[Plugin] Bolt Maker (Final Update 7-Feb-2012)

[Ken]

What I am trying to suggest is there are too many edge cases - too many ways that people need to fasten things together for a plugin to attempt to guess what the user wants. For example, it appears you are assuming there are ever only 2 plates that need bolted together. What if I need 3 plates bolted together? Or if I need a spacer between the plates? By using a 2-point selection procedure for setting the direction and length, you do not need to make any assumptions or guesses - it seems like it would greatly simplify the procedure for placing bolts in all possible cases since the bolt is drawn in the selected direction and length set by the user.

True, this will likely complicate hole-cutting, but I'd rather have a quick way to place bolts before worrying about getting the holes cut.

I show bolt in all my designs, some time is the hundreds. Yes I would like to have a method of making a bolt with just a line. With the line giving direction and length. I use the bolt dynamic component, and I have to work around showing bolts that not fully engage, in other words, just above the selection but not tightened. I use the plugin drill to make the holes, and just being able to connect multiple pieces together, than add the bolt above the pieces or partly though or completely though would be great.

Well, it is a needed plugin.

Again thank you.

[Niffler]

Greetings,

I downloaded "Bolt Maker.rb" and dropped it into the proper plug-in folder and then experienced my first error message after I restarted SketchUp 8.

Error Loading File Bolt Maker.rb
undefined method `file_loaded?' for main:Object

How can I resolve this without using percussion maintenance?

Peace

[Jim]

Open the file "Bolt Maker.rb" in a text editor - say notepad.exe, then move the following line up roughly 7-8 lines so it appears just after the comment lines (which begin with #) but before any other lines in the file.

require "sketchup"

Save the file, and restart SketchUp.

[CalypsoArt]

Great plugin. Love the ability to pull from the sides to set position. I got a bug splat but can't remember exactly where in the process. Worked fine after that. I Agree with others it would be nice to be able to pic a top face and a bottom face in a set of stacked components/groups and have the plugin drill/cut through them all. But I can work with it as is.
Thanks.

[sdmitch]

CalypsoArt,

Stack away. Just posted update allows that and it drills holes through them all.

The bug splats and failures are caused by the usually benign start_operation statements.
I got a lot of those also until I removed them.

[sdmitch]

OOPS!!!! Sorry Bolt Maker fans. Dispite what I thought was adaquate testing, I found a problem while playing around with the plugin this morning. It has been corrected and a new copy posted.

[Niffler]

Help!! I can't get bolt maker to run anymore.

1. I have used both copies of bolt maker: bolt maker and bolt maker 7.

2. I run the programs in SketchUp 8.

3. I have run successfully, both versions (obviously, one at a time) in either SketchUp/Plugins or SketchUp/Tools folder. Both copies had worked in either folder. FYI

4. It took me several dozen retrys to figure out those terrible instructions; and in one glorious moment, it worked. I went to repeat my success AND...nothing! I clicked the Bolt-maker icon in the toolbar and then...nothing. I clicked the Bolt-maker icon a number of times. It stopped working.

5. I downloaded and tried out new copies in place of the others in the SketchUp root folder and still nothing. I even reversed the file's location from Plugins folder to the Tools folder, still nothing happened.

6. I even created two, new group components, thinking that it was probably the models. Nope!

7. I went to another older system where I had backup copies of both files of bolt maker and of SketchUp 8. I fired up SketchUp and lo-and-behold, bolt maker worked. I mucked about with the instructions for many times (don't ask me how many), then the same thing happened on that computer: the Bolt-Maker button died.

The only thing I can figure happened with this challenge is that this program is crippleware, that is a program that deactivates itself after a number of reactivations. This program probably detects: "This person is an idiot! It is much too dangerous to be in the hands of such a simpleton." DELETE DELETE DELETE LOL

Can someone help with this?

[sdmitch]

You must have me and my Bolt Maker confused with someone else. Mine doesn't have a Toolbar Icon or Button!

No, my Bolt Maker is not "crippleware", there are no limits on its use.

[Niffler]

Hello, sdmitch,

Thanks for the reply. I'm sorry, I used the wrong phrase and confused the menu bar with the toolbar (considering that, well the majority of my tools are found under Tools on the menu bar).

I'm pretty sure that the plugin I'm using is yours (it's found under the menu bar, Plugins > Bolt Maker). I'm just pretty frustrated. I managed to get the plugin to work once on SketchUp 8 but, since then, any time I click on the Bolt Maker button under the Plugins menu, the dialogue box for using it wouldn't even appear; its as if I never clicked on it at all.

I apologize if my original post was a bit combative; it's frustrating having a vastly time-saving plugin on my system that doesn't work for whatever reason.

So, can you help me? Have you encountered this problem before with your program, or know of anything that would cause the plugin to only work only once? I appreciate any help you can render.

[Ken]

Note, I also have the same problem. I just didn't mention the problem as I use the bolt maker dynamic component. However, I do wish your plugin would work.

What is does on my machine, it will work one to two times than that is the last it will work. One time removed the txt file and it work one more time. But as of now it does not function each and every time.

I hope you get this sorted out as I use a lot of bolts.

Thank you for your work and the plugin.

Ken

[Niffler]

Thank you, Ken! It's good to know I am not alone in my plight!

I have since deleted and reinstalled using the version of Bolt Maker found on sdmitch.blogspot.com. When I went to use that one, the dialogue box appeared normally. I then went to use the plugin, but it would not recognize my created groups as actually being groups. I then clicked out of the Bolt Maker dialogue box to make another component, in the hopes that would work, and then went to reopen Bolt Maker. Nothing happened; same problem as before.

I closed down SketchUp and replaced the Bolt Maker.rb file with a backup I had made earlier. I am unsure if it was designed for 7 or 8, but I replaced it. Now, no matter how many times I delete the .rb file, restart my system, and reinstall using a new file downloaded directly from blogspot, the program will not work.

This may be a silly question, but where is this .txt file in SketchUp associated with Bolt Maker? I may try deleting that as well when I reinstall, but there is no .txt file that I can see under C:\Program Files\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins

Also, I'm running Vista, and, unlike all other times, the last couple times I went to delete the .rb file, User Account Control did *not* pop up to ask me for permission to delete the file. Weird...

[Ken]

Here is the txt file, "Bolt Maker7.txt".

Ken

[sdmitch]

Niffler, The .txt file is automatically created when it doesn't exist and just keeps the last input parameters for future runs.

The only problems I have had with the plugin relate to the .start_operation/commit_operation block but those are not active in the plugin I posted.

If you would please open the Ruby Console before running the plugin and post any errors that appear there.

[Niffler]

Niffler, The .txt file is automatically created when it doesn't exist and just keeps the last input parameters for future runs.

The only problems I have had with the plugin relate to the .start_operation/commit_operation block but those are not active in the plugin I posted.

If you would please open the Ruby Console before running the plugin and post any errors that appear there.

Greetings Sdmitch,
As you requested...

Error: #<ArgumentError: Cannot convert "0.167'
" to Length>
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:48:in `to_l'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:48:in `dialog'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:41:in `initialize'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:25:in `new'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:25

Niffler

[Niffler]

Niffler, The .txt file is automatically created when it doesn't exist and just keeps the last input parameters for future runs.

The only problems I have had with the plugin relate to the .start_operation/commit_operation block but those are not active in the plugin I posted.

If you would please open the Ruby Console before running the plugin and post any errors that appear there.

Greetings Sdmitch,
As you requested...

Error: #<ArgumentError: Cannot convert "0.167'
" to Length>
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:48:in `to_l'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:48:in `dialog'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:41:in `initialize'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:25:in `new'
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/Bolt Maker.rb:25

Niffler

[UPDATE] I have found it! I found the bug!

Last night, I went into my old system and deleted all remenants of Bolt-maker.rb from SketchUp8/Plugins. I then copied the latest version of Bolt-maker.rb I had downloaded from sdmitch.blogspot.com.

I fired-up SketchUp 8, and clicked on Bolt-maker 7 in the menu bar. It worked! Now, I was very cautious about the parameters I set. So I stayed with the 1/4 inch bolt-size.

After a number of dry runs, I was finally able to confidently create a half-dozen bolts "joining" those plates. Great!

Now, I decided to push the limits. I clicked the Boltmaker7 (button) in the menu bar. After the dialog box appeared, I set the bolt's size to 2 inches. The plugin worked. However, when I went to repeat my thought experiment, the dialog box failed to appear, which is good, too.

I clicked open the Ruby Console. After I clicked the Bolt-maker7 (button), the same error appeared as it had in the lines above.

Sdmitch, made a good program, but needs to adjust the parameters of the bolt sizes from: Tiny to Colossal (for all you D&D fans). I think that might set it right.

Peace

[Niffler]

Greetings All,

I was thinging again about a phenomenon from Bolt-Maker. What doesn't make sence to me is that if I deleted Bolt-Maker.rb from the SketchUp/Plugins folder, shutdown my computer, purged my RAM, rebooted Windows, downloaded a "new" copy Bolt-maker.rb from sdmitch.blogspot.com, then reinstalled that program into the SketchUp/Plugins folder, fired-up SketchUp 8, clicked 'Plugins' on the menu bar, then clicked Bolt-maker, you would expect it to work wouldn't you? Of course you would expect it to work?

Nope!

My question is: what the heck is happening that is telling my computer that the Bolt-maker program is still broken?

[driven]

Hi Niffler,

did you follow advice Jim gave you? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=40172&start=15#p356486

I can't see that in the list of things you've tried, and it's the most likely culprit.

john

[Niffler]

Hi Niffler,

did you follow advice Jim gave you? http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=40172&start=15#p356486

I can't see that in the list of things you've tried, and it's the most likely culprit.

john

I appreciate your concern Driven. However, I do not know if you are referring to the 1st challenge I had, had not loading Bolt-maker in properly or the latest 'bug' that's revealed itself. The details to that excursion are on the previous page.

I am sure sdmitch will be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat on this one.

Peace

[driven]

if you downloaded a new copy it may need to be modified as well, I had to change the version I have for it to function.
I also know Sam is away for the next ten days and may not be checking-in...
john

[Niffler]

if you downloaded a new copy it may need to be modified as well, I had to change the version I have for it to function.
I also know Sam is away for the next ten days and may not be checking-in...
john

Alright, alright you've wound me up. What do I need to do to 'modify' Bolt-maker? It there a way to modify the program to also accept bigger numbers to prevent it from buggering-up?

[EDIT] Okay, I've just realized what you meant, driven. Yeah, I looked at the instructions Jim posted and have looked in a freshly downloaded copy of Bolt Maker. The change that Jim suggested had already been made, so something else is causing my error. I apologize if I appeared not to have read other's attempts to help me.

Also, I noticed that the instructions in the comments said that the bolt width parameter was 1.5 * maximum. Pity that I cannot get this to work with new copies of the file on my Vista system; it's as if the text file that tells the program its last setting is still there, but crafting new versions of that file with more modest parameters hasn't caused it to work there.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Peace

[Garryd]

Hi

Maybe Im missing something simple. When I make, or try to make, a bolt I get to the stage where I have to orbit to see the reverse side. When I do so I cant get back to bolt maker to select the exit point......

[sdmitch]

If you are using the Orbit Tool as opposed to orbiting with the mouse wheel, press the Esc key to exit Orbit Tool.

[kenS]

I also have the problem of bolt maker not working anymore, where it used to work fine for ages, and I must admit a great program.
A few hicups with extra entities, appearing and various things I had to complete with erase and push/pull, but I was driving through 3 different shapes, and sometimes it didn't like putting bolts through the flange of a steel angle joined to 2 flats.
Anyway I think that I have found the problem of the program not working.
I work in mm, and somewhere along the line I changed the precision to 0.
So delete the .txt file, and change the precision to at least 0.0 this then seems to work for any size bolt.

[Niffler]

I also have the problem of bolt maker not working anymore, where it used to work fine for ages, and I must admit a great program.
A few hicups with extra entities, appearing and various things I had to complete with erase and push/pull, but I was driving through 3 different shapes, and sometimes it didn't like putting bolts through the flange of a steel angle joined to 2 flats.
Anyway I think that I have found the problem of the program not working.
I work in mm, and somewhere along the line I changed the precision to 0.
So delete the .txt file, and change the precision to at least 0.0 this then seems to work for any size bolt.

Greetings KenS,

Yes, like some plugins, it has its quarks. However, I uninstalled the plugin from the Google root directory, rebooted the system, installed a new version, fired-up SketchUp...nothing happened. It doesn't like to play in Vista, but it will work in my other system with XP.

I liked this plugin for all the neat stuff I could do with it. However, my bright, sun-filled days ended when I attempted to create a five-inch, MONSTER BOLT! Seriously, that's what happened and the plugin died...forever.

End of the story.

My question to Boltmaker's author is: what has this plugin installed onto my system that prevents the system from running any copy of Boltmaker I had previously installed?

Please, please someone help me, I want to have my life back.

[sdmitch]

Neffler and all, Why plugin Bolt Maker tends to be flaky is as much a mystery to me as you. I can assure you that Vista is not the problem since I developed Bolt Maker on a Vista system. As to size of bolts, I have made them from 1mm to 5" diameter without a problem. There is nothing "hidden" in the plugin that prohibits any version from running regardless of how many you have installed.

[Niffler]

Neffler and all, Why plugin Bolt Maker tends to be flaky is as much a mystery to me as you. I can assure you that Vista is not the problem since I developed Bolt Maker on a Vista system. As to size of bolts, I have made them from 1mm to 5" diameter without a problem. There is nothing "hidden" in the plugin that prohibits any version from running regardless of how many you have installed.

Greetings Sdmitch,

"Oh happy days, oh happy days" The sun is shinning! I downloaded your latest Boltmaker plugin into my Vista system, fired-up Sketchup, clicked-on Boltmaker and it works!! I even tried a five-inch, monster bolt and that worked.

Now, for the bad news.

Sorry for raining down on your parade, mate. When boltmaker first opened, I was greeted with the error message:

"Error occurred when reading bolt_data file."

Sorry!

[sdmitch]

neffler, The error message you mentioned is one of the things I added to the latest version. I found that while testing and changing units from inches to millimeters and back again that it caused an error on one occasion when reading the defaults from the previous run. My guess is that this read error is what was causing the plugin to not run for you previously since I had not coded for this posibility. After dismissing the message, the plugin should run normally. I added this message just so you would know that and help explain why the defaults presented might not be what you expected or last entered.

[Jim]

Wow, Sam - I just checked out your blog and you have quite a collection of plugins going on there!

[utiler]

You're not wrong, Jim!!! nice collection, Sam!

[AlainBo]

Hi sdmitch,

Is it possible to expect other kind of head such as Phillips, Torx, countersunk?

Another thing could be to give an entry field for length as screws normally match to standard lentgh. I suppose it would be very difficult to embed lengths table....

Regards,
Alain