Interacting with a Sketchup file from another program
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Hi,
I am new to the Sketchup dev world and am not sure what is possible with the API, plug-ins etc.
We are currently using Sketchup to model sun path and shadow activity on buildings for solar shading control applications. I am wondering if there is a way of embedding a Sketchup file in an external program (e.g. a web page) and maintaining the ability to animate it and see the effect of shadows. I know there is the web viewer but all that does is produce a set of screen shots. What I want to be able to do is allow the user to enter a date/time and see the effect of the shadows on a building. If possible I would then like to animate the model to show blinds raising/lowering in response to the sun.
Is anything like this possible? As a newbie to the forums please just let me know where the best place to repost this is and I will do so.
Many thanks in advance,
Jez.
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Hi,
TBH don´t know about embedding a SU file in an external application, but there is a possibility of monthly or annual sun path visualization via SunTools plugin for SU : http://bldgsim.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/suntools-plugin-version-2-0-for-sketchup-available-now/ -
Cheers Numbthumb,
The plugin looks useful from the perspective of the design and O&M documentation we produce however what I am really looking for is the ability to dynamically interact with Sketchup as an embedded solution. Ultimately I want to be able to give building managers a 3D tool for building state visualisation rather than the clunky flat, 2D interfaces they have now.
Thanks for your help though!
Rgds
Jez
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Thanks for the heads-up, Simon - BTW nice avatar
( and pardon me for being OT ) -
@numbthumb said:
Thanks for the heads-up, Simon - BTW nice avatar
( and pardon me for being OT )You're always welcome dear Numbthumb. Everything's cool
simon
PS: my avatar picture comes (as very often) from a serie I don't remember which one, delivered by the Big Picture Boston Globe -
Hi pigbite,
I think you are talking about the following tool:
(all the products by 1001 are very well known and famous
)+simon
Re: I'm not a seller of these products: just a fan -
Hmmm, nice Bavarian "Dirndl" indeed
If I decide to change my avatar, I´ll ask for your advice -
Your avatar is fine. And I can feel you are not going to change it for another one so easily
Am I wrong?
Here is just in case ( please feel completely free to not use it ) a one I have chosen for you. (I haven't found something with exactly the same spirit as yours)
Cheers, simon
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Hey those are nice jugs....of beer I mean
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I do not think there is a way to work with SketchUp the way you are describing. There is the SDK that allows you to work with the model, but not SketchUp.
A possibility that does come to mind though is that I think you might be able to export images of the model through the SDK. So maybe you could allow the user to enter their data. THen your app could alter the model according to the user's data. And it could export images for each frame. You would probably have to manually alter the model for each frame. Then export each image, and write your own viewer to turn those images into an animation.
I'm not sure its possible, but it sounds plausible to me, though its a bit of a workaround I think.
Chris
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Now back to Sunpaths. The SunTools plugin has caused some conflicts with other programs I believe Thea is one. I have used it before with good results but never on a webpage. There was a website that had this very thing, I'll see if I can find it as I posted it's location on another forum once.
PS (Sorry about the beer "Stein" hijack) -
Hey dale, it says Error 404 - File Not Found. Where do I find that?
Oh, and cheers, Simon! -
Here is a link to the site mentioned above.
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion3/animations/sunmotions.html
I don't know if it will be of any use for what you are asking, but it's a cool little tool, so I thought I would post it.Cheers
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I think I fixed the link, it works on mine now. Sorry.
Nice avatar!!!!! -
Thanks! Yes, it works here, too.
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Hi Dale,
Your "Motions of the Sun Simulator" is bookmarked _
Hi numbthumb,
I can't believe you have taken it
the picture is taken from a very smart set: Oktoberfest 2010
and I have recover the set mine come from: Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics@thread users: sorry for my little bumping
simon
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I think the original poster got scared off. Hopefully he'll come back. This was an interesting topic.
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Come on Chris, it is not a big disturbing, just a little be-bop-bump of happiness.
It seems that Pigbite had registered mainly to find an answer to this specific question. As I was thinking he was going to miss the answers, I had send him a PM to tell him about my answer (1001shadows). And the message had been read. So he has surely read also your reflexion around the subject (using SDK (software development kit)...which is too much for me
)I now shut my mouth. ++simon.
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Oh I'm not really that worried about the off topic. He'll come back if he wants I suppose.
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I think you could so something like this with Hypercosm.
We are working on letting a Sketchup model (well an export of that model) evolve in time on a webpagesome pics of the alpha stage:
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