[Plugin] Component Stringer UPDATED May 23, 2013

herrschnitzel

Great Plugin I was searching for it.
I moved the plugin in my plugins folder but I cant find it in sketchup.

aurisgauris

i cant install this plugin:( windows 8, sketchup 8

TIG

i cant install this plugin:( windows 8, sketchup 8
You'll need to give us a bit of help here
Help us to help you.
Fill in your User-Profile details so we can immediately know your OS, SketchUp version etc without having to read a post that might be several steps earlier by the time we resolve this issue...

This kind of problem has almost certainly been covered endlessly in other posts at SCF...

Here are a few ideas...
Do you install, and then always run SketchUp as an admin? [properties>compatibility check-box setting]
Do you have FULL permissions to the Plugins folder? [properties>security>edit] It should be set to FULL for every entry in the list.
Do you have a 'Compatibility Files' button/link on the Plugins folder's Windows Explorer window upper bars? This suggests a VirtualStore issue resulting from you having limited permissions when trying to install files into a folder.
Do you understand how to install a plugin from an RBZ archive?
Do you have the current version of v8? [you need >= v8M2] You need that to get the 'Install...' button in the Preferences > Extensions dialog. This allows you to auto-install files/subfolders of helper from an RBZ archive.
Do you understand that if you don't want to upgrade your earlier version then you can add .ZIP to the end of the .RBZ archive and extract its contents; then manually install the file[s] and subfolder[s] of files 'intact' into the Plugins folder... If in doubt about manually installing plugins then please read the help/tutorial section at SCF...
I assume you are getting the tool's RBZ file from the PluginStore? http://sketchucation.com/resources/pluginstore ?
If you have a suitable version v8 or v2013 that allows 'auto-install' then can I suggest you get and install the 'SketchUcation Plugin Store' tool which then allows you to browse all of the SCF plugins and Auto-Install them immediately, with no manual download etc on your side... http://sketchucation.com/resources/plugin-store-download

Hopefully one [or more] of the above will start you off in the right direction.
If you are still flummoxed ask again.

syonker

Hi there...Has anyone else had the issue where you highlight your component and path, and hit the "Component Stringer" menu item, the path gets "Start/End", but nothing else happens? No dialog to continue?

-S

*UPDATE: This is 100% a function of rights. Ran SketchUp with Admin rights and it worked like it should! Thanks Chris - this is really nice to have!

-S*

syonker

Ok, this is a truly awesome plugin...nicely done.

Now to solicit any hints and tips...for my application, what I am designing is an Asian pagoda with "ceramic tile roofing". The roof is a traditional shape with curves along the peaks, eaves, etc...there is a wire frame of curved lines that I was able to get the center tiles to span along nicely (see image below), but as I approach the sides, there is the start of a twist in the geometry. The problem comes in that when setting the axes in the tile component (which is actually four tiles, two-by-two) and spanning along the curve, it seems to apply the "turn along curve axis" starting at the wrong end of the disprove (so that the bottom side of the shingle chain lifts off rather than the top tapers toward the peak as it should). Tried switching the axes (just flips the shingles upside down) and drawing the curved line from the other end (no impact). Wondering if there would be a way to tell it at which end to start the zero rotation point...or if there would be a way to write it for a wireframe or surface propagation? Or honestly any recommendations or tutorial videos that might help with this or any general comments are all appreciated.

Shot of the top pagoda roof...one line of shingles...

Shot of the shingles themselves, and the component shingle...

Render of three rows of the shingles...

pilou

Maybe Panelization by Sdmitch?
Components onto faces by Chris Fullmer?

syonker

I checked out those two plugins and by all rights they are awesome (Chris's was a little easier to get working and was more, code solid - awesome work Chris). I realized while working with them that based on the architecture I am working with I really needed to go back to the component stringer. For any normal staggered shingles like slate, etc. the objects on surface plugins would work great, but in pagodas they follow a traditional linear format based on original builds being ceramic laced to bamboo...it's the "bamboo" that each of the rows follow. So a LOT of playing with axes, the weld plugin, object orientations, and curved lines, I got part of the roofing laid out (see images below). I have a long way to go for the tipped-up points and other curves but hey it's a labor of love this one...

Similar shot to above with shingles leading to peak:

Tilted shot showing the yin and yang symbols at the tips of the "bamboo" trusses:

spreadcore

Okay what am I doing wrong? I'll assume it's my mistake.

I'm using the chain link in the demo video as a example of what keeps happening.

I made a link component and a arc and I followed each step and this is what happens:

The links don't line up right and are huge, also I don't get the words start and End at the ends of the arc.

I'm using
Sketchup 8 on Windows 7
Plugin: clf_component_stringer_1-3-1_0.rbz
Plus I went so far as to restall sketchup and only that plugin just to make sure there were no conflicts with other plugins.

Box

The relationship of the components axis to the path is important. You need to change the components axis to follow the path you want. You also have a choice of sizes if I remember correctly, none, stretch and uniform, to suit.

Chris Fullmer

Yup, its going to align the blue axis of your component to the edges of the curve. So you need to edit your component (double click to enter inside the component) and then rotate the geometry so that it aligns with the blue axis, in the manner that you want to string it.

Post the model here if you still need help aligning it.

Chris

spreadcore

@chris fullmer said:

Yup, its going to align the blue axis of your component to the edges of the curve. So you need to edit your component (double click to enter inside the component) and then rotate the geometry so that it aligns with the blue axis, in the manner that you want to string it.

Post the model here if you still need help aligning it.

Chris

Okay, the align the blue axis was the part I needed. just tried it and works.

Though it still doesn't show the labels "Start" and "End" at the ends of the path.

Not a big deal it still works, but curious why they don't show.

Thanks for the help.

SC

mcescher

Hi..
Thanks, Chris, for this plugin. Nicely done!
I have a quick question, however. Whenever I use this plugin, it omits the end vertex. Is this intentional, or am I doing something wrong...
What I want to do is: I have a curvature surface (like a boat hull) and want to place 12 bolts equal from each other. My curve has the vertices in right spots and bolts align nicely, but last one never shows up. So it ends up with 11.
Thank you in advance.
Best,

marvill

I can't install the plugin, could someone that can help me how i must do it? please.
i have Sketchup 8 pro in windows 8 64 bits.

gilles

did you read the thread?

tranhungdao12a3

I downloaded plugin ComponentStringer and copy to "C:\Program Files\Google SketchUp 2013\Plugins" but it didn't work. On video guide, The plugin inside Chris Fullmer Tool.
How do I want to use this plugin with your attachment's file?

TIG

@tranhungdao12a3 said:

I downloaded plugin ComponentStringer and copy to "C:\Program Files\Google SketchUp 2013\Plugins" but it didn't work. On video guide, The plugin inside Chris Fullmer Tool.
How do I want to use this plugin with your attachment's file?
Why are you making your life so complicated ?
The guide relates to another version of SketchUp, although the principles are the same...

The correct path for the v2013 Plugins folder is:
C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2013\Plugins

If you download the plugin's RBZ archive you can then automatically install it in the correct location by using SketchUp's ...Preferences > Extensions > Install... button, and choosing the RBZ file.

NOTE:
If you have restricted permissions to your Plugins folder [the system default] you might have difficulties doing the Plugin installation by auto or manual means...

To fix your Plugins folder's permissions do this:

As an Admin...
[if you are not an Admin you need to give yourself those powers in the Users 'Control Panel'...]

In Windows Explorer, find the Plugins folder's icon inside the '../SketchUp 2013' folder.
Select it and right-click > context-menu > Properties > Security > Edit...
Change it so that every entry in the list of users/groups has FULL read/write permission ticked.
Apply/OK to save the changes.

Also look in the same '../SketchUp 2013' folder for the program file "SketchUp.exe":
Select that and right-click > context-menu > Properties > Compatibility > tick the bottom check-box 'Run this program as an administrator...' [or similar wording]
Apply/OK to save the change.

NOW try auto-installing etc...

tranhungdao12a3

thanks

AcesHigh

Ok, so this plugin only puts the components at the curves/lines NODES.

Therefore, unless your curve has absolutely the same line size between nodes, you will either get components NOT touching each other or you will have (with selected option) some components stretched or resized to touch the other.

That does not makes for realistic chains in plenty of cases.

Is there any other plugin capable of doing a CHAIN, or maybe specialized at doing it?

AcesHigh

@chris fullmer said:

Hi Hu. There is no option for spacing. It always inserts a component at each line segment. There is no way to skip line segments, or evenly space components over uneven lengthed lines.

It should not stop after a single component though. Could you upload the test model where this happened? Thanks,

Chris

can´t you add the option?

Chains are such basic things, but there is really no useful plugin to make good chains at Sketchup. If you need to put a chain in a model with each chain link measuring the same size, and a specific size at that (lets say, 5cm for each link), there is simply no Plugin that can do it! Yours is the one that reaches closest (specially because of the component rotation), but the lack of component spacing instead of resizeing complicates it all for jobs where you want components to stay the same specific size, no matter the lenght of each segment in the curve.

pilou

Option "Stretch" don't answer to your problem ?