Add_group slow on mac

th3lurker

I've had the same problem. I wrote an import tool for a custom format, and add_group (if i create a group for each volume) or add_face/add_point(if i create just one main group, and keep adding to that) greatly slows down the import. It gets exponentially slower (1.2 secs for 100 volumes, 120 seconds for 1400, 0.02 secods/add_group in the beginning, ~0.2 seconds/add_group near the end). I tested this with the GWD's code, and even without all my other code, it is just as slow. Any ideas/ workarounds? I work on windows vista (not my fault ).

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:


>       if PC
>         Sketchup.send_action(57603)
>       else # Mac
>         # may be convoluted on Mac
>       end
>

Why not use Model.save ?
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/model.html#save

And I don't see how saving would free up the undo stack. Seems to operate the same after a save...

I don't think saving has any effect - it's SketchUp that process existing geometry whenever new is added in order for auto-merge to work.

Dan Rathbun

@thomthom said:

Why not use Model.save ?

I was under the impression that the API would not let use use that method to overwrite the current file. But I just tested it and yes, it does work.

@thomthom said:

And I don't see how saving would free up the undo stack. Seems to operate the same after a save...

And, your're correct again. (Maybe I made an assumption.) On PC we can clear the undo stack by saving, then asking for a new model, then reloading the old model. (The API does not have a method to close the active model, yet. So it may be a no go on Mac.)

Here's an updated example:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
disable_ui = true
save = true
if save
  path = UI.savepanel("Save Model to","*.skp")
  if path.nil?
    save = false
  else
    path = File.expand_path(path)
  end
end

for n in 1..1000 do
  begin
    model.start_operation("Group#{n}",disable_ui)
    g = entities.add_group
    g.name = n.to_s
    point1 = Geom;;Point3d.new(n*10,0,0)
    c = g.entities.add_cpoint point1
    g.explode
  rescue => e
    model.abort_operation
    puts("Error #<#{e.class.name}; #{e.message}>")
    puts(e.backtrace)
  else
    model.commit_operation
    # opt save model here
    if save
      Sketchup.active_model.save(path)
      Sketchup.file_new
      Sketchup.open_file(path)
    end
  end
end

Dan Rathbun

Is it explode that is slow ? Or adding group definitions ?

If making groups (and explode) is avoided, is it still as slow ?

Does turning off shadows and textures speed things up ?

TIG

There are issues with model.save.
It only saves by name, but not path obtained using File from model.path etc.
It does NOT save by the name of the current SKP, although it returns 'true'...
To test this make a simple SKP and save it as 'aaa.skp'.

model=Sketchup.active_model Dir.pwd

if not where aaa.skp is located use

Dir.chdir(File.dirname(model.path))

now use

model.save("xxx.skp")### it saves a copy as xxx.skp

you are still inside aaa.rb

model.save(File.basename(model.path))### saves as itself - aaa.skp [supposedly, as it returns 'true' !]

Now edit the SKP with a noticeable change, and repeat

model.save("xxx.skp") model.save(File.basename(model.path))

Exit without saving further...
xxx.skp WILL show the changes
aaa.skp will NOT show the changes, that it said were saved, BUT were not!

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

Is it explode that is slow ? Or adding group definitions ?

Both. Adding geometry gets slower and slower in SU. When you explode you take the entities from one context and add it to another - so it suffers from the same slowdown of adding them.

@dan rathbun said:

Does turning off shadows and textures speed things up ?

It seems to be that SU processes all existing geometry when anything is added to a context.

Dan Rathbun

@tig said:

There are issues with model.save.

Thanks TIG... I knew you had expounded on this subject before.. and tried to get the Google team to fix this save BS.

Well, the example above at least DOES clear the undostack on PC...

which is why (ThomThom) I originally used the send_action for the PC menu's "Save" option. (Which does work.)

thomthom

@dan rathbun said:

which is why (ThomThom) I originally used the send_action for the PC menu's "Save" option. (Which does work.)

...under Windows only...

sigh the Ruby API makes my head ache all too often...

Dan Rathbun

YUP. On PC, Sketchup.send_action("save:") returns false. I wonder what the standard action is for Mac ?

Dittos.. on the API.

thomthom

I wish that PolygonMesh had more features in the Ruby API. In the C++ SDK you can define more info when you create the mesh. Under the Ruby API you are more limited.

One example, you can retrieve the mesh of any geometry - from that you can get info on hidden/soft edges and UV mapping. But you cannot create a mesh with UV mapping or control hidden/smooth. That severely limits the usability of PolygonMesh as a method of creating geometry.

So either complex and very slow geometry creation, or simple and less slow creation.

Or use the C++ API - ...which require C++ knowledge... Slower development...

Dan Rathbun

@dan rathbun said:

YUP. On PC, Sketchup.send_action("save:") returns false. I wonder what the standard action is for Mac ?

Ok.. it's Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument:") (at least it works on PC, and is listed on the Apple site as an action for the NSDocument class.)

Dan Rathbun

You might try saving the model to a temp file, after each group. That should clear the undo stack.
The file must have a name other than "Untitled" or the save dialog will popup.

Also use the disable_ui flag in an operation:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
disable_ui = true
PC =( RUBY_PLATFORM =~ /(mswin|mingw)/ ? true ; false )
save = true
for n in 1..1000 do
  begin
    model.start_operation("Group#{n}",disable_ui)
    g = entities.add_group
    g.name = n.to_s
    point1 = Geom;;Point3d.new(n*10,0,0)
    c = g.entities.add_cpoint point1
    g.explode
  rescue
    model.abort_operation
  else
    model.commit_operation
    # opt save model here
    if save
      if PC
        Sketchup.send_action(57603)
      else # Mac
        Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument;")
      end
    end
  end
end

GWD

@dan rathbun said:

@dan rathbun said:

YUP. On PC, Sketchup.send_action("save:") returns false. I wonder what the standard action is for Mac ?

Ok.. it's Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument:") (at least it works on PC, and is listed on the Apple site as an action for the NSDocument class.)

the Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument:") works on mac!

TIG

BUT saveDocument simply saves the current SKP and leaves the undo stack alone.
IF we use
pwd=Dir.pwd Dir.chdir(File.dirname(model.path))
so we don't need to worry about full paths etc...
Then use
` skp=File.basename(model.path)
tmp=rand.to_s+File.basename(model.path)

Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument:")
model.save(tmp)
Sketchup.open_file(tmp)
Sketchup.open_file(skp)`

on completion tidy up
File.delete(tmp) if File.exist?(tmp) Dir.chdir(pwd)

it will cause the "undo stack" to empty !
BUT at the expense of the time delay of saving/opening/etc etc...
There seems no easy way to clear the "undo stack" otherwise...

thomthom

And we have no signs of "clearing the undo stack" will actually improve the performance of adding geometry, do we?

driven

@gwd said:

the Sketchup.send_action("saveDocument:") works on mac!

Was this a query? if so, the answer is yes, normally, but the way Dan has used it in the earlier snippets, the Dialog appears, but fails to change the windows name and the script then really does strange things in 'no mans land'

i.e. it's not 'Untitled Window', or your given name, just 'Sketchup'. The cursor pulses, the view disintegrates[holes appeared] then the whole computer freezes... repeatable, yes but I'll pass.

In my curiosity to learn some ruby, I cobbled together some additional test scripts and ran them on my mac.

Script 1: 1.52668809890747 and generates 2000 undo steps #### this is the original from this thread
Script 2: 0.175029039382935 and generates 1001 undo steps
Script:3: 0.419209957122803 and generates 2 undo steps
Script 4: 0.0664420127868652 and generates 2 undo steps #### this uses disable_ui and draws after the timer stops, so add 0.04 maybe...

My scripts a probably really badly constructed, but they reliably return this similar timings... john

#########################################################################
# timer snippet from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2289381/how-to-time-an-operation-in-milliseconds-in-ruby
def time
  now = Time.now.to_f
  yield
  endd = Time.now.to_f
  endd - now
end

time{
# This code draws a line of points in 1.52668809890747
# and generates 2000 undo steps
 model = Sketchup.active_model
 entities = model.entities
for n in 1..1000 do
 g = entities.add_group
 g.name = n.to_s
 point1 = Geom;;Point3d.new(n*1,0,0)
 c = g.entities.add_cpoint point1
 g.explode
end
}
#########################################################################
def time
  now = Time.now.to_f
  yield
  endd = Time.now.to_f
  endd - now
end
time{
# This code draws a line of points in 0.175029039382935
# and generates 1001 undo steps
 model = Sketchup.active_model
 entities = model.active_entities
 centerpoint = Geom;;Point3d.new
 full_group = entities.add_group()
 (0..1000).each do |i|
 # Create a line of points
 centerpoint = [i*1,10,0]
 full_group.entities.add_cpoint centerpoint
end
full_group.explode
}
#########################################################################
def time
  now = Time.now.to_f
  yield
  endd = Time.now.to_f
  endd - now
end
time{
# This code draws a line of points in  0.389806985855103 on mac
# and generates 2 undo steps
require 'sketchup.rb'
require 'LangHandler.rb'

# Using language handler makes sure that the string "Create Line" gets translated.
# This is important as this string is shown in undo menu. 
$make_cp_line_string = LanguageHandler.new("gettingstarted.strings");

def cp_line()
     model = Sketchup.active_model
     selection = model.selection
  # Create a transaction so the box is one undo
  model.start_operation($make_cp_line_string.GetString("Create cp_Line"))

  entities = model.active_entities
  points_group = entities.add_group()
  centerpoint = Geom;;Point3d.new
  entities = points_group.entities
 
(0..1000).each do |i|
 # Create a line of points
 centerpoint = [i*1,20,0].to_a
 c_pl = points_group.entities.add_cpoint centerpoint
 points_group.name = "Points Group" 
 points_group.description = "Example Group" 
 selection.add points_group
 
 
 end #create
  model.commit_operation

end

cp_line
model = Sketchup.active_model
selection = model.selection
selection.length
selection.each { |entity| (entity.explode) }
}

##########################################################################
def time
  now = Time.now.to_f
  yield
  endd = Time.now.to_f
  endd - now
end
time{
# This code draws a line of points in 0.0667488574981689 with disable_ui on mac
# and generates 2 undo steps
require 'sketchup.rb'
require 'LangHandler.rb'

# Using language handler makes sure that the string "Create Line" gets translated.
# This is important as this string is shown in undo menu. 
$make_dcp_line_string = LanguageHandler.new("gettingstarted.strings");

def dcp_line()
     model = Sketchup.active_model
     selection = model.selection
     disable_ui = true
  # Create a transaction so the box is one undo
  model.start_operation($make_dcp_line_string.GetString("Create cp_Line"),disable_ui)

  entities = model.active_entities
  dis_pnts_group = entities.add_group()
  centerpoint = Geom;;Point3d.new
  entities = dis_pnts_group.entities
 
(0..1000).each do |i|
 # Create a line of points
 centerpoint = [i*1,30,0].to_a
 dc_pl = dis_pnts_group.entities.add_cpoint centerpoint
 dis_pnts_group.name = "Dis Points Group" 
 dis_pnts_group.description = "Example 2 Group" 
 selection.add dis_pnts_group
 
 
 end #create
  model.commit_operation

end

dcp_line
model = Sketchup.active_model
selection = model.selection
selection.length
selection.each { |entity| (entity.explode) }
disable_ui = false
}

##########################################################################

Dan Rathbun

Well, John, you've proved that disable_ui is much faster that not.

But the topic is about that add_group and explode group is slow. Which you've also proved, of course, by testing the same entity generation within only 1 group and then exploding it AFTER the loop.

I only speculated that Sketchup's writing to the Undo stack (and Undo Log file,) might slow things down.

There is a registry entry on PC for "MaxUndo" (under the "Preferences" key,) which is set to 100 by default. There is no UI control to change this "on-the-fly." (And likely Sketchup would not see any change to the attribute while running.) But I wonder if setting it to 0 before startup would it disable the undo feature all together ?? (I don't know what it's called in the Mac plist.)

But, regardless, ThomThom believes that it's not the undo stack, but instead the way the app seems to resort the model database, during add groups and explodes.
What if all the temp groups, were first added to a master group (to separate them from the rest of the model, and then after the loop, the master group was exploded ?)

Dan Rathbun

@dan rathbun said:

There is a registry entry on PC for "MaxUndo" (under the "Preferences" key,) which is set to 100 by default. There is no UI control to change this "on-the-fly." (And likely Sketchup would not see any change to the attribute while running.) But I wonder if setting it to 0 before startup would it disable the undo feature all together ?? (I don't know what it's called in the Mac plist.)

I just tried this.. set "MaxUndo" to 0 before SU start.

The undo operations do NOT appear on the Edit menu.

Sketchup still writes to the undo log, but after each tool operation, it writes a "Commit(0)" line.

Changing the attribute back to 100 while Sketchup is running has no effect (as I suspected.) And Sketchup will rewrite it's "live" "MaxUndo" value of 0, back to the registry attribute. So you must change it back to whatever limit you wish, while Sketchup is closed, in order to turn the Undo feature back on.

Dan Rathbun

Also, note. When "MaxUndo" is 0, calling Sketchup.send_action("editUndo:") still returns true, but nothing happens. (At least it does not BugSplat, which I did fear.)

driven

@dan rathbun said:

Well, John, you've proved that disable_ui is much faster that not.

But the topic is about that add_group and explode group is slow. Which you've also proved, of course, by testing the same entity generation within only 1 group and then exploding it AFTER the loop.

I only speculated that Sketchup's writing to the Undo stack (and Undo Log file,) might slow things down.
It appears to here, I can see a cursor image refresh as each group is created

@unknownuser said:

There is a registry entry on PC for "MaxUndo" (under the "Preferences" key,) which is set to 100 by default.There is no UI control to change this "on-the-fly." (And likely Sketchup would not see any change to the attribute while running.) But I wonder if setting it to 0 before startup would it disable the undo feature all together ?? (I don't know what it's called in the Mac plist.)

macSU .plist <key>SketchUp.Preferences.MaxUndo</key><string>100</string>
I think if you write to, then touch, then read SU uses the update, but I need to check if it works for SU prefs, it does for 'user' ruby ones.

@unknownuser said:

But, regardless, ThomThom believes that it's not the undo stack, but instead the way the app seems to resort the model database, during add groups and explodes.
making a 1000 groups adds 2000 undoes, which is much slower than putting it in the langhandler (which I thought would have a big overhead) with only 1 undo +1 for the explode outside.
@unknownuser said:

What if all the temp groups, were first added to a master group (to separate them from the rest of the model, and then after the loop, the master group was exploded ?)
I'll try and work out a script to do a test, unless you want to...
I wasn't really doing this to post back, it's just an exercise in me understanding SU ruby (on mac), but the results seemed to be relevant to the OP's mac/group inquiry. Yell at me if it's not.
john