Out of curiosity, what version of Mac OS does she have? If it is Yosemite (10.10), your info is actually backward: SU 2014 has issues with fonts under Yosemite, but these were corrected in the SU 2015 release.

To avoid issues with floating point arithmetic, SketchUp has an internal tolerance of about .001". This was chosen based on its original use in architecture. In various operations, it tests values (especially vertices) for match to within tolerance. Depending on the operation, it may merge nearby vertices into one (basically, making the assumption they differ only due to numeric error) or may do things like you observed and proclaim two lines parallel when they are "close enough". In your very narrow triangle, the short side has its points so close together that they are hitting these effects.

Note: this is also what will sometimes cause a follow-me or intersect operation to leave some holes or gaps in the result.

The usual workaround is to scale the model up until the points are separated by more than the tolerance and then to scale it back down when completed, as the problem isn't really with the floating point values, it is with how SketchUp handles them in certain operations.

@dan rathbun said:

Bigger thumbnail = more loading time? (guessing)

Seems unlikely to me unless it was programmed really badly. The thumbnail contains nothing that SketchUp needs for loading the file, so the loader should simply skip that part of the file with nearly zero impact on load time. Where a larger thumbnail would have an effect is on save or quit, when SU has to write the thumbnail. I think something else must be afoot, but at this point I have no clue what...

Steve

The only things that depend on the starting point are the three places that use ORIGIN. That's an advantage of using offset vectors instead of formulas to create vertex points. So, at the top, define

startpoint = [0, 1+riserthickness, 0]

and replace ORIGIN with startpoint in the three locations. I didn't include any other error checking, but as a precaution against when riserthickness=0 you might want to change the definition of baseline to

baseline = [startpoint, [0, -1, 0]]

so that the two points will never be the same (which would cause a SketchUp error). A line does not have a direction, so it does not matter that the second point is "in front" instead of "in back" of startpoint.

Found a few minutes...try this:

  def draw_stringer(rise, run, tread_thickness, numsteps)
    ents=Sketchup.active_model.active_entities
    # offset vectors for rise and run
    risevect = Geom;;Vector3d.new([0,0,0], [0,0,rise])
    runvect = Geom;;Vector3d.new([0,0,0], [0,run,0])
    # arbitrarily start at the global SketchUp origin
    basepoint = ORIGIN
    # draw the upper profile of the stringer
    # first step adjusted for tread thickness
    corner = basepoint.offset(Geom;;Vector3d.new([0,0,0], [0,0,rise-tread_thickness]))
    ents.add_line(basepoint, corner)
    # remember first corner for later
    firstcorner = corner
    basepoint = corner.offset(runvect)
    ents.add_line(corner, basepoint)
    # now do the rest of the steps
    2.upto(numsteps) do
      corner = basepoint.offset(risevect)
      ents.add_line(basepoint, corner)
      basepoint = corner.offset(runvect)
      ents.add_line(corner, basepoint)
    end
    # create the baseline and top plumb line
    baseline = [ORIGIN, [0,1,0]]
    plumbline = [basepoint, [0,0,-1]]
    # create the offset vector to the other line
    cornervect = Geom;;Vector3d.new(firstcorner, corner)
    normalvect = cornervect*[0,0,1]
    offsetvect = cornervect*normalvect
    offsetvect.length=11
    # create the two corners for the remaining Edges
    # get a point on the bottom line by offsetting from any top corner
    refpoint = corner.offset(offsetvect)
    oppline = [refpoint, cornervect]
    bottomcorner = Geom;;intersect_line_line(oppline, baseline)
    topcorner = Geom;;intersect_line_line(oppline, plumbline)
    # add the Edges
    ents.add_line(ORIGIN, bottomcorner)
    ents.add_line(bottomcorner, topcorner)
    finaledge = ents.add_line(topcorner, basepoint)
    # fill in the Face
    finaledge.find_faces()
  end

Aha, you mislead us somewhat by not stating your real question at first! Also, please review the SketchUp API definitions of "Edge" and "line" - they are not the same thing. An "Edge" is a finite segment with specified start and end points. A "line" is an infinite geometric abstraction (it has no start or end) that SketchUp represents as an Array containing either a Point3d and a Vector3d or two Point3d objects. It is an unfortunate historical mistake that the method to create an Edge is named Entities#add_line.

So anyway here's an outline of how to do it (don't have time to write and check Ruby code just now, if you can't follow let us know and I'll work it up when I have a chance):

1. draw your upper stair Edges as in your picture, all the risers and tread runs
2. create a line horizontally through the bottom-most end point: hline= [bottompoint, green vector]
3. create a line vertically through the top-most end point: vline=[toppoint, -blue vector]
4. create a vector through any two of the stair tread outer vertices
5. use this vector in my previous code to get an offset vector for the parallel line, but don't draw the Edge using it.
6. apply the offset to any of the outer stair tread vertices to get a point on the parallel line
7. create the parallel line using this point and the vector from step 4
8. use Geom::intersect_line_line to get the intersection points between the lines from steps 2, 3, and 7
9. draw your final Edges using the points from step 8

PS: you could also do all this using trig, per some previous posts. I prefer to use geometry construction so as to let SketchUp worry about numeric precision and such.

@davesexcel said:

The new line will be below the original line

Still not completely unambiguous...

If by "below" you mean offset in the z direction, just subtract 11 from each z value:

ent.add_line [0,0,-11], [0,30,29]

If by "parallel and below" you mean the two Edges are sides of a rectangle, you have to do some geometry calculations. I'll do this in a general way so that it doesn't depend on any special properties of your values (e.g. that your original line forms a 3-4-5 right triangle in the blue-green plane).

# first make a Vector3d parallel to your Edge;
myvect=Geom;;Vector3d.new(0,30,40)
# now get the normal to the plane containing this vector and the z axis using the cross product;
norm = myvect*[0,0,1]
# and then get a vector perpendicular to your line in the plane, again using the cross product
myoff = myvect*norm
# make the length what you needed;
myoff.length=11
# make your new line by offsetting the original endpoints by this vector;
ent.add_line([0,0,0].offset(myoff), [0,30,40].offset(myoff)

@davesexcel said:

ent = Sketchup.active_model.entities ent.add_line [0,0,0], [0,30,40]

What is the formula to draw a parallel line 11.
original points are given for the first line
The distance is given for the parallel line but what will the points be?

thanks
Dave

Parallel Line.JPG

Google Docs (drive.google.com)

I believe in 3D you need additional info to make this question have an answer: in what direction from the original line? Otherwise there is an entire cylinder of parallel lines around the original!

@oceanembers said:

@slbaumgartner said:

Pretty vague, sweeping, and in my experience (I use a Mac) unsubstantiated statement! There are some problems that occur only on Windows and some that occur only on Mac, but neither is "slightly problematic".

Ok ok you got me -holds hand in air- I used a vague and unsubstantiated statement in the hopes of convincing this kind man to avoid paying for overpriced hardware in a pretty box with a clunky OS

Seriously, not gonna go any further into this because I have a definite bias here, but I really don't think a Mac is worth the price you pay.

I'm also not interested in a religious war. I use both PC and Mac. But I object to innuendo offered without any facts, just based on rumor and bias. I would react the same way to a Mac bigot.

@driven said:

@mariocha said:

... Maybe I did something wrong.

No it's a 32bit .bundle, so remove the bundle, it my work as I think it's 64bit by default...

or so you need to see if they have a special SU 64bit version available yet...

john

I read on SketchUp Community that 3DConnection have yet to release a Yosemite-compatible driver, but supposedly it is coming soon...

When you get that atos message under Yosemite, SketchUp was already on its way to a crash. The message emerges from the BugSplat system that SketchUp uses. Yosemite somehow interferes with its use of atos (a standard developer's utility). But be sure to submit the BugSplat anyway so that they know about your specific problem.

Most of the crash-on-launch reports seem to be related to a change in how Yosemite manages fonts. If you have the outliner open, use 3d fonts, or try to open the font selector, you are likely to get a crash. From what I read, Trimble thinks they have a handle on these problems.

There has been a lot of consternation and anger here about whether Trimble should have been able to detect these issues during Yosemite's beta period. People are afraid to buy a new Mac because it will come with Yosemite pre-installed with no clean way to get back to Mavericks. So, let's hope Trimble releases an update soon.

This sort of question is why I wish SketchUp had its own integrated GUI suite instead of relying on the WebBrowser for everything non-trivial. There is too much variation in how each browser library handles html, javascript, and css, even between releases of the same library (think IE!). This makes it unduly hard for a developer to test what their WebDialogs will look like. Even something like TK would be better!

Dave, you omitted to mention that the third side is first constructed perpendicular to the other one. Same question and a similar answer were posted on SketchUp Community - great minds! The method posted there uses only the built-in arc tools not Fredo's, but requires an extra step or two.

@oceanembers said:

Sketchup has had always been slightly problematic with Macs, if the accounts are to be believed.

Pretty vague, sweeping, and in my experience (I use a Mac) unsubstantiated statement! There are some problems that occur only on Windows and some that occur only on Mac, but neither is "slightly problematic".

@mk11 said:

Dave;
I'm following you, but just like you, all i get is sft and can't get cubic feet with a smart label, even after grouping.

Marc

Same here. The label has the area of the surface you clicked on, even when the current selection is a solid group.

@davidheim1 said:

I don't know whether this is a knock-down piece, but it could be something pre-IKEA. However, I'd hate to be the one who has to put it together. The top is nearly 6 ft. long, 2-1/2 ft. wide, and 2 in. thick. A little much to lift single-handed.
Best,
dh

You reminded me of a table I once made. Top was 6 ft long, 46 inches wide, 1 1/2 thick, solid oak. After nearly killing myself manipulating it in the shop, I took a scale up there and discovered that it weighed about 130 lbs!!

@kdarvell said:

I would like to allocate a specific folder for my models other than the list presented on the Mac.
It is possible on the Windows version but I can't find this option in System Preferences on Mac

I don't believe there is a preference setting for it, but SU on the Mac does look again at the last location where you loaded or saved a file.

SketchUp has known issues when plugins use certain techniques such as view.draw_text on high dpi displays. The text (or other graphic) comes out tiny and the only way a user can enlarge it is to shift to a lower dpi display mode (which, of course, decreases the resolution of everything on the screen). Hopefully Trimble will address this someday, as it make certain plugins nearly unusable.

@shannonnovus said:

Hello,

I'm having some difficulty setting status text for my plugin. From what I can figure, the command to Sketchup::set_status_text is working, but then instantaneously the status text is being rewritten by the default "Select objects. Shift to extend select. Drag mouse to select multiple." message.

How do I write my plugin such that the status text I set will stick around for awhile? Is that possible, or do I need to use a message box to give the user the results of the plugin having run? (As I have seen other plugins do).

Thanks!
Shannon

ps. I'm using SketchUp Pro 2014.

Not certain I understand what you are saying, but here goes: The message you mention comes from the Selection Tool, so it sounds like you have reactivated that Tool when your plugin completes. The status text is "owned" by whatever Tool is currently active, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it from displaying its own status text. This is the way it is intended to work. After all, how would you feel if some other Tool blocked yours from displaying status? To continue to display status, either your Tool must remain active or you need to use a message box, web dialog, or similar UI.

@tandem said:

Thank you for the details Marc.

Can you please let us know when can we expect these issues addressed?
Yosemite is now final and being released today.

+1 Really reluctant to upgrade if SU will go unstable on me.

Steve