Copy with even spacing/max spacing?
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Thought 1001 Tools would do this, but it just seems to put everything at the specified spacing and make up any difference in the middle.
What I'm looking to do is mainly purlin/girt spacing, where I specify the start and end points and max spacing. For example, purlins evenly spaced over an area, with a maximum spacing of 5'. Obviously a little math, place the start, move it to the end and /whatever-my-math-showed will do the job, but I'd really prefer a plugin that will let me use my own component placed at the start and end locations, (we use several different profiles of steel in similar applications) and will simply copy it however many times it takes to get a <5' (or whatever it is in that situation) even spacing.
Ideally it would also account for the width of the purlin/girt/whatever, (i.e. checking for max spacing using inside-inside measurement) but they generally max out at 2.5", so center to center spacing is rarely going to be a problem. The one-in-24 or one-in-30 situation where it would save one $30-$50 purlin on a $3k or more structure to measure inside-inside is really not going to bother anybody.
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Do you have an image as an example?
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If I understand correctly, you can place your first and last components then draw a line between them. Pull the tape measure tool to mark the max opening. Select the previous line, right click and pick divide. Move the cursor till the division are just under the construction line. Then set your components on the line endpoints.
SS
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You can convert the spacing of nodes in various ways to get the spacing you want.
In this quick Video I have used Polyline divider because you can set a min and max size for the divisions. Or just set a max. Other conversions can be set by the number you want or the specific length etc.
[screenr:11ef8vt7]StHN[/screenr:11ef8vt7]
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box, what tool did you used to insest components in the video above?
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@rv1974 said:
box, what tool did you used to insest components in the video above?
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Thanks Massimo, that's the one.
You could also use component stringer. Each has it's different uses.
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What do you mean?
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pathcopy.rb won't align components along path.
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Which is why i said....
@box said:
You could also use component stringer. Each has it's different uses.
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It aligns the blue axis along the path. Change the axis of your component to get the result you want.
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It's clear but it's not logical and not user friendly at all. Try effortlesslyto change 'road dash line' component axes.
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@airwindsolar said:
Obviously a little math,
the math part, at least, can be handled by sketchup.
if you have a line drawn then right-click on it-> Divide, there is an interactive tooltip which pops up.. as you move the cursor along the line, the amount of divisions along with the spacing in between will update..
do that to figure out how many copies you need then ESC or spacebar out of the tool (as to not actually break it into the divisions.. easier deletion after you're done with it)
use to copy/move the component from one end of the line to the other and enter**/n**
(n being the number you were given from the divide step)
http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/94867of course, this only works if array is in a straight line but that seems like what you're trying to do here.
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there's also a Align&Distribute plugin which will help you do this (get even spacing in between objects) if different size components are being used.. it's probably a bit overboard for your current scenario as i understand it.
video:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw8zdmaKDWIfdGJYbVBabEcxdlE/edit
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