[Plugin] New Piping System Plugin

[SHK]

this may help some people who need to generate piping systems in SketchUp:

http://www.3skeng.com

[Jim]

This looks great!

I changed the subject of the post - I think more people may be intersted than the original subject suggests.

[Khai]

oh I love it already and my TARDIS Project loves you.

but is the activation server down?

[remus]

great plugin Extremely useful for any sort of pipework.

[watkins]

Dear All,

What happens when you download the software? Do you get the usual plugins or is there an installer that places software elsewhere? I note that the 'free' offer is only until October 2009. How does that work? Does the installed software time out? I would hate to get used to using it and then find it carries a heavy price tag after October.

Regards,
Bob

[remus]

Theres an installer. It then activates through a little dialogue when you start up SU.

Im guessing there will be a charge for the plugin after october, i'd be interested to hear confirmation of this though (and how much it's likely to cost.)

[Jean Lemire]

Hi SHK, hi folks.

After playing with it for 10 minutes, I find this software interface quite nice and intuitive.

However, I did not find these features or items (either they are missing or I did not found a way to access them):

- Reducers are usually of given length according to the small diameter and large diameter. Actually, the software allows for any length.

- Eccentric reducers are nor covered. this can be worked around since it is easy to move the outlet to align it to the inlet.

- Tees branches can be any length. Normally, tees come with standardised branches length.

- Laterals or Y are not offered.

- Some other piping items are also not offered like flanges, blind flanges, caps, unions, miter bends, treaded fittings. socket weld fittings, grooved end fittings. Maybe be these will be offered as components at a later date.

Added piping items are groups but they are not named. Adding a name to the groups that are being created by the software would be nice since they would appear in the outliner and would also give the possibilities of using the Report generation feature introduced in SU 7 to get a report that could act as a fairly good start to a bill of material.

[Khai]

ok ignore my question about the licencing server.. overactive firewall here...

[Sekta]

I can see some real potential with this plug-in. I have had a play with the pipe tool which is good but needs to go to the next level. I am thinking of a combination of this and the profile builder plug-in, now what an awesome combo that would be The beauty of profile builder is the ability to compile your own library of profiles. Here in New Zealand, I tend to use alot of oval ducts in my office fitouts, especially where they are exposed, so it would be great to have the ability to build my own profiles and junctions. Just my 2 cents worth

Stan

[SHK]

thank you for all the positive feedback

We work hard on the release of 3skeng conceptual. It will have a lot more features and possibilities then 3skeng pipe free including some of the whishes above.

We will consider your whishes and ideas and try to implement as much as possible in the comming release.

Sebastian

[Jean Lemire]

Hi Sebastian, hi folks.

I tried to give you feeback at the address: feedback@3skeng.com
that you give on your web site but it does'nt seem to work. So far I got 2 "mail delayed" messages.

Keep up the good work you have what looks to be a very promising software.

[redinhawaii]

Very interesting plugin,
but it seems I cannot download a Mac version?
Let me know if I am doing something wrong or keep me posted as to when it will be available.
aloha
red

[pilou]

FAbulous Pipeline maker

[Jean Lemire]

Hi Red, hi folks.

If you go to their web site, namely at the download page at:

http://www.3skeng.com/download.htm

you will see that the Mac version is coming soon.

Just ideas.

[Daniel S]

I just install this one, but is not working here:

Error: #<FloatDomainError: Infinity>
(eval):213:in `round'
(eval):213:in `roundToSystemUnits'
(eval):1546:in `getDiameter'
(eval):2340:in `onMouseMove'
Error: #<FloatDomainError: Infinity>
(eval):213:in `round'
(eval):213:in `roundToSystemUnits'
(eval):1546:in `getDiameter'
(eval):2340:in `onMouseMove'
(eval):213

Any idea?

Daniel S

[SHK]

Daniel,

please make sure, your length snapping under "Model info>units" is using a value bigger then 00000.

This should solve your problem.

Regards, Sebastian

P.S. we could fix a problem at the mail server. All email addresses ending with @3skeng.com are now up and running.

[craigbic]

Awesome plugin! Very intuitive interface. I can't wait for the conceptual version. Keep up the good work!

[JClements]

Very nice UI!!! I see Josef Leibinger authored the Ruby. Kudos to him as well.


Suggestions:
1- Allow input of a radius either through typing in a value followed by an "R" or input of math such as "1.235/2".

2- Option to simultaneously draw centerlines on a user defined layer.

3- Elbows and reducer. Reconstitute separate arc segments into true circle.

4- T's. If the diameter of both pipes are equal then the diameter endcap of the branching pipe shows through the pipe it is centered on due to "Z-fighting" in SU. An option to hide the edge of the this diameter or to put in it on a hidden layer would remedy this.

5- eccentric reducers.

6- Option to use pre-selected centerlines? I'm guessing this could be useful if using client supplied CAD drawing; not sure how it would be implement though . Perhaps when edge intersections are detected (like a T) it would query the user to pick a pipe, T, or elbow.

5- I agree with Jean Lemire about naming the groups.

[urgen]

....Many thanks to SHK (Sebastian Kummer?) and talent of Josef Leibinger!...Very useful!... PIPESOAPSKINBUBLE?

[pilou]

In the video we can see a modification in "Real time" ,
a move of a grey pipe with automatic transformation
That is possible because it's built with library components or it's possible with any pipes built with the plug?

[SHK]

Thank you for your answers, suggestions and positive feedback. Yes, Josef Leibinger is part of our software team and he is dong a great Job.

We have very interesting functions (flex, editing...) on our roadmap. We are working hard to convert our prototypes into products "ready to publish".

[Burkhard]

A short hint. If you have open the tutor and switch to the selection tool, the tutor appears everytime you try to orbit around with the mouse wheel.

Greetings to Josef...

Burkhard

[MALAISE]

This plugin really simplifies pipes drawings. I agree J.LEMIRE about improvements which could be implemented.
Gut gemacht Leute, erste Klasse Arbeit.

MALAISE

[JClements]

A couple more suggestions:

1- Choose to put group on a specific, predesignated layer, but keep extruded contents on Layer0.

2- Choice of the number segments for circles and arcs.
I believe it currently defaults to 60 segments; this is impractical for any models with more than few pipes as it will surely creat files in the megabytes.

[SHK]

Today we published the MAC version. We are very interested, how many of you are working with a MAC...

Best regards

Sebastian

[RoboDoc]

Hello,

I installed the Mac plugin and it is working well. Great system. I had a problem, though. When I first installed the plugin, I was happily making 2" round pipe as desired. After a bit, it changed to hexagonal profile pipe and I can't seem to get things back to round. There didn't seem to be any solution in the tutorial. How do you choose between the profile of the various pipes?

R

[Jean Lemire]

Hi folks.

After installing the Mac plugin, SU 7 stop working. SU starts then exit immediately.

I had to uninstall all and then reinstall all.

I am using OS 10.4.11 (Tiger).

Is this pluggin only for OS 10.5 (Leopard) ?

I have to wait before trying a new install of this plugin.

Just ideas.

[bhealy27]

I can't find the files this Plugin installed on my Mac. Either they are in some strange location or I don't know what the name of the files are. How do I uninstall these if I don't want it cluttering up my system?

I've looked in Library>Application Support>Google Sketchup 7>Sketchup>Plugins in both the Macintosh HD and User Directories without luck.

[Burkhard]

called 3dskeng and has its own two button toolbar

[Howard leslie]

Sebastian / Josef,
Great plug-in.
Excellent user interface - very fast to use.

A few suggestions / ideas / requests:

1. Ability to specify number of segments for circles (pipe profiles) (to help keep file sizes down).
2. Ability to have pipe sections, pipe junctions etc as COMPONENTS - or all geometry as COMPONENTS
3. Ability to NAME these Components (if user requires it).
4. Ability to automatically generate Centrelines for all geometry eg each pipe section - very useful for snapping / lining up / offsetting other geometry to. This centreline to go on its own layer eg "Centreline"
5. Ability to Specify "Pipes" of Square or Rectangular Cross Section. This plug-in could then be used to model other types of Ducts eg Ventilation Systems / Air-Conditioning Systems.
6. See the excellent Profile Builder Plug-in. If you have centrelines you will be able to generate total LENGTHS for each Pipe section. From the pipe profile (area) you can then calculate VOLUME of each Pipe Section. Some type of Reporting function that will generate Lengths, Volumes and Totals for each Pipe Section (Named Components). These Reporting out type functions / code already exist in several other Plug-ins eg by TIG, Jim Foltz and others.
...........
Just a thought...
Potentially both The Profile Builder and your Piping System Plug-in Compliment each other very well.
Maybe you should Team Up with Dale Martens who created The Profile Builder plug-in so that you can have the best of both worlds ???
You could use Dale's Profile Builder so that you can use any profile / cross-section you want to - but they would be modelled in a very simple and intuitive way using your superb drawing engine / user interface ???
A marriage made in su heaven ??? !!!
...........
Keep up the good work on this fantastic plug-in.

Regards
Howard L'