[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

mlajessica

Thanks everyone. I think I installed it and I can see it under my plugin menu. However when I try to use the tool by following Chris' tutorial, it doesn't work. After I selected the component I created I try to click the curve line/straight line, but there is no line can be selected. Anyone has same issue? Or it just because I haven't install the plugin properly?

Dave R

Upload the SKP in your post so we can see what you have set up.

TIG

Also read some of the other posts....
Common reasons for failure:
Not installing everything properly.
Not downloading and installing the additional 'progressbar.rb' file.
Not preselecting an appropriate group/component-instance.
Having very tiny objects/dimensions etc.
Having the line drawn so it is not parallel to the x-axis [red].
Having that line touch other geometry.
Having the curved path touch other geometry.
The line and the curve must not connect to any other geometry OR even each other...

pbacot

Thanks for helping guys. Perseverance furthers as the good book says, and you (TIG and Dave especially) show real perseverance with the age-old users' problems of plugin installation and startup. Maybe the new SCF loader will take some of that fun away...

TIG

@pbacot said:

...Maybe the new SCF loader will take some of that fun away...
Let's hope against hope...

cholme

This looks awesome... but I don't know if I have something set wrong. I was trying to bend some text to an arc and it took about 3 minutes just to see the preview. I looked at the sample video and it looked like it went pretty quick, am I missing something?

thomthom

Maybe your text has more polygons. Hard to tell without sample model or screenshots.

alio

Im a rookie...how do I install this plug in? Is it a rbz. file? Is that how I go about it?

TIG

Please read this...
http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/37-beginner/108-installing-sketchup-plugins
Can I recommend that first you learn to use the SCF Search functions - you'll be amazed what you might then learn...

alio

Thanks for the information.

panda_ska8er

Thank you very much!

JLspeeddragon

Great Plugin! I cant get enuf of how easy and fun it is.. Dont forget to DL the weld and Progress plugin if you are trying this for the first time

Vic12

Hi -
I've downloaded and installed both shape bender and progressbar.rb

I can see shape bender checked in my extensions folder - so it should be active
I can also see progressbar.rb in my plugins folder - although can't find it anywhere on screen - but assume it is there (is there a way to check that?)

but I cannot find shape bender (or Chris Fullmer's tools) anywhere in my toolbar

any suggestions on how to activate/use?

thanks

TIG

Progressbar.rb is the helper that adds a progress-bar to the status-bar when you are using ShapeBender plugin.
That 'script' doesn't 'appear' anywhere else otherwise...

You haven't completed your User-profile details so we don't know your OS or SUp version...

If you can see the ShapeBender plugin's Extension and check it, then it should add the Toolbar option to the View > Toolbars list
Unless perhaps you have somehow mis-installed the plugin's files and moved some of them from their subfolder into the main Plugins folder?
How did you install the plugin?
There are several 'foolproof' ways of doing this - with 'AutoInstallers' etc...
Manual installs are prone to have problems...
Do you have FULL security permissions to your Plugins folder?
Is there a 'Compatibility Files...' link/button on the Explorer window's top bars - a sure sign of limited rights...
Fix the permissions to be FULL for all users etc...

Vic12

Help-

I've downloaded and installed both progressbar.rb and shape bender - progressbar is in my plug-in folder and shape bender shows up as checked in my extensions -
but I cannot find it in my toolbar anywhere
what am I doing wrong-
what am I not activating?

thanks

Vic12

Hi TIG - sorry missed your first post-

I installed both shape bender and progressbar manually
library - applications support - sketchup 8 - plugins

but I think I might have moved the shape bender rb out of the folder it came in - when it first wasn't showing up -

maybe that's the problem- just moved back in and I'll restart and see if that helps?

I'm on MAC OS 10.7.5 and running SU 8

or do I need to uninstall and re-install?

Vic12

when I unzip the file - I get a folder
clf_shape_bender_v055
inside the folder is another folder w/ clf_shape_bender and the ruby script clf_shape_bender_loader.rb
I took the ruby out of the folder and placed it in my plugins folder
HD-library-applications support-google8-SU-plugins
then shape bender showed up in my extensions - checked-

but nowhere in my toolbar -

when I put the rb back in the folder it came in then the extension went away-

thanks - Victoria

Screen Shot 2013-07-13 at 9.25.20 AM.png

Dave R

Victoria, your screen shot shows you haven't installed Shape Bender correctly. Move the two files in the far right column into the Plugins folder directly. Then restart SketchUp. If you installed it with the SCF Plugin Store you wouldn't have this problem.

Vic12

got it working thanks - but it hasn't solved my problem like I thought it would

I'm trying to create a curved ramp and cannot solve the complex curve

I'm uploading the file - with the desired curve - and the desired ramp
I'm thinking there's a drape tool?
or??

thanks

(macos su8)

complex curved ramp.skp

TIG

This is not the plugin for that as the starting form.

There are several other approaches...

Look at Fredo's CurviLoft to extrude the profile along the paths
Or say my Extrude tool's EEbyRails.
Or FredoScale on a simple PushPulled slab?

It's an 'extrusion of a bent form' issue, not really a 'bending of an extruded form' issue...
[mod=:160kk3hv]EDIT: TIG
I see you have posted this in another thread and got similar answers from others.
Use their examples...[/mod:160kk3hv]