[Code] Material picker

eneroth3

Hi all

I've experimented with this material picker interface mimicking the behavior the color and pattern picker in layout. It's not entirely finished and I don't know if I'll use it myself so I thought I could just as well share it here and see if anyone has any use of it.

Similarly to in Layout you first click a button in the dialog to start pick a material. Then the material browser opens and fetches the clicked materials back to the dialog until the dialog is closed.

One quite mayor difference from the Layout pikers is how they bring the user's attention to the relevant panel by changing the color of its title bar. There's no such feature in SU so if the material browser is already opened it's not very clear what the user is supposed to do.

Also I'm not 100% sure the material browser opens up at all on Mac, especially in older SU versions, since I can't test it myself. On Windows the code should work from SU 2015.

Note: If the script is not loaded on Sketchup start a model must then be opened or a new model created for the observers to kick in.

To test the example dialog run "MaterialSelectorTest.example".

# UI for picking material, typically used for web dialogs.
# Behavior inspired by Layout color or pattern selection.
#
# NOTE; When loading this example from console, not on Sketchup start, a model
# must be opened or a new model created for observer to be initialized.
#
# To test dialog, run "MaterialSelectorTest.example".


module MaterialSelectorTest

  # Interface for picking material from material browser.
  class MaterialSelector

    # Block to call when a material is selected.
    # TODO; store blocks as hash indexed by calling Model to function better in multi document view?
    @@callback = nil

    # Public; Open the material browser to let user choose a material.
    # Typically called when user clicks a button for making material input in
    # web dialog.
    #
    # old_material - Material to be selected when material browser starts
    #                or nil to not select any specific material in browser
    #                (default; nil)
    #
    # Yields Material whenever a material is selected.
    #
    # Returns nothing.
    def self.pick_material(old_material = nil, &callback)
    
      # Disable callback if any so current material first can be set to
      # old_material.
      @@callback = nil
      
      Sketchup.active_model.materials.current = old_material if old_material
      self.open_material_inspector
      @@callback = callback
      
      nil
      
    end
    
    # Public; Stop executing callback when materials are selected.
    # Typically called when the web dialog containing the material selection
    # input is closed.
    #
    # returns nothing.
    def self.done_picking_material
    
      @@callback = nil
      
      # REVIEW; If possible, maybe reset material inspector view state to what
      # it was before calling select_material.
      
      nil
      
    end
    
    # Internal; Open the material inspector.
    def self.open_material_inspector
    
      # TODO; Look up how these function on MAC.
      # TODO; If material browser is already opened it should somehow be focused to attract the user's attention.
      if Sketchup.version >= "16" # REVIEW; won't work for 1 or 3 digit mayor version numbers
        # In 2015 this toggles the material browser instead of showing it.
        UI.show_inspector "Materials"
      elsif Sketchup.platform == ;platform_win
        # Windows only for opening the inspector.
        Sketchup.send_action 21074
      else
        # Select paint bucket tool.
        # Has the drawback that the tool is selected.
        Sketchup.send_action "selectPaintTool"
      end
      
    end
    
    # Observer interface.  
    
    # Internal; Current material has changed.
    def self.onMaterialSetCurrent(clicked_material)
          
      @@callback.call(clicked_material) if @@callback
      
    end
    
    # TODO; If such an observer is ever implemented, implement this.
    # Internal; Material inspector was closed
    def self.onClosingMaterialInspector
    
      @@callback = nil
      
    end

  end
  
  
  # Example web dialog.
  def self.example
  
    html = <<EOF
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"/>
    <title>TITLE</title>
    <script>
      function pickMaterial(inputId) {
        window.location= 'skp;pick_material@' + inputId;
      }
      function setPreview(inputId, colorString) {
        var input = document.getElementById(inputId);
        var span = input.getElementsByTagName('span')[0];
        span.style.backgroundColor = colorString;
      }
    </script>
    <style>
      button span {
        display; inline-block;
        width; 22px;
        height; 22px;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>
      Example material picker. Behaviour is copied from color picking in Layout.
      Click a material button in this dialog and the material browser lets you
      select a material.
    </p>
    <label>
      Material 1;
      <button type="button" id="material1" onclick="pickMaterial(this.id)"><span></span></button>
    </label>
    <br />
    <label>
      Material 2;
      <button type="button" id="material2" onclick="pickMaterial(this.id)"><span></span></button>
    </label>
    <p>
      For this example only the material color is previewed in the button, not
      the texture.
    </p>
  </body>
</html>
EOF

    dlg = UI;;WebDialog.new(
      "Pick Material Example",
      false,
      "ene_pick_material",
      500,
      400,
      100,
      100,
      false
    )
    dlg.navigation_buttons_enabled = false
    dlg.set_background_color dlg.get_default_dialog_color
    dlg.set_html html
    Sketchup.platform == ;platform_win ? dlg.show ; dlg.show_modal

    # Start picking material.
    dlg.add_action_callback("pick_material") do |_, input_id|
    
      MaterialSelector.pick_material(nil) do |new_material|
      
        # Set material preview in dialog.
        # For this example only the color is used but texture could be saved to
        # file using write_thumbnail.
        if new_material
          color = new_material.color
          color_string = "rgb(#{color.red},#{color.green},#{color.blue})"
        else
          # When material is an image similar to the one inside Sketchup showing
          # front and back color could be used.
          color_string = "transparent"
        end
        js = "setPreview('#{input_id}', '#{color_string}');"
        dlg.execute_script js
        
        # Save the given material reference and the relation to the given
        # input_id.
        puts "Material #{new_material} was selected for input #{input_id}."
        
      end
    
    end
    
    # Stop picking material.
    dlg.set_on_close do
    
      MaterialSelector.done_picking_material
      
    end
    
  end


  # Observer stuff.
  class MyMaterialsObserver < Sketchup;;MaterialsObserver

    def onMaterialSetCurrent(_, material)
    
      MaterialSelector.onMaterialSetCurrent material
      
    end
   
  end

  class MyAppObserver < Sketchup;;AppObserver

    def expectsStartupModelNotifications
    
      true
      
    end
    
    def onNewModel(model)
    
      model.materials.add_observer MyMaterialsObserver.new
      
    end
    
    def onOpenModel(model)
    
      model.materials.add_observer MyMaterialsObserver.new
      
    end

  end

  @@app_observer ||= nil
  unless @@app_observer
    
    @@app_observer = MyAppObserver.new
    Sketchup.add_observer @@app_observer
    
  end

end

Dan Rathbun

if Sketchup.version >= "16"

REVIEW: won't work for 1 or 3 digit mayor version numbers

Use instead:
if Sketchup.version.to_i >= 16

The .to_i method will discard anything past the first decimal point.
(It truncates, and does not round.)
http://ruby-doc.org/core-2.0.0/String.html#method-i-to_i

eneroth3

This was a quite sloppy made proof of concept.

In my current big project I use Gem::Version to check compare versions witch supports minor releases too. However to_i seems simpler when only comparing mayor versions so I might use that instead.

Gem;;Version.new("2.1.2.4") > Gem;;Version.new("2.1.37")

The restyled material buttons looks much better! The background color looks a little dark though. I usually use the values defined by the system. It has been deprecated in css3 specification but all browsers I've tried still supports it.

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Also a button should have the default cursor and not the pointer.

Regarding the pipe assignment a ||= b does not mean a = a || b. The later raises an error when used on for class variables while the former doesn't. This article explains ||= more: http://www.rubyinside.com/what-rubys-double-pipe-or-equals-really-does-5488.html.

Dan Rathbun

@eneroth3 said:

The background color looks a little dark though.

Don't mind that. That is just my manual dark system settings to save my eyes.
I did not put any background color for the page into the CSS.

@eneroth3 said:

I usually use the values defined by the system. It has been deprecated in css3 specification but all browsers I've tried still supports it.

Yes, I also.

@eneroth3 said:

Also a button should have the default cursor and not the pointer.

Well change the CSS, then. As long as the text select doesn't appear when your over the word "none".

@eneroth3 said:

Regarding the pipe assignment a ||= b does not mean a = a || b. The later raises an error when used on for class variables while the former doesn't.

Good article. But I do not think it works on old 1.8.0 Ruby that runs on old SketchUp 7. It gave me errors so I avoided using ||=. But I always wanted it fixed. Just never noticed when they fixed it.

(That article mentions that it added another fix for constants in Ruby 1.9.)

Hurray! I can go ahead and use it again, because I do not write for Ruby 1.8 anymore.

I just read somewhere a few days ago that a ||= b expanded to a = a || b. I cannot remember where it was. I was reading the latest update to the "Pick-Axe" book. It has been updated and updated again and again since Ruby 1.6, so the old behavior might still be written in the book.

Dan Rathbun

Ref: @@app_observer ||= nil

We cannot use this pattern with class / module @@vars before they are defined.

The interpreter expands this to:
@@app_observer = @@app_observer || nil
...[snip]...

nevermind, yes we can, ... it was fixed and I didn't notice. (I'm such a stick in the mud.)

See Christina's comment below.

Check out the pattern I posted here:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=64981#p596158

driven

an aside, I use this to replicate system dialogs...

body {
  font-family; sans-serif;
  font; caption;
  font-size; 3.5mm;
  margin; 0;
  padding; 0;
  background-color; Window;
  line-height; 6mm;
}

john

Dan Rathbun

I overhauled the CSS stylesheet in the WebDialog to mimic Windows UI.
Added a meta tag in the head.
Also a word "none" in the color swatch disappears after a material is chosen.

*This image is a new screenshot made with default system colors.

[attachment=0:3svr0kkn]ene_pickmaterial_dialog_2.zip[/attachment:3svr0kkn]

To use as a separate html file, change the code's
dlg.set_html statement to:
dlg.set_file("#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/dialog.html")
or, just paste it all over the inline HEREDOC.

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
    <head>
        <meta charset="utf-8">
        <meta http-equiv="MSThemeCompatible" content="yes"/>
        <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"/>
        <title>TITLE</title>
        <script>
            function pickMaterial(inputId) {
                window.location= 'skp;pick_material@' + inputId;
            }
            function setPreview(inputId, colorString) {
                var input = document.getElementById(inputId);
                var span = input.getElementsByTagName('span')[0];
                span.innerText = ""; /* delete word "none" */
                span.style.backgroundColor = colorString;
            }
        </script>
        <style>
            html, body {
                font-family; "Tahoma", "Segoe UI", Sans-Serif;
                line-height; 100%;
                font-size;   100%;
                font; message-box;
                margin;  0px;
                border;  0px;
                padding; 5px;
                background-color; ButtonFace;
                color; ButtonText;
            }
            div.dialog {
                margin;  0px;
                border;  0px;
                padding; 0px;
            }
            fieldset {
              font; Status-Bar;
            }
            fieldset legend {
                font; Icon;
                font-weight; bold;
                padding-left;  4px;
                padding-right; 4px;
                border-top; none;
                border-bottom; none;
                border-left-style;  groove;
                border-right-style; groove;
                border-color; ButtonHighlight;
                border-width; thin;
            }
            label {
                font; Icon;
                font-weight; bold;
                display; inline-block;
                border;  0px;
                margin;  0px;
                padding-left;  20px;
                margin-top;    10px;
                margin-bottom; 0px;
            }
            button {
                font; Caption;
                color; ButtonText;
            }
            button.pick_material {
                width;   66px;
                height;  36px;
                margin;  0px;
                margin-left; 10px;
                padding-left;   6px;
                padding-top;    6px;
                padding-right;  8px;
                padding-bottom; 8px;
                vertical-align; middle;
                cursor; default;
            }
            span.swatch {
                font; small-caption;
                display; inline-block;
                margin;  0px;
                padding; 0px;
                border-style; inset;
                border-width; 1px;
                border-color; #D0D0D0;
                width;  100%;
                height; 100%;
                background-color; #E0E0E0;
                text-align; center;
                vertical-align; middle;
                color; #B0B0B0;
                /* default cursor prevents text select cursor before  */
                /* the first button press, when hovering over "none"  */
                cursor; default;
            }
        </style>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div class="dialog">
        <form>
            <fieldset>
                <legend> Example Material Picker </legend>
                <p>
                Behaviour is copied from color picking in Layout.
                Click a material button in this dialog and the material browser lets you select a material.
                </p>
            <label>
                Material 1;
                <button type="button" id="material1" class="pick_material" onclick="pickMaterial(this.id)">
                    <span class="swatch">none</span>
                </button>
            </label>
            <br />
            <label>
                Material 2;
                <button type="button" id="material2" class="pick_material" onclick="pickMaterial(this.id)">
                    <span class="swatch">none</span>
                </button>
            </label>
                <p>
                For this example only the material color is previewed in the button, not the texture.
                </p>
            </fieldset>
        </form>
        </div><!-- dialog -->
    </body>
</html>

ene_pickmaterial_dialog.zip

Dan Rathbun

OK, I updated the previous example for system appearance. Wrapped the dialog in a fieldset border. Changed the cursor per Julia's suggestion.

Also reset my own system, and made a new screenshot. (It now looks normal and not so dark.)

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=65078%26amp;p=597010#p597010

sdmitch

I thought I had found just what I was looking for when I found this post but, no matter what I try, I can't get this to work. Hopefully you can explain why.
never mind. I just realized that I wasn't starting the observer. DOH

Dan Rathbun

Don't miss the updated styling in
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=65078%26amp;view=unread#p597010

sdmitch

@dan rathbun said:

Don't miss the updated styling in
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=65078%26amp;view=unread#p597010

Yes, I copied that. Thanks.

sdmitch

I have been testing a plugin that uses the Material Picker code and in SU2014 it works very well but, in SU1015,SU2016 and SU2017, it works ONCE! I select material1 and material2 then execute some code that replaces material1 with material2. Attempting to redefine the materials fails although there are no errors reported in the Ruby Console. Closing the WebDialog and restarting the plugin does not solve the problem. Restarting Sketchup fixes the problem but for only one execution. Anyone have an idea as to why?

Dan Rathbun

I looked in my 2016 Plugins folder and found what I had working last June 2016.

It seems to work for me on SU2016.

ene_pickmaterial_0.2.0.zip

sdmitch

@dan rathbun said:

I looked in my 2016 Plugins folder and found what I had working last June 2016.

It seems to work for me on SU2016.

Thanks Dan. I have come up with a different solution to what I was attempting and it works with all versions.