Thanks! Dan & John for your help, I choose to use Johns code, which works fine. This precipitates a follow up question.

Currently I have replicated this code 4 times in my script, because each Recessed Light occupies a different 3D point location ([highlight=#ffff00:3kwdwn7k]highlighted in yellow[/highlight:3kwdwn7k])
Is there an alternative shortcut in Ruby that would make it unnecessary to replicate 95% of the same code over and over again for just 3 - 3d point location references?

cheers!

PS: I will add this useful code snippet to my Ruby Snippet file for future reference

How to create a hole in a surface?

1. Ruby script: tells user to select a surface area by rectangle (pink)
2. Ruby script: then creates a circle at the center of the selected surface

group = entities.add_group
entities = group.entities
circle = entities.add_circle(@pt15, @vec3, @Ldia, 24)
base = entities.add_face(circle)

What code do I need to add to the script, that recognizes the selected surface, so I can have the circle cut a hole out of the selected surface?

@fredo6 said:

Tomot,
What do you mean by inconsistent highlight?
How should the corner and roundings be to be OK?
Fredo

I'm not being critical of the plugin, perhaps its a rendering issue.
I'm trying to find out why the HDR light striking the rounded corners is not uniform along the rounded edge of each Tile as I try to show in the pic by the red line

For example if I had a number of tiles with rounded edges sitting in sunlight, Each rounded edge along each tile would reflect the sun uniformly. not only for 1 tile but also all other tiles.

I don't know if problem has been resolved. I looked at the .rb files but can't a revision date.

see attached pic.

I don't normally get involved in 1/16" accuracy issues, however in this particular instance it results were aggravating.

I subdivided a 12" x 12" square into random rectangular shapes, the used offset of 1/16" to create spaces such that I get an 1/8" grout line between each of the rectangular shapes.
I assumed by typing 1/16" into the VBC I would get a consistent 1/16" offset.

What I ended up with visually is not 1/16" space, even though dimensioned it shows 1/16" ?

I'm scratching my head!

@studio aware said:

@tomot said:

How the two lines should be drawn to indicate the hinge location is open to debate - and differs from each architectural practice, state and region. The way the lines have been drawn in PlusSpec is the most widely used method in Australia.

Drew

Is this related to water running down the drain anticlockwise
It would be a BIG problem in North America, I would hate to have windows
arrive on site, installed and then discover the openings are reversed.
That could be an expensive mistake!

2 issues:

1. I get the following when I go through Firefox to get to your site

This Connection is Untrusted
You have asked Firefox to connect securely to http://www.plusspec.com, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.

2. Looking at your videos. You have the 2 lines indicating the hinge location of the opening window reversed.

@sdmitch Its the first time I see HTML code embedded in a Ruby script. Thanks for not using .rbs
It gives me some confidence and a template to redo some of my scripts incorporating HTML.

Finally I have an example & see how with HTML I can place pictures next to my drop-down boxes.

cheers!

Have you ever wondered if SketchUp is going to implement a tighter integration of all its future ruby plugins? Plugins that follow a standardized method, whereby the user can expect a unified menu structure, and expected standardization such as sliders and pics. etc. etc, operating seamlessly within SketchUp, and NOT as Web dialogs which reside on top of SketchUp..

Much in the same way the following Truss plugin operates, written in Python for Cinema 4D.

@dan rathbun said:

I remember that the layer name of 0 was changed from language localized names to "Layer0" for all language editions at some point. (We would think the validity check would fix this, in newer SketchUp versions.)

Perhaps unicode characters are causing issues in layer names ?

I'm wondering if the following code I'm using might be the cause?

      layers=model.layers
      layers.add (@frame)
      activelayer=model.active_layer=layers[@frame]
      layer=model.active_layer

#code that places stuff on layer frame 
#goes here
#at the end of this routine I reset layer  

# Reset layer back to default layer [0]
       layers = model.layers
       activelayer = model.active_layer=layers[0]
       layer = model.active_layer 

@unknownuser said:

Well, of course it isn't. It can't be. Trust me, I know learning Vray can be frustrating, but in the end, it's all worth it.
:

I beta tested Vray for 1.5 years, before I arriving at my conclusion.
The amount of time I wasted making suggestions, were never really answered or responded to.

Its a no brainier to make a version of Vray for sketchup as easy to use as Sketchup.
I have often made the suggestion to make 3 versions of Vray, and price them accordingly.

1. easy to use: for dummies
2. medium for those willing to spend some time.
3. hard to use, for those that have nothing but time on their hands to teak renderings until
   the end of time.

Regardless the rendering engine market is huge, and Vray may well have reached its own level
of resistance, there are better engines on this ever changing horizon

@adamb said:

tomot, its telling you what the problem is.
Can you not locate the invalid characters you have in the layer name and rename it?

Adam

That's precisely what I have been struggling with. Doing a search for CLayer in the ruby code turns up nothing. (175) I thought, refers to a line number, but it is not a line number issue. I'm wondering if these validity check statements are part of some undocumented API reference?

I gather by the non-response, that this is another SU 2014 dialog annoyance that keeps popping up after each save of a project, ....and that we just have to live with!

Yes: Sketchup.send_action( 21124 ) brings up the attached pics above.

I have 2 separate ruby issues that create an SU dialog "Fix error" in SU 2014
I have no idea what Ruby code statement I should be changing to avoid this ?

There is no error code shown in the Ruby Console when I run either of these rubies.
I have also noticed similar validity errors from rubies created by other authors.

Nothing is going to happen this time or next time, THEY are simply mowing the lawn, and if you don't like it, THEY will make it a future hate crime if one chooses to make comments in favor of the Palestinian cause.

I wish your nothing but success in getting a return for your hard efforts.c

BUT! I'm totally disillusioned with Vray for SketchUp or any other Vray product Chaosgroup makes for other 3d programs. I don't want to read a book on how to render using Vray. SketchUp is simple to use, Vray for SketchUp is not.

Finally the renderings Vray produces are all POOR and have no basis for what real world lighting is all about. All you have to do is take a picture with your Iphone outdoors. depending on the sky conditions. A clear cloudless sky will provide sharp shadows while a sky with intermittent clouds will create soft shadows. An HDR rendering program like KeyShot will take all this into account.

Here is a link to the subject aboutcaustics and reflections: Vray does not take into account the index of refraction of materials.

https://www.keyshot.com/forum/index.php/topic,8260.msg39752.html#msg39752

Its time the Sheeple wake up and smell the SHIT they are covered in, Its the SHIT that Google is providing in return for free searches, all in the name of finding new advertising revenues. Same is true for FB, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. etc.
But you have the option: opt out. and please complain vigorously, otherwise we will all be ruled by these predatory Companies, ....unless you like the smell!

My advice:

1. Don't use Google search engine. I use https://startpage.com/ as my startup search page.
2. Don't buy an Android OS device. All you are buying a device that Google uses to spy on you.
3. Run CCleaner each day on your computer system.

On an Android OS you can't log out of Gmail. After doing simple search for "anything" you discover advertisements for "anything" on all your subsequent searches.
Also some Newspaper links wont work on Android without a paying account. Its still best to stay with a Windows OS.

Recently my password protected .zip files were rejected. I could not send them via Gmail. The comment was my zip file contained a virus. I had to remind the Gmail forum that the .rb extension is a Ruby file extension not a virus. I then changed the .rb extension to .txt, the file now passed the Silly Gmail Virus checker. I reminded the Gmail forum of this fact. Now my password protected .zip files are no longer rejected.

Makes one wonder what type of people Google employs?

@tig said:

No.
It is in the middle of a revamp...
BUT other more pressure projects have intervened.
Keep watching, an update will arrive one day...

Does the ruby API have code similar to your offset and reveal Ruby. But that instead of selecting faces one would select lines, similar to the "edge loops" concept used in Zbrush or C4D? see attachment

SketchUp is now owned by Engineers, you can already tell, they removed all the color from the icons, whats up with that? Is that an important improvement for me to go out and buy 2014? There is no speed improvement. No x64 rewrite. All we have is more stringent enforcement of Ruby code..... Big deal! It may have helped to add a competing Python API, a much preferred API over Ruby which never should have been chosen in the first place.

I was also hoping my GPU graphics card would help with rendering tasks!

In the mean time I will try to keep the dream alive