[Plugin] Bolt Maker (Final Update 7-Feb-2012)

Niffler

if you downloaded a new copy it may need to be modified as well, I had to change the version I have for it to function.
I also know Sam is away for the next ten days and may not be checking-in...
john

Alright, alright you've wound me up. What do I need to do to 'modify' Bolt-maker? It there a way to modify the program to also accept bigger numbers to prevent it from buggering-up?

[EDIT] Okay, I've just realized what you meant, driven. Yeah, I looked at the instructions Jim posted and have looked in a freshly downloaded copy of Bolt Maker. The change that Jim suggested had already been made, so something else is causing my error. I apologize if I appeared not to have read other's attempts to help me.

Also, I noticed that the instructions in the comments said that the bolt width parameter was 1.5 * maximum. Pity that I cannot get this to work with new copies of the file on my Vista system; it's as if the text file that tells the program its last setting is still there, but crafting new versions of that file with more modest parameters hasn't caused it to work there.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Peace

GarryD

Hi

Maybe Im missing something simple. When I make, or try to make, a bolt I get to the stage where I have to orbit to see the reverse side. When I do so I cant get back to bolt maker to select the exit point......

sdmitch

If you are using the Orbit Tool as opposed to orbiting with the mouse wheel, press the Esc key to exit Orbit Tool.

kenS

I also have the problem of bolt maker not working anymore, where it used to work fine for ages, and I must admit a great program.
A few hicups with extra entities, appearing and various things I had to complete with erase and push/pull, but I was driving through 3 different shapes, and sometimes it didn't like putting bolts through the flange of a steel angle joined to 2 flats.
Anyway I think that I have found the problem of the program not working.
I work in mm, and somewhere along the line I changed the precision to 0.
So delete the .txt file, and change the precision to at least 0.0 this then seems to work for any size bolt.

Niffler

@kens said:

I also have the problem of bolt maker not working anymore, where it used to work fine for ages, and I must admit a great program.
A few hicups with extra entities, appearing and various things I had to complete with erase and push/pull, but I was driving through 3 different shapes, and sometimes it didn't like putting bolts through the flange of a steel angle joined to 2 flats.
Anyway I think that I have found the problem of the program not working.
I work in mm, and somewhere along the line I changed the precision to 0.
So delete the .txt file, and change the precision to at least 0.0 this then seems to work for any size bolt.

Greetings KenS,

Yes, like some plugins, it has its quarks. However, I uninstalled the plugin from the Google root directory, rebooted the system, installed a new version, fired-up SketchUp...nothing happened. It doesn't like to play in Vista, but it will work in my other system with XP.

I liked this plugin for all the neat stuff I could do with it. However, my bright, sun-filled days ended when I attempted to create a five-inch, MONSTER BOLT! Seriously, that's what happened and the plugin died...forever.

End of the story.

My question to Boltmaker's author is: what has this plugin installed onto my system that prevents the system from running any copy of Boltmaker I had previously installed?

Please, please someone help me, I want to have my life back.

sdmitch

Neffler and all, Why plugin Bolt Maker tends to be flaky is as much a mystery to me as you. I can assure you that Vista is not the problem since I developed Bolt Maker on a Vista system. As to size of bolts, I have made them from 1mm to 5" diameter without a problem. There is nothing "hidden" in the plugin that prohibits any version from running regardless of how many you have installed.

Niffler

@sdmitch said:

Neffler and all, Why plugin Bolt Maker tends to be flaky is as much a mystery to me as you. I can assure you that Vista is not the problem since I developed Bolt Maker on a Vista system. As to size of bolts, I have made them from 1mm to 5" diameter without a problem. There is nothing "hidden" in the plugin that prohibits any version from running regardless of how many you have installed.

Greetings Sdmitch,

"Oh happy days, oh happy days" The sun is shinning! I downloaded your latest Boltmaker plugin into my Vista system, fired-up Sketchup, clicked-on Boltmaker and it works!! I even tried a five-inch, monster bolt and that worked.

Now, for the bad news.

Sorry for raining down on your parade, mate. When boltmaker first opened, I was greeted with the error message:

"Error occurred when reading bolt_data file."

Sorry!

sdmitch

neffler, The error message you mentioned is one of the things I added to the latest version. I found that while testing and changing units from inches to millimeters and back again that it caused an error on one occasion when reading the defaults from the previous run. My guess is that this read error is what was causing the plugin to not run for you previously since I had not coded for this posibility. After dismissing the message, the plugin should run normally. I added this message just so you would know that and help explain why the defaults presented might not be what you expected or last entered.

Jim

Wow, Sam - I just checked out your blog and you have quite a collection of plugins going on there!

utiler

You're not wrong, Jim!!! nice collection, Sam!

AlainBo

Hi sdmitch,

Is it possible to expect other kind of head such as Phillips, Torx, countersunk?

Another thing could be to give an entry field for length as screws normally match to standard lentgh. I suppose it would be very difficult to embed lengths table....

Regards,
Alain

sdmitch

@unknownuser said:

Hi sdmitch,

Is it possible to expect other kind of head such as Phillips, Torx, countersunk?

Another thing could be to give an entry field for length as screws normally match to standard lentgh. I suppose it would be very difficult to embed lengths table....

Regards,
Alain

As the name implies, Bolt Maker makes bolts not screws. I'll leave that one for someone else.

ken

Great Plugin. Would it be possible to keep the tool active with the setting so one could install a line of bolts at numerous construction points, instead of having to make the selection again and again. So if I had 5 areas that I wanted this type of bolt, and these areas had the same requirements, I could after making the first bolt, just select the next 4 construction points and make the same bolt at all the construction points.

Thank you for this plugin

Ken

sdmitch

Ken, That seems like a reasonable feature. I'll investigate the possibilities.

sdmitch

Bolt Maker X offers an additional bolt location option for situations where non-rectangular components/groups are envolved and a repeat option to allow the placement of bolts of the same specification.

raineysky

Thank You Sam

Michaelv

Awesome! Here is some Mac testing.

Couple little things, see picture:
When the bolt length is across a profile, it adds a big length of thread. Whether I use location or offset.
If I use offset with the cylinder it doesn't work too well, but you know that and it is why we can now use absolute location and that works great.

In the mac option box, the size is very small when implemented like that, so the option "Locate by offset" yes/no becomes "Locate by" yes/no, I suggest "location" Offset/Pick (see PM)

sdmitch

The problem with the "thread" is the shape of the bottom group. The bolt has to go in and out of the group twice and does not find the faces in a top down order thus causing the problem. I am aware of the problem and I'm working on it.

Michaelv

OK thanks

sdmitch

To all Bolt Maker users: Bolt Maker XII - The final edition has been posted. It corrects the problem with multiple entry and exit point on any given group or component. It even allows and handles non-parallel faces. A fixed length option has been added so that bolts that do not require a nut can be placed. Check out the updated tutorial for further clarification.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bw8zdmaKDWIfZDdkNWM5OGEtMDZiMC00NTYxLTkyODMtY2NkY2ZmYmI1OGJl