got it! thanx, works perfectly... stan

hi, thanx! work like a dream, as soon as i found out, that a ng - group must be created before calling the method, then it moves both groups into it. fantastic! THANK YOU !!!!! stan result: g0 = @group_floors #COMES FROM ANOTHER METHOD g1 = @facade_group #COMES FROM ANOTHER METHOD ng = model.entities.add_group self.insert(ng, g0, g1) ##*************************************************************************** def self.insert(ng, g0, g1) ##*************************************************************************** ng.entities.add_instance(g0.entities.parent, g0.transformation) ng.entities.add_instance(g1.entities.parent, g1.transformation) g0.erase! g1.erase! #ng.name = "master house group created" count = 1 entities3 = ng.entities entities3.each { |entity| if entity.is_a?(Sketchup;;Group) entity.explode if count == 1 #SO GROUPS ELEMENTS ARE AGAIN AT LEVEL 1, as needed count = count + 1 end } end

hi tig, understood and done, works perfect, the combi-version is very nice and confortable and i can pass arguments to it from any method. you will then see it in the finished ruby! thanx a lot for the explanation. stan

You have a component definition [ defn]. You have an instance of it [ inst1]. That instance has a transformation [ tr1=inst1.transformation]. That transformation has an origin [ org=tr1.origin] - i.e. its 'insertion point'. You make a new transformation based on that: tr2=Geom::Transformation.new([org.x, org.y, org.z+z_increment]) Where the ' z_increment' is the amount by which you want to move the copy upwards - either in inches or a Length. You add the copy thus: inst2=inst1.add_instance(defn, tr2)

hi tt_su, super, soft & smooth helps to identify. it works. the selected field of mesh is tranfered to a single face (i work with selection). thanx stan

You have to make a 'class'. SketchUp recognizes it as a 'Tool' from the way it is made into a command... Special 'Tool' methods can be used in that class... Go to the Extension-Warehouse and find the Examples - the 'draw box' example shows how to set up a Tool... https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/example-ruby-scripts

hi dan, yes, i understand. i solved the problem with the following solution: the component-related text is placed outside and with every calculation per ruby it is selectively deleted and placed with new parameters at the new components position. seems to work well. stan

hi dan,i willk take a look at it. yes, i was searching in the forum in the mean time a lot and found a topic from 2009 whit good ideas. i can now identify the component instance and retrieve its own height, especially when it is nested. there are still some minor problems , but the ruby returns the informations needed now. thanx for helping me! stan

No problem, glad to help if the tip worked.

@artmusicstudio said: now, i think of finding a way to iterate depending of the Z height. is there a way to say directly in the iteration routine, start with lowest elements and go up to the highest? You make an array COPY of the collection, and the sort the array using the sort() method that is mixed in from the Enumerable module. Use the entity bounds() method to get a Geom::BoundingBox, and it's min() method to get a Geom::Point3d, and use it's z() method to get Length objects for the compare expression. def z_sort(coll) coll.to_a.sort {|a,b| a.bounds.min.z <=> b.bounds.min.z } end The trick is that the Comparable module must be mixed into the final object's class, on both sides of the compare <=> operator. This will always be true for Numeric and String subclasses. At the console: Length.ancestors %(darkgreen)[>> [Length, Float, JSON::Ext::Generator::GeneratorMethods::Float, Numeric, Comparable, Object, JSON::Ext::Generator::GeneratorMethods::Object, Kernel, BasicObject]] Notice that Comparable is already mixed in ?

hi jim, thank you so much. it works. again a step closer to my ruby. stan

hi tig, thanx for your explanation. too high for me at the moment ( after several trials), but i keep on learning. i solved the problem by calculation of the bottom side at 0 directly during the creation of the elements. but one day i will also understand the vertices transormation... regards stan

You can try thrupaint from Fredo tools. SketchUV will do it. Quadfacetools from Thomthom will work in this situation too.

Not sure why, but there's this: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=40397

@jim said: If you click the Fly-out menu, and select "Remove Collection from Favorites", are you able to remove it? hi jim, no, that is the point. remove collection gives you the selection of collection, which are at the bottom of the pulldown menue. this one is on the top..... stan [image: 9gVH_Clipboard02.jpg] [image: i0RG_Clipboard03.jpg]

Didier made one I think that worked pretty well? And I think Fredo has a terrain plugin, I'm not sure if it will help here though. Didier's: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11320 Fredo's: http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TopoShaper

hi tig, yes, i understand the principles of giving attributes to entities now and will try to experiment with this. maybe i may go step back to my special situation (just for understanding): i have an axis of different edges, giving a path for 'followme' , then i let create the ruby the same object again and again (imagine: square, path, followme, delete square, path, followme, delete etc.) the funny thing is, that the entities DO have a numbering , which is their position in the array, right? and so a thought, while knowing , which entity has which number in the row, i could access them easily (again: always the same object with same amount of edges and faces from the same procedure) but at this point the numbering of faces in the array changes, although generated thru same procedure. and since the object is a follow-me- object, i cannot give any attributes to single faces, i guess..... so that's the trouble. but i can gerate these objects per hand too (face by face), so i will be able to use the 'attribute' option. regards stan

hi everybody, thanx for this interesting discussion, and yes, tig's way worls perfectly, so it is possible to immitate the mouse movement of single entities in any angle and direction. fantastic! new_line10 = entities31.add_line pts[1], pts[0] tr = Geom;;Transformation.rotation(pts_senkrecht1,@vector,@angle_m.degrees) group31.entities.transform_entities(tr, new_line10) #MOVE 1 FACE >>>> number distance_m_result = @carrier_w *@totaloffset_x_center/@run vector2 = new_line10.line[1] vector2.length = distance_m_result.abs tr = Geom;;Transformation.translation(vector2) group31.entities.transform_entities(tr,group31.entities[number]) stan