Turning a selection into a face?

Dan Rathbun

... but thomthom is right, I'm looking for the statement that allows me to offset the face the offset.rb creates.

OK... then first of all the Example 1 re-write of Rick's method mimics the native offset tool, and returns the newly created offset face.

(Just ignore Examples 2 & 3, as I did not understand what was needed and may have misunderstood what Rick's code was doing.)

If you wish to AGAIN apply an offset, pass the newly created face and a new offset distance (or whatever distance,) into the method a second time.

If you wish to move it or something else ... do whatever by using the returned reference as needed.

Here is test script wrapped as Tomot::Offset, that adds right-click mouse "Offset Face" commands to the popup menu, but differs in result from the native tool by setting the selection to the new face. (The native tool does not change the selection set.) It also uses an inputbox to get the distance, ... but in practice you would bypass that and your code would supply the needed distance value.

module Tomot
  module Offset
    class << self

      def offset_a_face( face, dist )

        unless face.is_a?(Sketchup;;Face)
          fail(TypeError,"Sketchup;;Face instance expected for 1st argument",caller)
        end

        unless dist.is_a?(Numeric)
          fail(TypeError,"Numeric subclass expected for 2nd argument",caller)
        else
          if dist.zero?
            unless $VERBOSE.nil?
              puts("Tomot;;Offset;WARNING; offset_a_face(); Offset distance was zero.")
            end
            return nil
          end
        end

        new_face = nil # this method's return value

        pi = Math;;PI
        verts = face.outer_loop.vertices
        pts   = []

        # CREATE ARRAY pts OF OFFSET POINTS FROM FACE

        0.upto(verts.length-1) do |a|
          vec1 = (verts[a].position-verts[a-(verts.length-1)].position).normalize
          vec2 = (verts[a].position-verts[a-1].position).normalize
          vec3 = (vec1+vec2).normalize
          if vec3.valid?
            ang = vec1.angle_between(vec2)/2
            ang = pi/2 if vec1.parallel?(vec2)
            vec3.length = dist/Math;;sin(ang)
            t = Geom;;Transformation.new(vec3)
            if pts.length > 0
              vec4 = pts.last.vector_to(verts[a].position.transform(t))
              if vec4.valid?
                unless (vec2.parallel?(vec4))
                  t = Geom;;Transformation.new(vec3.reverse)
                end
              end
            end

            pts.push(verts[a].position.transform(t))
          end
        end

        # CHECK FOR DUPLICATE POINTS IN pts ARRAY
        #
        duplicates = []
        pts.each_index do |a|
          pts.each_index do |b|
            next if b==a
            duplicates<<b if pts[a]===pts[b]
          end
          break if a==pts.length-1
        end
        duplicates.reverse.each{|a| pts.delete(pts[a])}

        # CREATE FACE FROM POINTS IN pts ARRAY
        #
        if pts.length > 2
          begin
            #
            if Sketchup.version.to_i > 6
              face.model.start_operation('Offset Face',true)
            else
              face.model.start_operation('Offset Face')
            end
              #
              new_face = face.parent.entities.add_face(pts)
              #
            face.model.commit_operation()
            #
          rescue
            face.model.abort_operation()
            raise() # to outer rescue clause
          end # begin
        end # if

      rescue TypeError

        raise() # just re-raise the Exception

      rescue => e # any other Exceptions;

        unless $VERBOSE.nil?
          puts("Tomot;;Offset;WARNING; offset_a_face(); #{face.inspect} did not offset; #{pts}")
          puts("Error; #<#{e.class.name}; #{e.message}>")
          puts(e.backtrace) if $VERBOSE
        end
        raise() # re-raise to any debugger in use

      else # when no errors;

        return new_face

      end # offset_a_face()
      
      #{ get_dist(face)
      #
      #  Prompts for a distance, then calls offset_a_face()
      #  If a new offset face is created, it will be set as
      #    a single object of the current model's selection.
      #
      def get_dist(face)
        result = UI.inputbox(['Offset distance ;   '],[0],'Offset a Face')
        if result
          ret = offset_a_face(face,result[0])
          if ret
            sel = Sketchup.active_model.selection
            sel.clear
            sel.add(ret)
          else
            return nil
          end
        else
          return nil
        end
      end #}

    end # proxy class

    unless file_loaded?(File.basename(__FILE__))

      UI.add_context_menu_handler {|popup|
        unless Sketchup.active_model.selection.empty?
          sel = Sketchup.active_model.selection
          if sel.single_object? && sel[0].is_a?(Sketchup;;Face)
            face = sel[0]
            popup.add_item('Offset Face',10) { get_dist(face) }
          else
            face = sel.find {|o| o.is_a?(Sketchup;;Face) }
            if face # (nil if no face was selected)
              popup.add_item('Offset First Face',11) { get_dist(face) }
            end
          end
        end
      }

      file_loaded(File.basename(__FILE__))

    end

  end # module Offset
end # module Tomot

Question to the room at large: Regarding line 137, which is faster for large selection sets ?
face = sel.find {|o| o.is_a?(Sketchup::Face) }
OR
face = sel.grep(Sketchup::Face)[0]

Keep in mind both need to be fololowed by a nil test conditional, viz:
if face

tomot

Dan thanks for your code, however regarding your last piece of code.
I'm unclear as to how to use it.

If I save your code as as offset.rb and replace it with the original offset.rb then load it in the console, I get an error in the console when I right click on selected face.

Is this the way you intended it to be used? Please explain further!
and just to make sure, please see the attachment regarding the face in question.

Dan Rathbun

YES, make a selection, then right-click the selection (or a single face,) and an inputbox should pop up to enter a distance.

IF you get an error, it would help if you paste the error message into a post.

tomot

@dan rathbun said:

IF you get an error, it would help if you paste the error message into a post.

there is also no "offset" reference in the context menu

Dan Rathbun

@Tomot ... you have no profile information showing.

(1) What SketchUp version ?

(2) What SketchUp edition (Free or Pro) ?

(3) What Platform & Operating System ?

Lastly... if you are using an old version that does not support the 2nd ordinal position argument for add_item(), then remove that argument, and the menu items will just be at the end of the popup menu.

The popup menu items are really just for testing... you can directly call the methods just as the menu items do, and remove the popup menu code.

The code is an example.

tomot

@dan rathbun said:

@Tomot ... you have no profile information showing.

(2) What SketchUp edition (Free or Pro) ?

Pro, My bad its working, after update!

Dan Rathbun

@tomot said:

Pro, My bad its working, after update!

You may also be interested in this from TIG:

[Plugin] TIG-Smart_offset v2.1

I have not tried it, so I do not know if it sets the new offset face as the selection.

TIG ?

TIG

@dan rathbun said:

@tomot said:

Pro, My bad its working, after update!

You may also be interested in this from TIG:

[Plugin] TIG-Smart_offset v2.1

I have not tried it, so I do not know if it sets the new offset face as the selection.

TIG ?
The originally selected face remains selected, but it should 'return' an array of the new face[s] formed when run via code...

tomot

I would like to take offset 1 step further: namely allowing the selection of more than one face.
I revised Dan's script and added a secondary Reveal offset to the menu. The Reveal menu item represents the depth of the reveal.

The reason behind my initial interest in RickW's offset.rb was to use it to provide reveals
of selected faces, using SketchUp, for proposed concrete faces, be they cast-in-place or precast.

Dan correctly identified users selecting more than 1 face, before the offset professing occurs.
I need a hint so I can I change the code to allow selecting more than 1 face?
The attached pic shows my added revised code, the revised code is also attached.

offset.rb

Dan Rathbun

You should not really have that method.
You should have written an additional method to do a multi-face offset.

What do you want the selection to hold at the end of the multi-face offset ?

(Also.. ALWAYS check if results from an inputbox, in case the user cancels the dialog.)

tomot

@dan rathbun said:

You should not really have that method.
What do you want the selection to hold at the end of the multi-face offset ?

I wanted all selected faces to be offset and revealed
I was unaware that I would have to write a muiti-face offset routine

tomot

TIG's ....TIG-Smart_offset.rb does a great job offsetting multiple faces.
I hope he does not mind me learning more about Ruby using his script.

I added the following highlighted code to his script incorporating a reveal option.
Unfortunately this added complexity causes faces which share a common edge not to work well, with the reveal option, when pushpull is used.

Dan Rathbun

When you make a change like that.. you need to change the top level namespace from TIG to Tomot

.. also I do not understand your use of the word "reveal" (which means "to show" or "to make visible".)

Can you post an image from the model of the final result you wish to achieve ?

TIG

@Tomot
Yes, please use your own Tomot namespace to avoid confusion with my TIG one...

@Dan
A 'reveal' [noun not a verb] is an architectural term for the 'sides' of the hole into which something like a window will be fitted... The window's 'reveals' are typically just the two vertical sides of its opening, which are arranged at [or near] right-angles to the main wall-face; the top 'side' is called the 'head' and the bottom one the 'sill': the use of 'reveal' for all four is correct, but somewhat unspecific and perhaps brings to mind a simple 'recess' in a wall with nothing inserted into it [e.g. 'the four reveals of that recess']. So I think Tomot is using the term 'reveal' to refer to all of the new face-parts that are created perpendicular to the main face: which will only be true 'reveals' if the pushpull were 'inwards', forming a 'recess' with 'reveals'; if it were 'outwards' the new form makes an upstanding 'plateau', and so it will technically not have 'reveals', but just 'sides' [cliffs!]...

tomot

@tig said:

@Tomot
Yes, please use your own Tomot namespace to avoid confusion with mt TIG one...

TIG is right, If you were working in an architectural office and did not know what a reveal was, your peers would wonder how you got the job.

tomot

@tig said:

@Tomot
Yes, please use your own Tomot namespace to avoid confusion with my TIG one...

TIG, I'm simply looking a your script and adding additional functonality, naturally and without question this is your script. This might turnout to be a good architectural addition and I would hope you could add it to your list of accomplished rubies

However as I already stated, while the Offset portion of the script has no problems, because the offset faces does not interfere with any adjoining face. The added "Reveal option" does have problems, because it introduces the problem of how "pushpull" can't effectively deal with push pulling shared faces. I recall there had been discussion about shared faces and pushpull but I could not find any solutions.

Dan Rathbun

@tomot said:

TIG is right, If you were working in an architectural office and did not know what a reveal was, your peers would wonder how you got the job.

Which, of course tells you correctly that I have not yet worked in architectural engineering. (Only mechanical, electrical, electronic and systems with a combination of those [ie, railway, vehicles, aircraft, and commercial broadcasting.])

Dan Rathbun

Referring to my previous code posting: HERE

To get multiple faces rather than the first face (which is not may not work, as the selection's order may not be returned in the order the user picked,) ...

      UI.add_context_menu_handler {|popup|
        unless Sketchup.active_model.selection.empty?
          sel = Sketchup.active_model.selection
          if sel.single_object? && sel[0].is_a?(Sketchup;;Face)
            face = sel[0]
            popup.add_item('Offset Face',10) { get_dist(face) }
          else
            faces = sel.grep(Sketchup;;Face)
            unless faces.empty? # (empty array if no face was selected)
              popup.add_item('Offset Selected Faces',11) {
                if get_values()
                  offset_multi_faces(faces)
                end
             }
            end
          end
        end
      }

The get_values() dialog method would need changing (from get_dist,) to just set the variables (as you did,) and return true to continue the command, or false if the user canceled the dialog, meaning they wished to cancel the command.

Then a new method offset_multi_faces(faces) would iterate the faces array, calling offset_a_face() for each face member in the array.

TIG

My Smart_offset method should return an array of the face[s] made by the offset [excluding the original face], which in your example will be just the inner new rectangular face.
So if you move the pushpull code into the block that is offsetting each face in turn to be something like:

faces.each{|face|
  newfaces=TIG;;Smart_offset.new(face, @dist, tidy)
  newfaces.each{|newface|newface.pushpull(@reveal)}if newfaces
}

it might work ???

tomot

@dan rathbun said:

selection's order may not be returned in the order the user picked,) ...

That is an entire new can of worms!....I don't know how SU implements a user select all picking order. I also see different results each time I use select all If you copy and paste each of the 4 attached cubes and run the script on each of the 4 cubes separate, sometimes the script gets the reveal right, most of the time it does not.