[Plugin Beta] Curviloft 1.8a - 31 Oct 18 (Loft & Skinning)

[fredo6]

NEW RELEASE: Curviloft v1.7d - 31 May 18

Curviloft 1.7d is a maintenance release fixing a bug in the automatic ordering of contours for the Spline tool.

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See Plugin Page of Curviloft for Download (or use the Sketchup PluginStore plugin for auto-installation.

Main post of this thread

Fredo

[rv1974]

Unprecedented responsiveness Fredo, many thanks!
I'll test the update later today.
Another imperfection (?, - maybe I just can't find right buttons) I encountered with Loft by spline is that
the inter-medial segments can't keep exact dimensions of initial profiles (lowest and highest ones in attached example 12X81m*, storey height is 3.5m). Another issue is that segments are slightly OFF XY Plane.

Is it possible to develop some special mode that'd keep segments exactly parallel to the input profiles, and if initial profiles are equal it'd keep their dimensions?

* P.S. In this particular case of 50+ storey towers PlayitItAgain script helped a lot.

[fredo6]

This seems to be a problem of geometry which you can simulate manually.

Profile not same length.png

If you wish to keep the junction straight, then the intermediate profiles do not keep the same dimensions.

Also, the intermediate sections are parallel to the initial profiles. Do you have something different?

Fredo

[rv1974]

With prussian pedantry I took all horizontal segments, run make faces and...
it did it all (: which proves you are right- they are horizontal. What misleads is "~" sign in measurements, must be some SU glitch.

[rv1974]

Code: Select all

This seems to be a problem of geometry which you can simulate manually.
If you wish to keep the junction straight, then the intermediate profiles do not keep the same dimensions.

>>If you wish to keep the junction straight
No, what is needed is intermediate segments to preserve initial dimentions of the profile.
In attached file the red body is OK (all horizontal segments keep right sizing),
and the blue one (lofting with 51 intermediate segments) misbehaves.

[fredo6]

No, what is needed is intermediate segments to preserve initial dimensions of the profile.

Then, Curviloft is not adapted, and you should use FollowMe Rotate or TIG Grow extensions.

With rotated profile, line joining the begin and end profile corner does not meet the corner of the intermediate profiles.

Curviloft NO straight 2.png

In your red shape, you can see that the short segments joining stores are not aligned and do not form a big straight line.

Curviloft - NO straight.png

Fredo

[rv1974]

Thanks for mentioning those alternatives- I'll check them. I'm so glued to your tools that completely forgot others
BTW the straight line on a blue tower shows the horizontal segments don't sit perfectly on it. The gap is ridiculously small in real life scale (~0.3cm in the middle floors, but big enough to spoil the model

[rv1974]

Fredo could you take a look please

[fredo6]

Fredo could you take a look please

I need to consider this case of indetical profiles more seriously, which Curviloft did not really do.

So I'll come with something more robust.

Fredo

[Architure]

Hi there,

When selecting more than 3 edge curves, and choosing for junction by orthogonal bezier curves, the surfaces do not get the reach the right spline method result.

Here is what the ruby console shows

Error: #<ArgumentError: Cannot create unit vector from zero length vector>
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/lib6profile.rbe:119:in `axes'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/lib6profile.rbe:119:in `compute_by_offset'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/lib6profile.rbe:58:in `compute_by_vectors2'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/lib6profile.rbe:86:in `compute_by_normals'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftspline.rbe:357:in `block in spline_profiling_construct'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftspline.rbe:351:in `each'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftspline.rbe:351:in `each_with_index'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftspline.rbe:351:in `spline_profiling_construct'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftspline.rbe:249:in `spline_junction_construct'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:497:in `generic_junction_construct'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:1418:in `junction_construct'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:407:in `block in link_construct_all'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:407:in `each'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:407:in `link_construct_all'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:396:in `link_calculate_all'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftalgo.rbe:530:in `option_set_prop'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curvilofttool.rbe:206:in `option_set_prop'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftpalette.rbe:773:in `call'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_curviloft/curviloftpalette.rbe:773:in `block in pal_family_spline_method'
c:/users/mbe/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2018/sketchup/plugins/fredo6_!libfredo6/body_lib6palette.rbe:3963:in `call'

Just ask me for the file if needed!

Cheers

Manuel
...

[fredo6]

Just ask me for the file if needed!

Yes the file would be useful, as this seems to be a special case.

Thanks

Fredo

[Architure]

Hi there,
Sorry for my late reply. Here is the attached 2018 skp file . You can see that the selected mode is only applied between the first 3 curves.
Let me know if I can provide more information.
Cheers

[fredo6]

NEW RELEASE: Curviloft v1.8a - 31 Oct 18

Curviloft 1.8a is a maintenance release for bug fixing.

----------------------

See Plugin Page of Curviloft for Download (or use the Sketchup PluginStore plugin for auto-installation.

Main post of this thread

Fredo

[pilou]

Loft along the path: can we modify the path after launch the plugin?

I don't see it! (the path)

loft_path.jpg

[zswseu]

Looking forward to another excellent work.

[rv1974]

In 99% of of lofting uses I have to straighten borders connnecting ends of segments afterwards (thanks Thom there're Edge tools so it's not manual). Could there be an option to keep them straight when creating?
Thanks

[fredo6]

In 99% of of lofting uses I have to straighten borders connnecting ends of segments afterwards (thanks Thom there're Edge tools so it's not manual). Could there be an option to keep them straight when creating?
Thanks

Not too sure what you mean by 'straighten'.
Maybe an example would be helpful.

Fredo

[rv1974]

Edit: Only after posting I figured out 'junction by connected lines' in 'spline method' fixes this problem'

[fredo6]

Edit: Only after posting I figured out 'junction by connected lines' in 'spline method' fixes this problem'

I really need to refresh the plugin with more explicit control of the different options (and maybe selecting a few ones which make sense). Currently, Curviloft rather exposes the options that come from the algorithm, up to the user to find out what is appropriate. That's why I still leave it in Beta after all these years!

Fredo

[jgb]

I really need to refresh the plugin with more explicit control of the different options (and maybe selecting a few ones which make sense).

I wholeheartedly agree, but please also update your last 32 bit version as well.
I cannot run 64 bit apps on my old PC. I'm still running Make V.13.

[fredo6]

I wholeheartedly agree, but please also update your last 32 bit version as well.
I cannot run 64 bit apps on my old PC. I'm still running Make V.13.

What do you mean?
Do you have issues with Curviloft on Sketchup 2013?

[rv1974]

I searched hard to find how to save this method as default but no luck. Is it possible at least make this tool to remember last used settings at least? If it could remember them permanently it'd be even better. Thank you.

[fredo6]

I searched hard to find how to save this method as default but no luck. Is it possible at least make this tool to remember last used settings at least? If it could remember them permanently it'd be even better. Thank you.

Do you use the latest version (1.8a)? It keeps the latest settings across Sketchup sessions and I checked it works with SU2013.

[rv1974]

Great news! Gone refreshing ALL of yours

[rv1974]

I checked, v1.8.a doesn't keep my last used settings (at least junktion by connected lines method)

[fredo6]

I checked, v1.8.a doesn't keep my last used settings (at least junktion by connected lines method)

I forgot to say that you need to enable the option in Default Parameters....

Curviloft - Enabling Save Parameters.png

Fredo

[jgb]

I wholeheartedly agree, but please also update your last 32 bit version as well.
I cannot run 64 bit apps on my old PC. I'm still running Make V.13.

What do you mean?
Do you have issues with Curviloft on Sketchup 2013?

It's not that I have issues with CL in SU-2013, just I thought the latest CL update versions were 64 bit only. I will D/L the latest later this week.

[fredo6]

It's not that I have issues with CL in SU-2013, just I thought the latest CL update versions were 64 bit only. I will D/L the latest later this week.

In principle, Ruby script are independent from the OS details (hopefully), but sometimes dependent on the SketchUp version.

The trend is effectively that I will progressively transition my scripts toward SU2016 and above, but I'll keep usually the existing version, at least in maintenance mode, and the new version would probably include more functionality. This is what happens with RoundCorner and FredoCorner. So when you see FredoLoft published for SU2016+, you would still have access to Curviloft, even if it would likely be in maintenance mode.

[jgb]

It's not that I have issues with CL in SU-2013, just I thought the latest CL update versions were 64 bit only. I will D/L the latest later this week.

In principle, Ruby script are independent from the OS details (hopefully), but sometimes dependent on the SketchUp version.

Thanks again. I'll now upgrade SU to 2016 (32bit) and all my plugins/extensions as well.

[Einstein]

I made a loft and added a forced pair for each vertex of profile. Now there are some unnecessary pairs (yellow ones) between vertices and I was thinking if it's possible to remove them before applying the loft.
In this case both profiles - upper and lower - are hexagons. So intuitively, pairs should be created between vertices only. Instead, Curviloft connected each vertex of lower profile to edge midpoint of upper profile, which created a lot of unnecessary edges. So I'm thinking if I could force the tool to always match vertex-to-vertex when profiles have the same number of verts.