[Plugin] Material_Maintenance v2.2 - 2013-01-13

[Myhand]

@thomthom said:

I've got a bridge in development in my TT_Lib2 library: http://www.thomthom.net/software/sketchup/tt_lib2/doc/
A JSON sub-class of a Hash and a bridge where I can call JS functions just with their name from Ruby and it will convert many types of objects to JS object and the return value of the JS function will be converted back into Ruby objects. Got most of the basic data types working and some of SU's custom classes, such as Vector3d and Point3d.
https://bitbucket.org/thomthom/tt-library-2/

Parallel to that there's a WebDialog bridge developed in SketchUp's Developer Tools they released as Open Source at last Basecamp: https://github.com/SketchUp/sketchup-developer-tools

You could have a look at either repos if it could help you.

It would have been interesting to create a standalone bridge as an open source project, avoiding each developer to create their own version.

Thank you thomthom, very impressive library! A shame I did not know about it before I started.

Unfortunately I already developed a basic bridge so changing it now would be more work than just adding a JSON marshal class. I wrote a basic one in ruby (so probably not the most efficient but works fine for the size of objects I want to pass). Does all objects, and escapes special characters etc. and does the trick for now. I will publish the code a bit later if anyone is interested. As all of my complex objects go from ruby to JS I have not written a parser (yet).

You have some experience with the C++ API. Does that give access to more attributes than the Ruby API. Specifically I want to change the material assigned to layers.

[thomthom]

@myhand said:

You have some experience with the C++ API. Does that give access to more attributes than the Ruby API. Specifically I want to change the material assigned to layers.

The C++ SDK for for reading and writing files. It's not something you can use from within SketchUp - manipulate the active model.
But if your goal it to generate a SKP file, then it might be the thing for you. However, I've not used it.

Regarding the Bridge - we talked about this at Basecamp (2012). I think the topic has potential for an Open Source project. We're currently testing out the experience of open source group projects with the STL Importer/Exporter and the Development Tools that SketchUp released. I'd like to see a bridge project established - and even more projects - so we can avoid redoing the work which the next man already have done.

[Myhand]

For anyone interested here is a link to the JSON formatter class I created. I am now using this for the next version of this plugin, which will allow you to pick a component and find its parent hierarchy. i.e. components containing nested instances of the specified component.

http://www.keepingmyhandin.com/Downhome/Sketchup/simplejsonserializerrubyimplementation

[cmd]

@myhand said:

Thanks CMD, that will be very useful. I hate not being able to debug it myself!

Myhand,

I installed the script on my windows version and all worked fine.

I also removed and reinstalled it on my Mac but I am getting the same error on launch of the script

@unknownuser said:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method `refreshMaterials' for #<MH_KeepingMyHandIn::MaterialMaintenance:0x15306b40>>

CMD

[Myhand]

@cmd said:

@myhand said:

Thanks CMD, that will be very useful. I hate not being able to debug it myself!

Myhand,

I installed the script on my windows version and all worked fine.

I also removed and reinstalled it on my Mac but I am getting the same error on launch of the script

@unknownuser said:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method `refreshMaterials' for #<MH_KeepingMyHandIn::MaterialMaintenance:0x15306b40>>

CMD

Thanks CMD, sounds like my hunch might have been right and that it is something to do with the MAC.

Can anyone that has used the script on a MAC (successfully or otherwise) please let me know?

Else we might have to do this the hard way... CMD, if I add some debug code to the script would you mind running it and sending me the output?

Cheers,

myhand

[rv1974]

Myhand, let me shake your hand!
this is a real helper (especially for those who render outside SU and care about mats order).
Thank you!

[Myhand]

@rv1974 said:

Myhand, let me shake your hand!
this is a real helper (especially for those who render outside SU and care about mats order).
Thank you!

Glad you like it!

[cmd]

@myhand said:

... CMD, if I add some debug code to the script would you mind running it and sending me the output?

No problem

CMD

[Myhand]

@cmd said:

@myhand said:

... CMD, if I add some debug code to the script would you mind running it and sending me the output?

No problem

CMD

Hi CMD,

here is the file

Debug version

You can replace the Material_Maintenance.rb file in your ../Plugins/Material_Maintenance folder, restart sketchup, open the console window and launch the plugin. The script will output some debug to the console. Can you send me the whole console output please.

Cheers,

myhand

[cmd]

Here is the output from the ruby console after replacing with your posted Material_Maintenance.rb and launching the tool.

CMD

---

ruby console output.txt

[Jim]

You may need to move the method definition of fromUIHandler to after the definition of refreshMaterials. Ruby might be trying to call refreshMaterials

  ` results = self.send(targetFunction.to_sym, *params)`

before it is defined.

I sent a PM.

[Myhand]

@cmd said:

Here is the output from the ruby console after replacing with your posted Material_Maintenance.rb and launching the tool.

CMD

Thanks CMD.

Unfortunately the attached output implies that the debug version of the Material_Maintenance.rb script did not run but rather the old version.

the error says:

Error; #<NoMethodError; undefined method `refreshMaterials' for #<MH_KeepingMyHandIn;;MaterialMaintenance;0x1383e920>>
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/Material_Maintenance/Material_Maintenance.rb;106;in `send'

and indicates the send method call is on line 106, while it is actually on line 122 in the debug version.

Have you restarted Sketchup after copying the new file in?

A few ways to check that the debug script is running are:

• You should see this message in the console: "calling function >>refreshMaterials<<"; There might also be the same message but with other function names
• The the above error appears again, it should be on line 122 not line 106.

Cheers,

myhand

[cmd]

sorry about that.

Unfortunately, here is what I get with your debug .rb

---

[driven]

I get this with ruby 1.8.5 or ruby 1.8.7

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined methodto_sym' for nil:NilClass>
/Users/johns_iMac/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/Material_Maintenance/Material_Maintenance.rb:106:in fromUIHandler' /Users/johns_iMac/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/Material_Maintenance/Material_Maintenance.rb:66:in initialise'
/Users/johns_iMac/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/Material_Maintenance/Material_Maintenance.rb:106:in call' /Users/johns_iMac/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/Material_Maintenance/Material_Maintenance.rb:106
john

[cmd]

Myhand,

Sorry.. I replaced the wrong file. Here is what I get in the Ruby console with your debug script after I launch the tool.

@unknownuser said:

calling function >>refreshMaterialsÂ<<
!!!!! - IN refreshMaterials !!!!!
String Time = 3.0e-06
Total Entities = 0

I hope this helps

CMD

[driven]

@CMD

@unknownuser said:

calling function >>refreshMaterialsÂ<<

what version of ruby are you running?

I only see that encoded  if I run 1.8.7 on the original file...

I was actually wondering if it was an encoding issue as the script is not UFT8 out of the box. and uses chars that maybe misrepresented on macs
john

[Myhand]

@cmd said:

Myhand,

Sorry.. I replaced the wrong file. Here is what I get in the Ruby console with your debug script after I launch the tool.

@unknownuser said:

calling function >>refreshMaterialsÂ<<
!!!!! - IN refreshMaterials !!!!!
String Time = 3.0e-06
Total Entities = 0

I hope this helps

CMD

Excellent this helps a lot. It tells us that somewhere the function name gets corrupted between where it is hardcoded in the javascript to where it enters the Ruby environment.

Was that the whole output? Were there no other lines following the below patterns? I would have expected at least one more set, probably before the above lines.

calling function >>xxxx<<
!!!!! - IN xxxx !!!!!

Where xxxx is any name.

I suspect driven might be correct. Let me give this some thought.

[Mistro11]

I'm having such a great month upgrading my Sketchup! Artisan, SketchUV, ProfileBuilder Pro, 1001Bits, and now this VERY useful plugin.

Managing materials was always a major headache for me, especially when building multi-story houses with downloaded furniture. I tend to forget the fact that the downloaded furniture may have some of the same materials I assigned to what I already have in the model. I once waited for a long KT render to find out the pillows on one of the beds were made of chrome. This looks like it will save me a lot of material scanning time before export.

Your first Ruby is a shiner

[Myhand]

CMD, here is the next iteration of the debug script. It might fix the problem as I have changed the way I specify the special characters I use from literals to providing the actual character codes. Even though they are special they are extended ascii so should work fine. As the .js file is UTF8 encoded I have not changed how I specify the chars there yet, but again it might just work.

Either way I have also added extra trace code, so if it does not work it will give us further info to help pin down the problem.

Do you mind trying it out and sending me the output again? Same procedure as before, just replace the .rb file with the attached version.

Debug version

[Myhand]

@mistro11 said:

I'm having such a great month upgrading my Sketchup! Artisan, SketchUV, ProfileBuilder Pro, 1001Bits, and now this VERY useful plugin.

Managing materials was always a major headache for me, especially when building multi-story houses with downloaded furniture. I tend to forget the fact that the downloaded furniture may have some of the same materials I assigned to what I already have in the model. I once waited for a long KT render to find out the pillows on one of the beds were made of chrome. This looks like it will save me a lot of material scanning time before export.

Your first Ruby is a shiner

Thanks Mistro11!