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Profile Builder API?

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  • W Offline
    Whaat
    last edited by 30 Nov 2015, 22:37

    A very long time ago, someone suggested that I release an API for Profile Builder. Is there anyone who would be interested in this? It would probably not be too hard to put something together. There are a few advantages for plugin developers for using such an API:

    • Compatibility and synergies with a commonly used parametric plugin (PB2)
    • Cross-promotional opportunities and potentially wider acceptance of your plugin.
    • Eliminate the need to write code that Profile Builder already implements (You can focus on the cool features that makes your plugin unique rather than duplicating code, tools, and features that are already present in Profile Builder such as extrusion, editing tools, and reporting)

    Possible API methods:
    Add a Profile Member (PM) to the model
    Set/Get the profile of a PM
    Set/Get the orientation / attributes of a PM (axis rotation, x offset, y offset, scale, layer, etc.)
    Set/Get the path of a PM
    Modify the length of a PM (extend)
    Split a PM
    Set/Get the material of a PM (with automated UV mapping)
    Get the start or end face of a PM
    Trim a PM to an arbitrary plane
    Trim a PM to a solid object

    Would this be of any benefit to the SU Extension development community?

    SketchUp Plugins for Professionals

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    • J Offline
      JQL
      last edited by 1 Dec 2015, 01:04

      Sorry Dale, I'm no developer, but what about the reporting features? I'd see extensions like Estimator taking huge benefit of integrating their estimator with PB2...

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      • J Offline
        jiminy-billy-bob
        last edited by 1 Dec 2015, 09:30

        @whaat said:

        Would this be of any benefit to the SU Extension development community?

        Possibilities of synergy between plugins is always a good thing.
        Even though for now I can't think of how I could use it with my plugins, I really encourage you to release this API 😄

        BTW, you might be interested in this : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zajtstNXtxj9pJFc-6xOBeC4WienBdgXpDySSM6Mxk8/edit
        This is what I use with Skatter to send data to the render engines, bypassing Sketchup. Maybe you could add that option for users creating very big PB setups?

        25% off Skatter for SketchUcation Premium Members

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        • W Offline
          Whaat
          last edited by 1 Dec 2015, 14:33

          @jql said:

          Sorry Dale, I'm no developer, but what about the reporting features? I'd see extensions like Estimator taking huge benefit of integrating their estimator with PB2...

          The reporting and estimating features of PB2 are currently being greatly expanded.

          One idea is that other plugin authors could create entities that are compatible with Profile Builder and then PB2 can include these entities in various reports.

          For example, if someone makes a plugin that automatically generates 2x6s, if they were to use the API, then these entities could be included in a PB2 report that does a take-off of all the 2x6s.

          SketchUp Plugins for Professionals

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          • J Offline
            JQL
            last edited by 1 Dec 2015, 19:19

            What about the other way around? PB2 is used as the modelling tool of choice, but the reports it creates on profiles and assemblies are sent to some reporting plugin? In the case above, estimator?

            I think they might be interested in it, though I haven't talked with them, because they have a link to PB2 site on their own site...

            www.casca.pt
            Visit us on facebook!

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            • T Offline
              TommyK
              last edited by 4 Dec 2015, 14:26

              Whaat, It would be amazing to have an API.

              Could you also perhaps include a callback system when a profile member or assembly is created/edited, so that other plugins could do their magic? On the information side of things, it could be things like updating a "price" attribute, which is based on the volume of the profile output, for instance. For such a callback, the useful variables would be:

              • the geometry representing the path of a PM
              • the group for the outputted member
              • the face of the profile / components that make up the assembly.
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