[Plugin][$] Curviloft 2.0a - 31 Mar 24 (Loft & Skinning)

Gaieus

Well, if you really messed up your SU install that much, I would suggest uninstalling, deleting the whole directory (you can keep the materials and components folders if you have extra stuff there) and installing again.

Then do something with your permissions (I am not on Vista so do not exactly know) but unless you somehow figure it out how not to do that, Vista won't put the plugin files to where you want but in some compatibility folder.

ColinMcCole

@dave r said:

Well, first You should clean up the Tools folder by removing the files you installed there. Next, make and post a screenshot of the Plugins folder so we can see how your plugins are installed.

Hi Dave.

Thanks for your feedback. I hadn't installed anything into my tools in this version of SKB, i just tried the plugins this time around. How do i attach an image to this post? My folder literally just has the standard plugin folders and rb's, as well as the folders named "Curviloft_DIR_12" and "LIBFREDO06_DIR_42", and the LIBFREDO6.rb script. The Fredo rb loads and i get the image on start up about updates, but nothing else shows. When i extract the rb scripts and place them in the actual plugins folder then SKB tells me there's errors loading all the files. I assume i'm doing something wrong here...

I really want this plugin...i've been waiting ages for something like this and now i can't use the tools?! It looks awesome and will make life so much easier if i can get everything working.

Gaieus

Did you unzip those zip files into the plugins folder?

Under the text area you are posting, there is an attachment tab.

ColinMcCole

@gaieus said:

Did you unzip those zip files into the plugins folder?

Under the text area you are posting, there is an attachment tab.

OK, so i got it to work on Sketchup 8...still can't get it on 7 pro (maybe it's not compatible?!). I unzipped them and did everything i usually do (i did with my home PC with no problems at all). I think i'll just bounce between the two Sketchup versions as i've spent enough time getting it to work. Thanks for the speedy responses, this site really is awesome.

Dave R

Sorry, I was in transit to work. Glad Csaba got you sorted. The plugin is compatible with V7 so it should work. Since it isn't, I would suggest you look again at the install. Or, since it works now on V8, rename the V7 Plugins folder to something like Original Plugins so SU won't look at it when it starts. Then copy your V8 plugins folder and paste it into the V7 location. See what happens when you restart SU7.

benha

Howdy.

I'm having a bit of trouble and would appreciate suggestions. I'm trying to skin a pair of surfaces and the curviloft tool isn't working.

I haven't had that problem before - anyone care to suggest why the two wireframes in the attached file won't skin?

To clarify: This is supposed to be two parallel surfaces, offset by a small gap. The two closed hoops are what I'm trying to skin.

Back Contour.skp

-Ben

TIG

Benha

Try to weld[.rb] the two loops into curves [loops].
Try scaling it up x10 to avoid tiny edges/facets issues [scale down after skinning].
You will find one loop had a minuscule edge off perpendicular that's not needed - erase that and re-weld the rest...
Then it should skin OK...

benha

Hrm...

Still not working:
Found and removed a stray edge
Scaled up by 10x
Welded curves together
Same failure state

Revised file attached. Still baffled.

Back Contour.skp

@tig said:

Benha

Try to weld[.rb] the two loops into curves [loops].
Try scaling it up x10 to avoid tiny edges/facets issues [scale down after skinning].
You will find one loop had a minuscule edge off perpendicular that's not needed - erase that and re-weld the rest...
Then it should skin OK...

Dave R

Works fine here using Loft by Spline

Back%20Contour.skp

benha

Sorry. Must not have been clear. Wrong way. I'm trying to loft the two surfaces bounded by the loops, not the space between them.

@dave r said:

Works fine here using Loft by Spline

Dave R

I see. The two sets of curves are a red herring.

I wonder if you might be better off with a different tool for what you want to do.

benha

What's weird is that I originally skinned something exactly like this. And now I'm trying to reconstruct it. And it's not working...

@dave r said:

I see. The two sets of curves are a red herring.

I wonder if you might be better off with a different tool for what you want to do.

fredo6

@benha said:

Hrm...

Still not working:
Found and removed a stray edge
Scaled up by 10x
Welded curves together
Same failure state

Revised file attached. Still baffled.

The contour is made of a single curve with no sharp angle. Curviloft Skinning does not know where to cut the contour in 4 pieces. In such cases, you simply need to draw dummay segments, for instances at the corners.
Skin contour - dummay segments.png

Then, you select each of the 4 portions (click on it, then click in empty space).

And you apply skinning.
Skin contour.png

Fredo

PS: I also suggest you simplify a bit the contour to have a more regular spacing of the vertices, and thus obtain a more balanced mesh

benha

Argh. Still not working.

I added dummy segments, and now when I enter the skinning tool it does take four clicks to select everything. The sections break at the dummy segments. So that's progress.

But when I "click to validate" the contour just turns purple and nothing happens.

Might this be related to the fact that I'm on a Mac?

-Ben

@unknownuser said:

The contour is made of a single curve with no sharp angle. Curviloft Skinning does not know where to cut the contour in 4 pieces. In such cases, you simply need to draw dummay segments, for instances at the corners.
[attachment=1:1fqlcg7n]Skin contour - dummay segments.png[/attachment:1fqlcg7n]

Then, you select each of the 4 portions (click on it, then click in empty space).

And you apply skinning.
[attachment=0:1fqlcg7n]Skin contour.png[/attachment:1fqlcg7n]

Fredo

PS: I also suggest you simplify a bit the contour to have a more regular spacing of the vertices, and thus obtain a more balanced mesh

fredo6

Your dummy segments may not be well placed (note that the contour curve is placed exactly on top of the group which forms the border surface)
In any case, you can first select the contours and dummy segments, and then call Curviloft Skinning.
Also, if you explode that group, you'll be more confortable
It works for me

Fredo

benha

Thanks for the help. Still can't make it work, but I think it's time to give up and call it a day.

I'm guessing it's something unique to my machine/configuration or whatever. I've tried about 20 different approaches / placements of dummy segments / etc and it never works. Very odd.

Anyway, thanks again.

@unknownuser said:

Your dummy segments may not be well placed (note that the contour curve is placed exactly on top of the group which forms the border surface)
In any case, you can first select the contours and dummy segments, and then call Curviloft Skinning.
Also, if you explode that group, you'll be more confortable
It works for me

Fredo

fredo6

@benha said:

Thanks for the help. Still can't make it work, but I think it's time to give up and call it a day.

Here is the model with the Skinning, if this can help you to progress
Back%20Contour.skp

Fredo

benha

Ah! You're a star. Thanks a TON!

Here is the model with the Skinning, if this can help you to progress
[attachment=0:1m74sant]Back%20Contour.skp[/attachment:1m74sant]

Fredo[/quote]

jgb

I just had the time to install the new version of Curviloft (with Quad faces) and
BOY AM I IMPRESSED

It was great before, but with Quads it is absolutely great. No more tiny surface fragments to clean up (so far as I see). And way FASTER to boot.

I'm just getting into a total revamp of my big airplane projects' fairings, and this new version will make that a piece of cake. Compared to the old way (manual meshing and tweaking) that took days to get a fairing right, the older Curviloft reduced that to a few minute to generate the fairing, and a few hours to cleanup the surface fragments that simply added more lines and faces than needed. I was happy then.

The new version should not need more than a few minutes tweaking if needed at all.

Thanks again Fredo.

jgb

Fredo - We have A problem

The attached model is an extracted edge of a fairing. It should be a single face and all flat.

When I loft it, I get either a black face then just an empty group (thought that was fixed ) or nothing happens, but an empty group forms anyway. If I manually join verticies it will form a flat face.

There are no edge fragments, or gaps. The faces perpendicular are all properly formed, as well as the opposite edge to this one.

There are also no "errors" (colored lines) appearing, so I cannot find the problem.

I've had a few like this and it was easier to manually face them, but I figured you shold take a look at it.

Won't form a face.