Posts made by Chris Fullmer

Send them a bill for using it, see if they pay it. Maybe it makes its way right through the accounting dept and you get a check back

I think this just fools the EW server script checker. It rummages through a script looking to make sure the script calls SketchupExtension.new or something like that.

Its not ideal to fool it like this, as the checking mechanism might change in the future and it might search for something more advanced. BUT, the EW doesn't really handle plugin bundles that should not be extensions, like libraries. So that is why we are seeing a few of the libraries trying to fool the EW server script checker like this.

I just updated it today. It should be 2014 compatible now.

Chris

Hi Chuck, if you remove all your plugins and then try running SU for a while, does it work correctly again?

Re-read the post right above yours Pherim. Jiminy suggests it is also possible that it might be his plugin - Layer Panel. Check to see if you have that installed.

Oh good, thanks for the update. Glad its working,

Chris

I do this with my plugins. They all get installed in a submenu called "CLF Tools" or something. It is possible because I know how to check to see if that submenu object exists. Then add to it if it does exist, or create it if it does not exist.

So if you want to create a generic submenu system that others can use, like "Edge Plugins", you would have to set that up and others would have to implement your same system. In other words, the idea of plugins not knowing about the existence of one another is not likely, since they would have to work together.

@frv said:

As I understand there is no such thing as "upgrading" the license to version 2014.
You can buy the new license for a year after which it expires.

I tried to update but was charged 0 and charged for the maintenance program for 73 euro ex. vat per year. That is till March 2015.
Actually, I like this better than pay a full license per user at 500 euro or so and still have to upgrade.

Francois

Hi Francois, we operate on a subscription now. So you paid 73 euro for the subscription, or "maintenance program". While you are covered by the maintenance, you get all upgrades for free. If we come out with another version before March 2015, you will get a license to it for free. That license and your 2014 license will never expire. Once you receive a license, it does not expire.

I hope that helps clarify things a little.

Chris

That means it is calling "GetString" on a nil object. It would have been a little more helpful if you posted the full error message. But essentially it gave you a line number in there. On that line, you are calling GetString. At that moment, what ever you are calling getstring on, is nil. And getstring is not a method for the nil object. Does that help?

If you post the full error message, I could help determine what line is actually the problem line.

Chris

I've made a font using bitfonter before. It was pretty easy to do.

Illustrator also has the ability to do so, if you are comfortable with that software.

Hi Jaimeda, I'm not seeing the error yet. Once I load the component, what do I need to do to see the error? Thanks,

Chris

Thanks! I can reproduce this. I've written it up as a bug.

Great, I can reproduce that as well. What version of SketchUp are you in? Can you go into SU and click the Help men and choose "about". And what is the full version number in there. Thanks!

Chris

Hi Ryan, would you right click on the white part of the page, just below the "You are not authorized to access this page" message. Then choose "Properties". That will bring up a window with a web address. Could you copy and paste that here so we can see what webpage it is trying to show? Thanks,

Chris

We have seen that if a user drags a skp model onto their SU icon, then they work. but if they double click on a skp model file, or double click on the SU icon, then it does not work. Are you seeing it work in both scenarios?

Also some hints can be found here:

http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000050

@david.p said:

About the plugins, I found this snippet:

...that unfortunately is not available for reading to everyone.

So what do I do to get at least my Space Navigator working in Sketchup 2014? It is like being amputated without.

Hi David, sorry you came across an invalid url there. I'm not sure where it came from. The correct link to that same article is here:

http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000050

It looks like it might be missing some detailed info for Mac users. But the advice is the same, just the paths of where to save the plugins to is different, since they are Mac paths, not Win paths.

Hope that helps

Chris

That's awesome Rich! Looks great, what's the trick? Are you making new bbcode tags for it?

I don't know what Pritam was thinking of, but here's my thoughts. A scene manager should have a layer matrix included that would allow you to quicly untick boxes for what layers should be on or off per scene. Also a time manager per scene, an axis manager per scene, a styles manager per scene, etc.

As an example, each "manager" should work so that you can click on the Tim Manager for "scene 22" and adjust the time, and it automatically sticks on that scene. Or select all scenes and click a time manager and adjust all scenes times together. And an option to select all scenes, set a first time and a last time and have it evenly distribute the time over all scenes.

The axis manger would be easy as click on the acis button on a scene and it pops up the set axis tool and it automatically saved just to that one scene. Or reset the axis to world coordinates, or do an axis action to all scenes, or all selected scenes.

Be able to change the name for each scene of course.

Have pre-defined sets of scenes included and not included in animations. So you could have 4 (for example) different animation sets saved and toggle them back and forth for animation export.

Quicly copy selected scenes. Combines with the above works like this. MAke a single animation flythrough that takes 10 scenes. Then copy those 10 scenes to have a 2nd animation set. And again for a 3rd animation set. Each set runs through the exact same flythrough, but with different layer on/off configurations (easily configured in the Scenes Layer Manager Matrix). And you make 3 sets of included/not included in aimation so you can easily switch back and forth between sets and export these 3 animations.

The Styles manager just displays the name of the style associated with the scene. It would be easily changed through a drop-down menu of in-model styles. Or click on a button to open the style maker and create a style that gets associated with that scene.

And on and on. These are jsut some of the ideas that came to head my quickly. I"m sure there's lots more that could be included. I really like scenes. This is functionality that exists already (except for animation sets), it just would be nice if it was all accessible through one scene manager. It is something on my list of scripts to write if I ever get good enough with webdialogs, java script, and whatever else would be needed to make it work. Any other ideas?

Chris

WARNING from 2014: Extending the SketchUp classes is virtually always a bad idea and will make your plugin not be allowed onto the Extension Warehouse. Please find a different way to do things, other than by extending existing SketchUp classes, modules, methods, etc.

class Sketchup;;Entities

	# Adds a clf_bezier_points method to the Entities class.  Arguments are the starting point of the bezier, first handle, the endpoint of the bezier, the endpoints handle.  
	# All are either Point3d objects, or an array of [x,y,z] values.  The last argument is the number of segments the bezier should have.  
	# This method returns an array of [x,y,z] points, starting with the given starting point and ending with the given endoing point.
	def clf_bezier_points( p0, p1, p3, p2, segs )
		point_array = []
		np = [0,0,0]
		cx = (3 * (p1[0] - p0[0]))
		bx = (3 * (p2[0] - p1[0])) - cx
		ax = (p3[0] - p0[0]) - cx - bx
		cy = (3 * (p1[1] - p0[1]))
		by = (3 * (p2[1] - p1[1])) - cy
		ay = (p3[1] - p0[1]) - cy - by
		cz = (3 * (p1[2] - p0[2]))
		bz = (3 * (p2[2] - p1[2])) - cz
		az = (p3[2] - p0[2]) - cz - bz
		(segs.to_i+1).times do |e|
			t = e/segs.to_f
			np[0] = (ax*(t**3)) + (bx*(t**2)) + (cx*t) + p0[0]
			np[1] = (ay*(t**3)) + (by*(t**2)) + (cy*t) + p0[1]
			np[2] = (az*(t**3)) + (bz*(t**2)) + (cz*t) + p0[2]
			point_array << np.clone
		end
		point_array
	end # clf_bezier_points
	
	# Adds a clf_add_bezier method to the Entities class.  Arguments are the starting point of the bezier, first handle, the endpoint of the bezier, the endpoints handle.  
	# All are either Point3d objects, or an array of [x,y,z] values.  The last argument is the number of segments the bezier should have.
	# This method returns an array that contains an arc object and an array of the edges, in order, in the bezier curve.
	def clf_add_bezier( p0, p1, p3, p2, segs )
		point_array = clf_bezier_points( p0, p1, p3, p2, segs )
		z = parent.active_entities.add_curve point_array
		bez_curve = z[0].curve
		[bez_curve,z]
	end # clf_add_bezier
	
end # Sketchup;;Entities class

This is the code I was planning on releasing as a developer's tool to add quick bezier curve ability.

Is writing it as its own .rb file that needs to be downloaded and installed really the best way? Or would it just made more sense to post is as standalone methods that would be easy for other scripter's to just copy and paste from here into their code?

And don't get me wrong, I fully expect that about 0 people will ever actually use this code. It was a bit of an exercise in figuring out how to extend SU's classes. But theoretically, what does everyone think the most efficient way to provide code bits like this is?

Chris

EDIT: Also, I was hoping that someone with some experience in these things could look over the code quickly and check if I have done anything majorly wrong that would quickly cause problems? Thanks in advance (Jim, Todd, Rick, TBD, TIG, Fredo, Tomasz, Whaat, the other Chris, and the other one, Wehby, and everyone that I missed, or didn't include who feels like they have answers! )