@calypsoart said:

Tried the ruby console test. All resulted with "true". I take this to mean that they were loaded correctly yet I cannot find them anywhere--not under plugins, draw, tools, or right click. Suggestions?

Let's stick with SpiralStair for now (though the others should be similar).
Spiral Stair should load in the Plugins folder unless you organized it into a subfolder. In that case, under "Plugins" there should be a submenu with the same name as the subfolder on your hard drive. SpiralStair should be in that submenu. However, since it loaded from the ruby console, it is probably located in the Plugins folder/menu (unless you copied it into the subfolder).
Can you post the spiralstair11.rb file? or PM it to me?

All plugins should be forward-compatible. There were no features removed from the Ruby API, so nothing should be adversely affected.

While there is a part of organizer.rb that does modify scripts, it only does so if it can safely accomplish the rewrite (by performing several tests on the script). If it cannot reliably edit the script, it will not modify the script.

Try manually loading the scripts in question. Open the ruby console and type (for example):

load "spiral_stairs.rb"

and press <Enter>, then see if you get any error messages. If so, copy them from the console and post them here, and we'll try to get things fixed.

You mean similar to ImageProfile, just without the server-side processing?

I thought there was a way to do that, but I don't remember offhand what it is. If I get a chance to hunt it down, I'll let you know.

@tony bombata said:

question - does organizer work with encrypted scripts?

Yes and no. It will load encrypted scripts, but the script's menu location won't change unless the author has adopted the Organizer menu code (it's very easy, but no one seems to want to do it).

Not sure I understand the question. What do you want to accomplish?

@didier bur said:

Hi marcio,
Not sure if I understood you well, but when you say

@unknownuser said:

the parent method of a ComponentInstance give back the definition of its parent's Instance

you're wrong here.
If A is a component instance, A.parent returns the active_model (assuming you're not mining through nested components).

And:

@unknownuser said:

Is there any API to find the parent ComponentInstance of a ComponentInstance ?

This doesn't make sense to me. The parent of a component instance cannot be a component instance.
You can think of A.definition as almost the 'parent' of this instance.
Hope this helps,

But nested components is his example, and I've often had the same issue of wanting to know the containing space for a nested g/c. Fortunately, there's a new API command in SU7 that will give the "path" of the entity spaces (e.g. instance1>group1>group2>instance2):

model=Sketchup.active_model
model.active_path

this will return 'nil' if you're in the model.entities space, and will return an array of all the groups/components you've entered (manually).

I'm willing to help in any way I can, but I don't know of many articles or publications about customizing SketchUp via Ruby. I've done my share of scripting, but I just don't know of much written about what we rubyists are doing.

There are some discussions on the old SU ruby forum (and some here) that get into some technical issues, but I don't know if that will meet the criteria for the types of sources you need.

Feel free to contact me through Smustard if you have any specific questions. If I can, I'll be happy to help.

No on both counts. I requested #1 back in June and again in October, so it's on the radar in Boulder. I like #2 as well. I suppose it could be handled in a webDialog, but it would be so much better as a native tool. I have officially requested #2 now...

@utiler said:

Uploaded the update to smustard, Rick?

Correct - uploaded to Smustard.

@unknownuser said:

Rick, is it possible to mail a memo to people who've bought scripts when a newer version is available? If I didn't pass through here I wouldn't have known about the update (bug fix), and I bought & DL'ed on 11/11/08.

Yes, I intend to do that this weekend yet.

To recreate a lost post:

I have uploaded an update to Windowizer4 that fixes an obscure bug (could cause a bugsplat when using Windowizer4 inside a group with "Front only" set to "Yes").

The next planned update will include a right-click-menu option to start Windowizer4, and I hope to have style exporting/importing done as well.

@kevin_walker said:

This won't be a deal breaker for most, however any Chief Architectect users will find v7 files will no longer open in C.A. X-1. Version 6 files will. A work around is to export as 3ds from v7 and import back into Chief with the 3ds file.

Why not just "save as..." SU version 6?

@tyler miller said:

Hi Mike -

Sang is a member of the SketchUp Dev Team. He's been with us for about 3 years now.

We figured Bryce has take enough abuse (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?mid=81eb1af9d5a907aa3c9fe3a963c6d73b&prevstart=0).

Now it is Sang's turn (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=2faedcf7cd0ef7dd44b2fa2cac0778f5&prevstart=0)

-Tyler
Google

or this unique solution, which brings them together!

@remus said:

i think SU has moved on form its sketched based origins.

hehe - yeah, we kidnapped it and took it with us

But seriously, that is, I think, the root of the whole problem here - the difference between @Last/Google's intent and the users' collective intent. They still see it as SketchUp, while we tend to see it as IWantItToDoEverythingThatTheSoftwareIDoNotWantToSpendTheTimeOrMoneyOnCanDoUp. The turmoil comes from the different expectations...

@thomthom said:

@rickw said:

A big one is that ruby scripts can now bypass a lot of UI calls and boost performance (by up to 2x) when creating/querying geometry. This has been a bottleneck for 3 versions, and is now fixed!

That is very good to hear. Ruby speed was another of my wishes. Would you happen to know; is the SU UI more responsive when a ruby is working now? In SU6 when a ruby did some working and displayed a progressbar, the instant you switched focus away from SU the SU UI would flicker madly for a couple of seconds before it didn't update until the ruby was finished, making it impossible to know if the ruby had stalled or not, or get any more info to when it'd complete.

I haven't checked that particular issue yet. It's been on my pester-my-Google-friends list for some time

EDIT: Just tried the lose-focus issue with ImageProfile in SU7. Mixed reviews: if the window is not covered up by another app, losing focus doesn't lose status bar updates (I started the IP process, then clicked on my browser in another monitor, still got feedback). However, when I restored Excel over SU then tried to refocus on SU, got a blank screen until it was done processing (less than a minute).

@alpro said:

A quick maybe stupid question, I want to upgrade to SU7 to check it out for myself, will this overwrite my SU6? Will I have to buy a full license to SU7 if I want to keep SU6 and SU7? Thanks.

No, the two versions will peacefully coexist - better than some forum members, even!

@utiler said:

I refer to a session at 3DBC 2008 - "Maxing Out Your Productivity with Ruby Scripts" where Tyler Miller spoke of Google's slant on Ruby....
http://sites.google.com/site/3dbasecamp2008/all-sessions-2008/maxing-out-your-productivity-with-ruby-scripts
Scroll through to 41 minutes, 20 seconds...

Quote:"A word about how these API’s kinda come out…you would think the main desire here is for us to provide the ability to create a bunch of new tools for SketchUp…the reality is it come about ‘cause we’re kind of lazy as developers……. And ah, we get overwhelmed with all these requests and, ah we think “how can we sucker other peopleinto doing this for us….” unquote

I'm sure you remember Rick, you had just left the lectern!!!

Ah, good times! Yep, I remember (and am looking forward to the next 3DBC) - I also remember laughing about it - both the truth and the humor of the situation

Brad Schell once commented that the intent of @Last was to develop the core product and let third-party ruby authors create peripheral capabilities. That intent is apparently still the driving force with Google now, since SU7 has improved the core significantly. No, it's not all bells and whistles (that's what ruby is for, in part), it's a more stable, more versatile platform. It's also still called SketchUp. It seems we have all just gotten so used to pushing it so far beyond its intended capabilities that we want/expect the combined capability of Rhino/Modo/Maya/Max/fill-in-the-blank wrapped in the familiar SU interface, and we want it last year.

I understand/sympathize/agree with the multicore, high-poly, shadow-bug-fix disappointments. I've also been alternately thrilled (new/requested capabilities and fixes to reported bugs) and disappointed (a few unfixed anomalies) with ruby issues as well. But considering what I can accomplish in 7 versus 6, I'm moving forward.

Similar complaints surrounded the release of 6, since few realized the huge potential that was added through ruby enhancements (observers and webDialogs). We still have yet to really hit the broader potential of those new features. There are similar enhancements to 7 that are either unnoticed/unknown or as-yet-underappreciated. A big one is that ruby scripts can now bypass a lot of UI calls and boost performance (by up to 2x) when creating/querying geometry. This has been a bottleneck for 3 versions, and is now fixed! I also think the power of DCs is unappreciated. There is HUGE potential waiting for 3rd party developers here, FAR BEYOND just prebuilt manufacturers' components (he said, with a knowing smile).

As for some of the rancor in this thread, my goodness - it sounds worse than tomsdesk, solo, bellwells, and me in a political discussion! (I am glad we can all still be friends, even after that)

Bottom line:
Was it everything that everyone wanted? No. Clearly no.
Is it an improvement over 6? Yes. Tremendous. And (as yet) unappreciated.

@daniel said:

Well, you let the cat out of the bag....I guess the only thing left is for the Google Goons to hunt you down and...it's too horrible to even think.

Space lasers, dude. Bad news...

1. I've had that happen with the Pages object, the Layers object, the Definitions object, and I think the View object. It's a strange situation and I haven't been able to reproduce it consistently.

2. Did you try the .valid? method?