[Plugin] Blend ver 1.12.

[kirill2008]

This plugin became obsolete but you can find all its functionality in 'Blend' tool of 'LSS Toolbar 2.0' extension. It is still only a beta version though. This particular tool works more or less stable. Find out more at viewtopic.php?f=323&t=47399

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

You have been busy! Can you use this plugin with Bezier lines? I assume that both curves must have the same number of segments.

Regards,
Bob

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

From your video example, the step count does not seem to correspond to the number of lines drawn.

I note that the end-points for the new lines are terminated on the X-Y plane. Would it be possible to modify the script so that the end-points are determined by a third, curved line connecting the end-points of the boundary lines. The number of steps could then be determined/chosen by altering the number of segments of the third line.

Regards,
Bob

[kirill2008]

Can you use this plugin with Bezier lines? I assume that both curves must have the same number of segments.
Bob

I'm not sure about Bezier lines, but you can use plugin with freehand lines regardless of segments count. It is also possible to select an arc curve and freehand curve, because ArcCurve is a subclass of Curve.

From your video example, the step count does not seem to correspond to the number of lines drawn.

Thank's. Bug is fixed check ver. 1.1. for update.

I note that the end-points for the new lines are terminated on the X-Y plane.

Well, actually it's not exactly such a way. Points for the new curves are at vectors between corresponding vertices of 2 initial curves (refer to the attachment).

Would it be possible to modify the script so that the end-points are determined by a third, curved line connecting the end-points of the boundary lines.

Yes, it is possible for sure I'll try to implement such feature.

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

This is beginning to look like a very useful plugin. Thank you for all your hard work, and your generosity.

Kind regards,
Bob

[MALAISE]

Hi Kirill
Thanks you for the job you've done on this second plugin. It's opening a new world of shapes..

MALAISE

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

I have just been trying out your plugin and note the following:

* that the 'undo' doesn't work with your plugin, i.e., I cannot revert back to the drawing before your plugin is used, and

* your plugin creates lines (steps) which are outside the group which contains the surface. One has to hide the group and then delete the lines. Is this how the plugin is meant to work?

Looking good.

Regards,
Bob

[accabrera]

Great Plugin!!!

Big Thank you

[JClements]

Krill, nice work. If you can get two objects to follow and blend along a third, curve (path) as was suggested above, then we've got a nice, easy-to-use taper tool.

I am hoping you can do it.

Thanks, John

[kirill2008]

Hi, Bob.
Thank's a lot for your feedback, it really helps to improve the script.

Dear Kirill,
* that the 'undo' doesn't work with your plugin, i.e., I cannot revert back to the drawing before your plugin is used, and

Well, actually 'undo' works, but yes it sometimes (big steps count value and/or big segments count of initial curves) cannot revert back drawing.

undodemo.gif

Animation shows '<Ctrl>+z' combination pressed effect.
Now (ver 1.3) all steps of Blend command joined to the single command and can be undone as one single action.

* your plugin creates lines (steps) which are outside the group which contains the surface. One has to hide the group and then delete the lines. Is this how the plugin is meant to work?

Yes, they are supposed to be separated. But now (ver 1.3) I decided to put curves to another separate group.

If you can get two objects to follow and blend along a third, curve (path) as was suggested above, then we've got a nice, easy-to-use taper tool.

Well, the final destination is an interactive blended object, that consists of 2 initial curves/faces and maybe a path. Interacting with initial curves and/or path has to affect the whole object. Sounds like a kind of challenge for me...

[mitcorb]

Very interesting tool, kirill:
Seems to have qualities of Skin.rb and Simple Loft.rb but on steroids.
Excellent work!
mitcorb

[kirill2008]

Little bonus video:

Ver. 1.4 is able to process more or less complex geometry.

[Daniel S]

This plugins looks great!
What about blend colors too?
Here an example that creates intermediate faces and colors from two existing ones (2 steps).

colorblend.gif

Of course this is not sketchup, is only a simulation.

Daniel S

[cosycat]

Great script, i've been waiting for something like this for ages. Couple of odd bugs with circles (v1.4)
1) seems to miss out a segment when doing a blend

circles2.jpg

2) if you create the second circle with a move copy, you often get something like this

circles1.jpg

[Ken]

Note sure if it me or note. But I tried V3 and was pleased with the results, however, V4 does not seem to display the same results. Note, I dont' have V3 any more, as I copied over the script, so this is from memory.

I particular like how if blended a square to a circle, now every time the output has folds or is not a straight blend from the square to the circle.

Ken

[mitcorb]

yeah, I had a gap between the originating curve and the next intervening step toward the destination curve. Easily knitted together with line tool, and so forth, but just mentioning.

[utiler]

This is a nice plugin, mate! I'm going to play!!!!

[tomot]

Nice plugin! but still needs some tweaking.
I find it first works with a new fresh startup screen. but then the more experimenting I do with Blend the more inconsistant the results become, finally the Bend of the left Y's in the picture did not take place at all.

Code: Select all

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method `vertices' for nil:NilClass>
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:45:in `blend'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:174
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:153:in `call'


please don't give up!

[kirill2008]

Color blending demo video (for Daniel S ):


cosycat, please try ver. 1.5. I tried to solve the problem of missing mesh pieces.

tomot, I'll try to find out, what's the problem with rotated Y's...

And speaking about the 3'd curve (the path): looks like, it demands a kind of major refactoring It is more complex task than I thought and it will take a little time...

[tomot]

I don't want you to misunderstand. This is not only related to the "y" shape. Other shapes have produced the same inconsistent results in SU 7.
another example:
make 2 identical closed shapes, scale one larger, apply bend, same code error occurs

cheers.

[kirill2008]

I don't want you to misunderstand. This is not only related to the "y" shape. Other shapes have produced the same inconsistent results in SU 7.
another example:
make 2 identical closed shapes, scale one larger, apply bend, same code error occurs

Looks like it is SU7 issue... SU6 processes correctly:

When processing faces it is necessary to select them by single click (not a fence).

[majid]

woooow...it would be a dreamy plugin if no bugs!!..I gave it a try , but it seems that previous versions were better on freehand lines, while the last version doesn't works fine... also on closed line doesn;t works at all (su 6)..seeing forward to see the improvements mate btw thanks thanx thanx!

[Dave R]

This is a useful plugin. Well, for me it was until I installed the latest version (1.5). Now I get what you see in the attached screen shot. Unfortunately I installed over the previous version. Keep working at it. I'm sure you'll get it all working.

Thank you.

Blend.jpg

[Daniel S]

Thank you for adding color blending

I have problems with this new version too (I use SU7).

Sometimes work with results like the ones Dave R post above.
In other cases the plugin dosen´t do anything and prints this in the ruby console:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method `back_material' for #<Sketchup::Edge:0x67b7f70>>
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:68:in `blend'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:270
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins/sublend.rb:248:in `call'

Daniel S

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

It might be a good idea to post versions 1.0 to 1.5 as the later versions seem to be problematic. Version 1.0 seemed to work quite nicely. I too have over-written previous versions and so cannot go back a step or two.

Kind regards,
Bob

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

Version 5 doesn't seem to work in SU Pro 7, even for simple shapes, but don't give up.

[blajnov]

Dear Kirill,

It might be a good idea to post versions 1.0 to 1.5 as the later versions seem to be problematic. Version 1.0 seemed to work quite nicely. I too have over-written previous versions and so cannot go back a step or two.

Kind regards,
Bob

There are three previous versions:
v 1.2
v 1.3
v 1.4
Rename files in sublend.rb

[watkins]

Thanks for posting versions 1.2 and 1.4. I will test them out with areas. Previously, I only tested this plugin with arcs, and that still works in V1.5.

[kirill2008]

Guys, I don't know yet how to prevent skin (mesh) turning inside out The point is that script processes vertices with corresponding indices: so maybe flipping normal or 180 degrees rotation (or 90) of one of 2 faces may help.
Missing triangles (they vanished after color blending feature addition) have come back now (ver. 1.6)
Error messages kind of "undefined method `back_material' for... " debugged (I guess ).

[watkins]

Dear Kirill,

Here is a quick question. You mention Sketchup 6 in both the first post and in the introduction to your plugin. Does this plugin work well in version 6? Many people have migrated to version 7, although with little added benefit.

Keep going, you are doing a great job.

Kind regards,
Bob