[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta
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Roy
Have you installed the additional helper script
progressbar.rb, which is download-able free from Smustard.com.
It's a common issue with less experienced members forgetting about addition helpers like this for the more complex tools - although it is clearly mentioned and linked in the tool's download page.
Also make sure that the 'line' is parallel to the X[red] axis and that it touches no other geometry, also note that the 'curve' must not touch other geometry either.
Also don't try to bend tiny or enormous objects [most day-to-day sized things should be OK, but tiny parts for swiss-watches or entire cities will create issues]...If you are still getting issues then try running the tool after you've opened the Ruby Console. Post any error messages you get in it, this might give us a better clue as to what you have inadvertently done wrong
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Hello TIG,
Sometimes is the solution so simple that you overlook them
I have the plugin and the progressbar removed and reinstalled and now it works perfectly
Thanks you for your answer
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Hello everybody!first time posting.
Yesterday I installed some ruby plugins for sketchup (8)and tried out the Chris Fullmer Shape Bender. After a while, I managed to make it work succesfully, bending the rqmp Im working at (architecture digital model). Everything fine and happy as hell.
Then, this morning, same file, same computer, doing exactly the same steps, the bender tool doest work:
I draw the figure, group it up, draw the line along red axis, same length, and the single curve. select group, open the tool,select the line,select the curve. the signs "start" "end" appear, I can change their position, but thats it! no green shape, no final bended figure.Maybe the answer is alreqdy somewhere in the forum, but theres a lot of posts, and i have so little time, i got a delivery today and have to finish the model as soon as possible.
thanx in advance -
I got the progressbar installed, etc
Yesterday it was working neatly!! that's what buggin me the most.found this:
n
draw' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671 Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method/' for nil:NilClass>
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671:indraw' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671 Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method/' for nil:NilClass>
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671:in `draw'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671 -
Pustko.
The important part of any error message is the beginning...
Please don't trim them.
OK let's assume that the progressbar.rb is installed and called by this tool.
After which step does this error appear?
After picking the line, the curve or other ?
Are you doing the other steps correctly ?
axis?
Is it freestanding and not touching any other geometry - faces, edges, curves etc?
Is the 'curve' freestanding and not touching any other geometry - faces, edges, curves etc?
If you still have issues try attaching a simple SKP you are having issues with...
Or even some images...
A picture paints a thousand words. -
Hello TIG, thanx for the feed back:
The error appears after selecting the curve. The process bar freezes at 2% or 5%
The object is a "group", the line is in the red axis and doesnt touche anything, the curve doesn't eitherfirst time it worked perfectly
next dqy stopped working 
the model is the simplest possible; I attach it.Yesterday I read the first 20 pages in this forum
I think it might be a problem with compspray.rb or maybe SketchyFFD. At the office I have no "administrator acces" to remove them, but I will ask and try to remove them as soon as possible.Thank you.
here' the beggining of the error message:
Error: #<ArgumentError: comparison of Float with nil failed>
(eval):44:in>' (eval):44:inupdate'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:533:inexploder' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:526:ineach'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:526:inexploder' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:244:inonLButtonUp'
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method/' for nil:NilClass> C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671:indraw'
(eval):44
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method/' for nil:NilClass> C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671:indraw'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method/' for nil:NilClass> C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671:indraw'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/clf_shape_bender/clf_shape_bender.rb:671
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I have no issues except the 'bent object' is somewhat weird because of the chosen line and curve's relationship to the original, but it's a bit better if I toggle the shape 'direction'...
However, I recommend that "everything" - i.e. the group, line and curve - is relocated in the 'positive' quadrant - i.e. where red/green/blue [x/y/z] are all 'positive values' [== solid axes lines]...
It might be that your progressbar is not installed properly too ?
Please double-check that its .rb file is definitely in the Plugins folder, as directed... and that you don't have any 'Compatibility Files' issues [link button showing in the Explorer Window's top bars...]. This can happen if you don't have FULL security permissions to folders like Plugins - Windows protects you from yourself by not fully installing items... To fix right-click context-menu on the Plugins folder icon and Properties > Security > Edit - even being an 'Admin' is not always sufficient to automatically get the right permissions... See thomthom's new helper too ... http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=434453#p434453 this checks if everything is installed OK... -
Eureka!
It works again. Finally I got one of the admin's to erase the compspray.rb plugin and shape bender works neatly again!
Couldnt figure it out earlier; as I don't have access to make any change in the plugin folder...Thanks again for the help. This plugin is great!!! Its helping me so much with my architecture models!
Thanks Chris!! thanks TIG!!
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OMG, Amazing work, like magic!!!
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Great ruby! but problems with install? doing this the standard way but comes up with
Error Loading File clf_shape_bender_loader.rb
no such file to load -- progressbar.rb????
any help out there??
Scottih
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yup, it requires an additional script called progressbar. There is a link to it on the first page, where you downloaded shape bender. Here's the link again:
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@chris fullmer said:
yup, it requires an additional script called progressbar. There is a link to it on the first page, where you downloaded shape bender. Here's the link again:
Thanks Chris, im a dummy sometimes...should have payed more Attention!, great work!
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i have been using Shape Bender for over a year now and I love it..
....i can't remember ever thanking you, so, if i haven't, here it is >>>> Thanks mate...!!
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After many tries I give up. I get to the green preview part, click enter and... nothing happens. Any ideas ? Someone had this problem before ?
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Apparently I am very tired. Everything works perfectly. The bended shape was created about 50 meters up and out of sigh. Thanks Chris, amazing plugin, my new friend in work.
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@rince said:
After many tries I give up. I get to the green preview part, click enter and... nothing happens. Any ideas ? Someone had this problem before ?
Don't give up without a fight !
Clear thousands of users can't be wrong, and you be right... YOU must be doing something wrong... [or at least something is conflicting and tripping you up...]
Run it with the Ruby Console open... are there any error messages as you use it?
Does the 'green preview' look like what you want / expect ?
What exactly happens / is left when you press <enter> ? Is it really 'nothing' ?
Is the object you are trying to bend very tiny or very small ?
Extremely tiny facets can't be made by SketchUp / OpenGL.
If you scale the object up x100 does it then work?
You can always scale down afterwards...
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Hi, I have downloaded the Shape Bender plug in but an unable to install it by moving it into the plug in folder or through preferences than extensions. When I drop it into the plug in folder and re-start Sketchup i get an error message and when trying to add through preferences the "rb" file is not able to be selected.
I have done some googling, is this because Sketchup 8 needs a "rbz" file??? I think this is the case.
If so what is the way around this.
many thanks in advance.
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@psp said:
Hi, I have downloaded the Shape Bender plug in but an unable to install it by moving it into the plug in folder or through preferences than extensions. When I drop it into the plug in folder and re-start Sketchup i get an error message and when trying to add through preferences the "rb" file is not able to be selected.
I have done some googling, is this because Sketchup 8 needs a "rbz" file??? I think this is the case.
If so what is the way around this.
many thanks in advance.
You are misconstruing things.
Version 8 CAN automate the installation of tools that are packaged as RBZ archives.
BUT this in no way precludes you from manually installing RB/RBS or any files or subfolders of files that have been properly extracted from a ZIP archive [an RBZ is simply a ZIP file with its filetype suffix changed!] Thomthom has made a v8 'Simple Plugins Installer' that automates the installation of all such file/archive types - get it from the Resources > Plugins Index. It'll stop you over thinking things.This tool here comes packaged as a ZIP archive - so thomthom's tool can auto-install its contents for you. Alternatively you can rename it with a '.RBZ' suffix and the Preferences > Extensions button will then let you find it and install it that way... I still recommend thomthom's solution as it applies to all types with little effort/though on your part...
If you gave us the error message you got it means we don't need telepathy
I suspect that you have not installed the additional 'progressbar.rb' from Smustard.com that is clearly explained and linked on this tool's download page...Once you have somehow successfully placed ALL of the required file[s]/related subfolder of support files, into the Plugins folder, then on a restart there should be an additional Preferences > Extensions item for the tool - so firstly this needs activating.
When this is activated its new View > Toolbars toolbar can be activated - thus allowing you to use the tool - provided of course that you have selected a suitable group/component-instance, a line that's parallel to the red-axis and a curve to bend around [the last two should be separate geometry, not touching any other geometry in the model...]If you are still having issues check that you have FULL access-rights to the Plugins folder - simply being an Admin might still not give you enough access-rights - e.g. to add files or subfolders of files to the Plugins folder...
Also note that the required 'plugins' folder is the one in the HD Lib path and NOT the similar one in the Users Lib path...
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hi there
this has been a PAIN to install...the final thing that worked was CREATING a folder plugins on the apple directory...it wasnt there before, then it showed up...
I hope that when 9 comes out they raise the price and put these plugin in the programwish i had the time to learn Form Z which I own, luckily i have work to do
be well all
alan
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Well, it's unfortunate that you didn't look at the thread on installing plugins first. You'd have found that the Plugins directory already exists so you don't need to create one. SketchUp comes with some files already included in the Plugins folder.
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