Importing Bulk Attribute Values from CSV

hank · 5 Jun 2017, 04:42

Hello All,

I have worked up the script below in an attempt to allow myself to input a large number of annoyingly long attributes from a CSV file into a Dynamic Component's attribute dictionary. Yes, yes, I read several places that this has been covered extensively and that TIG had written a few scripts to accomplish this. That was not really my experience and I had trouble finding this exact function. I used TIG's script as a starting point but the documentation on dictionaries seemed thin and not all that helpful.

I also understand that there are a number of extensions out there but I wanted to try and understand what was going on under the hood with dictionaries so I could possibly take advantage of them and hopefully help others do the same.

Here it is:


require 'sketchup.rb'
def set_attribute(key_in, value_in)
	model = Sketchup.active_model
	target_dictionary = model.attribute_dictionaries['dynamic_attributes']
	new_key = target_dictionary[key_in] = value_in
	#puts key_in
end

def load_attributes()

	list = []
	$option_string = "please select an attribute"
	model = Sketchup.active_model
	attrdicts = model.attribute_dictionaries
	attrdict = attrdicts["dynamic_attributes"]
	attrdict.each{|key,value|
		#puts "key; #{key} | value; #{value}"
		$option_string += "|#{key}"
	}
	list << $option_string

	prompts = ["What attribute would you like to input values for?"]
	defaults = ["_leny_options"]
	$input = UI.inputbox(prompts, defaults, list, "Select Attribute Target")
	#puts $input

	$att_string = ""
	csv=UI.openpanel("Choose CSV File...")
	lines=IO.readlines(csv)
	lines.each{|line|
		line.chomp!
		next if line.empty?
		new_line = line.gsub(",", " ") #replace commas
		new_line = new_line.gsub("  ", "") #replace double spaces
		new_line = new_line.gsub("   ", "") #replace double spaces (again)
		new_line = new_line.gsub("& ", "&") #replace double spaces (again)
		new_line = new_line.gsub("= ", "=") #replace double spaces (again)
		$att_string += new_line.to_s 
	}
	#puts $att_string
	set_attribute('_wall_thickness_options',$att_string)
	#set_attribute($input,$att_string)
end

def report_attributes()
	model = Sketchup.active_model
	attrdicts = model.attribute_dictionaries
	attrdict = attrdicts["dynamic_attributes"]
	attrdict.each{|key,value|
		puts "key; #{key} | value; #{value}"
	}
end

Now for my dilemma...

You can see that I added a drop-down prompt for a user to select a particular key that is already in the model (I'm only focusing on the 'dynamic_attributes' library though there are others). Well, the input I get from the user prompt ends up adding a key to the dictionary like so...

If I wanted to overwrite the key _lenx_options for example, it comes in as a NEW key called ["_lenx_options"] which is not in fact setting the existing key but creating a new one.

How can I pass the input argument correctly to the set_attribute def?

Thanks for any help!

sdmitch · 5 Jun 2017, 16:06

Perhaps if you would share a sample model containing the dynamic component and a sample .csv file.

hank · 5 Jun 2017, 16:29

Sure! Here is a simple wall DC that I wanted to bring in a large list of wall assemblies:

A basic wall dynamic component

and here is the list of assemblies I put together in a spreadsheet - you will see that I added the "&" separator and "=" value indicator right in the spreadsheet because I was being lazy about the string cleanup...

A list of assemblies for commercial construction

And for convenience, here is the ruby file too!

ruby CSV attribute importer

TIG · 5 Jun 2017, 17:45

A few somewhat random comments...

Please enclose your Ruby code inside your own module.

Do not use 'global' variables [$xxx].
Using instance-variables [@xxx] will work within your module across its various methods...
Although as far as I can see the $xxx ones you've made are only used in one method anyway, so they are unnecessary.

The various DC attributes belong to each component's definition - not to the model - UNLESS that entire model is itself a DC...

hank · 5 Jun 2017, 18:41

Thanks TIG... will do. Any idea about the problem I mentioned?

TIG · 6 Jun 2017, 11:45

The DC dictionary attached to the model reports as this:
` Sketchup.active_model.attribute_dictionaries['dynamic_attributes'].each_pair{|k,v| puts "#{k} = #{v}" }

I assume that you don't want this block of text associated with one 'key' ??

You need to construct your CSV in a way that gives what you want.
When you read it to make 'lines' you can iterate each 'line', using chomp! to snip off the \n carriage-return.
You can then use split at ',' to access various key/value pairs ??

At the moment I am unclear about what it is you want to end up with after running your code...
Perhaps trying a very simple version first will help ???

hank · 6 Jun 2017, 13:53

That key is actually EXACTLY what I want. I just had to do it by hard coding the $input argument in set_attribute($input,$att_string) to read "_leny_options" (a string) in order to get it to work. When I feed in $input from UI.inputbox it comes creates a separate new key called ["_leny_options"] with brackets and quotes around it. That is the problem - somehow I need to format $input so this does not happen.

The reason I want that key to be so long is because this is what I want the drop-down to look like:

peripheral information...

drop-down attributes are stored in a &key1=value1&key2=value2&key3=value3... format in the dictionary

and

UI.inputbox will present a drop-down if given 4 arguments and the 3rd argument is a bar separated list.

TIG · 6 Jun 2017, 16:34

I understand how a drop-down list is constructed for a DC.
Now I see beyond your complexity...

How about this ?

def set_attribute(key_in=nil, value_in='')
  return unless key_in
  Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", key_in.to_s, value_in.to_s )
end

hank · 6 Jun 2017, 19:30

Thanks TIG. I'll give that a try.

Of course you do... that info is for anyone else reading this thread and having a similar struggle as I did.

hank · 9 Jun 2017, 02:55

Alright @TIG, I re-wrote this script trying to comply with your suggestions and it worked! Thank you for your help!

Here is the updated script for your entertainment:


require 'sketchup.rb'
module AttModuleTop
	module AttModuleBottom
		class<<self
			def list_att()
				model = Sketchup.active_model
				attrdicts = model.attribute_dictionaries
				attrdict = attrdicts["dynamic_attributes"]
				if(!attrdict)
					UI.messagebox("AttTools is intended for use within Dynamic Component Files only")
				else
					@prompts = ["What attribute to overwrite"]
					@defaults = [""]
					@list = []
					@option_pairs = ""
					option_string = "select attribute to overwrite"
					attrdict.each{|key,value|
						@option_pairs += "key; #{key} | value; #{value}\n"
						option_string += "|#{key}"
					}
					@list << option_string
				end
			end
			def replace_att()
				list_att()
				new_prompt = "What should it be set to?"
				@prompts << new_prompt
				input = UI.inputbox(@prompts, @defaults, @list, "Select Attribute Target")
				set_result = Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", input[0], input[1] )
				UI.messagebox('succesfully set ' + input[0] + ' to ' + set_result + '!')
			end
			def load_att()
				list_att()
				input = UI.inputbox(@prompts, @defaults, @list, "Select Attribute Target")
				att_string = ""
				csv=UI.openpanel("Choose CSV File...")
				lines=IO.readlines(csv)
				lines.each{|line|
					line.chomp!
					next if line.empty?
					new_line = line.gsub(",", " ") #replace commas
					new_line = new_line.gsub("  ", "") #replace double spaces
					new_line = new_line.gsub("   ", "") #replace double spaces (again)
					new_line = new_line.gsub("& ", "&") #replace double spaces (again)
					new_line = new_line.gsub("= ", "=") #replace double spaces (again)
					att_string += new_line.to_s 
				}
				set_result = Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", input[0], att_string.to_s )
				UI.messagebox('succesfully set ' + input[0] + ' to ' + set_result + '!', MB_MULTILINE)
			end
			def report_att()
				list_att()
				if(@option_pairs)
					UI.messagebox(@option_pairs, MB_MULTILINE)
					#puts @option_pairs
				end
			end
		end # end of class
	end # end of module AttModuleBottom
end # end of module AttModuleTop

# menus ##############################################################

if( not file_loaded?("att_tools.rb") )
	main_menu = UI.menu("Plugins").add_submenu("Att Tools")
	main_menu.add_item("Load Attributes") {(AttModuleTop;;AttModuleBottom;;load_att)}
	main_menu.add_item("Replace Attribute") {(AttModuleTop;;AttModuleBottom;;replace_att)}
	main_menu.add_item("Report Attributes") {(AttModuleTop;;AttModuleBottom;;report_att)}
end
file_loaded("att_tools.rb")

hank · 9 Jun 2017, 03:49

BTW, the answer to the original question was that


input = UI.inputbox(@prompts, @defaults, @list, "Select Attribute Target")

returns an array of values because typically the inputbox would present more than 1 option. In my case there was only one input or prompt so when I put input into


set_result = Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", input, att_string.to_s )

I was actually sending in an array and thus setting a new key in the format ["whatever user put into inputbox"]. Even .to_s did not seem to help...


set_result = Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", input.to_s, att_string.to_s )

The answer was to get the first item in the array like so:


set_result = Sketchup.active_model.set_attribute("dynamic_attributes", input[0], att_string.to_s )