[Plugin] SectionCutFace

JGA

Thanks with continuing to develop this plugin -- it comes in very handy when needed.

bmike

Is there a way to alter the code so that one could limit the choices for solid fill color? I typically only use 3-4 colors in my models, depending on what I'm doing. I can leave it default, and change later, but it would be nice not to have the long list pop when I do want to switch.

I've looked at the code, see where the materials get called, but do not know enough to enter a list of specific options.

TIG

@bmike said:

Is there a way to alter the code so that one could limit the choices for solid fill color? I typically only use 3-4 colors in my models, depending on what I'm doing. I can leave it default, and change later, but it would be nice not to have the long list pop when I do want to switch.
I've looked at the code, see where the materials get called, but do not know enough to enter a list of specific options.

Find lines #424+:
colours = Sketchup::Color.names.join('|') cedges = colours ###v1.3 colours = "<Default>|<No_Face>|"+colours ###v1.3###v2.5
and change it thus:
colours = ["Red|Orange|Yellow|Green|Blue|Violet|Black|White|Gray|Brown|Pink"] cedges = colours ###v1.3 colours = "<Default>|<No_Face>|"+colours ###v1.3###v2.5
In the first line add whatever colors you want inside the [], inside "", always ensure there is a '|' separator between each of them as shown above - the full list of available colors is here http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/color.html#introduction - note the spelling must be as shown, e.g. 'gray' NOT 'grey' etc...
If you don't want the edges (cedges) to have the same color choices at the faces, then change the second line to be its own [] list.
If you don't want '<Default>' and/or '<No_Face>' options you can either put # in front of the third line to stop it loading completely, OR just remove the unwanted option - always ensure that there is a '|' separator between each of them and the rest of the colors.

Now later on... lines #430+
@@colour = Sketchup::Color.names[7] if not @@colour ### Black @@edge = Sketchup::Color.names[7] if not @@edge ### Black
To set the default color[s] in the dialog either work out which value to put instead of [7], remembering that the 1st item is [0] etc, and the 8th item is [7] - e.g. @@colour = colours[8] if not @@colour in the above example if the two '<>' options are also added to the colors list.
OR simply set it by its 'name' thus:
@@colour = "Black" if not @@colour
[that's always assuming that you have 'Black' in your color list!]

bmike

Thanks TIG!
I'll look at this weekend. Big project to detail and move into LayOut next week for construction documents, so this will be helpful.

Yes, black is always in my model, usually my line color!

gacevedo

Hi, just tried your plugin with zorro 2 with podium 2.5 running on sketchup 8, win64. It is a thing of beauty.

sam41145

Thanks TIG.

pablosyk14

Very useful plugin. Thanks

dragon999

Thank you for sharing this ruby

pilger

Incredibly usefull plugin.

I've found a very annoying bug on the new version on Sketchup 8 Pro though. It used to work great with the previous versions.

It fails to create a new layer and move the group backwards a bit so it appears on the section view. I've tried several combinations of the plugin's preferences and all resulted in the same bug.

Here's what i got on my ruby console window:

Error; #<TypeError; reference to deleted Edge>
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;361;in `faces'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;361;in `initialize'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;359;in `each'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;359;in `initialize'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;358;in `times'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;358;in `initialize'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;476;in `new'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;476
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;361;in `call'
C;/PROGRA~2/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/SectionCutFace.rb;361

TIG

Can you try this [make a backup copy first outside of Plugins in case you mess up!]
Edit the .rb file with Notepad or Notepad++, around line #360 there are these lines

   if e.class == Sketchup;;Edge and @@edges == "No" ###v2.2
      e.erase! if not e.faces[0]
   end #if

change them to read

   if e.class == Sketchup;;Edge and @@edges == "No" ###v2.2
      e.erase! if e.valid? and not e.faces[0]
   end #if

i.e. add in ' e.valid? and'
The code should be OK as it was but this will make it more foolproof
Save it and retry - see if the error repeats - if not let me know and I'll issue an update, if it's still an issue can you post or PM me the SKP with the problem with a brief explanation and I'll try and see what's up...

TIG

Here's v2.6 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=172583#p172583
It now traps for potential rare bugs if it tries to erase an object that's already erased...
[as recently raised by 'pilger']...

Gaieus

Thanks TIG. I rarely use sections but when I do, I always use this plugin, too. I haven't encountered the bug you mentioned yet but it's always good to have the latest build of a plugin.

TIG

On some very complex forms with many overlapping holes etc there's a lot of 'tidying up' to do... and I suspect that rarely it was trying to erase an edge that it'd just erased milliseconds before, as the edges listings 'iterate'... but stripping out invalid edges is not well done in my old code!

Anyway now I've trapped all of the xxx.erase! commands making them xxx.erase! if xxx.valid? - so if it's just erased something and thinks to do it again then it doesn't bother because the .valid? is always false if an object ceases to exist !

I appreciate you probably glazed over after a couple of ruby-red texts... but it's a simple fix to a rare glitch...

Ben Ritter

TIG, thank you again.

Bob James

Great plugin, TIG, thank you

utiler

Cheers, TIG.... one of my favorites.....!

pilger

Ah, sorry for the lack of response back there TIG. I've been sort of away from modeling for a while.

The plugin seems to be working flawlessly now. Perfect. It's one of the plugins i use the most and i had to turn back to an older version i had stored somewhere here when i stumbled upon that problem, so many many thanks for the fix!

braknes

Hi

I've tried several times to install this plugin. I copied it to the plugin folder, restarted SketchUp, but when I right-click on the section plane there is no option to "Add Section-Cut Face". Any idea what might be wrong?

I run SU 8 Pro in OS X
Thanks!

TIG

Braknes

You must have a selection of just one Section-Plane and nothing else at all selected - for this tool to appear in the context-menu as 'Add Section-Cut Face'.

let's consider a few possibilities...
Have you installed the script in the correct place?
To test this open your Ruby Console and type [or copy&paste] these lines...
Sketchup.find_support_file("SectionCutFace.rb", "Plugins")
If it returns ' nil' then the file not there and therefore it isn't auto-loading.
Where is it then?
Move it into Plugins and restart Sketchup...
However, if it returns the full path to the file it's there and it should be auto-loading and therefore available for you to use, if you have an appropriate selection.
If it's there also check that this .rb file has appropriate permissions to be 'read'.
Assuming it's in the right folder, try reloading it; in the Ruby Console type [or copy&paste]
load "SectionCutFace.rb"
Is should then be available in the context-menu, with a suitable selection...
Still not working?? Let's try circumventing the context-menu and running the code from the Ruby Console directly...
Select one Section-Plane... and then type [or copy&paste]
SectionCut.new()
A dialog will open and on OK a faced-section-cut is made.
IF you haven't properly selected a Section-Plane it will still open the dialog, but then on OK it'll produce some error messages in the Console, because we'll have side-stepped the initial checking for an appropriate selection to process and it'll fail !

braknes

Thanks TIG! I got it to work.

This is really a great plugin! Thanks for making life easier