Here is a quick preview of how version 0.2.0 is progressing...

New Features
-New Strut Type : Cylindrical
-New Hub Type : Spherical
-Point option for Hub Centers (Platonic solid vertices)

Fixes

• Issue 8Tetrahedron generation fix
• Issue 1Duplicate Hubs & Struts generated

Improvements
-Hubs are now Components
-Big Speed Improvements making hubs components and removing duplicate hubs and struts

TODO before next release

• Rewrite JavaScript menu system to be more robust against older system configurations
• Modularize code further
• Write a proper test plan for each feature and execute it for multiple SketchUp revisions so the build is right-first-time

Paul

Thanks

[Bug] - (Confirmed) Tetrahedron won't generate
[Feature Request] - Include ability to create points at hub centers (platonic solid apexes)

@rv1974 - Can you explain what you mean further, "follow a user's predefined mesh"? Is that like doing the reverse of unrolling a cube for example, you state with the 'cross-shape' and it then joins the faces and rolls up the solid?

Thanks for the feedback.

rc1974 - Thanks for the screen shot. Spreadcore reported the same thing, but I haven't seen it. I can see where the issue is. It is in 'Accordian' menu which is a tricky by if JS. If you get this error you don't see my nice auto-expanding menu system you just get a lot of options in big fonts as Arc reported. I'll trying to recreate it so I can fix it. I expect it relates to the browser.

You said the default 'tetrahedron' does nothing. The 'icosahedron' should be default, but I'll have a look more into it.

I have remembering user presets on my wishlist, but I wanted to get out some more hub/strut variations first.

I appreciate the beta testing

Hi Spreadcore,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad it finally worked. I'll track down that other error =P. Yeah, I know about Javascript and the security risks; I was just rattled by the SU time warp with all the old versions everyone uses here.

Thanks

Muhahahahhaha,
I found it. When you click "Generate" I have a popup window that appears that tells you to wait while processing. This processing.html is a file I forgot to commit, but I had it on my local system so it worked.

Version 0.1.2 is now committed

https://sites.google.com/site/sugeodesic/downloads

crosses fingers

Paul.

Ok,
As it turns out the "Generate" button on SU 7 doesn't work, even though it works on 8 & 13... (Not that I ever doubted you ;P). Now to get to the bottom of it...

Paul.

Installing SU 6 & 7, I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another...

The hub configuration currently is fixed so there is no Rectangular vs. Cylindrical option (i'm going to add more variants in the next version). You should be able to still enable and disable hubs from that menu though.

...and I still can't imagine why 'Generate' won't work if the system is browser independent. I don't suppose there are people in this world that run their browser with Javascript "DISABLED" is there?

Hi Spreadcore,
Could I ask what your default browser you use is? I'm going to set up some virtual machines to replicate all of these different configurations. The configuration I know works is:

SketchUp 13 + Chrome default Browser

once I made 0.1.1

SketchUp 8 + Chrome default Browser

also works...

I guess I'll need to test IE, Firefox and Safari browsers and at least Win XP as an OS.

Fun.. =P

I suppose has written a cheat sheet for putting together plug-ins that will support the greatest range of SU versions and browsers etc, without having to rediscover each bug one by one?

Paul.

D'oh,
I forgot to upgrade the version number..... Adds to my list of newbie mistakes. I'll look into a more simplified menu for older browsers. I'm surprised Generate still didn't work. Its setup with defaults. Perhaps nothing should surprise me at this stage.

I have to ask, it seems that many people are using earlier version SU 7 & 8, what is the reason for this? or is it that you all have multiple versions for testing? Or just older machines?

Sincerely, Paul

Hmm,
I'll have a look at lunch time and see if I can work it out. It worked on SketchUp 8 for me.....wierd..

Thank you for your patience.

Fix Posted Version 0.1.1

https://sites.google.com/site/sugeodesic/downloads

Let me know if it works this time?

Ok,
I have a work around. got into your plugin directory and delete su_geodesic.rb. Go into the su_geodesic directory and move geodesic_main.rb up a directory (Plugin directory).

This works.

Paul

Good News! I can replicate it, with SketchUp 8. I'll hunt down the culprit.

I tested it with 13 and it worked. Sorry for the inconvenience =).

Thanks Charly,
That is what I get for submitting it in the middle of the night. Did you just click 'Generate' with no changes or do you know if there was a certain option that caused the issue? I get the usual "it worked for me" =).

I see you're using SketchUp 8 Pro, I'll download the free version and make sure there isn't a language issue.

Sincerely, Paul.

Just finished the first version of my Geodesic Dome Plugin (v0.1.0)

Get it here...
https://sites.google.com/site/sugeodesic/home

Comments welcome.

Paul.

Ok,
I've fiddled with it enough to call it a first version....

Get it at https://sites.google.com/site/sugeodesic/home

Let me know what you think. Or likely what is wrong with it

Paul.

Fixed.
Thanks Dan for the reminder for the namespace. Namespace now implemented =-P.

Hmmm,
on further reading i appears I misunderstood @@var class variables. Now to correct the whole class....?

Hmm,
I'm not sure I do that? Here is a cut-down version of what I'm doing. Hopefully I'm not breaking too many good practice rules, but please let me know.

Basically I have a lot of class variables (all the @@xyz) which have defaults, but get overridden after the HTML configure() has been ran. When configure() is complete is calls draw() then statistics() to implement the customized design in SketchUp. I use blocking threads to initialize these so that the configure has been finished().

All of my shapes from draw() get pushed into @@geodesic which is a group so that all sub-shapes from the draw are bound together at the end.

Insight appreciated...

# Add a menu item to launch our plug-in.
UI.menu("PlugIns").add_item("Draw Geodesic") {
  
  #Instantiate and configure the Geodesic
  geo = Geodesic.new
  geo.configure()  
}

class Geodesic
	#Main Configuration items
	@@g_frequency = 3
	@@g_radius = 150
	@@g_platonic_solid = 20
	@@g_fraction = 0.6
	@@g_center = Geom;;Point3d.new ([0, 0, -@@g_radius + 2 * @@g_radius * @@g_fraction])
	
	@@draw_primitive_solid_faces = 0
	@@primitive_face_material = [rand(255), rand(255), rand(255)]

	@@draw_tesselated_faces = 0
	@@tesselated_face_material = [rand(255), rand(255), rand(255)]
	
	#Metal hub configuration
	@@draw_metal_hubs = 1
	@@metal_hub_outer_radius = 2.25
	@@metal_hub_outer_thickness = 0.25
	@@metal_hub_depth_depth = 4

	#Wood strut configuration
	@@draw_wood_struts = 1
	@@wood_strut_dist_from_hub = 3
	@@wood_strut_thickness = 1.5
	@@wood_strut_depth = 3.5
	@@wood_strut_material = Sketchup;;Color.new(255,215,0)

	#Wood frame configuration
	@@draw_wood_frame = 1
	@@frame_separation = 12
	
	#Dome reference data is stored in these arrays
	@@geodesic = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group		#Main object everything contributes to
	@@primitive_points = []
	@@strut_points = []
	@@triangle_points = []
	
	#Dome shape data is stored in these arrays
	@@strut_hubs = []
	@@struts = []
	@@frame_struts = []

	
	#tolerance factor to circumvent small number errors
	@@g_tolerance = 0.5
	
	#HTML pop-up menu to configure and create the Geodesic Dome
	def configure
           # ... code ...
        end

	def draw
           # ... code ...
        end

	def statistics
           # ... code ...
        end

        private

        #lots of support functions here

SIncerely, Paul.