[Plugin]Hole on Solid tool v1.6.3 upadate Jan 09, 2012

[carlm]

Hi-

I've installed the 1.6.3 plugin, but when I first re-opened SU the little Hole on Solid toolbox was "in my way" so I closed it -- now I can't figure out how to get it back. I can choose the plugin from the Plugin menu and it works to make single holes, but I've no menu access to the Multi-Hole variant of the tool, and no obvious way to re-open the toolbox...

Any ideas?

Thanks, -carl-

(SU8 amateur, MacOS 10.5.8)

[TIG]

Menu > View > Toolbars > the_Tool's_Name
On a MAC it might be called something like 'Tool-Palettes' ?

[carlm]

@tig said:

Menu > View > Toolbars > the_Tool's_Name
On a MAC it might be called something like 'Tool-Palettes' ?

Doh!

View>Tool Palettes

And there's your 2D tools palette as well.

Thanks, -carl-

[jgt1942]

@tak2hata said:

The face and solid must be in same Group or Component or Model.
And ComponentInstance for hole must have hole option.
It is rule of this plugin.

Sorry newbie question - It took me a few hours (OK I'm really slow) to realize that the face could NOT be part of the solid. I'm having a couple of problems (1) creating the face - every-time I attempt to create the face it becomes part of the solid (2) I copied in a test object for the face but I cannot get it accurately positioned. Example I'm drawing a woodworking object and I need to have the hold precisely positioned and sized.

I've got to study a bit more to fully understand your statement in the above quote. If you have a reference video to explain what you have in the quote, for me that would be super helpful.

The concept is super and in the example file I downloaded it works GREAT! I'm using SU 8.

[Dave R]

Could you post a screen shot of your model? Or better, the SKP file? It would be more helpful to explain how to position the hole where you want it and to sort out why the face becomes part of the solid.

[Gus R]

Just discovered this plugin. Installed it and tested it with faces and components including multiple selections and it works like a charm. Thanks! It will come in very handy for window openings.

[Aetria]

Very nice! It´s going to be amazingly useful

[cjc0306]

Once I click on the Hole on solid button I cannot selet the items. The selection arrow is shown but nothing gets highlighted or selected upon clicking. SU version Im using is 8.1.16.

[tak2hata]

@cjc0306 said:

Once I click on the Hole on solid button I cannot selet the items. The selection arrow is shown but nothing gets highlighted or selected upon clicking. SU version Im using is 8.1.16.

Hi,cjc0306.
That flow of tool is like this.
Start this tool.
Click Group/Component.
Click face for hole.
I think you selected face first?

Thanks.

[olishea]

excellent tool tak2hata! I will be using this ALL the time

[zaaephod]

Thanks for this plugin, I love it!

I did have some trouble with they sketchy physics plugin though, somehow they conflict, and it caused the plugin to combine the face and the solid into a group, with no hole created. After hunting for an hour or so, I finally realize it was the plugin I had added this morning causing it.

[tak2hata]

@zaaephod said:

Thanks for this plugin, I love it!

I did have some trouble with they sketchy physics plugin though, somehow they conflict, and it caused the plugin to combine the face and the solid into a group, with no hole created. After hunting for an hour or so, I finally realize it was the plugin I had added this morning causing it.

Hi,zaaephod.
Thanks for your enjoying.

And the problem was already solved?
If not,Is the problem caused to hole on solid?

Thanks.

[Pants]

Tak2Hata,

Thanks for the plugin. It was frustrating trying to use this - I watched your youtube video three times, and even allowing for the different (Japanese) Skethchup version, I couldn't get anything to happen...but finally figured it out while writing this!

You replied to another user who had my problem, above:

cjc0306 wrote:
Once I click on the Hole on solid button I cannot selet the items. The selection arrow is shown but nothing gets highlighted or selected upon clicking. SU version Im using is 8.1.16.

Hi,cjc0306.
That flow of tool is like this.
Start this tool.
Click Group/Component.
Click face for hole.
I think you selected face first?

My best clarifying rewrite:

1. create object to be drilled and save as group or component
2. create shapes to use as "drills" that will extrude holes in that solid
3. float those "drills" above the face/s of the solid such that their shadows will extrude the holes in the desired locations
4. turn on Tak2Hata's drill tool (look for floating menu to confirm it's on)
5. note that instruction text (bottom of screen) will say "select first solid"
6. select the object to be drilled (as group or component)
7. the grouping to be drilled will highlight in blue
8. note instruction text will now say "select face for hole"
9. click on the group's face that is to be "drilled" - and note that there will be NO visible response to this - that is, there is no indication that you've succeeded in selecting a face; also, the arrow-cursor will seem "dead" at this point (it moves, but can't select anything other than a drill-shape)
10. keep the faith, and click on any of the "drill" shapes you made previously
11. a hole in that shape will be extruded through the object (I'd add an explosion sound there if I knew how...)

I've only done this once successfully, but I think this is about right. Please feel free to edit/use my clarifications to help instruct others.

--Dave

[tak2hata]

Hi,david.

Thanks for your reply.

I will write the annotation about the solid in sketchup must be Group/Component.

TAK2HATA

[Pants]

Tak2Hata,

I've had only a little success in using your tool in my actual project. I'm trying to 'drill' eight holes, on a circular pattern, through a simple wheel shape.

I am guessing that the tool can't "drill" using my grouped "drill" shapes. In my case, this is the eight 1/2" discs that are floated above the surface of the wheel to be drilled (there was no response when I selected the grouped "drill" shapes.)

I ungrouped them, and only then was able to make one hole. And that would be OK - I could do it one at a time - but Sketchup crashed as soon as I tried to make the second hole. I managed to save it after one hole was drilled, but each time I restart and try again, it crashes.

I also of course noticed that after my first test use of your hole-in-solid tool, I no longer see the floating menu. I have been selecting your plugin from the menu, but the only indication it is on is the text in the bar at bottom of drawing.

Any suggestions?

Thanks - Dave

[tak2hata]

Hi,Dave.
Please uploade the model of that problem.

Thanks.

[Pants]

@tak2hata said:

Hi,Dave.
Please uploade the model of that problem.

Thanks.

Tak,

Thanks for the offer to help. File is uploaded.

I no longer see the "tear-off menu" for your plugin, though it responds as if it should still be working. It has always been the case that I never know if it's going to "punch" a hole until either it does so, or it crashes. Should it be capable of punching a group of holes through the selected solid face? And how does the user know when a face of that solid has been successfully selected?

Mahalo - Dave

---

this one crashes or does nothing when I try to make any more holes.

[gilles]

Your component is not solid.
Also there are lots of bad geometries.
Redraw from scratch is a one minute job then this works.

[tak2hata]

Hi,Dav.
Gilles said opinion,I think so ,too.

And I tested the boolean operation on sketchup.It could not be drilled because it is not solid.

I will consider this problem in future.But it will take longer time.

You said no longer seeing "tear-off menu".

Delete this plugin from your plugins folder.

Never mind for never use my plugins.

[Pants]

@tak2hata said:

Hi,Dav.
Gilles said opinion,I think so ,too...It could not be drilled because it is not solid...

Not solid? Did you orbit the wheel, and notice it has two holes punched in it (one in center, the other being one of the eight 1/2" ones, both punched using your plugin? (What defines 'solid,' if that isn't solid?)

I don't know what Gilles means by "bad geometry," perhaps it needs to be punished. I drew this as a 'solid of revolution,' that is, by drawing the upper half of the wheel's cross-section, and extruding it along a circular path, using the follow-me tool. The default circle SU draws (and which I followed) is 24-sided, so this results in some 'jagginess.' That imprecision wouldn't matter in my view, because my "simple plan" was to pdf and email this drawing to some casting shops to get rough quotes: they would glance at the drawing, want to know the overall diameter and the thinnest section, estimate the weight, and they'd be done with it.

So I started from scratch yesterday and mostly repeated what I had done before, to refresh my memory of how I'd drawn the thing. Most of the same problems recurred. I could not successfully specify a 7" radius for the 'follow-me' circle, for example, but was able to mouse-click to meet the wheel's 14" diameter. I had to do a temporary construction of a couple of rectangles in order to convince SU to draw the center-hole on the red axis, which otherwise couldn't be selected at any view. But this time, the hole plugin worked, for whatever reason, one hole at a time, but the tool palette seems gone forever.