[Plugin] Slicer5

TIG

Tig,
On the contour sample you showed is there a way for an outline of the smaller piece to be shown on the larger piece so when making the real model it will be easy to line up everything properly?
Thanks,
Cubcrafter
Funny you should mention that... I thought of it when I looked at the image too...
I'm thinking about it... Perhaps an extra tool to 'emboss' the part below onto the set? Z002 gets Z001, Z003 gets Z002 and so on... It's NOT as easy as it sounds !

g_wilson

@tig said:

And a Contour model - useful for making a Kappa Board 3d real model.
Here Slice Spacing and Thickness = 1m...

This reminded me of this: http://www.challengermap.org/history.htm
There used to be school trips to see this map in the good ol' days. Lends meaning to the expression "Patience of a wooden god." It was neat to ride the gantry over top of the map - photos don't do justice to the size. Imagine now - Tig's slicer and cnc router.

lapx

Yes, labeling and aligning would be useful tools.
Fantastic work Tig!

TIG

Here's v5.9 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=374969#p374969

Please [re]read the Usage Notes - it has several changes and additions...

The Exporter is now a separate tool, there are now no prompts after Slicing, it must be run separately later on.
If Axis==X/Y/Z/A and Thickness==Spacing then new option to add 'Outline' [OLIN group] from the adjacent Slice, it helps in assembling the real 3d pieces.
If Exported DXF includes an OLIN then those are put onto a layer 'OLIN' which can be used for 'etching' an outline [like Text].
If a Slice has manually added circular holes <12mm diam then these are also put on their own DXF layer, 'CIRC'.
Exported PNGs now made 2x viewport size for sharpness.
Exported PNGs from a Flattened set containing a FLAT2 are now consistently sized, based on the maximums of BOTH FLAT sets and guide-points are shown at TR/BL/CT. Shadows are now automatically set 'off' when making the PNGs.
An 'RZ' option has been added, to make Radial Slices intersecting, and potentially slotted, with 'Z' Slices.
Glitches with Spacing/Spaces dialogs resolved.

CaptureContours+OLIN.PNG

Ben Ritter

TIG, thank you again!

lapx

Thanks TIG!

TIG

Here's v5.10 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=374969#p374969

Please re-read the Usage Notes... it has 2 major new tools added.

'Slicer5 Slotter': after manual relocation or resizing/shaping of [non-Slotted] Slices in dual-axis 3d SLICES set, it does Slotting of the sets' Slices [reflected in the FLAT sets]; useful if you want to have some narrower or angled 'slats' etc. This offers considerable flexibility in allowing adjustments of non-slotted forms and the individual slices, which can then all be Slotted together later - see Usage Notes...

'Slicer5 Audit': checks 3d SLICES set against the FLAT set; also Text-tags [if any] are updated to reflect the Slice's current name [useful if you have manually copied a Slice (say '1234-X001') and then used 'Make_Unique' on it to make a new Component (say '1234-X001#1') and edited its form etc, because the Text-tag will not now reflect that Slice's new name]; all
changes reported at end in an Audit_Report txt file.
The Audit also runs before any Export and stops it if any significant errors are found; to allow you to consider the implications - see Usage Notes...

There are also some minor adjusts to dialogs' text, layout glitches etc.

Oxer

The first, thanks for the plugin, but on Mac when you select "Add References? -->Yes" the plugin doesn't work, if you select ---> No the plugin works fine.
This is the Console error message:

I don't know if there is a conflict with other plugin, i'm going to uninstall other plugins, later i inform you.

TIG

The failure is because the group of text doesn't seem to exist
It creation might be failing because you don't have a ttf Font called 'Txt' on your MAC ?
On a PC if the specified Font is missing then the last used 3d-Font is substituted - e.g. 'Arial'.
To see if it's this I've provided a 'Txt' .ttf Font in this zip file... txt_____.zip...extract it and put it into your system Fonts folder... and see if that then works...

If it doesn't... can you try this manual 'equivalent' for me.
Open a new empty SKP.
Copy/Paste + <enter> into the Ruby Console, each of these lines in turn...
gp=Sketchup.active_model.active_entities.add_group() txt="X001" gp.name=txt tgp=gp.entities.add_group() tgp.name="TEXT" tht=50.mm tgp.entities.add_3d_text(txt,TextAlignLeft,'Txt',false,false,tht,0,0,false,0) tm=tgp.bounds.min
You should end up with a group called 'X001', which contains a group called 'TEXT', that in turn contains the 'flat' 3dText 50mm high, saying 'X001', and return the minimum bounds corner {[0,0,0]?} ???
Report what happens at each step...
If it fails at all please try this in for the last but one line of code...
tgp.entities.add_3d_text(txt,TextAlignLeft,'Arial',false,false,tht,0,0,false,0)
As you should have always 'Arial.ttf' ?

Oxer

Ok TIG, i'm going to probe these solutions, later i'll inform you of the results.

Oxer

Fantastic, the plugin works now with References. The problem was that i haven't installed the Font "txt.tff"
Thanks TIG for your quick reply.

Oxer

I have translated the last version of the plugin to spanish language, if you want i can upload the translation here.

TIG

@oxer said:

:berserk: Fantastic, the plugin works now with References. The problem was that i haven't installed the Font "txt.tff"
Thanks TIG for your quick reply.
OK - I'll add that font to the main download in case any other MAC users have the issue...
As far as the translation goes... I've no plans to translate [deBabelize] it... not yet... BUT if you want to post your translation strings, then I can use them when I do [for v5.11+ ?]

TIG

I have now added the 'Txt' ttf font in a zip file onto the end of the main download page... read the notes with its link, if you want to download it...
zip http://forums.sketchucation.com/download/file.php?id=81087
on page http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=374969#p374969

Oxer

@tig said:

As far as the translation goes... I've no plans to translate [deBabelize] it... not yet... BUT if you want to post your translation strings, then I can use them when I do [for v5.11+ ?]

I have translated the rb files but if you want i can create the deBabelize file with spanish language for futures updates.
Thanks again!!

TIG

Oxer

Thanks, but language version of each update become unwieldy.
Please don't post an ES version of the .rb file !
For future deBabelizer integration I need a ES.lingvo file***
I can adjust the file name to suit.
I'll also make the initial matching EN-US.lingvo from scratch anyway...
I think you know the format for the lingvo files IF you want to make one.
A word or phrase on each line thus:
The cat.<==>El gato. A dog.<==>Un pero.
When deBabelizing the strings I often adjust the actual code's strings anyway, so you need not be too pedantic about every last 'palabra'...

***I might be able to get the thing deBabaleized next week so if you want to simply PM me your translated .rb file, it would save you making the ES.lingvo at all...

Oxer

@tig said:

***I might be able to get the thing deBabaleized next week so if you want to simply PM me your translated .rb file, it would save you making the ES.lingvo at all...

OK, i send you the rb files for PM.

TIG

Here's v5.11 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=374969#p374969

There are several minor adjustments to dialog and status-bar text etc.
The tool is now fully 'deBabelized' into other languages [requires deBabelizer.rb to be in the Plugins folder, this file is included in the archived set you download]; various lingvo files are included in this tool's subfolder. These lingvo files [except the ES one which has already been edited by Oxer (thanks!)] will need some "improvements", please post your suggested improved lingvo file, OR even a brand new lingvo file for your own locale... Over time they'll get incorporated into new update sets...
The 'Txt.ttf' Font [zipped] is now added to the available downloads in the first post [for those of you who still need it!]...
Also the soon-to-be-deprecated 'PLATFORM' is now replaced by 'RUBY_PLATFORM' for cross-platform compatibility.

Oxer

You're rapid like a ray, thanks again TIG.

TIG

@miki71ita said:

hi TIG!... I downloaded the last version 5.11 and....You wrote 'The best Plugin all over the world!!!' for me!!!
But I use the old 5.5v!.. And I'd like to know a tip... Your script (5.5v) makes the menu: 'Plugins' and the item: 'Slicer5' inside it.
How can I simulate the press of this item by ruby code to start your script from my small personal script, without using manually the mouse click on it?.. Tanks a lot and good job!!!
To make a shortcut key that works for any tool [even scripts] you simply open Window > Preferences > Shortcuts, filter for 'Slicer' [or whatever it is called in your locale if you have the more recent deBabelized version]. The available list of tools will be reduced to just those containing 'Slicer'. Pick the one you want and assign a shortcut key to it.
Don't use numbers as they are used for inputting lengths etc, and some others are already used like S for Scale and Ctrl+S for Save. Repeat if you want to add other shortcuts to other tools... OK to close and try your shortcut - if you don't have a suitable selected group etc the error message should be the same if if you ran it from a Plugins-menu item or Slicer5-toolbar button click.

PS: Why haven't you upgraded to v5.11 ? It is more stable has a few minor issues fixed AND offers several new/improved tools, like Slotter and Audit...