[Plugin] Component Stringer UPDATED May 23, 2013
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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, -
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. -
did you read the thread?
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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? -
@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...
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thanks
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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?
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@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.
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Option "Stretch" don't answer to your problem ?
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You can adjust the node spacing to suit. One way is with Bezier spline. Select the line or group of lines you want to use, right click and select polyline divider, put in the size you want and away you go.
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@unknownuser said:
Option "Stretch" don't answer to your problem ?
not if you want EVERY component to remain the same size. Stretch will STRETCH the components to fit the same size as the segments.
from left to right
1- the component (which I want to remain always on that exact same size)and the path, made of two semicircles with same number of segments. However one semi-circle is larger than the other, thus the segments on the second semicircle are larger2 - with uniform scaling
3 - with stretching
4 - no scaling. Thus, the components maintain their original size, exactly as I want. Too bad that THEN not only they do not touch each other as they also have different distances between them
@BOX: thanks for the tip. However, I needed to use CATENARY CURVES plugin to make the curves. Unless I can transform a catenary curve made with the plugin into a polyline with segments all the same size?
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@Box: thanks!!! Your method works flawlessly! I would have never thought of BZ Polyline Divider conversion!
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Ah ok!
Without image as soon as the first post, before / after, it's some difficult for me to understand the problem in a glance!
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Does this help Pilou!
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Beautiful double chains of rings!
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i came across this plugin in the attempt to find a way to get through some of my modeling a bit quicker as its taking a very long time to do... i need to build a fence along a path that is undulating at random intervals where all posts need to be vertical but also fill a space that is always changing (slight scaling is ok) and im not sure if this program is the right way forward or not...
this picture shows that iv already managed to get all the large corner posts in place using the copy along path tool as they just needed to be at the nodes, but is there a way to get the white fence posts to go all the way along the path in between the main posts and scale appropriately but also remain standing upright regardless of the undulation angles of the path edge itself? i saw a post where someone had made a fence kinda like this but it was more repeated than what i need...
any help on this would be very grateful.
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That's cool~ -
Absolutely fantastic stuff, exciting to be alive at these times! hah
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I used this plugin today and the plugin is scaling my component to a huge size. I select the uniform scaling option. What should I do?
The original size of the component is the tiny one on the right and on the left is the result due to this plugin.
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Chris's Component Stringer places one component on each edge of the path and scales it to fit. Uniform scaling simply means that x,y and z will be scaled on each instance. Since you have a tiny component in relationship the the edges of the path, you get the results you do.
Your options are creating a path with equal length segments that match the size of the component. My EqSegCurve plugin can do that. Or use my version of Component Stringer, Comp String, which places components along a path without scaling them.
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