VCB and Shortcut Keys

Chiefwoodworker

I asked the SketchUp team, and they confirmed that onUserText enables the VCB - and enableVCB? is there to let you disable the VCB when you do not want user input. (For instance - if your tool uses the VCB to adjust values then you don't want the VCB to be enabled until you have performed an action.)

And enableVCB? is queried on certain event which one can assume the tool changes state - such as on mouse clicks.

thomthom,

Thanks very much for the help on this and clearing things up. The documentation on this is really poor and misleading. I still wish we had a way to disable shortcut keys like the native tools have.

Thanks again.

Chiefwoodworker

@thomthom said:

I looked further at the behaviour of the Tool class - using variations of this snippet to inspect the behaviour:

thomthom,

Your help is well above and beyond anything I could ask for. Thanks again. I am loading the snippet to complete the "etc" and see if there are keys I can use.

driven

Hi Joe,
your script partially works on mac with to_f added @ line 4.
jumps out of tool if you hit a q t o p a f h l
a lot of Capitals work as well, e.g LBWH all work, as a block or on their own...


value = text.to_f.to_l #<<ADDED  TO FLOAT

john

Chiefwoodworker

@driven said:

Hi Joe,
your script partially works on mac with to_f added @ line 4.

Interesting John. On my Windows PC I modified the script as follows:

<span class="syntaxdefault">def onUserText</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">text</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> view</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    puts</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Text is a #{text.class} class."</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    begin<br />      value </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> text</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">to_l<br />      puts</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Value is a #{value.class} class."</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">    rescue<br />      </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Error parsing the text<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">      UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">beep<br />      puts </span><span class="syntaxstring">"Cannot convert #{text} to a Length"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">      value </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> nil<br />      Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">set_status_text </span><span class="syntaxstring">""</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> SB_VCB_VALUE<br />    end<br />    return if </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">!</span><span class="syntaxdefault">value<br />    if </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">@</span><span class="syntaxdefault">state </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">==</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> 1 and </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">@</span><span class="syntaxdefault">stick_pt2</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">valid</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">      build_story_stick</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">true</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> value</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">      new_stick<br />    end<br />  end</span>

and get the following puts to the console. No complaints of coercing String to Length.

Text is a String class.
Value is a Length class.

But your code is clearly more correct and you may have saved me a Mac bug. Very interesting that it works on the PC but not the Mac.

Chiefwoodworker

@chiefwoodworker said:

But your code is clearly more correct and you may have saved me a Mac bug. Very interesting that it works on the PC but not the Mac.

Whoops! Let me correct myself. SketchUp has a String def called to_l so the you don't need the to_f. Are you sure it doesn't work without the to_f?

driven

with your original code, I get
Cannot convert 1w to a Length
if I change only this line

value = text.to_f.to_l #just to do something

I get 1w in the message box...

with your last code I get an empty message box, with or without the .to_f

john

slbaumgartner

Ya gotta love it! The following works just fine on the Mac, even though h is the shortcut for the pan tool, but fails on Windows by switching to pan.

<span class="syntaxdefault"></span><span class="syntaxkeyword">class&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">MyTool<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;def&nbsp;onUserText</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rawtext</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">view</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">begin<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">messagebox</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"VCB&nbsp;held&nbsp;#{rawtext}"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#&nbsp;show&nbsp;the&nbsp;raw&nbsp;input<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">if(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rawtext</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[-</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">chr&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=~&nbsp;/[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">wh</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">]/)&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#trap&nbsp;and&nbsp;strip&nbsp;key&nbsp;characters&nbsp;if&nbsp;present<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">key&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rawtext</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[-</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">chr<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;text&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rawtext</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">chop</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">!<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;else<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">text&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rawtext<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;value&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">text</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">to_l&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#see&nbsp;if&nbsp;text&nbsp;is&nbsp;convertible&nbsp;to&nbsp;a&nbsp;length<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">rescue<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxcomment">#&nbsp;can't&nbsp;process&nbsp;the&nbsp;VCB&nbsp;input.&nbsp;&nbsp;This&nbsp;could&nbsp;be&nbsp;because&nbsp;the&nbsp;trailing&nbsp;character<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;#&nbsp;isn't&nbsp;one&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;key&nbsp;characters&nbsp;or&nbsp;because&nbsp;the&nbsp;text&nbsp;isn't&nbsp;a&nbsp;number<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">beep<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;puts&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Cannot&nbsp;convert&nbsp;#{rawtext}&nbsp;to&nbsp;Length&nbsp;with&nbsp;optional&nbsp;key"<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">value&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">nil<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">set_status_text&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxstring">""</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">SB_VCB_VALUE<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;end<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">return&nbsp;if&nbsp;!</span><span class="syntaxdefault">value<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">messagebox</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Got&nbsp;value&nbsp;=&nbsp;#{value},&nbsp;key&nbsp;=&nbsp;#{key}"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">end<br />end<br />Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">select_tool</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">MyTool</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new&nbsp;)&nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

Steve

TIG

Why not take your normal 'numbers' text as your lengths, and then use key-down checks for toggling what it means ?
Like Cmd/Ctrl, Shift etc *** - so on one press of that key it expects one type of value [shown in status-bar] on the next press it's something else = i.e. it's a 'toggle'.

***You can use TAB key action as a toggle BUT it must be key-up as the MAC doesn't recognize tab-down - only tab-up !

Chiefwoodworker

@tig said:

Why not take your normal 'numbers' text as your lengths, and then use key-down checks for toggling what it means ?
Like Cmd/Ctrl, Shift etc *** - so on one press of that key it expects one type of value [shown in status-bar] on the next press it's something else = i.e. it's a 'toggle'.

***You can use TAB key action as a toggle BUT it must be key-up as the MAC doesn't recognize tab-down - only tab-up !

Hi TIG,

That is exactly what I will end up doing in my tool. So as far as I am concerned I have a solution to the problem I raised, thanks to the folks like you who responded to my original question.

However, I think the bigger issue here is that there are scripts in this thread that work on the Mac and not the PC, and scripts that work on the PC and not the Mac. Apparently the Mac is not aware of the String class to_l method and the PC doesn't handle the h shortcut key correctly. Although I would argue that the PC is handling the h shortcut key the way I would like it to and the PC and Mac are handling shortcut keys when they shouldn't be if the VCB is active for user input.

I for one just wish that release 2013 spent more time on bug fixes, platform inconsistencies and Ruby API maintenance than it did on icon changes which are driving me nuts and causing me a lot of work.

But again, thank you and the others who helped me on this issue.

thomthom

@driven said:

with your original code, I get
Cannot convert 1w to a Length
if I change only this line

value = text.to_f.to_l #just to do something

I get 1w in the message box...

with your last code I get an empty message box, with or without the .to_f

john

What should "1w" represent?

driven

@thomthom said:

What should "1w" represent?

chosen at random, maybe 1*width or 1 womble
john

Chiefwoodworker

@driven said:

@thomthom said:

What should "1w" represent?

chosen at random, maybe 1*width or 1 womble
john

I'm with you John. I calculate all my dimensions in wombles.

icehuli

additional observation:
If onKeyDown or onKeyUp returns true then onCancel is not triggered. It is blocked by onKeyDown/onKeyUp as well.