I am getting very inconsistent results. Sometimes it does not generate and image at all, sometimes it chops of portions of the component, and sometimes the background is not transparent (I get the white background).

If I have multiple components in a model and want to produce separate images of each component, I must hide the components so that only one of them is showing at a time to produce the image (maybe that is the way it is supposed to work).

I have built about 100 components/models and want to build a catalog of them (perhaps in Layout or with some other software) and want to make sure I have transparent images of all of the equipment and this tool is a critical step in achieving that result. I hope there is something I am doing wrong or maybe there is a bug in the plugin.

I am using SU 2014 & LO 2014 on Windows 8.1.

I am attaching 2 SKP files that I consistently have problems with (do not get any image at all).

TunnelHeater_FrontOfTunnel.skp

RockerPanelBrush_35.skp

@dave r said:

With Mac there's a native option. With the PC there isn't but ThomThom's Export 2D With Alpha will do it if you export PNG files. JPGs don't support transparency.

Thanks Dave - does EXACTLY what I want. This should be a standard part of SU (IMHO).

Is there a way to export my models/components to a transparent PNG file?

I have built a bunch of models/components that I want to use in a "catalog" I would like for the images to have a transparent background so they can be used in several situations.

I saw a similar discuss in the LO forum. I am currently using LO to build the catalog but want to use them for some other purposes as well. I saw in LO there is a way to control this but it requires you to import the SKP file and adjust the background. I do not want to have to import the SKP files and that still would not solve the issue when using the files in other applications.

Is there a setting somewhere in SU 2014 that I am missing?

@tig said:

No.
The <space> is the 'gap'.
The 'dot' is the 'solid'.
.. .. makes the solid twice as long as the gap.
. . makes the gap twice as long as the solid.
How else could you use another character.
The LineStyles all consist of gaps and solids.
The length of the gaps/solids is proportional to the line 'width'...

You could manually delete every other styled-element to make the dots around a curve

The reason your 2d Text right aligned etc looks slightly odd is that you have a space with the newline \n, this shunts the words over by a space - don't end or start with a start next to the \n.
"THIS\nIS HOW\nTO DO IT"
But
"THIS \n IS NOT HOW\n TO DO IT"
depending on the alignment used...

OK - I understand. I was thinking about using characters like " - _ = + *" to build different patterns for different situations.

Yes, on my drawings, I deleted some of the style-elements on the curves and it came out pretty good. Kind of depends on how "sharp" the curve is.

Yes, I did put that space in there. I thought I had done it without the space and it did not work. Do not know what happened then. I just tried it and it worked just fine.

I highly recommend this tool.

Seems like almost every day I find another use for it.

@tig said:

http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=2Dtools
Is v6.3
Hopefully this will work...
Feedback welcome.............

Great job...all seems to be working well.

Now another question - is it possible to allow characters other than a . and a space?

The only place where I see any problem is when I apply a line style to a Fillet. I am attaching a file that will display show what I am talking about.

TIG-2D Test.skp

@tig said:

You don't 'draw it', you input it as spaces and dots in a second dialog...
It worked for me...
Something is up with the PluginStore version - it's not updated...

I'll updated again please retry it in a moment...

Bad wording on my part.....I understand what you are saying about entering it. I just do not get the dialog box. Are dots/periods the only characters I can use in my style?

BTW: On the text tool with multi line text, it shows centered but the text was right aligned. I could not get left to work though.

Probably something about the Ruby 2.0 that may be causing some conflict. I really am using the tool a lot though and liking it. The only other thing I see is that if I apply a line style to a curve, it does not repeat the line pattern but I found a way to work with that

As I said, I like the tool and it is very useful for me. Now I need to figure out how to draw a regular line thicker and add an arrow head. Right now I go to LayOut to accomplish that.

@tig said:

A update [v6.2] is available in the PluginStore.
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=2Dtools
it fixes some v2014 glitches with some drop-down lists in dialogs for 2dText & 2dLineStyle.

I updated to this version and yes the drop down lists work much smoother.

However, I am still seeing the brackets on the tools and when I select <custom style> for the line style tool, I do not get the window to draw my style.

@tig said:

@ntxdave said:

I am having a problem with setting the Alignment for the 2D Text Tool. The only thing that seems to work is Center. It appears that maybe the ]" at the end of the work Right and the "[ at the beginning of the work Left are causing a problem.
If I try to right align text, it goes through the dialog just fine but does not create anything.
Also, on the Line Style, how do I create my own custom line style?
I am running SU 2014 on Windows 8.1
Remember that the 'alignment' of 2d text [which is what 2d text is - just no extrusion and editable...] does NOT place the text-component's insertion point in different places, it's always bottom-left: the alignment affects how multi-line text is formatted - 'left' and the lines of text align to the left 'margin', right the lines of text align to the right 'margin', and 'center' will center the lines of text. You can of course alter the axes [aka insertion-point] of any component by selecting an instance and using the context-menu item to change it.

Thanks for the reply. Clearly my fault. I some how missed the comment about applying to multi line text.

I am having a problem with setting the Alignment for the 2D Text Tool. The only thing that seems to work is Center. It appears that maybe the ]" at the end of the work Right and the "[ at the beginning of the work Left are causing a problem.

If I try to right align text, it goes through the dialog just fine but does not create anything.

Also, on the Line Style, how do I create my own custom line style?

I am running SU 2014 on Windows 8.1

@krisidious said:

Under Window/Preferences/Files you'll see your various file locations for components, materials and styles and what not. Choose the location there. I'm not on 2014 so I don't know how it's changed since 13.

I did that but still get the old components when I use windows/components but the skp that is in that file is definitely the new one.

I just do seem to be able to get the components menu/list to update properly. I assume I am doing something wrong but I do not know what and it is getting a little frustrating because I am in the process of updating several of my components.

@krisidious said:

you need to right click on the component in the model and click reload, then navigate to the file.

OK - That worked BUT - if I try creating a new model and select that component, I have to perform that function again.

One thing I noticed was that even though I am running SU 2014 and have a folder for my components under the SU 2014 directory, it is still pointing to the SU 2013 version.

How do I ever get it to point to the SU 2014 component folder and use the file that is actually there, where the heck is it getting/storing the old version - I updated it in both component directories?

I have a library of components I have built for my models. I updated one of my components but it is still showing me the old one.

I opened my component file, modified it then saved it. Actually, I saved it two places (I have a copy of all of my components in a Components folder in my Documents library. I also have a folder under the /Sketchup 2014/Components/My Components. I then started up SketchUp and clicked on Window/Components/My Components and got my list of components. I then clicked on Refresh but it is still showing my the old version of my component.

What am I missing? How do I get the new version to show up in the list (yes, I can always get to the new one by importing it but I want it in the components list)?

Every day seems to be a new adventure. I wonder if I will ever learn all of the "ins and outs of the tool".

@ntxdave said:

Well I "cleaned up" both of the SKP files and still have the same problem. It has to be something in the receiving file because I imported into a new file and it worked fine.

The "consolidated" file is too big to post to here. It is 9.5Mb and the limit is 4Mb. Wish I could figure this out. For now I just use multiple files in my LayOut document which is OK but I can see in the future that I am going to be doing this many times. I will try to find a combination that fails and is small enough for me to post here.

I appreciate the education everyone has given me. How does everyone learn all of this stuff?

Well, I have figured out which file is causing the problem but now I have to try to figure out what is causing it. The "base file" (a top view of all of the equipment in the model). I can consolidate all of the other files without a problem.

I purged the unused stuff from all of the files and even clicked on the "fix problems" button and no problems were found (in any of the four files I am trying to merge). Guess for now I will have to live with things the way they are

Well I "cleaned up" both of the SKP files and still have the same problem. It has to be something in the receiving file because I imported into a new file and it worked fine.

The "consolidated" file is too big to post to here. It is 9.5Mb and the limit is 4Mb. Wish I could figure this out. For now I just use multiple files in my LayOut document which is OK but I can see in the future that I am going to be doing this many times. I will try to find a combination that fails and is small enough for me to post here.

I appreciate the education everyone has given me. How does everyone learn all of this stuff?

@box said:

I thought we went through this before, perhaps it was someone else.

Go Window/Model info/statistics tab and tick 'show nested' and then click purge unused.

Wow, unbelievable what that did to the file size. I will do it to the "consolidated" file as well.

Now for the education, what is that doing in the background (so I understand what the heck is going on an hopefully what to avoid going forward).

Hope this solves my problem - I will post a reply when all is done

@box said:

As Dave said above, purge baby purge.

Since I am still pretty new to this (maybe some day I will learn) what, how do I purge?

@ntxdave said:

@ntxdave said:

@ntxdave said:

Here is the other file that did not get uploaded before.

Maybe the 3rd try will be successful...........

OK - the file that contains the error is too large, I will try to scale it down so you can see my problem.

Well, that did not work either. I deleted everything but the imported version of the file I attached before and it was still too large. There obviously is something in the uploaded file that is causing the problem (both in what is visible in the consolidated file and causing the file I uploaded to be so big.

Again, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated. The file may in fact be a mess and I am just not seeing it.

@ntxdave said:

@ntxdave said:

Here is the other file that did not get uploaded before.

Maybe the 3rd try will be successful...........

OK - the file that contains the error is too large, I will try to scale it down so you can see my problem.

@ntxdave said:

Here is the other file that did not get uploaded before.

Maybe the 3rd try will be successful...........

Here is the other file that did not get uploaded before.