3D Truss Models
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The problem isn't so much that they don't come along often, it's when they DO come along you need the tool NOW! I don't normally design dual pitches either but up in the Sierra Nevada mountains (in the snow) it's done quite a bit.
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This is an example of the wireframe (temporary) graphic that is shown while creating a valley set.
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My last release was way back in the middle of September its almost been 2 months. Even with my being severely sidelined and unable to accomplish much with its development the number of new registrations and downloads of the plugin has remained quite steady, much to my surprise. This tells me that the plugin has some value to the design community and has given me a renewed positive outlook for its future.
The feedback has also been quite heavy with a number of very good ideas for improvements and new features. I really appreciate this feedback, it has to a large degree shaped the development thus far.
Looking at my to-do list I probably have enough work to keep me busy for two years working full time (8+ hours a day). At this point I'm not sure how I'm going to get it all done.
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It's good to hear the plugin / extension is making headway in the market!
@medeek said:
Looking at my to-do list I probably have enough work to keep me busy for two years working full time (8+ hours a day). At this point I'm not sure how I'm going to get it all done.
Pace yourself, draft an outline plan of what you would like to accomplish, allow for setbacks and possibly minor features / improvements you may want to do. But I'm sure you know all of this and have done so already...
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I've repackaged the .rbz file this morning so that when it installs into SU 2017 the extension will have the appropriate hash file and appear as "signed". I have not yet rolled the revision (1.7.0) which includes the updates for stepdown hip truss sets, there is still substantial work before I am ready to release that module and version.
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It appears that writing to the text logfiles within the "logs" sub-folder invalidates the hash and hence the signature in SU 2017. This does not in any way cause the plugin to stop working but it is an annoyance that I did not foresee.
I will work on a solution to this so that the signature in SU2017 remains valid.
When the plugin is first installed the signature will appear valid however as soon as the logfiles are written to the signature will appear as invalid. In my opinion the hash should only include .rb, .rbs and .rbe files and not other misc. file types.
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When I repackaged the .rbz file I accidentally used my latest code base so you might notice that the general settings now shows the plugin serial number and the ability to update it. I actually did not intend to release this until version 1.7.0 but regardless it is now live. When you install the full version of the plugin you must now enter in your serial number to register it. The serial defaults to "TRIAL" which puts the plugin into trial mode and has some limitations. Once you enter in your serial it is stored in the registry so one could completely reinstall the plugin and the serial number does not need to be re-entered. This hopefully is convenient for those updating the plugin to a newer version.
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Nathaniel, I know my licence period has expired (about a month ago IIRC) for access to newer versions and I probably need to renew, what are the renewal policies and costs?
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I haven't got a renewal process in place yet, just "purchase a new license". Don't renew just yet, I will give this some thought over the weekend and see if I can implement something that allows for a license renewal at a slightly reduced cost.
Users should be rewarded for renewing in my opinion so a license renewal should not be the cost of the initial "new" license.
I'm thinking the renewal cost will be $20.00 USD, hopefully this is low enough to motivate existing users to renew and upgrade.
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Make sure that you offer those of us who renewed (but paid the full boat price since the renewal process hasn't been implemented yet) a refund of the extra dollars or some other goody (maybe apply the overage to next year's upgrade fee?).
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For those who have renewed prior to the renewal process/pricing I will extend your license and additional 6 months which will make it equivalent in cost to the $20 renewal cost.
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Thanks Nathaniel - much appreciated!
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Update on my neck situation:
Follow up visit with the doctor today determined that the injection was not effective. Apparently the herniation is too severe for it to work so now my next option is a fusion or an artificial disk. The doctor figures I am a good candidate for either procedure (44 years young). Any opinions on which would be the better option, or experience with the newer artificial disk technology/system? I am leaning that direction based on my conversation with the doctor but the technology is not as tried and tested as the more conventional fusion.
This weekend I am going to do my best to make some progress on the plugin no matter how incremental.
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The "Layers" tab in the global settings will look something like this:
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Version 1.7.0 - 12.04.2016
- Added a "Layers" tab within the global settings; roof, wall and floor components can be assigned to specific layers.
- Enabled custom layers for the common fink truss.
Note that I have only enabled custom layers for one type of common truss (fink). To enable custom layers for all other truss types, rafter roofs and other misc. items will take a few hours of going through each module of the plugin and adding in the "layers" code or conditional statements. My arm/neck is not holding up very well but I thought it would be nice to at least get this out there for the most common truss type for testing purposes and feedback.
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Looking good there Nathaniel!
Regarding your medical query, unfortunately I'm pretty much "stock standard" still (also 44 years young) without any knowledge of the kind of procedures you're needing, wishing you the best though!
+++ EDIT +++
I see the upgrade section on the Truss Plugin webpage hasn't been adjusted yet? I upgraded anyhow as I know what your resolve was in this, however the link still displayed v1.6.9? -
Where is the 1.6.9 showing up?
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Went to all the trouble last night to roll the revision (1.7.0) and then somehow forgot to upload it to the server. The version you downloaded yesterday or last night is 1.6.9, please download and reinstall the plugin again to get the latest updates with the layer control. Real sorry about that.
The version available on Sketchucation's PluginStore is 1.7.0, I did manage to update it here last night, just not on my own server.
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I've had a number of people asking about adding in the connector plates for the trusses. After giving this some thought it doesn't seem like too much work to implement. I will try and work on this today and this evening.
I've already added in the option into the global settings:
Plate thickness can be set by the user (inches or mm). The default will be 0.0575 inches (1.46 mm) which is the total thickness of a typical Mitek M-16 connector plate:
http://www.icc-es.org/reports/pdf_files/ESR-1311.pdf
If I could find some additional help for programming that would be useful right now. I've come to the realization that I cannot realistically program all of the stuff I have planned. I really need to expand this beyond a one man show.
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Version 1.7.1 - 12.08.2016
- Added truss connector plates within the global settings, plate thickness can be specified.
- Added a "roof_mpc" layer for roof truss plates, connector plates can be assigned to a specific layer.
- Enabled metal plate connectors for the common fink truss.
As with the recent layer upgrade I have only enabled connector plates for the common fink truss. This is to provide a test bed for the connectors then once the interface is fined tuned I will roll it out for all truss types.
At the moment the plate sizes are hard coded in. I am still trying to decide on the best method to use so that the connector plates can all be sized by the user. The objective is to make this a flexible as possible while at the same time not over complicating things.
View model here:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=8e1d46c3-e1e2-4bc9-b16b-69aa1085c8d1
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