How to draw an edge with an angle and distance

TIG

Guys sorry i don't mean to be pushy, but after i fired the arrow from centroid I’m looking for a built in function in either add_cline or even add_line to retrieve all the faces that intersect with my line.

At each step as you add the 'line' you have two points ' ce' and ' en', the vector ' vec=ce.vector_to(en)' returns the 'arrow'.
Now ' dist=ce.distance(en)' will help us keep track of how far we are going from ' ce'
New use a 'raytest' to find the intersections...

<span class="syntaxdefault">hits</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=[]<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">pe</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">ce</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">clone </span><span class="syntaxcomment">### set up a copy of the point to raytest from<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">goon</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">true<br />while goon<br />  rayt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">raytest</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pe</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> vec</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  goon</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">false if not rayt<br />  pt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rayt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">]<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  hit</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rayt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">]<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  goon</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">false if ce</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">distance</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> dist<br />  hits </span><span class="syntaxkeyword"><<</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> hit</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">]<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  pe</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt </span><span class="syntaxcomment">### look from last hit point...<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#while<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

' hits' is an array of arrays of the points and what was hit at each one...
Repeat this for each 'ray' you are making.
If you want to find ALL intersections forget the ' dist' test...

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

@TIG: I think hit=rayt[0][0] would return the x coordinate of pt ?

Yes.

rayt[0] => Geom::Point3d
rayt[1] => Array<path of entities>

TIG

You're right - my daft typo... I've corrected the original
hit=rayt[1][0]

Dan Rathbun

When done.. you will need to test the hits array members and retrieve objects that are certain types.

<span class="syntaxdefault">hit_faces </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> hits</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">select </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">{|</span><span class="syntaxdefault">e</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">|</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> e</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">instance_of</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Face</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">hit_comps </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> hits</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">select&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">{|</span><span class="syntaxdefault">e</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">|</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> e</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">instance_of</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">ComponentInstance</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">}</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span>

..etc ...

@TIG: I think hit=rayt[0][0] would return the x coordinate of pt ?

Dan Rathbun

Hey you missed my boo-boo I had written hits.each instead of hits.select
(corrected the code..)

Dan Rathbun

morc ... use [ code=php ] and [ /code ] tags around your sourcecode when you post it here.

I sent you a PrivateMessage, explaining how.

You are missing 2 end statements at the bottom, just before the **}** closing of the block.

morci429

Tig it isn't working.
guys could u have a look at the code and tell me what do you think?


require 'sketchup.rb'

UI.menu("PlugIns").add_item("Fire Arrows") {

ents = Sketchup.active_model.entities

Sketchup.active_model.selection.each do |e|
if e.is_a? Sketchup;;Face

ce=e.bounds.center

en=ce.offset(e.normal, 100000.mm)

cl90=ents.add_cline(ce, en)   #a vertical line

tr=Geom;;Transformation.rotation(ce, Z_AXIS, 45.degrees)
en.transform!(tr)
cl45=ents.add_line(ce, en)   #a 45 deg line


vec=ce.vector_to(en)
dist=ce.distance(en)

hits=[]
pt = Geom;;Point3d.new  
pe=ce.clone ### set up a copy of the point to raytest from
goon=true
while goon
  rayt= Sketchup.active_model.raytest(pe, vec)
  goon=false if not rayt
  pt=rayt[0]
  hit=rayt[1][0]
  goon=false if ce.distance(pt) > dist
  hits << [pt, hit]
  pe=pt ### look from last hit point...
end#while


hits.each do |s|
if s[1][0].is_a? Sketchup;;Face
hit_face = s.bounds
zmin = hit_face.min.z
zmax = hit_face.max.z
h = zmax - zmin
h = h.to_m
UI.messagebox s[1][0]
UI.messagebox h
end
end


tr=Geom;;Transformation.rotation(ce, Z_AXIS, -90.degrees)
en.transform!(tr)
cl135=ents.add_cline(ce, en)  #a 135 deg line

#en=ce.offset(Z_AXIS, 5000.mm)

#tr=Geom;;Transformation.rotation(ce, X_AXIS, -45.degrees)
#en.transform!(tr)
#cl135=ents.add_cline(ce, en)  #a 135 deg line

#tr=Geom;;Transformation.rotation(ce, X_AXIS, 90.degrees)
#en.transform!(tr)
#cl135=ents.add_cline(ce, en)  #a 135 deg line



end
end
}

Thanks Dan,
i added the two end statements. but the complier doesn't like line 31 ]

pt=rayt[0]

thanks again Dan

thomthom

@morci429 said:

Tig it isn't working.

Error messages?
Unexpected behaviour?

It always help to be specific to what isn't working.

morci429

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method []' for nil:NilClass> C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/Fire Arrows.rb:31 C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/Fire Arrows.rb:7:in each'
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/Fire Arrows.rb:7
C:/PROGRA~1/Google/GOOGLE~3/Plugins/Fire Arrows.rb:3:in `call'

Sorry if i wasn't clear enough

TIG

Try adding a test after the goon=false if not rayt like
next if not rayt that way it will jump.

I notice that your 'line' creation is a bit muddled - you a make one then transform the end_point [en] BUT doing so around the Z_AXIS leaves it where it is - do it around the X_AXIS or Y_AXIS...

Dan Rathbun

morc..

EDIT:The problem is that the API doc does not say that if the ray does not hit anything, the raytest method just returns nil.

rayt= Sketchup.active_model.raytest(pe, vec)

If you read the API for Model.raytest(), you'll see that the first argument must be an Array; the second optional argument (added in SU8.0M1,) is the wysiwyg_flag that sets whether to hit hidden geometry.

EDIT:Actually the method is smart enough to know what you mean... you don't really need an Array arg, unless you want to use the wysiwyg_flag %(#BF4000)[argument.

So you can to call it this way:]
rayt= Sketchup.active_model.raytest( **[**pe, vec**]** )

morci429

Tig it isn't working.
guys could u have a look at the code and tell me what do you think?

...*[snip]*... reposted [in later post](http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f)

Dan Rathbun

Added a note at the bottom of the API doc page for Model.raytest() informing readers of the nil return value, when no geometry is "hit."

morci429

guys i think you are right, the hits array is empty. the ray isn't hitting any geometry. Still trying to find out why though

TIG

Rather than start with convoluted code try a simple 'one-liner' pasted into the Ruby Console...
Draw two rectangular faces place them one above the other, above the origin.

rt=true;p=ORIGIN;while rt;p rt=Sketchup.active_model.raytest(p,Z_AXIS);p=rt[0]if rt;end

it should produce something like this
[Point3d(0, 0, 16.9685), [#<Sketchup::Face:0xbea3ae8>]] [Point3d(0, 0, 39.3701), [#<Sketchup::Face:0xbea3ad4>]] nil
NOW you know it's working........

morci429

Mission accomplished
Thanks to you all Geniuses