[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

[Chris Fullmer]

Jeff, I want to emphasize a bug in the code since it might matter to you, since you are making shapes that get built. But the first and last angles might not be calculated the way you would expect - I suppose that depends on what you expect. The image shows the problem. Every sliced part of the model lines up correctly to the curve expect the two ends. That is because I am not actually finding that outer angle at this point. It is a planned improvement

So I thought you should be aware of that so that it doesn't cause you undue pain when you can't figure out why stuff is not lining up right,

Chris

[jeff hammond]

yeah, i noticed that.. i didn't realize it was a bug though and i more/less attributed it to being like using the follow-me tool on an arc.

here's a top view showing that problem:

the workaround (and the same workaround goes for shapebender) is to make sure there is some flat before going into the bend.

followme_problem.skp

i guess if you manage to figure out how to fix your bug, pass that info along to google so they can fix follow-me

[fwiw - if you look at the skp titled bend2.skp a few posts ago, you'll see that i added the flat ends.. the flat won't affect the setup i do to get all the intersections to match up because there are no vertices on it.. if i add 4' of straight wall prior to bending, i'll also add 4' of straight line before the curve]

[sepo]

Chris

It seems make faces makes error but makes faces nevertheless. Here is an extract from the console.

Error: #<ArgumentError: comparison of Float with nil failed>
(eval):44:in >' (eval):44:in update'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:146:in makeFaces14' C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:140:in each'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:140:in makeFaces14' C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:163 C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/makefaces.rb:163:in call'

[dtrarch]

Chris

I'm not sure if this is the core issue, but rotating the arc to mid segment works for this simple try.

dtr

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Rotated_Arc-Bend.skp

[jeff hammond]

dtr...
the problem with doing that is it throws off all the measurements.. the SU arc is only correct at the vertices -- not the midpoints of the segments.

[ideas_arte]

Thank you very much..!

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[dtrarch]

Jeff

Got it and thanks.

dtr

[waltw]

Draw line on red axis, build and group a cube, draw an arc all on the same plane. Select tool.

Can't seem to get by 'please select a single line on red axis' I don't know much about ruby but thought that the following info might be pertinent??

Line 165 refers to code snippet: @line_pointer = UI.create_cursor(line_cursor_path, 15, 2)

My cursor does not change in anyway. Supposed to??

I thought there might be a conflict with other scripts so I removed them all (other than progress bar) to test - no avail.

Using XP SP3, SU7

OpenGL problem? Any suggestions as to what to tweak?

Thanks, Walt

[Chris Fullmer]

That sounds like it did not get installed quite right. There should a file called clf_shape_bender.loader.rb in the main plugins folder. Then there should be a folder caled "clf_shape_bender" and inside that folder should exist the files:

clf_shape_bender.png
clf_shape_bender.rb
clf_shape_bender_small.png
curve_pointer.png
default_pointer.png
line_pointer.png

I'm guessing you might have ended up with everything in the main plugins folder. So manually create the clf_shape_bender folder and move all those files above into it, leaving only clf_shape_bender_loader.rb in the main plugins folders.

See if that is by chance the problem and let me know, thanks!

Chris

[Chris Fullmer]

I gotta admit, neither of those uses crossed my mind! They look great. I'm going to a cad manager meeting and I'm doing a presentation on Dynamic Components and Ruby. I'll be sure to include that example in my presentation!

Chris

[sepo]

Chris is there any solution to my problem yet?

[Gaieus]

What I'd absolutely love (and don't get me wrong, Chris, this is a brilliant ruby in its kind anyway) is if the UV maps (say positioned texture and such) would keep their maps relative to the modified (bent) mesh. I.e. if the texture bent along with the mesh itself.

Example: just imagine building perfectly textured arches in seconds.

[massimo]

Many thanks for the plugin, Chris.
It can make this...

or this!!

[Chris Fullmer]

Hi Sepo, thanks for reminding me. At this point, no, I've got nothing for that. It is odd that its the same error that most people get when they have a conflicting script. But you said you unloaded all other scripts and the problem persisted, right?

[sepo]

Yes that is correct. I have installed it my quad desktop with vista and it is really fine. I have also loaded it up on my laptop xp and it fine. It is only on this xp desktop which is making error. I can't work out why. I will go again through the plugins, but these are the same ones which I have on the laptop. I must point out the first version worked fine on the xp desktop . It is the last version I have problem with. It seems it has something to do with progress.rb but I do not know where to look. BTW plugin is awesome and I see much more use for it than simple bending. Using form to do transformations seems to give a lot of possibilities.

[Chris Fullmer]

ok, I have to ask again just to be sure - as this has bitten many many people in the passed - but did you look in "compatibility files" folder? This is a special new fun feature of Vista where it hides files to keep you safe. Navigate to the plugins folder and look for a button called compatibility files as shown in the picture I found on the internet:

Ignore the path and the "games" that is circled, just notice the compatibility files button that is circled. If you have that button showing, then you have hidden plugins installed. You need to click on that button to go to your Plugins "Compatibility Files" folder. Once in it, you'll find a bunch of plugin files. You can just move them all into your plugins folder. They still work just fine when in the compatibility folder, they just make troubleshooting challenging Now is there any chance that you have a copy of component spray in that folder? Move it over to the plugins folder and then make sure you have the updated version I linked to earlier. Or for testing purposes, you could even remove all the plugins from compatibility files location and the regular plugins location temporarily. Then put back clf_shape_bende_loader, the clf_shape_bender folder, and progressbar.rb.

If you are not having the compatibility files problem, then I'm really running low on ideas. There is no reason that just my script and progressbar.rb alone should not work. Unless you also have another location that is loading ruby scripts somehow....?

Chris

[sepo]

As I said I loaded it on Vista qaud desktop. It works no problem there.
It has problem on my other desktop which runs on XP.

[Chris Fullmer]

mis-read that bit. sorry about that. Could you send me a model that it is not working on? (which should be easy if it is every model). If I can't find anything, I'll just release a simulatenous version that does not call progressbar.

Chris

[sepo]

It seems it was component spray. When I removed plugins one by one I just upgraded to new compospray thinking that will do the job. I made a point to update it as you asked before but it seems it still clashes with other plugins. I removed it now completely and it works like charm. Also made my protrude work again. I am really sorry to have bothered you.

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[Chris Fullmer]

Hey, thats great!

And not a bother at all. But the new version of component spray really should be compatible now.

Mind trying to upgrade it one more time? Here is the link to the newest compatible version:

301 Moved Permanently

(www.sketchucation.com)

Chris