Connect Guide Points

Bob James

I have a series of guide points that form the contour of an object. I want to connect the guide points to form "ribs" so that I can use Connect Edges by Loft.
Is there a ruby to connect guide points with lines?

I tried TIG's Triangulation ruby on the guide points, but the result wasn't what I need.

sdmitch

Maybe after the triangulation you chould use slicer?

Are the guide points in order or randomly placed?

Could you post a sample model?

Bob James

Here are the ribs

Ribs.skp

Bob James

@sdmitch

How awesome is that!! My own "Bob's Ribs" plugin
Many, many thanks - you're definitely on my Special Guys List

brookefox

I'm not going to rename my copy 'Brookes_Ribs.rb'. It just wouldn't feel right.

sdmitch

Bob, After further testing, I see that there is a problem with the smallest or left most rib. My point sort fails but I think I can fix that so stand by for the update.

Any problem with the grouping or layer? Keep the individual line segments or make it a curve?

Your thoughts.

Bob James

I'll have to check it out on Monday when I get to work. Thank you for your persistent help

sdmitch

Bob, I used the attached plugin to connect the guide points to create the "ribs" one at a time. Pre-select the guide points that define the rib and then run the plugin. The rib is grouped and placed on layer "Ribs".

The plugin has been removed due to flawed logic which severely limited its usefullness.

Bob James

Works great!!! Hey, folks, he's done it again

sdmitch

Great! Now what should I really name it?

Bob James

Well, of course I really like Bobs_Ribs , but I suppose a more prosaic title is inevitable: something like "guide-point-connector" or "guide_points_to_lines" or the title of this thread: "Connect Guide Points".

In any event, thank you very much.

sdmitch

Connect Guide Points it is. The plugin has been formally posted.

sdmitch

As promised, a new and improved version of Bobs_Ribs.rb. As before, pre-select the guide points defining the "rib". The rib is created as a group and placed on layer "Ribs".

6/26/2012 Plugin removed and posted in its own thread.

ken

@sdmitch said:

Connect Guide Points it is. The plugin has been formally posted.

Oh, darn I just started thinking. This could have went on for awhile. Oh, well there is always the next plugin.

Thanks for you work Sam

Michaelv

Bob,
Let me ask you this: What is it you're trying to design? And how you came about having the field of points (rather than the shape)?

I ask because I'm currently working on a plugin that creates a curve from a set of points (although not cpoints but a list of x,y coordinates) and then generates a solid from a series, much similar to what you're trying to accomplish.
I don't have a set of drawn points to start from but rather a list of adimensional x,y coordinates (multiply by a scale factor or dimension to get the result), like a spreadsheet.

Depending on what it is you're doing and what you have to start with, it may be an interesting option for me to consider in my tool. In any case I may think of how I may modify it to do what you need (the whole shape) if it's possible.

If you have a list of coordinates (file), it shouldn't be too hard for me to create the tool that will make a mesh/surface out of it, as I will need such a tool in my plugin, so it's part of writing it. All it would need is a bit of input change.
If you only have construction points, then it will need to extract coordinates from the selection. I guess Sam's tool does that inherently, and might be able (if not already) generate an array of coordinates. I didn't look at the tool yet.

awkonradi

Hi Folks, I am working on some hydrofoils, using SketchUp 8 in Windows 8. I can import guide points, from a database airfoil, using Cloud_V8. But, Connect GPs is giving me the error message "No Guide Points in Selection", despite all being selected. Anything I might be doing wrong? Or, must this be a problem of this script in my environment? Thanks! Andrei in Burlingame, California

TIG

Are the guide points inside a group or component ?
If so explode it, or edit it [better as a 'select all' will then get all of the points with little effort] and continue to work inside its context.
You have to select the points, not their container.

awkonradi

Exploding it worked! Thanks, TIG! Andrei

libbus

@michaelv said:

Bob,
Let me ask you this: What is it you're trying to design? And how you came about having the field of points (rather than the shape)?

I ask because I'm currently working on a plugin that creates a curve from a set of points (although not cpoints but a list of x,y coordinates) and then generates a solid from a series, much similar to what you're trying to accomplish.
I don't have a set of drawn points to start from but rather a list of adimensional x,y coordinates (multiply by a scale factor or dimension to get the result), like a spreadsheet.

Depending on what it is you're doing and what you have to start with, it may be an interesting option for me to consider in my tool. In any case I may think of how I may modify it to do what you need (the whole shape) if it's possible.

If you have a list of coordinates (file), it shouldn't be too hard for me to create the tool that will make a mesh/surface out of it, as I will need such a tool in my plugin, so it's part of writing it. All it would need is a bit of input change.
If you only have construction points, then it will need to extract coordinates from the selection. I guess Sam's tool does that inherently, and might be able (if not already) generate an array of coordinates. I didn't look at the tool yet.

I am interested in the tool you are developing. I am working on modeling chromosome ends on a sphere. I have been modeling chromosome ends on the surface of a sphere using Buckyball in SketchUp8. The sphere is rotated/orbited so that one gets different projections of the labels that approximate the distribution of chromosomes in actual cellular spreads (the various polygons are numbered for ease of identification). (I can send images of the spheres and models if youlike but I can't past them)

My questions:

How can I get the coordinates (2D or 3D) of the different labels (chromosomes ends) in each of the projections
I notice that there is “wobble” or discrepancy between the assigned positions of the label (i.e. to specific pentagons or hexagons it was originally assigned to) and the location it appears at in the projected sphere. Is it possible to increase the fidelity or decrease the variation between the assigned and apparent location?
When I export different projections (of the same sphere), i.e. those rotated to give different chromosome distributions, I get identical sets of data. The file is huge. I take it SU gives the coordinates (?) of all points in the model, and it matters not what orientation or rotation is current. Is that the right understanding?
Is there a way of simplifying the data points so that only the coordinates of the labels are retained?

Here are X,Y coordinates of one chromosome spread. Perhaps you can have a creative approach to plotting these points on a sphere:

Chrom X Y

1Ap 4.3 0.3
1Aq 3.0 9.0

1Bp 2.5 1.4
1Bq 0.4 2.9

2Ap 9.7 2.7
2Aq 8.2 9.3

2Bp 6.9 3.7
2Bq 0.2 5.5

Xp 8.2, 4.6
Xq 0.6 7.7

Y1p 7.4 1.4
Y1q 11.8 4.4

Y2p 7.7 3.2
Y2q 8.6 2.2

m,any thanks,
BL
blibbus@gmail.com