Whaat,

The script you first mentioned is SelectAtStartup. It could be modified to select a different tool at startup, and provides a way to learn how to select tools via ruby.

Hope that helps,

Blue Man Group! - it's amazing what they do with PVC
If I need a laugh break, They Might Be Giants, Weird Al, or David Petete will do the job - I especially like David's "I'm Just a Kidney Stone (I'll soon be passing through)".

P&W can also help me focus and Classical music gets the creative juices flowing - it's amazing that the genius of Bach or Mozart can be somewhat contagious (even if only temporarily).

Oh, and I really liked the title of this thread - a takeoff on a classic crooner's song...

Try downloading again, and this time don't accept any extension other than .rb when downloading. The .rtf download file type is apparently adding headers to the file, which are causing the problem you see when you try to load it in Sketchup.

Unfortunately, it appears that the welded? lines that are causing the problems are going in opposite directions, so no matter which you choose, it is not what you want. An ironic problem, but a problem nonetheless...

Something I tried, with some success (see attached):

1. relocate the component axes to be outside the brick
2. selected all the edges in the inner shape and welded them all together, then used this for the path.

It still requires some minor adjustments, but is still an improvement over manual placement.

Pathcopy issuesRW.skp

To be clear, you're asking for
copy to nodes (oriented) and
copy to nodes (disoriented) ?

But seriously, I'll add it to the list. It's a long list these days, with short time...

Thanks,

Materials don't have layers, but layers can have materials.

Unfortunately, Google has not provided ruby access to the layer material.

Danke schoen, Burkhard. Hast du gehaben eine gut Reise für Arbeit?
Leider wir nicht sprechen für ein lange Zeit, und mein Deutsch heute ist nicht gut.

Nice work!

With groups, the script assumes the group is in the correct initial orientation (for the rotation aspect), and uses the group's transformation origin for the insert point. That origin is the corner of the group's bounding box nearest the model origin at the time the group was created.

With components, things are much more predictable. The script will use the component origin, will orient the component so the x-axis is in line with the first edge of the path, will rotate so the x-axis is parallel to the path, and the z-axis is always up.

Also, with strictly radial paths, the rotate-copy tool might work as well, and be more predictable with groups (though I'd still recommend using components if they are all the same along a path - less "weight" in the file, and any changes are much easier).

Hope that helps,

I think you'll find you have more luck if you make the soldier brick into a component, both in terms of control and model size.

Components (unlike groups) have axes control, allowing you to position the axes and the faces in the correct relative positions. Then, when the component is copied around the path, it will pick up its orientation from the path direction at the insert point, and more accurately than a group will.

Personally, I use textures for brickwork - just add border edges 8" high, and rotate & stretch (in one direction only) a brick texture to use for a soldier course.

Hope that helps,

Yep, our first. As for the code we used, I think it looked something like this

class BabyBoy
 attr_read ;eyes, ;hair, ;name
 attr_accessor ;weight, ;height

 def initialize(name,eyes,hair,weight,length)
  @name = name
  @eyes = eyes
  @hair = hair
  @weight = weight
  @length = length
  cry(10,1)
 end

 def eat(food="milk",qty)
  while qty<@@full
   eat(food,qty+1)
  end
  if rand(10) < 6
   poop
  else
   pee
  end
 end

 def poop
  qty = rand(30)
  case qty
   when <11
    puts "not much"
    cry(2,2)
   when >10 && <21
    puts "quite a bit"
    cry(4,2)
   else
    puts "major blowout"
    cry(8,2)
  end
 end

 def pee
  qty = rand(30)
  case qty
   when <11
    puts "not much"
    cry(2,3)
   when >10 && <21
    puts "quite a bit"
    cry(4,3)
   else
    puts "serious waterworks"
    cry(6,3)
  end
 end

 def cry(volume,reason)
  action = getAction
  until action==reason
   PlaySound("cry.wav",volume)
   action = getAction
  end
  sleep(rand(240))
 end

 def sleep(time)
  x=0
  while x<time
   puts "sleep quietly, look precious"
   x+=1
  end
  reason = rand(5)
  cry(3,reason)
 end

 def getAction
  case (gets action)
   when "feed"
    return 1
   when "change messy diaper"
    return 2
   when "change wet diaper"
    return 3
   when "burp"
    return 4
   when "sleep"
    return 5
   else
    return rand(5)+5
  end
 end
end #class BabyBoy

BabyBoy.new("Ian", "blue", "brown", 7.pounds, 19.inches)

Now if that's not the geekiest thing you've ever heard, you hang around too many geeks

Thanks everyone!

Wow, I must have been sleeping on the job on that one. model.*active_*entities

I'll update the Smustard version.

Thanks,

Sorry for my absence of late, but I've been distracted with another little project...

I have almost finished working on an update to ImageProfile, which I expect will speed up an already-fast process, plus make it even more accurate than before. I'll post again when it's ready.

I don't think we disagree about anything. I may have misread one of your posts, thinking you were saying to put downloaded .rb files into the Tools folder, and that's what prompted my first post here. If you didn't mean to say that, then my comment was irrelevant.

Regards,

Just commenting that there had been previous discussion, and what it entailed.
The "other solutions" implied Organizer, not renaming or relocating files.

There's been some previous discussion on where to load scripts. The previous consensus was to locate things in the Plugins folder, and leave the Tools folder for SU internal files. I understand about the ability to load/unload things using extensions, but it adds a layer of complexity for some users who would be better served with other solutions.

I think it was built into my childhood: wood blocks, Lincoln Logs, LEGO blocks, Girder & Panel sets, Exin Castillo castle sets, and watching my grandfather in his sheet metal shop (he taught me how to read a ruler and how to bend, cut, punch, solder, and spot-weld sheet metal). In the process, he indirectly taught me about thinking in 3d in general, and imagining how something flat could be made to take a 3d shape.

My dad was an electrical engineer, so he taught me about math, computers, electricity, and chess. My mom was a teacher and musician, and taught me to read, love learning, and appreciate music. Both of them encouraged me to try new things.

Art lessons when I was young helped me develop an aesthetic appreciation and expression.

So, I think I was pretty well headed towards architecture by the time I was 8 years old.

Lapx,

Have you tried the Organizer plugin?

Yeah, that can't be done. It would violate the rules of component definitions.

Your options: either paint the instance, or make an instance unique (but then you are creating a new definition).

Sorry I don't have better news...

Generally speaking, attributes are the way to go for something like this.

I updated two of the PageUtilities scripts (transition time editor and delay time editor) by combining them into one plugin with a webDialog. This allows the user to adjust transition and delay times in one place, either by direct entry, applying a multiplier (whole number, decimal number, or pure fraction), or applying a set value. Multipliers and values can be applied per scene or by selecting multiple scenes and applying to the selected set.

Current license holders can access upgrade pricing by visiting their MySmustard page, accessible from the Smustard Toolbar.

Also, a new version of PresentationBundle includes this new script, and is available at upgrade pricing.