toolbars won't close though.. i can close them for my current session but if i relaunch sketchup, they will show up even if i had them turned off when i quit.. they will maintain their proper position. other scripts(while not all of them) with toolbars will stay turned off if i quit sketchup then relaunch.. this could be sketchup related though and not necessarily your scripts and it's not nearly as bad as what can happen with windows/sketchup toolbars.

jeff hammond

@unknownuser said:

A2 There are protections to allow scripts creating directories in the Sketchup Plugin folder. Is this something than can be overcome?

i just checked some things and apparently you're good to go in this department (if i understand the question)

upon first launch of sketchup with freescale installed, a new folder is created in the plugins folder called DEFPARAM_Dir.. the folder is empty until i change/save a parameter via the para dialogue.. after that, a file called FreeScale.def is saved inside the folder.
that's the file that begins with "WARNING: File generated by Program - Please do NOT edit manually"..

takesh h

Hi Fredo6, thanks for your hard work... did you work through the weekend on plugins?

I think Question A has been answered in detail by jeff, so I'll try to answer Question B on.

B. KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

B1 Does the RETURN / Enter keys works? (you can use them instead of mouse clicking)
A Yes

B2 Does some or all of the Function keys work? FreeScale uses F2, F3, F4, F5
A Yes, but they are assigned special functions on Mac so I assume most people will change the shortcuts.
EDIT: Sorry my answer was self-contraditing. Since they are already assigned special functions, they won't work properly most of the time on Macs.

B3 Does Tab works? It is used for calling dialog boxes for parameters
A Yes.

B4 Any other issue with the keyboard or mouse?
A Not that I know of.

C. MENUS AND TOOLBARS

C1 Any particular issues?
A They seem to be ok.

D. WEB DIALOGS
This is probably the area where there are most of the problems.
In FreeScale, I use Web dialogs only for Default Parameters and Translation, in Tools > Fredo6 Collection > FreeScale

D1 does the Web Dialog window get the focus when opening?
A Yes

D2 does it show correctly? and if it does not, is there a way to restore a normal appearance by resizing it, moving it, changing the focus and coming back, etc....
A They are often too narrow to display all their contents, and there is really no way to change sizes of them right now. Exception is translation dialog box and Default setting dialog box, they are adjustable.

D3 can you type characters in input fields, and are they taken into account?
A Yes

D4 can you click on buttons, check boxes, combo boxes, etc....
A Yes

D5 Do you see double-byte characters. Go to the Translation box, and check the combox box on languages at the top?
A Yes, I use my own Japanese packs and they display with no problem.

D6 Any other issues on Web Dialog
A No.

jeff hammond

@unknownuser said:

D. WEB DIALOGS

This is probably the area where there are most of the problems.
In FreeScale, I use Web dialogs only for Default Parameters and Translation, in Tools > Fredo6 Collection > FreeScale

here's a video of me going through the dialog.. the LibFredo6 dialog has similar issue regarding sizing.

[flash=660,525:1rwj7195]http://www.youtube.com/v/bWcf7WwjVLU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1[/flash:1rwj7195]

@unknownuser said:

D1 does the Web Dialog window get the focus when opening?

D2 does it show correctly? and if it does not, is there a way to restore a normal appearance by resizing it, moving it, changing the focus and coming back, etc....

D3 can you type characters in input fields, and are they taken into account?

D4 can you click on buttons, check boxes, combo boxes, etc....

all of those should be covered in the video..
in case it's not clear what i did in the video, i went to the dialog (ignore how i got there, that's a mac thing), showed that i can reset the individual parameters by clicking the box on the right, switched the toolbar icons which works, switched to slicer is active which works, showed that i have to stretch the window in order for the save button to appear... i then quit sketchup and relaunched it.. went back to the dialogue to show that everything stuck.. then used the bend tool to show that the slicer is active due to the parameter setting..

@unknownuser said:

D5 Do you see double-byte characters. Go to the Translation box, and check the combox box on languages at the top?

the box works but as with the reset/cancel/save buttons, you have to stretch the window in order to see the options.

@unknownuser said:

D6 Any other issues on Web Dialog

E. OTHER MAC ISSUES

you'll see in the video that i switched the color of the wireframe to red but when i used the bend tool, the wirebox remained purple..

.

jeff hammond

@takesh h said:

B2 Does some or all of the Function keys work? FreeScale uses F2, F3, F4, F5
A Yes, but they are assigned special functions on Mac so I assume most people will change the shortcuts.
EDIT: Sorry my answer was self-contraditing. Since they are already assigned special functions, they won't work properly most of the time on Macs.

well, most of them are pre-assigned shortcuts (F5&F6 for instance are not)..
on a mac, if you go:
System Preferences/Keyboard & Mouse/Keyboard
you'll see an option that says "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys"
if you select this option then you'll have to push the 'fn' key along with an 'F' key in order for the pre-assigned function to work..The function keys will then work as if it were 1997 all over again.. regardless, no matter how it's set, the function keys don't work with freescale.

and, we can't change the freescale F keys to anything other than another F key so we're a little bit screw in that department.

jeff hammond

@unknownuser said:

A1 It seems that there are 2 locations to store plugins on Mac. Can someone clarify what are the rules.

There is really only one place for the plugins to go and that is:

Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/plugins

Macintosh HD is the default name of the boot disk where the OS and apps are located.

sketchup will also allow a plugin folder to be created in the user library:

~/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp

this is where sketchup stores the autosave files, custom templates, and the shortcuts preferences.. if i log on to my computer in a different account, i can still launch sketchup etc but i can have a different set of shortcuts, templates, etc for that account.. if i create a plugin folder in my user (~) account then i'll only be able to use those plugins if i'm using that account.

that said, once i create a plugin folder in my user account, things start to get messed up.. certain rubies (SDS & ProfileBuilder amongst others) will no longer work unless they are placed in this newly created folder.. Now, if i log into my computer under a different account, these rubies will no longer work because sketchup isn't reading info from the logged out user's library where the rubies are installed... the podium installer creates the plugin folder and that's why people start having problems with certain rubies. I manually installed podium in the Macintosh HD plugin folder and deleted the other locations it created and everything appears to be ok.

see this thread for reference the issue:
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?p=146352#p146352

i've yet to figure out why sketchup will even try to access rubies stored in the user location and i think it's something google needs to deal with.

i'm not sure what causes certain rubies to not work if the user library has the plugin folder but i do know that whaat's premium plugins are always affected.. most other plugins work just fine when both plugin folders are created.

@unknownuser said:

A2 There are protections to allow scripts creating directories in the Sketchup Plugin folder. Is this something than can be overcome?

[EDIT] see my response a few posts down regarding this

I'm not sure what your talking about here.. can you explain futher or link me to a thread where this was discussed?
i do know that we can't have things installed on our systems without admin authorization (system password is needed to install apps etc.) but i don't see how this would affect creating directories.. do you have a way i can test this? (maybe a piece of code that i can try to run which will attempt to create a directory?)

i've gotta go for now but i'll get to some of the other questions a little later but i'd like to first say thanks for considering the lowly mac user ... i'd be bummed if your scripts didn't work on my computer.

fredo6

On issue D2 (web dialog display), could you please try to run again with the following updated file (to be dropped in LIBFREDO6_Dir_31 folder).

If you can try to check for both the Default Parameters and Translation dialog boxes.

Jeff: the video is very useful to understand what's going on. I noticed also that there is no display of the small icons at the right of control (to reset a field to default value).

Thanks

Fredo

to drop in LIBFREDO6_DIR_31 folder

fredo6

On keyboard issues

I made a modif to try catching the Function Key (in the attached LibTraductor_31.rb file). Can you also retest the Arrows and TAB.
By the way, does the CTRL and SHIFT modifiers work appropriately, in Toggle or when depressed?
If Function Keys are not ideal on Mac, do you have any suggestion of other shortcuts than could be used instead ?

Thanks

Fredo

to drop in LIBFREDO6_Dir_31 subfolder

takesh h

Hi Fredo6,

Your new "Lib6Web_31.rb" didn't make any change as long as issue D2 is concerned, neither for the Default Parameters and Translation dialog boxes.

*%(#804000)[On keyboard issues

I made a modif to try catching the Function Key (in the attached LibTraductor_31.rb file). Can you also retest the Arrows and TAB.]*
Fkeys, tab and arrows still don't work.

2) By the way, does the CTRL and SHIFT modifiers work appropriately, in Toggle or when depressed?
No they don't. However, alt/option key works as if it is ctrl key.

3) If Function Keys are not ideal on Mac, do you have any suggestion of other shortcuts than could be used instead ?
I'm rather new to Macs, I will wait for Jeff's comment.

torben.wadlinger

Hi Fredo6!

I think your main problem in catching the F-Keys is, that on a Mac the internal keycodes of the F-Keys are not the same as on a PC/Windows.

Torben

jeff hammond

i tried the two new files and nothing changed as far as the dialog box goes.

with those files, the arrow keys no longer work nor does the shift key for locking protractor orientation but the tab key does. also, no change to the function keys.

the reset icons do not show up but in the video, you'll see that there is a space designated by a square and it is functional. i can reset the individual default parameters by clicking the square.

@unknownuser said:

If Function Keys are not ideal on Mac, do you have any suggestion of other shortcuts than could be used instead ?

if those functions (ie- activate slicer, toggle wireframe, etc.) were placed in the menu or a submenu then we could assign our own keys but that pretty much defeats the purpose of what you're trying to do..
like i said earlier, i can assign the F keys as shortcuts and they work fine. (i tried F4 as the protractor shortcut and it works as expected).. Torben is probably right in that the keycodes are different than with windows.
if it helps at all, here are the key identifiers for the F keys on macs:

F1 - 63236
F2 - 63237
F3 - 63238
F4 - 63239
F5 - 63240
F6 - 63241
F7 - 63242
F8 - 63243

fredo6

@unknownuser said:

with those files, the arrow keys no longer work nor does the shift key for locking protractor orientation but the tab key does. also, no change to the function keys.

Do you mean that the Arrow keys, Shift and Ctrl were working fine before the new file?

jeff hammond

@unknownuser said:

@unknownuser said:

with those files, the arrow keys no longer work nor does the shift key for locking protractor orientation but the tab key does. also, no change to the function keys.

Do you mean that the Arrow keys, Shift and Ctrl were working fine before the new file?

yes, before i replaced the files with the two you posted in this thread, i was able to use the arrow keys to change the protractor's orientation (up-blue, left-green, right-red) or i could get the orientation by putting the protractor on a certain plane and locking its position via the shift key...

after i replaced the files with the new ones, none of those functions worked..

i've since changed back to the original files

fredo6

Jeff,

Sorry for that.
Would you mind to try with the attched file.
Please open the Ruby console, where I trace the keys typed up and down.
If you can try with the Function key, say F2, F3, then I could figure out what are the code and flags sent by Sketchup.
I hope I have at least restored the arrows and Shift / CTRL

Fredo

PS: on Mac it is appently normal that CTRL maps to Command key, as in native Sketchup

to drop in LIBFREDO6_Dir_31 subfolder

fredo6

For Web dialogs, I really don't know what's going on.
By chance, is there on Mac, like in Windows, a contextual menu where you can do a Refresh and see the source code?

Fredo

takesh h

I think, with the new "Lib6Traductor_31.rb", arrow keys work, Fkeys that are not assigned shortcuts in SU work, Alt/Option key still works as Ctrl key. I couldn't test Shift key.
Below I copied and pasted what was in Ruby console when I typed Fkeys.

F2
Key Mac 63237 flags = 0 up = false
Key Mac 63237 flags = 8388864 up = true
F3
Key Mac 63238 flags = 8388864 up = true
F4
Key Mac 63239 flags = 0 up = false
Key Mac 63239 flags = 8388864 up = true
F5
Key Mac 63240 flags = 8388864 up = true

jeff hammond

@unknownuser said:

Jeff,

Sorry for that.
Would you mind to try with the attched file.
Please open the Ruby console, where I trace the keys typed up and down.
If you can try with the Function key, say F2, F3, then I could figure out what are the code and flags sent by Sketchup.
I hope I have at least restored the arrows and Shift / CTRL

Fredo

PS: on Mac it is appently normal that CTRL maps to Command key, as in native Sketchup

the function keys now function! shift works, the arrow keys work.. everything with the keys work

fredo6

@takesh h said:

I think, with the new "Lib6Traductor_31.rb", arrow keys work, Fkeys that are not assigned shortcuts in SU work, Alt/Option key still works as Ctrl key. I couldn't test Shift key.
Below I copied and pasted what was in Ruby console when I typed Fkeys.

Glad to see that this works now.
That was an error on the codes for Function keys on MAC.
To test Shift, just use any of the tool and toggle SHIFT to either select all connected geometry or just an edge or face. That will show if this works.

Attached is the file without the trace

Fredo

to drop in LIBFREDO6_Dir_31

fredo6

For Web Dialogs, I have made a slight change to open the windows in a bigger size, and then try to resize.

Do you notice any difference.

Fredo

PS: actually, the test is also to know if I have a problem with SU Web dialogs or with Safari.

to drop in LIBFREDO6_Dir_31

jeff hammond

@takesh h said:

I think, with the new "Lib6Traductor_31.rb", arrow keys work, Fkeys that are not assigned shortcuts in SU work, Alt/Option key still works as Ctrl key.

a little info about macs and F keys... the keys became programmed as volume, brightness, etc. because of the laptops.. there wasn't enough space on the keyboards for these controls so apple took over the F keys for that purpose..

on your keyboard, you'll notice a key called fn.. that's basically like a shift key for the function keys.. it allows F4 etc to perform double duty..

if you want to use F4 in freescale, you have to push fn/F4 together.. if you push F4 by itself, the dashboard will pop up.. in the system prefs (i mentioned this earlier in the thread), you can flip this around to where the F keys will work as they used to and the assigned functions will only work if you press the fn key as well (ie- fn/F10 for mute)