[Plugin] Shape Bender Beta

Chris Fullmer

Yes, it works on a Mac as far as I know.

Select a component, then run the plugin. Then select the lines, then you get the start and end nots. Make sure you've watched the videos at the start of the thread, then come back and ask more questions if it is not working. Please also post the model you are testing it on.

Chris

brookefox

An appropriate use came my way: adding a metal cover to a cistern.

Thank you, Chris.

shape bent cistern cover.JPG
shape bent cistern cover-2.JPG

Well, live and learn. In this case, mapping a shape which should be precisely shaped and sized, to a circle, would be better done (by me) via copy array than with the bender, as it is easier and more precise. But I bet you can't tell which is which in the jpg. You could in the skp.

(The first try as shown in the first image has been removed; tries 2 and 3 are shown in image 3.)

shape bent cistern cover-3.JPG

antli

I just download and try this, perfect & bravo, it help really a lot, a million thanks to Chris.

abspandey

Hi Chris,
The plugin seems great but when i select the target curve, my progress bar gets shows >..............1%END@ ? ( 1 of 5 )searching for objects to explode.

Could you please help me with this?

Thanks
Abi

AlEstenos

I am having problems downloading this plug-in. Every time I hit download my computer saves a file called file.php. As far as I know it should be a ZIP or a .rb file is that correct? Please let me know what to do... Thanks a lot

August

@alestenos said:

... Every time I hit download my computer saves a file called file.php. ...

There are three places in the first post by which you can download the file:

two large size lines that say "Download Shape Bender"
an attachment to the post for a zip file.

Which are you using and what are you doing? Are you just clicking on the link or are you right-clicking and selecting "Save link as..." or whatever your browser says for a download choice?

Both of the text links go to this URL:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/download/file.php?mode=view&id=47534
and the attachment goes to this URL:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/download/file.php?id=47534

That is indeed a file.php, but your browser is supposed to interpret that specially. Obviously it is not.

What ever you are doing, right-clicking or left-clicking, have you tried doing the other?

I hope this helps,
August

Chris Fullmer

Other people have had this same complaint. I think it has to do with something in their browser maybe? Perhaps an old version of Internet Explorer? I do not know. But it should not be downloading a .php file for sure. It should be downloading the zip file. So you might try it from a different broswer.

Chris

sketchersi

I am a new user. I followed the instructions and tried running the script. I got the following error.

Error: #<TypeError: no implicit conversion from nil to integer>
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GO2494~1/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:168:in set_cursor' C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GO2494~1/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:168:in onSetCursor'
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GO2494~1/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:176:in `onMouseMove'
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GO2494~1/Plugins/clf_shape_bender.rb:168

Can you help. Thanks.

GilliganU

I have a Mac OS X 10.5 and downloaded shape bender.

I bent some 3D fonts and they look pretty good, but not quite like I expected. The demo video shows that edges and faces that are perpendicular to the initial straight reference line will end up perpendicular to the tangent to the curved line at the respective points. The 3D font cases I tested, these edges all remain parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ORIGINAL straight reference line. While this will be OK for relatively modest bend angles, I don't see how this will be useful for large bend angles.

The other case I tried is to bend a simple cylinder. This failed utterly! Instead of following the curve, the bent cylinder has two straight sections with a 90 degree bend connecting them.

I have posted my sketchup file that shows these test cases on my web site:

http://z.gillie.us/gillie/shapebender/bentText.skp

P.S. I posted this a few days ago, and it did not appear, so I posted it again.
Gilligan

August

@gilliganu said:

... The 3D font cases I tested, these edges all remain parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ORIGINAL straight reference line. ...

Hi Gilligan,

I suspect it's an issue of which way your lettering is rotated.

In this example:

Imagine the results if the square bar represents your text and in one case the text is facing upwards and in another the top of the text is up and the face of the text is toward the bottom of the drawing. In one case you would get the results in the video and the other case would be as you describe.

At least, if I understand you properly. My apologies for not having time tonight to download your sample file.

If I'm on track, then maybe this example would take things a step further:

I hope this helps,
August

Whiteowl77

Interesting tool.
I am using this "Shape bender" Tool in order to create Curved 3D Text in SketchUp, that I can wrap around a cylinder, and use for LOGO purposes. Combined with the "Intersect w/ Model" Tool, and Vray and IDX software - this can really do some remarkable stuff.

Glad to help out anybody who gets stuck with this tool or any 3D Modeling Problems!
Andrew Telker, LEED AP, ECO-Designer
http://www.telkerdesign.com

Chris Fullmer

Great Andrew, glad you like the plugin so much. Thanks for the offer to give assistance when people need it. They generally just ask here on the forum, since that is what its here for. So if someone asks a question you feel like you can answer, we're always glad for the help around here. Thanks for the offer,

Chris

August

Hi arjunmax09,

@arjunmax09 said:

... is there a way to increase the segments of the bended object?...

Watching your video, there are two issues that might be related to your problem.

If you look carefully at the construction lines the Shape Benders shows you (pause at about 00:06 in the video), it's clear that the dividing lines of the bending object are based on the segments in the target curve. Your target curve has 12 segments.

So, first, if you want the bending object to bend in more places, draw a target curve with more segments.

You can change the number of segments in a circle or an arc by typing a number (appears in the ODW/Measurements Box) right after you pick the tool. If you are drawing an arc, the number represents the number of segments in your current arc, not the number of segments if the arc were a full circle. Press Return/Enter to set the number.

Second, your guide line is much longer than your bending shape, so the shape only gets bent along part of your target curve. Only six full segments and two partial segments are being used to match to the bending object. There is a section at each end of the target curve that does not get the shape applied because those are the areas that have guideline but no shape.

If that's clear, great. If that's confusing, try thinking of it this way:

It works as if the Shape Bender picks up the object and the guide line at the same time and then bends, stretches, or shrinks the guide line to fit the target curve, bending, stretching, or shrinking the object along with whatever it does to get the guide line to fit onto the target curve. Depending on the shape of the target curve, the size of the bending object, and the distance between the guide line and the bending object, some parts of the object may be compressed while other parts may be stretched. But regardless of stretching or compressing of the object, one segment of the bent guide line is created for each segment of the target curve.

I hope this helps,
August

GilliganU

I suspect it's an issue of which way your lettering is rotated.

My text test case is quite similar to your bar example, except in my case, the ends of the curved bar are parallel to the original bar! here is a photo:
http://z.gillie.us/gillie/shapebender Please click the link
(sorry, my site has hotlink protection, so in-lineing won't work)

Also, the bad bent cylinder is there, too. The curve is where the cylinder was supposed to be bent to.

Maybe you'll find time to download my test case, soon.

Gilligan

twistedtwin

Hi,

I just downloaded Shape bender and, after the "unzipping",I dragged the "clf shape bender" folder and the "clf shape bender loader.rb" into the plug ins folder on my mac.
When I launch SU a window appears saying:
"Error loading File clf shape bender loader.rb no such file to load--progressbar.rb"

I tried the process a few times but the result doesn't change.
Any suggestions??

Thanks

Gaieus

Hi TT and welcome!

Yes, this (and some other) plugins need this one, too. Download and install it the same way from here
http://www.smustard.com/script/ProgressBar

twistedtwin

Thank you Gaieus!!!!

I must have spent a good hour messing about with the plug ins....I should have asked sooner!!

Everything works fine now...and it's brilliant!!!

Thanks again

Gaieus

Cool. Next time DO ask!

Chris Fullmer

@gilliganu said:

I suspect it's an issue of which way your lettering is rotated.

My text test case is quite similar to your bar example, except in my case, the ends of the curved bar are parallel to the original bar! here is a photo:
http://z.gillie.us/gillie/shapebender Please click the link
(sorry, my site has hotlink protection, so in-lineing won't work)

Also, the bad bent cylinder is there, too. The curve is where the cylinder was supposed to be bent to.

Maybe you'll find time to download my test case, soon.

Gilligan

Hi Gillian, A few things I noted. It looks like you are modeling sideways. In SU, the red and gree axis form the ground. The blus should face upwards. Unless you modified that purposely, it looks you are working sideways, and that will mess up shapebender for sure.

The other thing it could be is possibly the start and end edges do not line up correctly. If you attach the model to this forum I'll take a look at it and see if I can get it to work. Thanks,

Chris

GilliganU

@chris fullmer said:

Hi Gillian, A few things I noted. It looks like you are modeling sideways. In SU, the red and gree axis form the ground. The blus should face upwards. Unless you modified that purposely, it looks you are working sideways, and that will mess up shapebender for sure.

The other thing it could be is possibly the start and end edges do not line up correctly. If you attach the model to this forum I'll take a look at it and see if I can get it to work. Thanks,

Chris

Thanks, Chris! Rotating everything so that the blue axis is up solved the problem. I've only used ShetchUp for a few hours and I'm not very familiar with many of it's conventions. I'm checking out several CAD programs to see which best meets my needs. It does seem curious, to me, that if the shape bender can follow arbitrary lines in 3D, why the orientation of the model matters.

I can still get it to fail by hitting the up or down arrows once or twice, after the first bent shape appears, and before return. I have uploaded picture and the test case on my website: http://z.gillie.us/shapebender/ IT's the third picture: Bent Text Two. Though teh problem seems easy enough to duplicate, the web page includes a link to a SketchUp file, under the image.

Gilligan