It's there to stop more than one instance of the plugin loading into the menu/context-menu etc. If you hadn't added this trap then this might happen if you typed load "MyPlugin.rb" after you have already got it loaded - e.g. automatically at startup. It's not going to have to stop these potential duplicate menu items unless you try to 'load' the script more than once - e.g. while you are testing it, or perhaps when you have a script in a sub-folder that doesn't auto-load, but it might be loaded by another script [that is itself already loaded] under certain circumstances, and potentially these circumstances might occur more than once in that session - but you only want the one menu/context/toolbar item...

@morgan_greywolf said: Sure, I'll take a look at it. I'm running SU8 on Linux/Wine. Great. You can get started with the proxy server and the test page; send me a note off-list (rdm@cfcl.com) letting me know what you find out. As soon as I have my example plugin ready for Alpha testing, I'll let you know. FYI, the plugin no longer sits in a read loop. Instead, I use UI.start_timer to perform periodic scans of the input directory. This seems to work quite nicely, but it does require SU8, because it's using a sub-second interval. Also, I'm still hoping for a CygWin and/or native Windows tester!

@dan rathbun said: I was under the impression that the code block of show() and show_modal() did not work on the Mac. Has this been fixed on SU 8.x ?? Dunno, in general, but a quick experiment worked for me. Then again, I was only setting a single variable. -r

You'd have to first export I'd think, via the Sketchup API. Then some kind of automation, perhaps thru a webdialog. (I do not see a specific 3Dwarehouse APi on Google API site.) Try posting a query here: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/forum

@richmorin said: It turns out that the relative paths to my library JS (and probably CSS) were working under the browsers, but not under SU. !@#$%^ (Thanks, Dan!) Ok that's a common booboo, nothing too bad. There's a fix we talked about in another thread where we were brainstorming how to set up a "mini" 3Dwarehouse for Eric's SketchTHIS.net website: Re: Download to Sketchup button

Indeed, it turns out that calling refresh_thumbnail after the call to zoom_extents and before the call to save_as clears up the problem.

@unknownuser said: Ruby LOAD PATHs script for (Win32)](http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f)":1xbd78u2] I am trying to write a plugin for sketchup 8 using rubygems. ... About the initial load error now, whenever I uncomment the #$LOAD_PATH << "#{pre}/site_ruby/#{ver}" line (the directory containing the rubygems file among others), sketchup crashes during launch. It is NOT likely you will get a standard RubyGems to work with Sketchup. One problem may be that RubyGems redefines the Kenel.require() method, which is inherited by Object, and so inherited by all other Ruby objects. For info on RubyGems, see the Resources list under the section: TECHNICAL REFERENCES It is more probable that a special version of RubyGems would be needed for use under Sketchup.

.

Being totally ignorant on the subject of ruby scripting I think I will buy this book and gain some insight. It looks to be good value at $32. I also notice that the author, Matthew Scarpino, says in Chapter 1: Introduction to SketchUp Scripting For further support with SketchUp scripting, you can't do much better than http://www.sketchucation.com http://www.autosketchup.com/ [image: ht4a_AutomaticSketchUp.jpg]

@richmorin said: I'm not sure about the distinctions and terminology here, so: This is the dialog one gets by selecting a component and using the "Window > Component Options" menu bar item on a Mac. It's the 'Dynamic Component Options' Window/Dialog...

I've sent you an email... Suggest you edit your initial post to 'discombobulate' your email address [to protect it from bots] e.g. rdm_at_cfcl.com.

@dan rathbun said: @richmorin said: I have a bunch of configuration data that I want to serialize, write to a file, and have my plugin load. Suggestions, anyone? The 3rd, option is to use the Sketchup.write_defaultand Sketchup.read_defaultmethods to store your plugin options in the Windows Registry (win32) or Plist file (Mac). Con here is that your options must be 'flatfile' data. No multi-level data is allowed. Actually not entirely true. You can set up the text fields of your attributes anyway you wish, since it's your plugin that will use them. If it's easier, and faster for loading.. you can have 'array' fields. ie, a single attribute value can actually be a CSV list of multiple values. (You can use whatever delimiter you wish, not just comma.) del = '%' # delimiter valListString = arrayOfValues.join(del) # then assign valListString to attribute value # reading is opposite # assign attribute value to valListString arrayOfValues = valListString.split(del) # you'd need to iterate the array and convert # any number strings to numerics # see the Sketchup extenstion String.to_l Sketchup extenstion String.to_l

@richmorin said: TIG- If you'll look at my code extract, you'll see that I'm already doing what you suggest. pph is a hash of "point pairs", indexed by the vertex positions (encoded as strings, to avoid object issues). However, my code isn't detecting any clashes, even though SU does (later) when it tries to save the model. That's why I suggested instead of inspecting the points you inspect the edges already made...

You have exited your Tool so the View refreshes... selectSelectionTool changes to that tool... No hack... No magic involved...

You want the facecopy to intersect with the glued_to face ? This might work, untested. <span class="syntaxdefault">def get_glued_bounds_facegroup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">ci</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Arg; ci, a component instance<br /># Return nil if ci is not glued;<br />#  or a group with new face you can explode.<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxcomment">#<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  return nil if ci</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">glued_to</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">nil</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxcomment">#<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  model </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_model<br />  cd </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ci</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">definition<br />  db </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> cd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">bounds<br />  </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># get pts in counter-clockwise order;<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  pt0 </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> db</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">corner</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># left front bottom<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  pt1 </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> db</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">corner</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># right front bottom<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  pt2 </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> db</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">corner</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">3</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># right back bottom<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  pt3 </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> db</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">corner</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">2</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># left back bottom<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># get transform of ci;<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  tr </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ci</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">transformation<br />  </span><span class="syntaxcomment">#<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  par </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ci</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">parent<br />  ents </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> par</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">entities rescue model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_entities<br />  grp </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> ents</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_group</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">()<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  grp</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_face</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt1</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt2</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">,</span><span class="syntaxdefault">pt3</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  grp</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">transform</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">!(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">tr</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxcomment">#<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end</span>

Yea - I miss a bug-fix list in the release notes. Gotto test this with older SU versions though.

This could be interesting: Entities.intersect_with http://code.google.com/intl/nb/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/entities.html#intersect_with Also means you need a real Face to intersect your lines with. But it will correctly intersect faces that has holes in it. You'd need to create a temporarily face (inside a group I'd recommend) large enough to cover the entities you want to intersect. You could make it as large as the scene boundary. Then iterate over the faces you want to intersect, filter out those edges where the vertices lie on your intersecting face. Intersect the faces with your intersect_face.

Yes. Dynamic components store their dynamic attributes in attribute dictionaries on the compopnent (or the definition mayeb). So dig through the attribute dicts to find one from the dynamic comp, and it will have all the values in there. Chris

Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for! I've updated my blog entry (http://www.cfcl.com/rdm/weblog/archives/001716.html) with some speculation on how this capability might be used.