[Plugin] zoom_selection.rb

Jim · 19 Nov 2007, 05:27

About

zoom_selection.rb adds 2 items under the Camera menu; Zoom Selection and Zoom Out.

Zoom Selection zooms to the selected item(s). If nothing is selected it zooms to the model extents.
Zoom Out zooms out by a factor of 2.

Suggested Usage

I set up 2 key Shortcuts. I use the 'z' key mapped to Zoom Selection, and 'Shift-Z' to Zoom Out.

Compatability

I'm not sure if SU5 had the ruby methods available. I don't believe it did, in which case this is for SU6 or later. Can someone confirm?

Installation

Download and move zoom_selection.rb into your Plugins folder, restart SketchUp.

zoom_selection.rb

Script Authors
Script writers can call the methods also:


JF;;zoomSelection
JF;;zoomOut(factor) # the larger the factror, the larger the zoom out

Stu · 19 Nov 2007, 05:29

Jim,
Another good one
Don't stop now, mate, your on a roll

Didier Bur · 19 Nov 2007, 05:29

Hi Jim,
I confirm this is for V6 only.
A context menu would be handy too !

Jim · 19 Nov 2007, 05:30

@didier bur said:

Hi Jim,
I confirm this is for V6 only.
A context menu would be handy too !

Thanks Didier. There is a (mis-named) Zoom Extents context menu already in V6 - right-click > Zoom Extents. I could have used a simple key-shortcut to Edit/Item/Zoom Extents, but I think the single key shortcut to zoom to selection, or zoom to model extents makes for a better experience.

Edson · 19 Nov 2007, 05:31

jim,

the plugin is not working for me exactly as expected. for instance, when editing some group/component inside another group/component, what is taken as extents is not the object selected inside the group/component but the outside extents of the group.

i hope i made myself clear.

thanks.

Edson · 19 Nov 2007, 05:31

jim,

forget it. i made it work by creating another shortcut. thanks for the very useful plugin.

edson

Pixero · 19 Nov 2007, 05:32

I made a zoom selection a while ago. Even simpler.
You can find it under downloads at my site.
http://www.pixero.com

Jim · 19 Nov 2007, 05:33

I've made a minor mod to this. After zooming in, I always find myself scrolling out just a little, so I added this "back-off" to the script.

301 Moved Permanently

(www.sketchucation.com)

TIG · 19 Nov 2007, 05:34

Sorry for some bad news... Sketchup.send_action("viewZoomToSelection:") has zoomed the selection for some time !

Also if you select something and right-click there is a context-menu for this called "Zoom Extents" (Should be called Zoom Selection but lazy bug fixers !)

You can also shortcut key it to Z (I do already) by selecting something and then opening the Preferences Window and Shortcut option, filter for 'Zoom Ex' and you'll get Edit/Item/Zoom Extents - set the Z key to that...

Don't feel bad I have reinvented several inbuilt functions in my time !

Jim · 19 Nov 2007, 05:35

@tig said:

Sorry for some bad news... Sketchup.send_action("viewZoomToSelection:") has zoomed the selection for some time !

Also if you select something and right-click there is a context-menu for this called "Zoom Extents" (Should be called Zoom Selection but lazy bug fixers !)

You can also shortcut key it to Z (I do already) by selecting something ans then opening the Preferences Window and Shortcut option, filter for 'Zoom Ex' and you'll get Edit/Item/Zoom Extents - set the Z key to that...

Don't feel bad I have reinvented several inbuilt functions in my time !

Thanks TIG, the difference is that if nothing is selected, my zoom selected does a zoom extents. In addition, I add a little extra zoom-out to fit my zooming tastes. A minor enhancement perhaps, but I miss it when it's not there.

humanticnc · 19 Nov 2007, 05:37

I say thank you for it much RB work
humanticnc

[kecsaphu]

hoangpi · 12 Nov 2010, 08:07

Thanks alot!

rv1974 · 19 Aug 2012, 06:41

It'd act as 'zoom extents' when nothing selected (a-la 3ds max)
Jim could you expand this rb please?

Jim · 19 Aug 2012, 15:34

@rv1974 said:

It'd act as 'zoom extents' when nothing selected (a-la 3ds max)
Jim could you expand this rb please?

This is what it does.

rv1974 · 19 Aug 2012, 16:23

@jim said:

@rv1974 said:

It'd act as 'zoom extents' when nothing selected (a-la 3ds max)
Jim could you expand this rb please?

This is what it does.

Jim thanks for attention.
I'm afraid it doesn't.
What I mean is the ruby should:

When nothing selected it'd zoom out (not zoom out by a factor of 2). It'd respect group\component extends while editing with the 'hide the rest of model' mode .
With item selected it'd zoom to object (no complains it's already OK).
It'd be 'two in one' command: one shortcut for 2 states (see p.1&2)
Edit: If I already got you could you please-please-please add the scale tweaking to your Mover 2? I love this tool but random\exact\by axys scaling is really missing.
Thank you in advance.

halroach · 7 May 2013, 10:21

This plugin is a wonderful idea when I have an imported DWG with real far away geometry that I'd like to select "blindly" geometry that I cannot see. I've tried it though, placing a bunch of components at the 0,0,0 and one component far - 1000 meters away... I select the far away component and it just won't zoom on it... it kind of zooms to extents or something similar, cause if I zoom extents I get something else... ideas?

Dave R · 7 May 2013, 12:52

The native Zoom Extents is an interesting tool. If you use Zoom extents from the toolbar, it zooms to fit all of the model that is displayed. If you make a selection and use Zoom Extents from the Context menu, it zooms to the selection.

Often, when I import a CAD file or open a SketchUp file from someone else, I hit Zoom Extents on the toolbar. If the camera zooms out so the obvious geometry is relatively small in the model space, I drag a right to left selection box around the apparently empty space making sure I don't get any of the model. Then I hit Delete and Zoom Extents again to see if I've removed the unneeded stuff.

halroach · 7 May 2013, 13:42

@dave r said:

Often, when I import a CAD file or open a SketchUp file from someone else, I hit Zoom Extents on the toolbar. If the camera zooms out so the obvious geometry is relatively small in the model space, I drag a right to left selection box around the apparently empty space making sure I don't get any of the model. Then I hit Delete and Zoom Extents again to see if I've removed the unneeded stuff.

That is exactly what I do. I zoom extents and select the geometry I can't see and delete it. I was hoping though that with this plugin I could zoom in to the selected geometry to see what it is that I am going to be deleting... but it just won't zoom...

Dave R · 7 May 2013, 13:45

So use Zoom Extents from the Context menu.

I used to have a Zoom Extents on a custom toolbar that Jim did that would zoom in to the selection. I'll see if I can find it.

Dave R · 7 May 2013, 14:44

Check this out.

There's a command for Center Selection which would probably get you started. On my PC I have his toolbar set up so Zoom Extents zooms to a selection if there is one.