A while ago I wrote Matrix+Proximity script.

Matrix lets you place 1d, 2d and 3d matrices of components, using randomized spacing, rotation or scaling - if desired. If you make these copies above a land-form then there's also a built in 'drop' function to plonk them down onto the ground sufrace.

Proximity works when you have three types of a component (e.g. tree1-, tree1~ and tree1+) that each have increasing amount of detail / polygons. So you model with the simple stick "tree1-", then when you want a detailed shadowed render you use it swap out any tree1's near to the camera with tree1+ and tree1~ in the middle-ground. A dialog lets you set ranges from the camera position for each. You can always swap all back to tree1- by setting the detail level to (near) zero...

It was the only way of using highly detailed components in large numbers without killing the processor. There could be many uses - landscape trees/bushes etc, people in crowds, cars in streetscapes, seats in stadia etc...

Generic 'simple' component use, with later swapping out seems the way forward ?

@edson said:

@tig said:

Here's a Tutorial on doing it one way...

TIG,

great tut. could you tell me what happened from step 8 to 9? the circles are smoother and the proportions are different.

If you read the notes on page 8 you'll see that I based the steps on 8 sides with no scaling to make ellipses. Then I just re-did one on page 9 with 16 sides and scaled a bit flatter. I didn't show the steps as it would have taken too long... It's quick to do, but slow to de-construct into a tutorial step sheet...

I uploaded a duff file for RandomSelect BUT because the regime is to make posts in the depository locked (?) I can't edit it or correct it. I've asked for it to be removed... and it's gone !

Here's the correct file.

It is a variant of RandomDelete.rb. It takes the selection and randomly samples the selection to the % entered in the dialog - e.g. 10%.

You can then do what you want with the now selected items - such as colour, copy, cut, move etc...

(If you downloaded yesterday's duff one please accept my apologies and get this new one...)

Please get the latest version of 'Random Select' from the PluginStore http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=RandomSelect

RandomSelect.rb

I did upload the correct file... BUT the weirdness of Vista is that it segregates 'compatibility files' when they're inside the Programs Files Folder.

I based RandomSelect on RandomDelete. I copied it, renamed it and changed its contents - and when I used it it read the right one and runs fine !!! BUT for some stupid reason Vista uploads the initial unedited copy - although it has the right 'name'...

After some efforts I have fixed it and I have now corrected the error in the Depository...

http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?p=44671#p44671

The old version needs deleting but I can't do it since after a day or so the posts seem to be locked... Can a Mod please fix.

EDIT: As of this edit the wrong file/post is gone. Anyone who downloaded the duff version (~24 ?) please accept my apologies, and go and get the corrected one...

More haste, less speed...

With our combined IQ well in excess of 'genius' we have got some great ideas here.

@wikii said:

why not SciTE + SU bridge from TBD?

I think you are referring to Notepad++ in the other thread... I use that because I feel most comfortable with it...

I find TBD's things a bit too 'professional' for me. I just dabble. I wrote a lot of early ruby stuff with Notepad.exe after all...

404 Not Found

(notepad-plus.sourceforge.net)

Is what I use to write Ruby Script - it's a great 'free'ware text editor...
Has several useful plugins too...

http://www.esbconsult.com/esbcalc/

The two freeware ESBcalc and ESBUnitConv at the bottom of the list are very useful.

@rubine said:

do you see a chance to rebuild the "create component" with ruby?
i.e. writing your own "create component" method (creating a ComponentDefinition)

You can easily make and place components with ruby methods, such as.

Definitionlist.add("componentdefinitionname")

ComponentDefinition.entities

Group.entities

Group.to_component

entities have lots of 'add' methods: http://download.sketchup.com/sketchuphelp/gsu6_ruby/Docs/Ruby-Entities.html#add_instance

You can't 'save_as' components in current Ruby - but you can do it manually.

I've discovered that in the SDK there's a kind of ...Group.SaveAs() method that would allow us to write something like a dll or a socket that could then access that function. In a script you'd have to say something like:
require 'GroupExporter.so'
...
GroupExporter.new(group,filepath)
...
This would then save a specified group to a .skp file at a specified name/location. These kinds of variables can be got/set in earlier bits of Ruby coding...
To get it to export a Component all we'd need to do is make a temporary group, that's then named after the component-definition and even with a copy of its description if any (that way the final exporter component matches the original in the model...). Then to that group's entities we add an instance of the component (and explode it inside the group?). We then use GroupExporter.new(group,filepath) and finally erase the group to tidy up. If we want it done 'silently' we can specify the filepath - say as the model's folder_path/group_name.skp - or we could prompt for a component name and/or location...

All I need now is someone who can make this dll/so with the SDK - my C++ is too poor to do it...

In a similar vein here's my tutorial version but with a rectangular extrusion rather than a tube...

Actually it was only ~14 minutes - I didn't read your question for the first hour !!!

Does it do what you wanted ?

Here's a Tutorial on doing it one way...

IntertwiningRing.skp

Here's the requested RandomSelect script: http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?p=44671#p44671

@rv1974 said:

Hi TIG!
Could be delete easily replaced with CUT? Cut and place I mean.
Thanks in advance.

You can't Ruby script the basic Edit commands like Cut/Copy/Paste. However you could make a RandomSelect script that would go through the selection and randomly select a %, you could then Cut them (Ctrl+X) and re-paste etc...

I'll publish a version shortly...

Make a face "on the floor" and tile it.

I see...

You can only save_as manually. Open the compo browser, click the little-house-icon option to list the model's comps and hover the mouse over the one you want, now right-click and save_as to save it...

You have come up with a question about a "ComponentDefinition.save_as" method that has been around for a while. It doesn't exist in the current API and looking at the SDK it's not easily made either. Wait for v7 API ? ...

You can load an external component - you need to know its path.

http://download.sketchup.com/sketchuphelp/gsu6_ruby/Docs/Ruby-DefinitionList.html#load

You then place it...

http://download.sketchup.com/sketchuphelp/gsu6_ruby/Docs/Ruby-Model.html#place_component

I wrote Roof.rb AND I agree that you should know how to do a roof "manually". I will still make simple roofs by hand. Sometimes even complex roofs are easier that way too - try roofing a cranked star shape and it'll fail - there are shapes that can't be roofed with a hip that's all the same pitch - it's just physically impossible - so that's when doing it 'the long way' is needed...

Understanding what SUp can do 'straight out of the box' helps you see where some plugins MIGHT help in complex tasks, but knowing how to do something is invaluable, even if you rarely need to actually do it...

Here's a brief Tutorial - it applies to many things...

FollowMeCap.skp

I'd expect this to work for the 't' rotation - note that I prefer to keep things inside parentheses () - although it will work without (usually):

grpEnts.transform_entities(t,grpEnts)

or for the group rather than it's entities

grp.transform!(t)

(it's similar to grp.move!(t) ...)

Now you just have to copy this group of 3d-text (grp2=grp.copy!) and move! it around the corner and rotate transform! it to suit.

In SketchUp Ruby here are often several ways of doing the same complex thing - like transformations -, BUT sometimes there's NOT one way of doing some simple thing !!! For example finding the active section-plane or finding if sections-cuts are currently being shown in the view (something I'm looking at currently) - even the SDK doesn't access these shortcomings in the API...

Glad you fixed it.