K2WS_Tools a joint tool set for SU

[ktkoh]

Well after all the questions I asked and got answered here I am finally ready to post the plugin I have been working on. This plugin works on components and the Joint Tools (Biscuits, Domino, Dowel, Loose Tenon, M&T ) add the joint feature to both components. For each of the joint tools there is a complementry tool that just adds the feature to one component. BoxJoint Fingers, Thru Dovetails, Blind Dovetails, Pocket Screw Holes, and Wood Screw Holes only operate on one component at a time.
Known Issues:
Blind dovetail pins need cleanup usually on one end of a board do this by deleting the outside edge. The tail board also may need clean up on one end and this requires deleting edges and some faces. I think the problem is with SU not my program as one end is clean.

Never enter the " to designate inches when entering data. If model is inches enter onll the number. If model is in mm then use inch following a decimal inch number to convert to mm.

UNzip the file in the plugins directory. This should leave a file loadK2WS_Tools.rb and a directory K2WS_Tools in your plugin directory. These tools are added to the tool menu but are loaded only when used thus not taking up memory if not used. There are also jpeg files in the directory and these can be viewed to get an idea of how the program expects you to enter data and identify the face on which the feature will be added. The status text will always indicate what your next mouse selection should be. The edeges are different for each program so check to see what is next.


Keith

[davidheim1]

The tool set sounds very intriguing. But I can't figure out where to put the files once I download and unzip them. In the tools folder? The plug-ins folder?I continually get an error message saying there's no file to load. I have to confess that I'm often bedeviled by where to park files like these. I'm running a Mac, OX X 10.5.
Thanks for your help.
dh

[ktkoh]

The should be unziped in the Plugins folder. If not then copy the file loadK2WS_Tools.rb to the Plugins folder and then copy the dir K2WS_Tools and all its files also to the Plugins directory. I don't know the path to the Plugins folder for a Mac.

Keith

[davidheim1]

i have both files in the plugins folder, but I still get the error message when I start SU. The path I'm following is:
Applications>Library>Application support>SketchUp 8>Plugins. Any suggestions?

[Dave R]

Keith, I finally got a chance to install this on my Mac. I also get an error:

"Error Loading File loadK2WS_Tools.rb
no such file to load -- K2WS_Tools\K2_ToolsLoader.rb"

I had a look and K2_ToolsLoader is in the K2WS_Tools folder. Mac uses a forward slash instead of the back slash. I wonder if that is the problem.

Edited to add: the back slash was indeed the problem. I edited the line

Code: Select all

require 'K2WS_Tools\K2_ToolsLoader.rb'

to

Code: Select all

require 'K2WS_Tools/K2_ToolsLoader.rb'

and it loads and works fine.

[TIG]

Another issue is one of the require lines [I think in the 'T' code?] looks to your own PC's folder structure, rather than the Tool's folder itself - presumably this was left over from in house testing ?

[Dave R]

Keith, I'm seeing several problems. First, nothing happens when I choose the M-T tool. Perhaps it has to do with what TIG pointed out.

The Loose Tenon tool works but I see the same problem I saw before. That is, when putting the mortise on the second end of the rail, the tool deformed the legs. See the attached image. The legs started out as square and all was fine with the leg on the left. Then I tried putting the mortise in the other end of the rail and the legs ended up as you see here. I could avoid that by making the legs unrelated components but that doesn't make a lot of sense.

I wonder if you could just ask the user if they want the opposite end of the component to receive the same mortise and leave the second copy of the leg out of it altogether.

I played with the dovetails quickly last night. It seems to work as expected.

[ktkoh]

Dave: Which tool do you use for the second end of the strecher?
Here is a picture of the M&T Joint tool on the Right end which makes the tenon on the strecher and the mortise in the leg. The legs are the same component flipped so the other leg has the mortise. Next I use the Tenon tool and added a tenon to the left end of the strecher. This is a picture of the results.
When using the loose tenon tool use the loose tenon Joint first then the mortise tool on the other end of the strecher and see if that gives the same results

I removed all the test directories the file and dir from the plugins dir restarted my computer and downloaded the zip file and installed it on my computer. So far no problems with any programs. Is there a better way to test?

Keith

[TIG]

The \ OR the / work on a PC - but a MAC wants a /

[Dave R]

Keith, I see what you're doing, I think. As I said, I used the Loose Tenon tool. It isn't logical to me to have to use different tools on opposite ends of the rail. It does work that way, though. I'm not real keen on having to hide the second leg before cutting that mortise in the end of the rail but I couldn't select the top edge of the rail without doing so.

Also, while I've got you, could things like the dominoes and loose tenons be inserted as instances of the same component? You can see in the attached screen grab what happen in a cut list.

KK Tools.png

It's getting there, though.

[ktkoh]

Dave: I know you might need to hide the other component some times it seems to depend on what view you are looking at. You can do this without leaving the tool with a right click on the component and select hide the tool should stay active.

At this time I don't know of a way to add copies of an component in a plugin. If I find a way to do this I can update later. That was why when I first sent you this it only added one component and it seemed you felt the joint was not complete.

Mac users: I replaced the \ with / so the files should work on your systems.

I did find that the M&T Joint tool still had require pointin to my dir so I also changed that. The zip file has been revised.

Keith

[alex_t]

Perfect plugin! Thank you!

[nanolin]

Hello.
Anyone who uses this plugin could tell me how the board is at 45?
(Spline Joint)

Make a video for all functions would be best.


thanks

sorry my English is google translator