[Plugin] Axes Tools (1.1.0) — 06 September 2010

[thomthom]

Overview
Two methods I wrote to reset the axis of components to their bounding box' centre.
Useful for them pesky DWG imports where the insertion point of the blocks are really far away, causing the components to jitter.

Access
Plugins > Axes Tools

Features

• Set Insertion Point
  
  tt_axis.png

Requirements

• SketchUp 7 or newer - ( Other versions untested )
• TT_Lib2 (v2.2.0)

Download

tt_axes.rb

Footprint

<Sketchup>/Plugins/
+-

tt_axes.rb

[Ben Ritter]

Thomas, you are so generous.

[Ben Ritter]

What happened to SU8 all of a sudden. Left in the dust.

[thomthom]

What happened to SU8 all of a sudden. Left in the dust.

Just given a steroid boost.

[Pilou]

Guiness book record for number of plugins by day is crushed!

[rv1974]

Hi Thom!
Could your make your genious tool even more genious?:
1. Axes to the component's bottom center;
2. Add CPoint at pivot (there's no snap to pivot in SU unfortunatly)

[thomthom]

1. Axes to the component's bottom center;

Yup, on the todo list to be able to choose which part of the boundingbox.

2. Add CPoint at pivot (there's no snap to pivot in SU unfortunatly)

Can do that, yes. But I'll add it to Guide Tools.

[rv1974]

1.Fine but could bottom center be default value? Or at least make script to remember last preference.
2.Wouldn't it be smarter not split into 2 commands?
P.S. Not concerned to the topic:
You made some nice ruby 'groups to components'. But After the procedure it deselects the new born component. Could it keep the selection on?

[thomthom]

1.Fine but could bottom center be default value? Or at least make script to remember last preference.

It'd remember the last used setting.

2.Wouldn't it be smarter not split into 2 commands?

It'd not be between center or bottom center, it's be between any corner, and center of each of the bounding box sides. So it'd be a lot more options than just two.

You made some nice ruby 'groups to components'. But After the procedure it deselects the new born component. Could it keep the selection on?

viewtopic.php?f=323&t=29462 ?
Yea - easy enough.

[rv1974]

2.Wouldn't it be smarter not split into 2 commands?

It'd not be between center or bottom center, it's be between any corner, and center of each of the bounding box sides. So it'd be a lot more options than just two.[/quote]
-----
-----
I'm afraid I don't unerstand you. Anyhow what I mean is moving pivot to bottom center + placing cpoint
to the same bottom center within one ruby (command) would be better.

[thomthom]

Some may not want to add a cpoint and some may not want to adjust the axis. Keep them separated and people can choose.

[rv1974]

You decide (though I see a bunch of rubies that do insert here and there cpoints without too much''people"
protest). The main thing for me that cpoint at pivot would be a part of given component.

[thomthom]

Ah - I can see uses for inside and outside.
Will make a note of that.

[thomthom]

Added CPoint at Insertion Point to Guide Tools: viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30506

[thomthom]

Version 1.1.0

• Requires TT_Lib2 (v2.2.0)
• Replaced the old menus with Set Insertion Point

[rv1974]

I wish you were SU product manager it'd be entirely different world.

[rv1974]

One more thing:
Could this script stick to the current model axes not absolute world?

[thomthom]

One more thing:
Could this script stick to the current model axes not absolute world?

?
It doesn't rotate the axis, it simply moves the origin of the components - the insertion point.

Though, it could be made to also rotate the axis to match the current model axis.

[rv1974]

Though, it could be made to also rotate the axis to match the current model axis.

That's exactly what I meant

[diegog321]

thank you thom

This plugin saved my life about five minutes ago!

Diego

[daniel266]

OHH my GOD !! GEnius i have a dwg file that moves all along the place and i need to explode to make it stop this just solved everything!!
SO much THX!

[Ruturaj]

Hello sir,

This plugin is very good & handful .....

but when i was applying following Settings :

X (Red) : Right
y (Green): Back
z (Blue): Top

selected any group or component its work

but when i was applying again it on another group or component, it will not reset to the default settings ....?

I was changing default MODULE

Code: Select all

### MODULE VARIABLES ### -------------------------------------------------

   # Preference
   @settings = TT::Settings.new('Axes editor tool')
   @settings[:x, 'Left']
   @settings[:y, 'Front']
   @settings[:z, 'Bottom']

How to reset ......?

Thank you,
Ruturaj

[thomthom]

I remembers the last values you used. Just select what you want from the drop down menus. The "defaults" you refer to is only defaults for the very first time the plugin runs.

[Ruturaj]

oh......... ok.....

Thanks

[utiler]

Hey Thomas, love this little gem.....! So simple yet so powerful!

I have a question.

See the attached images of a plan view:

Axis01.png

And a perspective view:

Axis02.png

Say I want to set my axis to the rear of the couch, centered and at the bottom. When I followed your axis tool to achieve this I have to input these settings:

Axis03.png

Instead of 'X' back, 'Y' centre', 'Z' bottom.

It appears that the options in the dialogue box should be reversed. Don't you think that the 'X' options should be Front/Centre/Right and 'Y' options should be Left/Centre/Right instead of the other way around? It would just make sense according to how you view a model after all from an axis green is naturally north/south or vertical on the page or screen and red is east /west or horizontal......

Love your work!!

PS: Skippy attached FYI.

[thomthom]

utiler: Front/Back, Left/Right, Top/Bottom is determined by the components internal axis - not the model axis.
note that this plugin does not change the orientation of the component axis, but just the axis origin.

[utiler]

utiler: Front/Back, Left/Right, Top/Bottom is determined by the components internal axis - not the model axis.
note that this plugin does not change the orientation of the component axis, but just the axis origin.

Sure, Thomas but whether the internal axis is the same as the model axis the 'X' is still horizontal and so any alignment is either north [front] or south [back]....

I just don't see how you can nominate left or right of a red axis unless the red axis is vertically aligned; which it isn't....

[thomthom]

The way I view axis:

Axis.png

The way that SketchUp, and most other 3d modelling apps, display the workspace with axis in default scenes.

I just don't see how you can nominate left or right of a red axis unless the red axis is vertically aligned; which it isn't....

How can something vertical be considered left/right?

[utiler]

I see. I get it.

I guess I was thinking in orthogonal [plan view] rather than the 3D environment. In plan the green axis would be vertical and hence anything to the right of it would be 'right and visa versa.....

I won't argue your understanding of SU or any other program.... I'm happy with your explanation.

cheers,

[Jim]

It might be a nice option to be able to set the axis in relation to a sub-component. Like a arm, which might have a upper_arm, lower_arm, and shoulder_joint sub-components. Select the Arm, then move it's insertion point to the center of the shoulder, or pivot point.