[plugin] Rotated Box [updated 30-Mar-2014]

TIG

If I might interject.
All native and most 3rd-party tools add new geometry etc into the "current context" [ model.active_entities] - even if the added 'object' itself is a group of new geometry.
To always force new stuff into model.entities as its context will be very confusing, unless the two entities' contexts are not the sample.
So if you are editing a component or a group and you use this tool to add a 'box' then the newly made object will currently then be added outside of the current context... which is not what you'd expect at all - e.g. if you draw a 'line' it's added inside the context, not outside in the model.entities
It IS a very simple adjustment to the code to make these tools intuitive in the way it adds its geometry like the native tools...

sdmitch

For all of you who have been anxiously awaiting the change of mod.entities to mod.active_entities, your wait is over and Version 1.2.1 is for you.

brookefox

I'm all over it. Thank you, Sam.

sdmitch

Updated to be SU2014 compatible.

TIG

I have added it to the PluginStore.
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=Rotated_Box

dedmin

See the video.
Video_2014-03-29_033416.wmv

sdmitch

Very interesting. I'll try to solve the mystery.

Jim

Just something I noted from the video - implement the Tool#getExtents method to fix the clipping of your temporary geometry.

Bob James

@the.pjt
3Pts_Tools is a great tool set (yours and Sam's) and the toolbar.

Comments:

Works fine in SU13, but the cylinder creation is somewhat counter-intuitive: In the Box Tool the base is created first, then the height. In the Cylinder Tool it is the opposite: the height is created first, then the radius. Not a deal-breaker, but it would be better (IMO) if they were both in the same order; base, then height.
In SU13 it works whether in the 'standard' plugin folder or in an 'additional' folder. In SU14 it does not load successfully in either location: I get load errors in either folder.

sdmitch

In the case of the cylinder, the definition of the height also defines the normal for the cylinder. If you were only doing cylinders oriented along one of the axes, then you could just as easily do it the other way.

I think I have found and fixed the bug in Rotated Box that caused the box to be displaced when dimensions were keyed in.

dedmin

Can the default be NOT to add to a group? It is very frustrating!

sdmitch

@dedmin said:

Can the default be NOT to add to a group? It is very frustrating!

Yes of course. Using Notepad, change the line "@group_box = true" to "@group_box = false".

dedmin

dedmin

Love this - using it all day long to build furniture from ply and sheet goods!
One wish - to draw the height of the box from the center, not just up or down.
Thanks.

sdmitch

@dedmin said:

Love this - using it all day long to build furniture from ply and sheet goods!
One wish - to draw the height of the box from the center, not just up or down.
Thanks.

Do you mean the height value entered would be half the desired height? Would this always be the case?

dedmin

@sdmitch said:

@dedmin said:

Love this - using it all day long to build furniture from ply and sheet goods!
One wish - to draw the height of the box from the center, not just up or down.
Thanks.

Do you mean the height value entered would be half the desired height? Would this always be the case?

I mean - the value entered would be the desired one, just drawn in half up and down.

sdmitch

@dedmin said:

@sdmitch said:

@dedmin said:

Love this - using it all day long to build furniture from ply and sheet goods!
One wish - to draw the height of the box from the center, not just up or down.
Thanks.

Do you mean the height value entered would be half the desired height? Would this always be the case?

I mean - the value entered would be the desired one, just drawn in half up and down.

I'm sorry but that makes no sense.

dedmin

For instance - to draw a shelf centered on the side. This is Rhino:

sdmitch

@dedmin said:

For instance - to draw a shelf centered on the side. This is Rhino:
[attachment=0:u6oxrafv]selection_toys.gif[/attachment:u6oxrafv]

Thanks for the graphic. At least it makes sense now.

I have sent you, by Personal Message, a modified copy that I think does what you want.

designerbursa

Toolbar rotated box plugin

Rotated_Box.zip