[Plugin] Free Rotate 4.4
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@unknownuser said:
Ken, you need a second monitor for all your tool bars!
Well, I was hoping no one would notice. But I get so frustrated with the tool bars alignment exercise, I just load every thing up I think I need. I did manage to get a larger monitor just for Sketchup.
Which, brings me to another frustration. Some tool bars have one or two icon (plugins) in the 12 (typical) icon selections that I wish to use. So I have all these tool bar enabled but only use about 1/4 of the available icons. Wish someone would make a generic tool bar plugin, allowing me to load the icon (plugins) I need. And also, categorize the plugins by function. Well so much for dreaming.
Not sure if you can see any details, but some plugins that have icons and small tool bars and are not encrypted, I have rewrote the script to have the icon (plugins) to show up in other tool bars. I have discovered that I can make a icon show up even in a tool bar scrip that is encrypted, so I have combined some tool bars.
Ken
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Here's v3.0 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=266561#p266561
There is a new 'Up-Arrow' option to rotate constrained around Axis.
This overcomes one of the limitations of using 'Free Rotate' - where the Selection can spin around its Axis as you rotate it.
Remember that you can already use 'Tab' to reset the Pivot and Axis as desired.
Now once you have got the Selection free-rotated to the required 'rake' you can press 'Ctrl' to freeze it temporarily.
Then you press the 'Up-Arrow' to enter the constrained rotation option...
The Selection's rotation - constrained around the Axis - can now be adjusted as required, either picking two points or picking one point and Typing an Angle into the VCB...Please read the Notes...
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It's a nice idea, but I think for it to be useful it needs to be a lot simpler!
When I first run the plugin it selects the center of the component as the axis point. In most cases, I believe, the center of the component is quite a meaningless point.
I think the initial pivot point should be one of two:
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If the idea is to 'select geometry' => run plugin => pivot point and direction automatically selected - it should use the original component's axis point along with the blue orientation. The components axis point is a point that can be changed without the plugin running, and without the object swiveling all over the place before I even know what it's doing.
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If the idea is similar to most of the original sketchup tools, like the "rotate tool" where you 'select geometry' => run plugin => 'select pivot point' => 'select second poingt' => 'select direction point'. then that's the way it should be! let there be an option to first select the pivot point before anything happens.
Just my opinion...
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Hal, thanks for the feedback...
It is a tool-idea that's 'under development' - a 'proof of concept', if you will...
So all feedback is welcome.I had previously toyed with the idea of using a component's insertion point BUT the whole ideas is to let you 'free-rotate' anything selected - rather like the built-in rotate tool.
It is probably a valid idea to start without any movement, and with you first picking a pivot-point and then an axis-point. You could then have a special modifier key set to swap to the selection's center [as it's often 'inside' things!].
Then there could then be a modifier key toggle between 'free-rotate' and 'axial-rotate' - around the axis as it has been transformed by any earlier 'free' rotations...
You then 'confirm' [L-click or <enter>] OR Cancel. If you want to free-rotate action you'd re-run the tool...I'll digest this and come back with v4
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I'm diggin the update. I like the new up arrow feature to flatten the rotate sphere. I would consider adding a red, green, blue axis restriction with a similar flattened sphere, perhaps with the left, right, down arrow keys. I know the concept is to "Free" rotate, but I like your construction point grid idea a little better than the native rotate tool and could see it totally replacing it altogether as one tool to "freely" precision rotate objects.
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Wow!
I've wanted something like this since I started using sketchup. it's already amazing and i think your ideas for version four are on the right track to turn it into a very streamlined and intuitive plugin. thanks!
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Well........... v4 is all but ready AND I think it's much better too...........
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Here's v4.0 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=266561#p266561
There has been a radical overhaul of how the tool operates - see the notes...
It is now much simpler and similar to built-in tools...
Also a FreeRotate Toolbar has been added.
It now comes in a Zip file with a FreeRotate folder containing the button's png files.Feedback please...
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Works great so far -- very intuitive.
Best,
Jason. -
Nice work. Loving the concept of the rebuild. It's very slow to load and release for me, especially in the axial mode. (8 seconds before the circle grid appears and 8 seconds to release after I press Esc.) Free mode takes 3 seconds to load and release.
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the tab key isn't working properly on mac (unless of course, i'm doing something wrong)
i've tried to switch to axial mode at various stages in the selection process (before picking a pivot, before an axis, after both, etc..)
when i push tab, the vcb highlights then if i hold the tab key down, the vcb 'bounces' as if i'm giving an improper input.
i'm pretty sure i remember another script in the past that had problems with the tab key on mac and you knew the solution.. (one of chris' scripts maybe?)
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@unknownuser said:
the tab key isn't working properly on mac (unless of course, i'm doing something wrong)
i've tried to switch to axial mode at various stages in the selection process (before picking a pivot, before an axis, after both, etc..)
when i push tab, the vcb highlights then if i hold the tab key down, the vcb 'bounces' as if i'm giving an improper input.
i'm pretty sure i remember another script in the past that had problems with the tab key on mac and you knew the solution.. (one of chris' scripts maybe?)I thought I had the Tab key sorted - it's taken as #9 on PC and #15 on MAC...
You can toggle between Free & Axial at ANY point so it's bust on your MAC!
Once I understand the exact problem it's an easy fix...
Any advice from anyone ?Meanwhile could you try to make an edit of the
FreeRotate.rbfile with a plain-text editor
Around line #524
if key == 9 or key == 15 ### TAB =9 for PC, =15 for MAC
can you change it to read
if key == 9 or key == 23 ### TAB =9 for PC, =23 for MAC
save and see if that helps...
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nada.. same thing
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@unknownuser said:
nada.. same thing
Thanks any way - I'm doing some digging to find how to trap the TAB key on the MAC it's #9 on the PC...
I think it's 0x30...
Could you perhaps try '24' and '48' ? -
Does tab work in Solid Inspector, Jeff? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30504
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@thomthom said:
Does tab work in Solid Inspector, Jeff? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30504
yeah, it works with solid inspector
[edit - tab works and zooms/cycles through errors but shift+tab does nothing]this is the result of pressing tab with a key code finder.. i tried those numbers and none worked
[edit- no go with 24 either]
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TIG,
Also appears axial rotate along the red axis is not working. Just brings up a construction line, but no rotate gizmo.
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TIG
The TAB key does not work, PC with Window Vista, if I chose 'constrained' Axial-Rotate and try to select the red axis. The 'Gizmo' appears if you choice is the green axis, or the blue axis. However, if the choice is the red axis, the 'Gizmo' does not appear. It will appear if the choice is more than a 1/4 degree off the red Axis, but will not appear if the choice is exactly the red axis.
Hope this helps
Ken
Darn, guess I should have waited.
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@unknownuser said:
@thomthom said:
Does tab work in Solid Inspector, Jeff? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30504
yeah, it works with solid inspector
I uses ASCII code 9 for TAB - which is what I thought OSX also used...
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@unknownuser said:
[edit - tab works and zooms/cycles through errors but shift+tab does nothing]
hm... ok I made it use the combo of Tab and the constraint modifier key - so it'd be the one you use to lock inference...
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