Back in December, Google announced their Sketchup API blog:

SketchUp API Blog

Tips and Tricks for SketchUp Ruby API Developers.

(sketchupapi.blogspot.com)

A not-so-publicized aspect of it is that there is now a Ruby Doc WIKI over there too:

http://groups.google.com/group/SketchUp-Plugins-Dev

The biggest secret in town is that the doc at the above link is an updated version from the current Ruby Help.

An even BETTER aspect of all this is that I can edit all the doc to include more information, make clarifications, add better examples, fix incorrect information, and so on.

When you get to the Doc page, click on "view all". That brings up the whole list of classes. Then, you can click on "show page details" (upper right in the main panel) and then you can sort on the date to see what's been changed. For example, you can click on the Face class to see the updated doc for classify_point. The 'who updated it last' statistic is bogus, but the date is accurate.

With your help, we can really make this Ruby doc super. I've updated several of the html files already, as have some Google developers.

If you want a change to be made, document your change and post it here in the Ruby forum. Make the subject something identifiable, and prefix it with "[ruby doc]", like this: [ruby doc face.classify_point not documented]. If I don't see it after a reasonable amount of time has expired, send a PM to ping me. Then, I'll review your change and incorporate it into the doc. Sample code, fixed typos, more details - whatever you see fit. If I don't understand your update, we can discuss it here in the forum. We'll uses the posts here to track your changes. Please only request one topic change per thread so they don't get lost. For instance, if you have 5 changes for one method, post them in one thread. If you have updates for 5 different methods, post 5 different threads, one per method. Try to format your change to match the existing format.

If you just ask me to "update the transformation doc" or some such vague or extensive request, that ain't going to happen, and I will ask you to be more specific. As far as formatting, please don't bother to ask me to "change all the examples to have a blue background". I do stuff like this as I can, when I am editing for content, and as I have time.

So remember, make your requests for updates specific and thought out. I can help with the wording, and anybody else can participate in the wordsmithing too, if need be. If you have example code (even whole programs that don't stray too far from the method they describe) then post that too if you want it in the doc. Be sure it's tested and commented where need be. These things I'll be happy to incorporate.

Finally, before you request a change, to perhaps save yourself some effort, please check the above doc to make sure your change request has not already been made.

I hope this doesn't come across too "do it my way"-ish. The doc needs a lot of work, and it can't be fixed overnight. I'm just one guy, with a life, so I will get to changes as I can.

One comment I do want to make about the doc, and I've shared this directly with Google, is that the SU Ruby API doc, overall, is VERY good. I've been working with several other OO APIs lately, and they REALLY suck. @Last (now Google), organized the Ruby doc in an excellent manner and it should stand as an example for other development organizations to follow.

Todd

You should have already had sketchup.rb in your SU V6 /Tools folder. If it is not there, I would suggest you re-install SU V6.

As Gai said, each version of SU provides its own tweaked copy of sketchup.rb, and a sketchup.rb from V5 won't work very well with V6.

Todd

That may be a possibility Dylan. We will know
shortly.

Mike

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Hi Joe.

Could it be that you have some malware running on your machine? I had a BHO (Browser Helper Object - sort of like a plug-in) that installed itself into Internet Explorer not too long ago, and it caused me all kinds of grief.

Does your computer click (as if you clicked the mouse), or do active windows you are viewing all of a sudden lose focus with you doing nothing? If so, this might be the issue.

Todd

I vote Lewis looks more angry than Ross. Ross, your's make you look a bit heavy.

Last week, RickW and I both got an email from a Japanese CAD magazine, requesting permission to put a few "free" scripts on a CD for one of their upcoming issues this fall. We thanked him for asking and obliged.

Todd

Hummm.. I have some proof!

http://animatedfilms.suite101.com/blog. ... s_a_genius

Todd

@unknownuser said:

Don Pegler was the artist but I don't know what characteristic it was that attracted RAID.

Hummm. I thought it was Tex Avery - for his highly exaggerated animations - like dropping the jaw all the way to floor when astonished, or actually drawing 3 eyes when the character was shaking their head from side to side. Dropping pianos out of windows and smashing characters, and stuff like that.

Todd

So what the diagram is telling me is there could be SEVERAL reasons my old spray paint cans will not dispense paint. Maybe what I need to invent is a spray-can de-clogger, that forces some propellant back into the can.

Todd

Loosk great! My only comment is the bottom stem of the spray tip is too narrow in diameter.

This looks great! I like the section cuts.

Got a close up of how the pressure valve works? I've always wondered... I figured the refrigerator light thing out a few years back - but the aerosol tip pushing down thing I still haven't worked out. Wink

Any now for the trivia question - and don't search the internet for the answer.

"RAID" used a particular artist for a particular reason when they commisioned their bugs in the TV commercials. Who was the artist, and what was characteristic about his/her style?

Todd

There must REALLY be a major need for trainers.

What's wrong with this agonizing approach:

• create an "array entry" for every layer
• For every group/component/entity...
• determine if it has any material associated with it
• if so, for it's layer "array entry", add the material to it as a subarray
  When done, you have an array of layers, and each layer records the materials in it.

From the first post, I thought I was missing the obvious. This is the obvious approach.

Since materials don't have layers, but objects have both materials and layers, you just have to run the objects and make your own list. From my perspective, no big deal - it's just not a quick call to any singe method to get it done.

Todd

Cool!

Todd

Well, I'm in Texas - so I have a pickup truck. '97 Chevy 1/2 ton, V6. No big deal. 111K miles - not bad for 10 years old.

This is my current project. When I'm not eating or sleeping, or working the day job, or programming in the evenings, or laying by the pool, this is what I'm working on - a '67 Mustang restoration project for my 16 year old son. Hope to be done in about 3 months.

This is what it looked like when we got it:

I've started welding the cowl back on since that was taken.
Todd

No BOMA (whatever that is) meetings in Dallas. I look like a lot of people, so I've been told. I like to believe I look like the better looking ones.

Here's a recent picture taken of me and Connie at a wedding. Ain't she cute? I married up.

I'm feeling very 45 today. Not sure that that means! The good news is, I got German Chocolate Cake!

@unknownuser said:

Happy Birthday Todd!

A Ruby spanking for you on this special day.
45.times{|x| puts "spank " + x.to_s }
puts " and one to grow on"

Brad, my happy ruby friend. Did you run that code? It's got a bug! With the #times method, x will be 0 through 44.

Todd

Why, THANK YOU ALL! Or, I guess I should say THANK Y'ALL!

So far, so good!

Todd

Happy Birthday!!! WOO-HOO!!

I've not worked much with foam core, but it works pretty nice.

Candy House Pictures

This holiday season my church is making a bunch of Candy Houses. These scale model houses are made with foam core and are decorated entirely with candy. We've done them in the past, but it has been a few years since we've made them.

My class is doing the Lightfoot House. Yesterday, we had a construction party at the house. It took about 5 hours with people of various skill levels. I did all the cutting out of the foam core (used my tablesaw!). Interior cuts were with sharp knives. Assembly was with hot glue and a few staples.

How much work must an aspiring architect or engineering student do with foam core? I'm guessing there are certain standards against which models are judged? Some of the dihedral angles of the roof could get quite tricky cutting them by hand. I did all butt joints since this thing will be lathered in icing and other assorted sugars.

The candy adds a lot of weight, so I did some internal bracing too.

Todd

Al, since you can get to the data you need via the SDK, write a C/C++ extension that returns the data to Ruby.

Todd