[Plugin] PipeAlongPath
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PipeAlongPath
TIG (c) 2005 - 2014
All rights reserved.
Description : Creates circular faced 'followme' pipe extrusions along a path -
Use it to make pipes, ducts etc, starting from a selection of joined edges
Usage :
Select joined lines, arcs, circles, curves, etc.
Select "Pipe Along Path" from the Plugins menu.
In the dialog choose:-
Outside diameter: in current units or use suffix for other, default 110mm/4"
Inside diameter: in current units or use suffix for other, default 110mm/4"
Number of segments: default 24
Cpoints?: [Yes/No, default=true to add cppoints at the pipe's vertices]
Cline layer: [layer for the path, default="XCLINE", make blank for 'none']:
In group?: [Yes/No to move selected path into pipe's group, default=true]
OK.
Last used setting are remembered across sessions.
The pipe-extrusion is made*.
The pipe-extrusion is grouped so it does not interact with adjacent surfaces -
afterwards just explode it if appropriate.
Edit it to intesect with model and tidy up to make tees etc...
The pipe also has construction points added at vertices if you set Cpoints=true.
These can be used for snapping, if not wanted 'erase construction geometry'
will remove them globally or just within a group that you are editing.
One Undo to remove the construction points, a second to Undo the Pipe itself.
The default for extrusion face segments is 24, the minimum is 3.
The alignment is always 'Centroid' - along the pipe's centre line.
The diameter is always measured square to the vector of the
first path's line. A diameter that is less than the length of pieces of path
edge might give correct but unexpected extrusions, which might need manually
tidying...
Closed loop paths are fully extruded in a loop.
Multiple arcs and other complex 3D paths might give unexpected results.
Note that SketchUp can't handle very small faces in its FollowMe mode - so any
Arc bends of 8" radius or less that have the same radius for the pipe (o/d)
applied will almost certainly cause a crash / "bug splat" and are trapped out
BUT note that similar radii in 'welded' Curves are NOT easily trappable and so
they may always cause a crash with a "bug-splat", so avoid using these type of
path with small radii bends/pipes - or you can keep it but use 'scale' as
explained below...
IF you must have this matching small diameter pipe and arc or welded elbow
bends then to get it to work you can make the path a
group, scale it by a factor so it's larger (say x10), then
edit it and use this tool within it applying the diameters x10,
after it's all made scale the group back down by x0.1 and
explode it and it'll all be OK.Both diameters cannot be zero and will return an error.
If one of the diamaters is zero then you get a 'tube' rather
than a pipe.
If the diamaters entered are equal the inside one is taken as
zero and you will then get a 'tube' rather than a pipe.
If the inside's diameter is greater than the outside's then
they are swapped.
A branching path returns an error as 'FollowMe' can't decide
which path to take.
Selected edges that are not joined (i.e. they don't all have
common ends-starts) will not be extruded - only the first edge
or joined group of edges will extrude.Version :
1.0 18/9/5 first release.
1.1 18/9/5 visual segmenting of arced sections etc addressed.
1.2 9/2/6 centrepoints added at vertices of non-looped paths,
occasional reversed faces on single 'up' line fixed.
1.3 16/2/6 undo of cpoints fixed, diam <8" with matching arc
elbow bend radius bug splat trapped (but not curves).
1.4 2/5/6 group name -> OD=xx ID=nn with " or mm as units.
1.5 3/5/6 Transposed ID/OD fixed (sorry!).
1.6 12/5/7 @error=0 ### fix
1.7 20121019 Rehashed to modern standards, dialog based options to add cpoints
at nodes, put selected path onto a specified layer and move the
path inside the pipe-group.
1.8 20130115 Fixed typo glitch when path was lone vertical downward line.
1.9 20140303 Lockup weirdness trapped. Any units format now allowed.
Last used options remembered across sessions and globally.
2.0 20140304 Lockup skewed warning improved. Graphics glitch fixed.
Name reflects if internal_diam == 0.
2.1 20141111 Slight skew in path - trapping improved.Get the latest version from the PluginStore http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=PipeAlongPath
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Thanks TIG.
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Thank you TIG!
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thank u
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Hi TIG,
I was thinking last night, is there a ruby to create a tapered pipe / tube / rectangle / etc....?Think of a Palm tree trunk; larger base, diminishing to a narrower top. I don't believe this can be done with the current 'alongpath' rubies [or am i wrong???] I'm interested in your reply as to whether or not it could be done.
Think of the fun that could be had with a beach scene...!!!
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lol
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@utiler said:
Hi TIG,
I was thinking last night, is there a ruby to create a tapered pipe / tube / rectangle / etc....?Hi Andrew,
How about the Draw Metal Plugins? They can create beautifully tapering shapes.
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@gaieus said:
@utiler said:
Hi TIG,
I was thinking last night, is there a ruby to create a tapered pipe / tube / rectangle / etc....?Hi Andrew,
How about the Draw Metal Plugins? They can create beautifully tapering shapes.
does this drawmetal plugin accepts metrics? In their site, all examples show imperial units...
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Download it and try it. If it does not, ask them to update the code to accept metric too. Its not that big of a deal in Ruby to make it accept metric or imperial.
Chris
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I think you're onto something there, Gaieus. Might have a look....
It's more specific than follow and rotate.... -
How do I use this file? I saved it but now how do I use it in SketchUp. Can somebody please walk me through it. I'm still relatively new to the program and what I am really wanting to do is to create rounded corners like as in a sofa cushion. My search brought me here but still haven't been able to produced what I want in SketchUp without using someone else's components.
Does it have something to do with saving it to putting in the program file and there would be a plugin folder?
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This ruby ('PipeAlongPath.rb') doesn't round corners, it makes a 'pipe' along a 'path' - although you could use it to add 'piping-trim' to shapes too... To round the corners of things use something like Fredo's 'Round Corners' script - see here... http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=171721#p171721 - there are instruction on the page on what to do with it - this one does have some extra things to add in a folder etc...
General Note:
If there are no instructions to the contrary then scripts go into the 'Plugins' folder, found in your 'Sketchup' folder. Unzip them first if they are .zip files - they are usually .rb files
If any script has few instructions then try opening the .rb with plain-text editor, like 'Notepad.exe', (it's in text so it's readable) and look at the first section which almost always has helpful notes on use etc. Some scripts are scrambled or coded as .rbs and so can't be read - but then these will usually have a separate help document.
When you restart Sketchup most scripts become usable from a new item (or popout_submenu-item) added to the 'Plugins' menu. If they do otherwise then the script's help usually tells you - e.g. it's to be found under 'Tools' menu, or it's a right-click context-menu function only etc... -
thanks
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thanx!
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thanx!
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Is there a plugin that WILL do a pipe along a fork or branch. I want to create a space frame that has 3d shapes with multiple intersecting lines that I need to make pipes/tubes from
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See convert lines to tubes by Didier Bur
Menu Tool/ Convert arcs, circles, curves, lines to cylinders -
@unknownuser said:
"- if you picked a forking path initially it wouldn't work again for that session... "
Geez, I thought that was a feature.
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I wonder if it would be possible for this very useful plugin to choose whether to erase all those construction points inside the tube structure.
You get allot of them when you have a complex pipe path.. -
very nice, thank you.
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