[Plugin] Export 2d with Alpha

derei

Feature request:

Hy thomthom I use this plugin a lot and sometimes I need to work faster with it. So, if you don't mind, I would like to request some features for it.

-cross-session save of chosen parameters
-actual screen size image export
-now, if resolution doesn't match with screen, it clips out the model (is like the height of image tries to fit the screen, and clips from width). Is it possible to fit the model instead?

Also, I would like to better explain to me what exactly "0.9" value from "compression" parameter means, now I let it like it is because I have no idea what values I could input and how it will change the image.

Thanks for taking this into consideration.

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

Also, I would like to better explain to me what exactly "0.9" value from "compression" parameter means, now I let it like it is because I have no idea what values I could input and how it will change the image.

It's how much a JPEG will be compressed.

I'll make notes of the requests and see what I can do.

derei

@thomthom said:

It's how much a JPEG will be compressed.

But the exported image is PNG I'm not sure that I understand. Ok, it's about compression... I asume "no compression" means 0 (zero) ? what is the maximum value that can be used?

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

@thomthom said:

It's how much a JPEG will be compressed.

But the exported image is PNG I'm not sure that I understand. Ok, it's about compression... I asume "no compression" means 0 (zero) ? what is the maximum value that can be used?

the export will be in the format determined by the file extension you give it.

The compression is from 0.0 to 1.0

The UI isn't very good - old plugin made to solve a particular problem I had with a project.

TIG

The 'compression-level' affects the 'image-quality' and the 'file-size'. Perversely, the higher the number the better the file's 'quality' and the less compressed the file is; so 0.1 is low-quality, 0.5 is medium-quality, 0.9 is high-quality etc... When a file is compressed it gets smaller and therefore looses data and with that quality.
The number range is 0.0 to 1.0 [min>>>max for the quality BUT max>>>min for the compression].
It'd probably have been better [or at least more logical] if it had been called the 'quality' level, rather than the 'compression' level, because the higher the number the better the image 'quality', while the lower the number the more the image is 'compressed' and its file-size reduces...

derei

@tig said:

The 'compression-level' affects the 'image-quality' and the 'file-size'. Perversely, the higher the number the better the file's 'quality' and the less compressed the file is; so 0.1 is low-quality, 0.5 is medium-quality, 0.9 is high-quality etc... When a file is compressed it gets smaller and therefore looses data and with that quality.
The number range is 0.0 to 1.0 [min>>>max for the quality BUT max>>>min for the compression].
It'd probably have been better [or at least more logical] if it had been called the 'quality' level, rather than the 'compression' level, because the higher the number the better the image 'quality', while the lower the number the more the image is 'compressed' and its file-size reduces...

Thank you very much, TIG! It makes all clear for me.
I tweaked myself the plugin a little, to have different values when it starts, but I could not find a way how to read Drawing area resolution. Maybe I haven't looked in SU Ruby API, in the right place... could you point a direction for me to follow?

thomthom

view.vpwidth and view.vpheight

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/view.html#vpwidth

derei

@thomthom said:

view.vpwidth and view.vpheight

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/view.html#vpwidth

Interesting...it seems that vpheight; width takes into consideration the viewport WITHOUT toolbars. Any fix for this?

davidlouis

Hi Thom

I've been using your plugin and am loving it...

One small thing I have noticed is that a 'blank background' behind a 'glass' material is still interpreted as a complete transparency in the png exported file and if you're trying to slide in a sky behind say a glazed building, this can look a bit unrealistic.

Would there be anyway to alter the plugin to recognize a transparent sketchup material and produce a semi transparent section over these areas in the resulting png much like the alpha maps generated by Vray that accompany jpg exports where black represents 100% transparent, white 100% opaque and shades of grey somewhere in between...? I'm not asking for a true alpha map file like Vray, merely that the coloured png export takes cogniscence of the transparent materials...

Thanks

Dave

Gaieus

I am far not any expert at any scripting things but what I can imagine, here the plugin uses the same "exploring" methods of what is opaque and what is not as the SU shadow engine. I.e. if something is more than 70% opaque, it will be fully opaque and if it is less that 70% opaque, it will be fully transparent.

Can you try a quick test to slide the opacity of these windows to 70%+ and export that way? Eventually, as a workaround, you can export two images this way and overlay them to get something "in-between" (and which you can mask out easily in PP).

thomthom

I'm afraid I cannot do anything about the export results. I'm just calling a SketchUp method...

mods135

Thomas I am wondering if the plugin works for version 8? I cannot seem to get an export with just the object showing. There is always still a background. Your plugin loaded ok and I left the settings as on this site (transparency =yes etc). The only problem I noticed is that the file type drop down list is blank - no file types show, so I cannot select png.
Can you help?
Thanks
mods135

Rich O Brien

When saving add .png to the file name. If the name is image then save as image.png.

This plugin only works with v8

Gaieus

Also make sure that you turn off ground and sky in your styles settings and set background colour to pure white (255,255,255)

nomeradona

never realized that this was a year old posting and yet this is my first time to see this excellent script. Thanks Thomas.

AlainBo

Very nice.
Could you just remember the settings we choosed, at least per session?
Could you have alook at the fields's parsing orde via tab key?
And why not a "respect aspect ratio checkbox?
And why not automatically add the .png extension which not seems to be the case. In fact if we don't specify extension, the image is not generated.

Wow, will be perfect.... lol

Thanks,
Alain

shahkoorosh

thank you very much thomthom for this plugin, but unfortunately I couldn't use this.
when I try to open SU this error will appears.

could u help me? thanks

Error

TIG

If you go back to the first page - where you downloaded the .rb file from you will see it says you require a support 'library' of files.
Use the link to get it, extract it and place its folder into the Plugins folder.
After Sketchup restarts it ought to find the required files in that folder and so your errors should stop...

thomthom

I'm going to change my template so that plugins will display a more Plain English message that TT_Lib is missing.

shahkoorosh

@tig said:

If you go back to the first page - where you downloaded the .rb file from you will see it says you require a support 'library' of files.
Use the link to get it, extract it and place its folder into the Plugins folder.
After Sketchup restarts it ought to find the required files in that folder and so your errors should stop...[attachment=0:3vcl16zk]Capture.PNG[/attachment:3vcl16zk]

Thanks dude, It's worked