Edit.

Thanks that works, but it is now difficult to get the text orientated in the view. Meaning, it is a trial and error to get it to appear in the correct location in my view, in the correct size.

I was hoping for a miracle ruby that places text locked to my view.

End of edit

Thanks for the tip! I just tried it but I seem to have trouble setting the component axis to the correct orientation? I will try some more.

I guess what I an asking for is exactly that, a component that always faces the camera.

Thanks for the reply!

s

Hi, is there an easy way to place 3d text so it faces forward (toward the viewer like normal text on a page)in the current view?

I have different scenes at different view angles and I would like to place 3d text in each view without having to place it and then try to guess the angle to rotate it to get it straight in my scene. (Like typing over an image?)

Thanks!

s

Looking good!

Thanks!

s

Hi Anton, great stuff. Any chance you can enhance the output so that it can be rendered in a program like Kerkythea or Thea or .....

I had a long work around to get it into to Kerkythea but it was a pain to do long animations.

Here is a quick render from Kerkythea using SKPH.

Thanks!

s

Thanks TIG!

I will give up on that idea and go # the second script! See you in a year!

Thanks for the quick reply!

Stuart

Hi, sorry for this dumb question.

I made a simple ruby script that calls another ruby script. In the the second script, a series of dialog boxes come up.

Can I click okay somehow from my first script? This way I don't have to combine scripts (which would take me a year.)

I.e.

First script

Require "Sketchup.rb"

Do stuff

#call second script

Bobs pancakes

Send MB_OK #click ok to dialog box
Send MB_OK #click ok to dialog box
Send MB_OK #click ok to dialog box

Or
Bobs pancakes(MB_OK, MB_OK, MB_OK)

Thanks!

Stuart

Thanks Dan, this worked great!

Sketchup.undo() while Sketchup.active_model.modified?

Stuart

Thanks Dan, I appreciate the help.

One of the things I can't figure out is how to say "no to saving file" in ruby code.

I open a file, run a ruby, and when I want to go to the next file it asks "do you want to save your file".

How do you bypass this?

Thanks!

Stuart

would this code run a .rb file for every sketchup file in a directory?

Dir.glob('/path/to/dir/*.skp') do |rb_file|

do work on files ending in .skp in the desired directory

end

This is kinda what I would like but I can't seem to get it to work.

s

Thanks! i will take a look. (now that I know it will work)

Edit

So I want to open a file like
open bob_0000001.skp
run a ruby
open bob_000002.skp
run a ruby
etc

Since I am just learning ruby, this is what I have so far ( I will update as I learn)

require 'sketchup.rb'
model = Sketchup.active_model
model_filename = File.basename(model.path) #current open filename bob_000001.skp to start

Loop
name = model_filename.slice!(/\d+/) #splits out 000001 as a string? need a number?

#add a number - doesn't work but thats the goal
bob = name + 1

run ruby.rb here # other ruby in plugin directory

#open next file i.e. bob_000002.skp

Sketchup.open_file "bob_" + bob ".Skp"

repeat until I run out of files...
goto loop

Is it possible to make a ruby that opens a sequence of files and then runs a ruby?

For example, I am in a sketchup file called bob_000001.skp. (Starting file)

Run ruby in this file

It opens bob_000002.skp and runs a ruby. (all files in same directory)

Then it loops to the next file, opens bob_000003.skp and runs ruby, etc

This would continue until it runs out of files.
something like this (sorry I'm not proficient in ruby)

require 'sketchup.rb'
model = Sketchup.active_model
title = model.title

open title + 1
run ruby
repeat

Thanks!

TBG

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has developed a plugin to import multiple sketchup files as scenes into one sketchup file?

I know sketchyphysics is not everyone's cup of tea but with such a plugin I could render sketchyphics scenes in Kerkythea.

Steps:

1. record sketchyphysics animation
2. export sketchyphysics as sketchup files (typically a short animation runs up to 500 skp files)
3. Now open the first (output) sketchup file and run a ruby that does

a) select all the files in a directory
b) for each file, it creates a scene and moves the contents of that scene to a corresponding layer.

For example, import
file 1 on scene 1, layer 1 - only layer 1 turned on for this scene 1
file 2 on scene 2, layer 2 - only layer 2 shown on this scene 2
file 3 on scene 3, layer 3 - etc,

THis would allow me to export all animation scenes through the Kerkythea sketchup plugin and render all the scenes as batch files. (and yes I realize Twilight does this natively)

Is this possible? Has anyone used sketchup or thea render for sketchyphysics files?

Thanks in advance!

S

Just an FYI, I'm sitting in a university clasroom giving a final exam in Sketchup to engineering freshman. (part of a cadd/visualization course)

I really enjoy the way sketchup works and I think my students were getting the hang of 3D visualization. You know how hard it is to teach Civil/Construction engineers visualization!

I lobbied to get sketchup as part of the course but maybe I have to go to an autodesk product. Autodesk gives free software licenses to students and it would be easy to teach 3ds max but I would really miss sketchup.

@jason_maranto said:

It seems like this may be a good thing for many people -- however it's not likely I will be allowed to continue doing SketchUp/SketchUp Pro video tutorial series... I think the draw for my employer was the name recognition of Google, Trimble may not carry the same weight for them.

Best,
Jason.

Jason that was I was worried about...I teach this at the local university and all I have to say is it is a Google product and they load it on the computers. Now I have to say, please load this software from Trimble..

Maybe Trimble doesn't like being loaded for free on university computers...

I just started the blog http://www.SketchupforEngineers.com

Will sketchucation go to Trimble? Usually forums are handled by the software owner.

How will this affect other software?

Ie

Maxwell for sketchup
Thea for sketchup

Etc

I love the kickstarter idea for developing a new sketchup!

@jbacus said:

@solo said:

John, you and the team moving too?

Yes- I'm moving to Trimble, along with the rest of the SketchUp team. They are building us a nice new office across town here in Boulder.

john
.

This makes me feel better

What bothers me the most is the loss of Google. I was a big advocate for Google sketchup to kids and now I have to push Trimble Sketchup?

I doubt the product will survive the loss of Google, a worldwide Mega name.

I liked sketchup because of Google, they stayed out of the way. I doubt Trimble can afford sketchup to be run by users.

Eventually it will be just another product on the marketplace.

What does it mean for this site? I see the google part has been replaced by ??????...

I can't imagine how many jobs this affects