Yes, I've used this method ... that's why I has hoping for a ruby solution.

And to make a donut, Move the top cirle along the red axis, then do a followme.

I don't think there is a was to do this with SU out-of-the-box so perhaps it could be done with Ruby?

Is there a way to use bitmaps (Transparent PNGs hopefully) for the Sky and/or Ground?.

I did try the watermark feature but, of course, once you orbit off the horizontal plane ....

My objective is to use my on Sky with clouds images and ground textures.

I was wondering if anywone has used iClone to import and animate a SketchUp model?

In particular using its timeline features for doing a walk-through of an architectural model/site with the opening of doors, a person walking by, etc.

As mentioned by others, this really is an incredibly well thought out/well executed/all inclusive/well documented script. Thank you for your superb effort, Fredo

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Curved Offset.

Yes, I was hoping there would be a way to use a combination of the existing JPP options to trick it into producing a "multi-facet"-offset.

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There is a small typo. There is a right-parenthesis following "Thickening" in the Create Border Faces drop-down list.

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"The editor makes full usage of the Sketchup inference mechanism so that you can
visually adjust the distance by reference to a particular point in your model, as in most
Sketchup tools. However, when you drag, you may want to skip some inferences. For
this, just keep the SHIFT key pressed down, while dragging faces."

For me, keeping the SHIFT key depressed doesn't appear to do anything. The black triangle at the cursor seems to be inferencing to other geometry. Perhaps I am misinterpreting its usage?

I didn't realize that the you can use the Smoov Tool on "simple" surfaces too.

Make a cylinder with a 50' radius. Set the Smoov radius to 50', position it over an edge and drag upwards; both the top and bottom of the cylinder are deformed in unison. Try it on a 50'x50'x50' cube too.

Try it on a 50' radius circle, after dragging a vertex or segment upward fairly high, press and hold the shift key and drag some more. This will smoov off of the surface-normal rather than along the blue axes. Its an easy way to make a sail shape. Try shift-smooving off of the sides of the cylinder.

Lots of fun and a good way to waste time.

Well, I appreciate whatever you do find in your investigations.

It seems there is so much that can be done with SU/Ruby, but then othertimes SU/Ruby seems to have voids.

Regards, John

Hi TIG:

I understand your response.

I already do make several scenes. But with geometry relatively close to together (piping, pumps, valves, etc.), tight clearances(an area where section cuts are particularly useful), its configuration and with different presenters working on the same project and design elements changing at the last minute it can be a real challenge. Plus the fact that the presenters (often lead engineers) are usually VERY casual users of SU and don't use it at all in any depth.

The presentations are with a client (not the public or a broad audience) and deal mostley with discussions regarding preliminary design options. In the most simplistic situation ("John, I know your busy but I need this done in 15 minutes...."), 3 or 4 planes could be set up and the presenter could use the the tool to "pan" to specific areas that were not anticipated when the Scenes were established.

My thought was to provide them with an easy and flexible means of manipulating the model view in order to quickly respond to specific questions asked of them.

Regards, John

OK.

I had forgotten about the toolbar.

J

I was tinkering a bit with section planes and came up with this approach. It would probably be difficult to manage, but in some instances I suppose it could be useful.

Draw an line or some other geometry. Pick the Section Tool and snap it to the edge(s) and make the Section Plane active. Select the edge(s) and the Section Plane and group them. Pick and choose other edges and section planes, and repeat the process.

Colored Edges via Section Planes.skp

I was watching an inhouse presentation of some design concepts being proposed.

I had set up predefined sections for specific scenes as well as some scenes where the presenter could toggle on and off specific sections for any view. But, as always, discussions came up in which the current Section positions were not adequate.

Is there were a way to at least move a Scene's Section along its normal via the up-down cursor keys withOUT having to turn on Sections and use the move tool?. This could be very useful.

Some options for a more sophisticated script would be a persistent dialog in which:
a. the increment value could be modified (unless there could be a smooth continous movement via keeping the cursor key depressed)
b. specific Sections could be chosen and change which are active and which are not.
c. Section color and edge-thickness could be modified.

Interesting how the points are created with the attached.

The group was rotated, then the axis.

Apply an 2x2 FFD . The points kind of follow the user defined axis.

Group Rotated, then the Axis is rotated.skp

detrach:

In your .skp you mention choice "J". I don't have that listed in my PullDown menu.

Has there been newer release of the ruby or is this a typo?

As a convenience it would be nice if you could select one point and then be able to select all of other points that share the same x, y, or z plane.

First thing comes to mind is press "B" for the Blue plane, "R" for the Red plane, or "G" for the Green plane. Also, Ctrl-click another point to add another plane of points or Shift-click to Add or Subtract a plane of points.

....

Jim,

Been try to decipher this thread. Looks like a convenient way to organize/reorganize scipts.

Would you mind summarizing "how" this works (in general terms), how to install and modify?

J

Ah, Didier, that is even a more efficient way to assign tranparency.

Also, I use groups on just about everything and once you are inside a group the the display of bitmaps "behind" may not be viewable.

Thanks for the tip, Alan.

Think being able to adjust the opacity would be worthy for the SU7 Wishlist?

Thanks for the reply, but I needed to adjust the opacity while drawing in SketchUp, not for output.

I am photomatching and the current opacity hides too much of the photo.

J

Anyone know if there is a way to modify the amount of opacity used in the X-Ray mode?

John