[Plugin] 2D Tools

[brookefox]

Back to thomthom's earlier inquiry, and some others perhaps: it is not possible to set Z on any axis other than the default world blue (?), so one cannot, for instance, set the 2D Z in order to draw flat on a vertical section plane (which has not been copy-rotated flat)? I tried changing the blue axis (Z, vertical) to the original red as would allow me to do what I want here but the 2D Z did not follow.

[TIG]

It is a 2D tool set - flat in 2D.
Draw group and rotate if you need 2D in a vertical plane ?

[brookefox]

Thanks, TIG. Ideally, for me, one could specify which 2Ds the 2DTools operate in, but I suspect that you would have implemented such were it feasible.

[TIG]

Try 'Tools on Faces' [by Fredo] - it does have several similar tools to my 2D ones, you could use them on a single vertical face ?

Note that some of my '2D' tools like Fillet, Text, Hatching, Line-Style etc do work in any plane in 3D, although they were initial implemented for 2D...

[brookefox]

Well, I can't get the 2DT text or hatch, for instance, to work on any other that the orig x-y (even on a tilted plane), though I can get SU to 'material' hatch or text a tilted plane. Indeed, once one has the non-standard flat plane created by whatever means, usually antithetical to strict model based-work (e.g., by making an vertical plane intersection with a model to produce a section), then SUf can handle drawing, texting etc., on it (even if the text is of the floating variety), and 3d text may be used for flat text. The charm of a 2D text able to be placed without the plane having been explicitly drawn, via the Z set, is the grail in my eyes.

[TIG]

The very last option is on the 2D text dialog is Z-Plane OR All-Faces.
They do what they say.
The second one snaps to any face including sloping and vertical ones...

[brookefox]

OK, thanks. Sorry I missed that.

[caronte01]

Hi Tig, I´ve taken the liberty of updating the icon images so that they have transparency. I did this because when placed on osx´s toolbar, they didn´t look right.

If anyone wants to, all you need to do is replace the images in /plugins/2dtools/Icons with the ones in the attached zip file.

Cheers, and again, thanks

Santiago

Archive.zip

[Edson]

hi tig,

soon after you released this great plugin you mentioned that there would be a guide for mac users in pdf and doc format. however, i could not find any of those files in any of the zip files for the several versions of 2DTools. would it be possible for you to post them?

regards.

[TIG]

Edsom

Doesn't the html 'help' file work on MAC ?
You can open it from the ../Plugins/2Dtools/ folder if it doesn't open from th toolbar or menu [if it doesn't open what error messages do you get in the Ruby Console ?]

[Edson]

hi tig,

yes, the html works fine. it is just that since you mentioned those two other files I thought i was missing something...

[TIG]

The pdf/doc were being considered because MAC users couldn't access the .mht Help file format I originally used - I subsequently changed it to an .html format so it should work for all OSs...
If you want a pdf here it is

2D Tools Guide.pdf

The donations link doesn't work in pdf, so please use the html one if required...

[wardbros]

I am a Mac user with the free version of SU...will your plug-in work for me? I ask because I don't see a "Plug-ins" folder in the "SU" folder in my "Applications" folder.

Thanks in advance,
John

[TIG]

My 2Dtools are cross-OS and will work on Mac as well as on PC - most rubies do.
The correct path for a Mac's Plugins folder is
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp NNN/SketchUp/Plugins/
Where NNN is the version of SUp, e.g. currently 6 or 7 ...
There are good SUp help files for Mac and PC that explain issues like this...

With 2Dtools the files come inside a compressed zip file - like any other zipped toolset, you must extract these files from the zip in exactly the same relative arrangement as they are inside the zip itself - i.e. there's a loader file 2d#.rb and a language translator file deBabelizer.rb that go directly into ../Plugins/

Capture.PNG

but the majority of files remain within the /2Dtools/ folder, and that folder you must place into ../Plugins/ [there are even subfolders (e.g. /Icons/) within 2Dtools itself that must also remain in the same relative positions within it]

Capture2.PNG

[wardbros]

Thank you TIG!!! The more I learn the more I don't know =) Great stuff!!

[stefx]

Tig,
I have copied the files in the folder you indicated (I am mac user), but I can't see anything...


any tips guys?

[stefx]

Tig,
please don't blame me and mainly don't ask me how but I deleted and replaced the file (in the same way I did before) and it works.
sorry for the trouble.

Stefx.

[tulacong]

thank

[amjhds]

Hello, I can't get these plugins to work.
I already put the 2Dtools_4.6 into the Plugins folder.
Please help.

Thanks,

[TIG]

Alberto

Have you extracted all of the files and folders from the zip file, keeping the files in their folders [do not drag and drop files].
These files and folders go into the Plugins folder in the same arrangements as they are in the zip file.
If you have put files in the wrong place remove them and start again.
To activate the toolbar select it from the View > Toolbars Menu.
Are you getting any error messages ?

[rickgraham]

TIG,

I just downloaded your 2D Tools v4.6 and am looking at the help file. Does this plugin work on Macs? I don't get any icons and some of the commands don't seem to work form the Draw pulldown. I'll keep on searching, but I wanted to ask.

Rick

Edit: Nevermind - I'm an idiot!

[rickgraham]

Okay, now I DO have a legitimate question for TIG on this.

Is there any way I can take the 2D Tools Line that I grouped and have it drape onto a surface while keeping its thickness and linetype?

I have a weird request that the client wants their property line shown on the model. Right now I have it hovering just above the surface, but since the surface has a good amount of slope, at one end the line is hugging just above the surface, while at the other end it is perhaps 50 off the surface. It looks dumb like that anyways.

So, I tried to use the sandbox tools drape and it didn't do anything.

Thanks TIG for yet another steller plugin. And I happened upon this AFTER I bought the dashed lines from smustard Oh well, I'll find a use for that one too.

Rick

[TIG]

Answering two questions at one here...

It works on Macs - ensure all of the required files and files-in-folders are in the right place - Mac Plugins location can be tricky - make sure you do it right - there are other threads about this.........

If you 'draw' Lines over a 3D surface then 2D Line-Style WILL work - it is not limited to 2D - BUT you might want to use a tool like Tools-on-Surface by Fredo to make the 'draped' lines - or use the Sandbox Tools ???

[dedmin]

The same rectangle filleted with 2D Fillet and with the arc tool changed the size - arcs with the same number of segments and the same radius?

2010-07-05_161656.jpg

[TIG]

dedmin

Set you 0.0000 as high as it'll go and see what the error is - measure the distances with the tapemeasure rather than dimensions - I can't see what the issue might be ?
Try doing it on a rectangular face draw on the center of a larger face and see if it's the same ...

I've no idea what it might be....

[dedmin]

Tried again and now the height changed and the number of segments is 17 even if I typed 18s. Opened the SketchUp's file in SpaceClaim :

2010-07-05_172511.jpg

[dedmin]

Now I did it at the top view and everything is fine - the first example was at the front view! In both cases - parallel projection.

[theark]

Many thanks.

[watkins]

Dear dedmin,

Are you able to import SU files into SpaceClaim easily? What process steps do you use?

I have been thinking of switching to SpaceClaim from Inventor.

Regards,
Bob

[dedmin]

SpaceClaim opens SketchUP's files directly and also exports in .skp format. Amazing program - SketchUP on steroids! Inventor is more powerful, but to bloated, heavy,slow and $$$$! There is a demo You can download and try and a lot of video tutorials - http://www2.spaceclaim.com/forum/files/9/default.aspx. Watch them first to see how different is this software! See this video for SketchUP integration:

http://www2.spaceclaim.com/learnmorenow/product_videos.aspx?v=2009_plus_sketchup.flv