[Plugin] Simple Scale Tool Handles v1.2 7-25-2011

[kyyu]

By request, a plugin to make it easier to use the scale tool, on thin sheet parts. Component/group definitions have a property that hides the handles. When the scale tool is used on a modified component/group, the drag handles are reduces from the normal 26 to only 10.

Simple scale tool handles.png

Newest is version 1.2
v1.0 (7-21-2011) initial version
v1.1 (7-23-2011) added Toolbar
v1.2 (7-25-2011) Toolbar now processes selection, with option to only process all.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided this notice appears in any copies.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Author: kyyu (7-25-2011) v1.2

Description: This plugin makes it easier to use the scale tool, on thin sheet parts. When the scale tool is used on a modified component/group, the drag handles are reduces from the normal 26 to only 10. Tested on SU8, and also seems to work with SU7.

Activated from (Plugins menu "[ky] Simple Scale Handles") or (Toolbar). If nothing is selected, than all active groups/components are processed. Toolbar icons are depressed, as a visual indicator when all comp/groups are proccessed. Depressed icons can still be clicked, for example to process a selection. There is an option below, for the toolbar to ignore selection.

Options: There are 3 vaiables at the beginning of the script, whos value can be changed to customize the plugin.
[menu = true] -load "Plugins Menu item"
[toolbar = true] -load Toolbar
[@toolbar_all = false] -if true, Toolbar will ignore selection, and only process all active comp/groups.

Tip: You need to have the z axis, of group/component, aligned with the thickness of the sheet.

simple scale handles_v1.2.zip

[rv1974]

Oh I'm so tired with the default one. Huge thank you!!!

[Krisidious]

are you saying this flattens stuff?

[dereeei]

Simple and Awesome. some things should be by default in SU

[Ken]

This is nice plugin and needed by me since I work in large size 1/4" thick steel plate. I have added a icon and now trying to make the selection of the icon a toggle, Simple to Default and back.

Thanks for your work

Ken

[TIG]

A very simple yet very clever new tool.
Which shows us that there are still many new or alternative ideas that can be realized without thousands of lines of code...

[jolran]

Great tool Kyyu! Thanks.

[thomthom]

Might want to wrap that up on a start/commit operation so it can be undone in one go.

[Ben Ritter]

Thank you very much.

[kyyu]

are you saying this flattens stuff?

No, it changes the apperance of the skechup native scale tool. The right part in the image shows the change.

[kyyu]

Might want to wrap that up on a start/commit operation so it can be undone in one go.

I had the start/commit operation in there originally, but no undo was created? So I removed it. Any other benifit of having it in there?

[Jim]

Very handy. Thanks.

[TIG]

kyyu

I see what you mean - it seems that the resetting of the scale-handles happens outside of the undo stack ? The definition.behavior.no_scale_mask= seems weird in this respect ? Fortunately you have a simple reset to 'all' in your dialog choices...

[kyyu]

I added a toolbar. 1st post updated to version 1.1

[TIG]

Thanks!

[rv1974]

Hi Kyyu!
Could you please make a simple version of the script without any icons and dropdown options?
Just a distillated simple scale ruby. Please!
Thank you!

[halroach]

Description: This plugin makes it easier to use the scale tool, on thin sheet parts. When the scale tool is used on a modified component/group, the drag handles are reduces from the normal 26 to only 10. Tested on SU8, and also seems to work with SU7.

From Plugins Menu: If nothing is selected, than all active groups/components are processed. Run from the Plugins menu: "[ky] Simple Scale Handles"

Nice plugin!
Though it doesn't work for me as described. If I select one component, and run the tool, it still effects all of the components, except for components that are within components. No matter what I select, it always effects everything.

[kyyu]

Hi Kyyu!
Could you please make a simple version of the script without any icons and dropdown options?
Just a distillated simple scale ruby. Please!
Thank you!

You really want a one way ruby? copy/paste into ruby console or .rb file.

Code: Select all

UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("simple scale handles"){Sketchup.active_model.definitions.each{|e|e.behavior.no_scale_mask=88}}

[kyyu]

Description: This plugin makes it easier to use the scale tool, on thin sheet parts. When the scale tool is used on a modified component/group, the drag handles are reduces from the normal 26 to only 10. Tested on SU8, and also seems to work with SU7.

From Plugins Menu: If nothing is selected, than all active groups/components are processed. Run from the Plugins menu: "[ky] Simple Scale Handles"

Nice plugin!
Though it doesn't work for me as described. If I select one component, and run the tool, it still effects all of the components, except for components that are within components. No matter what I select, it always effects everything.

From the plugin menu? I just double check and it works the way it should. From the toolbar icon, it's supposed to only processes everything (if you look at the next paragraph in the description). The idea was that a depressed icon would indicate, you had processed everything. Although, I could probably set it up so the toolbar can be used with selection and only depress whatever was last all processed. You can still click the icon, when it is depressed. Is that the way people would like to have it set up?

[kyyu]

Updated to v1.2, see 1st post. The menu item has always processed the selection, if it exsit. Now the toolbar icons do this, too. But there is an option to change it back to only processing all. See the description. Also, I darkened the icons.

[rv1974]

Hi Kyyu!
Could you please make a simple version of the script without any icons and dropdown options?
Just a distillated simple scale ruby. Please!
Thank you!

You really want a one way ruby? copy/paste into ruby console or .rb file.

Code: Select all

UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("simple scale handles"){Sketchup.active_model.definitions.each{|e|e.behavior.no_scale_mask=88}}

It's gettinng better. There's one last step. Now your simplified script assures that the next scale operation will be with simple handles, correct? What I'd like to get is simplified scale all together at once.
Thank you so much

[halroach]

Updated to v1.2, see 1st post. The menu item has always processed the selection, if it exsit. Now the toolbar icons do this, too. But there is an option to change it back to only processing all. See the description. Also, I darkened the icons.

The last update 1.2 works like expected. It was a bit confusing for me when the menu item was doing something different than what the toolbar was doing.
By what it looks, basically what the plugin does is change the scale properties for each component, right?

1. I think some people may confuse this tool as being a separate scale tool that scales only in the XYZ direction...
but it is actually a tweak for each component to scale differently, with the original scale tool. I guess it is similar to using dynamic component scale attributes (as in the image attached)

2. would this tweak have any effect on model performance? or file sizes!? When I was using dynamic component attributes for this exact same scaling idea, it used to make overall sketchup performance a bit laggy at times.

3. Is it at all possible to have a separate scale tool that would do just this, without the need to change properties of each or all of the components, a tool that would work on simple un-grouped geometry as well?

thanks!

[halroach]

In the latest version 1.2, there is a problem that the simple scale isn't constrained to only X Y Z, but also one more XY... see attached image.
I used the toolbar to change the properties...

[kyyu]

The last update 1.2 works like expected. It was a bit confusing for me when the menu item was doing something different than what the toolbar was doing.
By what it looks, basically what the plugin does is change the scale properties for each component, right?

Yes, the user is selecting or processing all components/groups. And I explained, in basically the 2nd sentence of the 1st post that a property of the comp/group was being modified. I get confused myself about other peoples plugins. It's just the nature of things, the wild west of plugins.

1. I think some people may confuse this tool as being a separate scale tool that scales only in the XYZ direction...
but it is actually a tweak for each component to scale differently, with the original scale tool. I guess it is similar to using dynamic component scale attributes (as in the image attached)

2. would this tweak have any effect on model performance? or file sizes!? When I was using dynamic component attributes for this exact same scaling idea, it used to make overall sketchup performance a bit laggy at times.

The properties in that picture look very familiar: http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/do ... cale_mask=
I am using those exact properties, from the SU ruby api. So maybe you will get the same limitations? Big models is kinda outside my knowledge zone. I'm still using an old computer, Pentium 4, but it's enough for my need. Just do small home project with SU.

3. Is it at all possible to have a separate scale tool that would do just this, without the need to change properties of each or all of the components, a tool that would work on simple un-grouped geometry as well?

Of course, anything is possible, but would you spend the time to do it? Probably not, usless it was very important to you. Even this small pugin, I probably spent an evenings time spread over a few days. And I'm no expert, just slowly learning.

But I see that Fredo6 just put a similar, but real tool mod in his FredoScale plugin. Looks like he is responding to the same request I saw. I just happen to come across a solution and remembered the request. Check it out:
viewtopic.php?f=323&t=17948&start=600#p343978

In the latest version 1.2, there is a problem that the simple scale isn't constrained to only X Y Z, but also one more XY... see attached image.
I used the toolbar to change the properties...

Yes, I have X,Y,Y and (X+Y). The request was for scaling sheet parts. So X+Y coupling is fine and probably wanted. I just removed all z coupling. If you want, just X,Y,Z; it's easy enough to change:
Line#56 where it has "e.behavior.no_scale_mask=88" just change the "88" to "120".

[halroach]

thank you for the long reply!

Yes, I have X,Y,Y and (X+Y). The request was for scaling sheet parts. So X+Y coupling is fine and probably wanted. I just removed all z coupling. If you want, just X,Y,Z; it's easy enough to change:
Line#56 where it has "e.behavior.no_scale_mask=88" just change the "88" to "120".

That will definitely be of help! thanks of the pointers!

[jolran]

Nice icons Kyyu! Very useful plugin.

[kyyu]

Nice icons Kyyu! Very useful plugin.

Thanks, my 1st icons. I think the most time was spent, just making the icons.

[jolran]

Thanks, my 1st icons. I think the most time was spent, just making the icons.

He he! Yes I know. It's difficult to make them look good after downscaling so much.
Anyway.. Good job

[rock1]

i'm having a problem using this tool. when i click either of the two toolbars button, the default scaling handles remain. they never change to the simple scale tool what should i do?

[kyyu]

i'm having a problem using this tool. when i click either of the two toolbars button, the default scaling handles remain. they never change to the simple scale tool what should i do?

Do you have a group or component, in your drawing, for the plugin to modify? You can give it a try under the plugins menu, but no one else has reported a problem with the toolbar?