Re: [Plugin] Flatten to Plane v1.2 20101023

TIG

Hi TIG
First time here. Have installed plugin "flatten" & "workplane" read all the posts above and still I am not able to get this to work. Must be missing something. SU pro8 - model component. I open the component create the work plane centered on the component select the work plane (unlocked)and the blocks within the component and start flatten from the plugin menu and..... nothing happens?
Best Topdraft
The one selected Workplane simply defines an 'infinite' plane in 3d onto which the vertices of the selected edges [or edges inside selected groups/components] will be projected as a 'flattened' version, when you run the tool.
These edges must be 'visible' [i.e. not hidden/smoothed or assigned an 'off' layer].
The Workplane can remain locked in place, if desired.
When you use the tool do so with the Ruby Console open and see if there are any error messages.
Are you sure nothing was made? If the plane is flat and passing through the bottom of vertical faces then the 'flattened' edge group will be entirely coincident with the other geometry and so you might not see it immediately. Use the Outliner to see if the new group exists...
If you are definitely getting nothing made or have inexplicable errors then can you wither post the SKP or a screenshot so that we might better understand what it is you are attempting.

rossthompson

Hi,

It looks like I am coming to the thread a little late.... I was just wandering weather it would be easy to change the script slightly so it deleted the originally selected entities and didn't create a group for the flattened entities. So bascially the selection just gets replaced with a flattened version.

This would be beneficial as I use the tool a lot for cleaning up imported geometry where the faces aren't quite coplanar - hence the original entities are of little use.

Ive had a look through the script and the code is a bit above my head.

Ross

TIG

Ross

Make a backup copy of the .rb script for reuse when you screw-up, or decide the original is better...
Edit the .rb script with a plain-text editor [like Notepad.exe or Notepad++.exe - but never a wordprocessor] and find the lines [~ #104-107]
### @ss.clear @ss.add(@group) ###
change them to read
### ents.erase_entities(@ss.to_a) @group.explode ###
This will erase the original selection and then explode the grouped new lines...

rossthompson

Hi TIG,

That worked a treat. Thank you - this is going to save me a lot of time!

Ross

Pg09

Thank you very, very much!

mqt101

Heloo, I can't seem to download this on my mac. Could someone help me please?

TIG

@mqt101 said:

Heloo, I can't seem to download this on my mac. Could someone help me please?
Explain your problem better, and we might help sort something...
Can't you see the download link?
Can't you download the file?
Can't you install it?
Can't you find the tool when it is installed?
Can't you use the tool when you find it?
etc
etc...

schaferron1

have installed this plugin through sketchucation plugin store, says installed, does not show up in tools, plugins anywhere. I have restarted sketchup 2013 3 times.

Thanks!

R

Dave R

Is there a folder permissions issue? Make sure you have full permissions set for the Plugins folder. Did you also install workplane.rb?

Tseifert

Is Flatten extension updated for SU 2014? I used it in SU8. Now I can't seem to load it onto SU2014 for use.

Thank you,

Dave R

It works just fine in SU2014. How are did you install it? Did you also install the required WorkPlane as indicated in the first post of this thread?

Screenshot - 11_5_2014 , 4_16_14 AM.png

Tseifert

Dave R, I installed it through Smustard. I do not believe I downloaded the workplane rd plugin.

Can I still do this?

Thank you.

Dave R

You should be installing the curent version of the plugin as well as WorkPlane through the Sketchucation Plugin Store. That way you can be assured of getting the most recent version. And it isn't too late to install WorkPlane.

TIG

@tseifert said:

Dave R, I installed it through Smustard. I do not believe I downloaded the workplane rd plugin.

Can I still do this?

Thank you.
My current script should only be available through the PluginStore ??
So something is adrift......

Tseifert

Thank you for your replies to this. I noticed that the 2014 version already comes with a flatten option in the right click, 'flatten faces' this is all I really need. Thought it would be nice to take a 3D component from warehouse such as a plant, flatten it on the red or green axis so I can use it in 'Top' camera view, so I can use it like a plant symbol in site plan. I have noticed Sketchup and layout has limited 2D flat plant symbols I can use for Landscape Design.

Thanks,

LillianBorges

Thank you so much! I'm an art student, and my specialty is traditional 2D media, but I need to model an object for a required 3D design course. My line work was going everywhere; I couldn't get the lines to all stay in the same plane at all! This was a lifesaver for someone who isn't used to 3D modeling programs.

ittayd

Trying to use the plugin, I select a work plane and a group and click flatten to plane and I get:
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method transformation' for #<Sketchup::ComponentDefinition:0x0000004f028fb0>> C:/Users/idror/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2017/SketchUp/Plugins/#FlattenToPlane.rb:93:in activate'
C:/Users/idror/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2017/SketchUp/Plugins/#FlattenToPlane.rb:186:in select_tool' C:/Users/idror/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2017/SketchUp/Plugins/#FlattenToPlane.rb:186:in flattentoplane'
C:/Users/idror/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2017/SketchUp/Plugins/#FlattenToPlane.rb:192:in block in <top (required)>' SketchUp:1:in call'

When I load a simple model everything works

TIG

I'll add to the list of things to look at...
It is almost 7 years old !
Did you get/install the latest RBZ from the PluginStore ?

ittayd

I used the sketchucation plugin to install

johnwmcc

I have a model of a rotating plate with simple pivots and cranks. I've simplified it a bit, manually, into three different planes, and can if necessary use that.

But I wanted to flatten it completely, and tried this plugin for the first time, installed, along with Workplane.rb, today via the Sketchucation plugin.

Here's an image of the simple three-plane model, with pivot pins in 3D.
Original model
Here's the result of running Flatten to Plane:
Screen Shot 2017-01-09 at 23.37.19.png

The elements have all got misaligned.

Here's the simple model itself:
Simple Model

And here's what I tried originally while it was part of a more complex model:
Original model

Is this a bug in the plugin used in SU 2017?

When I first tried the plugin on the original component inside a more complex model, I got only an empty group returned.

Is there a workaround? Would it work if I use it in an earlier version of SU make? I have different ones back to SU8 M2.

Seems like a very useful plugin, and I for one would be happy to see it working again, if it does have problems in SU 2017. I'm using it on iMac 5K 27" with AMD Radeon R9 M395 2048 MB graphics.

[EDIT}
I did eventually get the original 3D model to flatten, but it too moved the pieces around relative to each other, including rotating the original round plate back to its original location, rotated back 165 degrees, and way off centre.