[Plugin] PipeAlongPath
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@tig said:
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
Fredo's Rounded Corners plugin is awesome. Thanks for the lead. I'm sure I'll get lots of great use out of it.
For people looking to create pipes with rounded corners, I'll suggest this method of creating them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrdW_mN7Tt8You will, of course, be giving up all of the additional benefits of the PipeAlongPath.rb plugin if you use the "Follow Me" tool method from the video. But, that's the trade off. You have lots of options to choose from. You use what works best for your situation.
I mean no disrespect to TIG by offering an alternative.
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You should of course use and understand the native tools before considering the use of any 'plugin'.
The linked video does show a somewhat simple use of FollowMe...
One thing it fails to explain is that if you first preselect the path's edges/curves, then you activate FollowMe and then pick the desired profile-face, the whole extrusion is done in one go, without you having to drag the extrusion around the path... This is often the easier way.
The other principle advantage of PipeAlongPath is that the face-profile is automatically made perpendicular to the first edge in the path, this can be awkward to create manually if the path doesn't start along an axial vector...
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So Tig, ever thought about extending your plugin to basically spoof thick lines?
- one more menu item: Pipe vs duct
- inner and outer diameters ==> width and height
- In your "getting to real work" section, use the menu item to determine
if creating a circular face or a rectangle - etc
It would be a great way to make thick lines and not suffer from the aliasing issue on curves in the other plugin that seems focused on this kind of thing.
on top of spoofing thick lines, I guess, it could be a great way to make a serpentine wall easily (draw the line freehand or whatever, call your plugin and set width height, execute)
For thick line width = say 5mm Height = say 0.1mm
For wall width say 100mm height say 1000mm -
TIG - it's late at night and I have about a hundred little pipes to draw - each at a slightly different angle - before tomorrow morning, and have just stumbled across your plugin. I could cry I am so pathetically grateful, I thought I was going to be up all night doing it. Thanks so much!
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Great plugin. Many thanks
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Version v1.9 now available in the PluginStore.
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=PipeAlongPath
It has a trap for the occasional lockup if the path has a very slight skew and changes of direction, which SketchUp's FollowMe can't handle.
It now allows any units to be used in ne input [defaults to Model Units display]
It remembers the last used options across sessions and globally for all models. -
Version v2.0 now available in the PluginStore.
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=PipeAlongPath
The lockup/skew trap is now improve and far less likely to appear.
The v2014 graphics glitch with some pipes not appearing smooth unless they were subsequently edited is resolved.
The name now better reflects if the pipe's internal diameter == 0. -
Hello there.
Is there any RAR file available for this plugin? I really don't know how to install sketchUcationTools.rbz
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I see that you have SU8. If you have the latest version of SU8 you must be able to install .rbz by clicking on window-->preferences-->extensions-->install extension.
If you want to install the plugin manually, just rename the .rbz as .zip and unzip it. -
why can't I find the download button?
where is it? -
At the bottom of the very first post of this thread.
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OH, I found it! Thank you very mush!!
@massimo said:
At the bottom of the very first post of this thread.
[attachment=0:3tt49ous]<!-- ia0 -->Cattura.JPG<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:3tt49ous] -
Version v2.1 is now available in the PluginStore http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=PipeAlongPath It fixes some rare issues when edges in paths have a very slight skew in Z, it still warns if <~0.3 degrees etc which might Bugsplat, but traps for such slight differences which have previously caused a failure, but which would not have caused a Bugsplat...
Please test and feedback...
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Version v2.2 is now available in the PluginStore http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=PipeAlongPath It addresses a glitch with the misplacement of node-cpoints [if that option was set], if the path was found to be slightly skewed, and the user chose 'No' in the additional dialog to process things anyway...
Now the node-cpoints are correctly placed in every case... -
thanks again Tig
great work as always, and most genuinely appreciated
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I am very green;experience and envy ! Thanks to Tig and others who have gone before. Trying to create a square tube spiral to specs. Steep learning curve. Thanks
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Great plugin, thanks! Is there perhaps a way to extrude a specific profile (instead of just a circle as with the pipe extrusion here) along, say, multiple different curves? I have a louvre profile which I wish to extrude along many different curves. Ideally I'd like to select all of the curves, select the profile, and then hit 'extrude'.
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@mist3ry30 said:
Great plugin, thanks! Is there perhaps a way to extrude a specific profile (instead of just a circle as with the pipe extrusion here) along, say, multiple different curves? I have a louvre profile which I wish to extrude along many different curves. Ideally I'd like to select all of the curves, select the profile, and then hit 'extrude'.
look at
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=DM_ProfileBuilderFree_v.1.1.0
That's the older free-version, there's a newer/better version available for a few $...
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=560134#p560134 -
hey TIG, just want to thank you for your pipe along path plug in! Fantastic !!! On a v tight deadline here and your plugin has saved me untold grief. Cheers, Paul
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Thanks to author for great plugin! But I encountered the situation when I tried to make a pipe it caused my SU 2013 hang. I suppose the reason of that some problem with my edges or connections, even though TT's Edge tools inspections were done. Can anyone say what was wrong with edges? Sorry for my English
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