New, free, product for parts list and reporting

Al Hart

We have released (at least for Beta testing), our new product, SpaceDesign Free.
(Sorry Mac users - this is for Windows only)

This lets you place attributes on component definitions, and product a simple report.

Go here to try it out: Downloads

Or Here to read more about it.

Its pretty easy to use:

Right click on components, and select "Set SpaceDesign Attributes" to define attributes.
Click the Report icon on the toolbar to define and create your report.

Let us know what you think...

(Here is the dialog to specify which attributes you want to include in the report)

Space Design Report.jpg

ericschimel

Al, I haven't tried this out yet, but is it able to report on attributes that are created from DC's?

Al Hart

@unknownuser said:

Al, I haven't tried this out yet, but is it able to report on attributes that are created from DC's?

Currently not, the free version basically reports on attributes you type in, plus the Count, Component Name and Component Description.

We have Dynamic Attribute and other attributes planned for the "Pro" version, and also the ability to report dimensions, areas and volumes.

I have been hesitant to release an attribute/reporting system, because attributes can get very complex. For instance, you may want save the format of each attribute - report width, decimal places, justification, etc. And that gets much more complex for a simple application.

ericschimel

I think if you can make it so that it can report on the DC attributes, that would be huge. As DC's get used more and more, there are is going to be a lot of data that you can pull from them.

Sketchup's built in reporting function can pull all the data, but unless you are an excel whiz, its hard to make sense of it all....

tim

If you could explain what parts of this are directly related to Windows it may be that some of us Mac users could help to make it a bit more portable....

Al Hart

We use a Windows DLL to define and display our dialog boxes - used to set attributes and select attributes for the report. Most everything else is in ruby code.

We have used WebDialog for some other apps, so it is possible that these dialogs could be replaced by WebDialogs.

We also plan to convert our Dialog DLL to C++ code for the MAC. The biggest thing we are missing here is a MAC sample routine similar to a Windows routine that SketchUp used to provide called "Simple Extension". We have contacted everyone we know at SketchUp to try to get help on a similar interface for the Mac, but have not been able to come up with anything. Simple Extension lets you access SketchUp classes from the C-code, and to call routines in the C-code from ruby.

tim

Thanks Al; interesting. It's outside my scope of knowledge in this case but I'd bet somebody round here knows about the relevant bits.

tbd

Al: it is the same code (without Windows custom things - eg window creation) compiled on Mac

Al Hart

Thanks TBD. I'll give that a try.

Will the SimpleExtension supplied by SketchUp simply compile, or did it have windows stuff in it.

What extension should I give the compiled code. (e.g. .so) It probably doesn't matter, but it would be nice to be consistent.

tbd

see http://www.rubyinside.com/how-to-create-a-ruby-extension-in-c-in-under-5-minutes-100.html

Glenn at home

Very cool Al, I tried it and it does exactly what you said. Pretty cool.

Al Hart

@unknownuser said:

Very cool Al, I tried it and it does exactly what you said. Pretty cool.

Thank you. we have been waiting feverishly for someone to actually try it and let us know what they think.

Al Hart

@unknownuser said:

I think if you can make it so that it can report on the DC attributes, that would be huge. As DC's get used more and more, there are is going to be a lot of data that you can pull from them.

Sketchup's built in reporting function can pull all the data, but unless you are an excel whiz, its hard to make sense of it all....

We are looking at including some dynamic component attributes.

We downloaded this DC model:

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

(sketchup.google.com)

But when I try to get a report my machine just hangs.
(The standard DC report on the SketchUp File menu)

Can someone else try it.

(I tried to make a report from the downloaded model - although it does seem to have an instance of the component. Perhaps I can only get a report after placing it in a different model???)

wmanning

Hi Al,

I downloaded the model, then opened it in SU 7.1 on the PC and used the SketchUp menu File - Generate Report feature. Saved as .csv and also as .html and had no problems. The files are attached in the .zip

Seems to be OK on my machine.

William

DynamicStairCase.zip

Al Hart

Thanks. I'll try it again.

The list of DC attributes - which you included in the ZIP file reports - was what I was looking for.

I'll present the same list to the user and let then select which attributes they want to see on the report - rather than just showing all of them.

watkins

Dear Al,

How does your download work? I note that it is a .exe file. Does the installer put files in places other than in the plugin folder, and if so, is there an uninstaller?

Kind regards,
Bob

Al Hart

@watkins said:

Dear Al,

How does your download work? I note that it is a .exe file. Does the installer put files in places other than in the plugin folder, and if so, is there an uninstaller?

Kind regards,
Bob

The .exe is an Install Shield installation program.

The installation puts just one .rb in the SketchUp plugins folder, and everything else is in Program files/Render Plus Systems/RpReports.

There is an uninstaller which removes everything. The easiest way to uninstall is to run the installer again (uninstall and re-install are options the second time)

watkins

Dear Al,

Thank you for the explanation. It looks like a very useful plugin.

Kind regards,
bob

fountainhead

Hi Al,

Downloaded and really like the potential for this program. It would be helpful if, once the dialogue is created for all attributes pertaining to a component, that the order of creation would be maintained when you A) use the report function, or B) edit the attributes. The current method reorganizes all of the attributes alphabetically. Even after selecting an order of printing by rearranging the attribute list, once close the list resorts to alphabetical layout again. This is likely easily solved and would greatly simplify use. One could determine and assign attributes in the order expected to report them when creating, and then print or edit that user determined order as required. I think that would be a lot better than having to always rearrange everytime you want to print...

I would gladly buy the Pro Version when available.

Al Hart

@fountainhead said:

Hi Al,
Downloaded and really like the potential for this program. It would be helpful if, once the dialogue is created for all attributes pertaining to a component, that the order of creation would be maintained

Thank you for your comments.

I am working on the new version - which will let you select dynamic components as well.

The new version will remember the attributes selected, and the order an headings for the report, when you reload the dialogs to create a new report. However, it will forget them if you close and re-open SketchUp. (The Pro version will have a save/load functions which saves attribute names, headings and report order for reports)