[Locked] 2D Toolset - Use Newer Version Link

[TIG]

2D Tools

This new toolset adds a submenu to the 'Draw' Menu >> '2D Tools...' and a '2D Tools' Toolbar
In it are 8 tools to draw only on the Z=0 plane:
Line - makes single lines with individually picked start and end points.
Polyline - makes multiple linked-lines which start from the previous end after the first line is made.
PolyLineCurve - makes multiple linked-lines as above but these are finally made into a single 'curve'.
Rectangle - makes a 3 point rectangle.
Arc - makes an Arc from picked end points and any point on its circumference.
Circle - makes a Circle from center and any point on its circumference.
Face Maker - makes a Face - pick a point inside a looped set of existing edges, a face is added (default color, face up)
Hatching - makes a Hatched Face - on each first run a dialog offers you a range of CAD hatch patterns (view in 'large icons' to see them best), select one and then pick point(s) inside looped set(s) of existing edges and face(s) added and hatched with that material: if the face already exists then its material is changed to the current hatch. The selected hatch patterns are added to the Material Browser. Each time this tool is run a new hatch pattern can be selected if desired, if that pattern is already loaded then that one is used.

The 2D#.rb needs to load before the others to make the sub-menu and toolbar...

Any feedback or ideas welcomed...

THIS THREAD REFERS TO THE 'OLD SET' GET v.5 HERE... viewtopic.php?p=185760#p185760

[matteo]

if I understood well what you did, apart from being a perfect tool to trace images and imported cad files, this is the beginning of the end for many 2d cad applications

thank you, I'll try it as soon as I can.

/matteo

[utiler]

Sounds like a cool thing, TIG. Thanks. I'll go try and give you some feedback.

[EarthMover]

TIG - thanks for the new tools. I would love to see a toolbar.

Also, is it possible to have the line tool stay active until something else is selected?

[Pixero]

Thanks.
After first test:
Polyline tool isnt showing a "guiding line" when drawing like the line tool does. Could it be fixed please?
None of the tools creates faces. I kind of both like it and not. Could there be some kind of choice for that?
+1 for a toolbar.

[honoluludesktop]

TIG, First impression is good. Not sure, but I would consider putting all selections on the "draw menu", rather then a sub menu.

[TIG]

See today's update viewtopic.php?p=180259#p180259

This new toolset adds a submenu to the 'Draw' Menu >> '2D Tools...' and a '2D Tools' Toolbar
In it are 8 tools to draw only on the Z=0 plane:
Line - makes single lines with individually picked start and end points.
Polyline - makes multiple linked-lines which start from the previous end after the first line is made.
PolyLineCurve - makes multiple linked-lines as above but these are finally made into a single 'curve'.
Rectangle - makes a 3 point rectangle.
Arc - makes an Arc from picked end points and any point on its circumference.
Circle - makes a Circle from center and any point on its circumference.
Face Maker - makes a Face - pick a point inside a looped set of edges, a face is added (default color, face up)
Hatching - makes a Hatched Face - on each first run a dialog offers you a range of CAD hatch patterns (view in 'large icons' to see them best), select one and then pick point(s) inside looped set(s) of edges and face(s) added and hatched with that material: if the face already exists then its material is changed to the current hatch. The selected hatch patterns are added to the Material Browser. Each time this tool is run a new hatch pattern can be selected if desired, if that pattern is already loaded then that one is used.

The 2D#.rb needs to load before the others to make the sub-menu and toolbar...

Any feedback or ideas welcomed...

[DIEGO-RODRIGUEZ]

thanks tig.
A good idea would be, to set the working plane Z

for example: z= 0mts; z = 3.2mts etc

[TIG]

Before any of you ask...
If you want '2D Text' there's already my TextTag tool which makes a 're-editable' component containing 2D text in any font/size/color/etc... http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDep ... textTag.rb

It's not in the set as it's also very useful in the '3D world', as are many other tools that will work in either - like 'fillet' etc...

[TIG]

thanks tig.
A good idea would be, to set the working plane Z

for example: z= 0mts; z = 3.2mts etc

I thought of that - in fact I was looking at a reference-plane system which let you choose a plane by picking 3 points - but we are in danger of inventing existing tools here... Perhaps best if we stick on the Z=0 for now ?

[CadFather]

Great stuff TIG - i can see where this is going already... love the hatch thing..

Cheers

[Pixero]

Yes! Already much better.
The only things I can think of now would be if the arc, circle and rectangle tools could show the form beeing drawn like the standard tools does.
And maybe a line weight tool for different thickness of lines.

I just realised my Polyline curve tool doesnt create one curve. It separates them just as the polyline tool does. Bug?

[TIG]

Yes! Already much better.
The only things I can think of now would be if the arc, circle and rectangle tools could show the form being drawn like the standard tools does.
And maybe a line weight tool for different thickness of lines.

I would if I could, but I've only been looking at this since yesterday ! I can't see how to make the arc/circle forms as you draw - I'll think about it ?
The rectangle tool is not like the standard one as it's 3-point - giving you greater flexibility on its rotation on the 2D plane - it does show what it's doing though ?
'Line-weights' are only possible by faking them with 'grouped-lines' drawn very close to each other, or perhaps better a thin face black painted, with its edges hidden ?

If we want CAD use a CAD program - this is a semi-academic exercise in adding some 2D tools to Sketchup...

[Pixero]

It very good already.
No harm in wishing, ehe?

What about the Polyline curve tool?
Is it just me or is there a bug?

[TIG]

It very good already.
No harm in wishing, ehe?
What about the Polyline curve tool?
Is it just me or is there a bug?

What sort of bug ?

[Pixero]

If I make a open form the lines are separated but if I draw a closed form they are turned into one.
How are we meant to exit the tool? I clicked esc.

[Ken]

TIG

Thanks. The hatching is a win for me.

Feedback. I know that when you think of 2d drawing, the Z axis is at a zero elevation. However, at least on my machine, the orbit tool works better when the drawing is done using the Front view. I never can get the orbit tool to behave to my request in the Top View. And why would I need the use of the orbit tool when doing 2d drawing. Well, after using Sketchup for the last couple of years, I try an orbit everything, even Word and Xcel documents. Therefore, it is a learned response. However, I do feel I get more info from the drawing when I orbit.


Again thanks for the tools.

Ken

[honoluludesktop]

TIG, Wow, having 2D icons make putting the commands directly on the "draw" menu for quick access unnecessary. Fantastic.

[EarthMover]

Nice update TIG! Can you tell me how to get the polyline curve to work? Is there a way to tell the script you are finished drawing the segments so it can convert them to a "curve"?

[TIG]

If I make a open form the lines are separated but if I draw a closed form they are turned into one.
How are we meant to exit the tool? I clicked esc.

I'll look at it...

[TIG]

The PolylineCurve works much as the PolylIne Tool - you click on a line end twice or the start point of the first line to say you are done. The difference is that it then converts the points to a Curve at the end and any loose edges should be erased - obviously it sounds like it's not doing that ! I'll investigate... When I am more awake tomorrow

[bagatelo]

Would it be possible a tool that draw rectangles with round corner?

I thank your efforts in any way.

[DIEGO-RODRIGUEZ]

Tig, I have been some errors running the plugins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UZUfNm8STk


suggestion:
You can add
- Double Line Tool?
- Ellipse Tool (defined by its 2diameters)?
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_t_gMqP8lM
- Polygon Tool of xsides (defining the length of one side)?
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYniLhupg1Q

[TIG]

Today's update available here viewtopic.php?p=180259#p180259

Main changes are:

Return/Enter now ends the Polyline and PolylineCurve Tools and draws geometry.
Esc during the Tool now undoes the last Polyline and PolylineCurve pieces draw up to then.
PolyLineCurve Tool now draws both looped and open-ended curves, BUT if they branch - e.g. you draw a loop back onto one of the set's earlier edges mid-point - then it'll make the best curve it can out of what it has, and the rest will stay as loose lines.
Default number of segments for Arc and Circle now = 18, this can be set different for an Arc and a Circle, AND any changed values a remembered during that session in that model.
Arc now draws a ghost-arc as you stretch it out.
Circle now draws a ghost-circle as you stretch it out.

Hopefully this will address some of the errors reported...


On the other requests:

A Rectangle with Rounded Corners
- I'd use the Rectangle Tool and then use a 'fillet' or 'rounded-corners' tool to round its corners (there are several available - I use Ktools's 'Make-L'tool); or you could use the main Arc tool and draw tangential arcs at the corners - you can use Entity-Info to change its radius etc - then erase the unwanted bits ?
I don't know of an tool to do it right off. I've no plans to make one - sorry...

A Double-Line Tool
- Didier Bur has already made one - it works fine in 2D too - dline.zip on http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDep ... o_page.htm

An Ellipse Tool
- Didier Bur has already made one - it works fine in 2D too - Ellipse.zip on http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDep ... o_page.htm

A Polygon Tool with set side dimension.
- You could make a Polygon using the main Polygon tool of the 2D Circle tool with required number of edges/segments set, but that has a given radius rather than a side length. You also need to rotate it to the orientation angle you want. To make it a given side length draw a Polygon and then immediately group it. Edit that group and use the Tapemeasure tool and pick two vertices of an edge; now type in the size you want as units (e.g. 500mm) and it'll ask you if you want to scale everything, say 'Yes' - remember that this scaling is limited to the current active_entities, so don't panic - the polygon inside the group will now have its edges at the desired length: exit the group and explode it... I have a Polygon.side=1234 method that I might publish one day...

Any other ideas ?

[EarthMover]

I'd be interested in seeing some 2D boolean functions added. Standard add, subtract and perhaps one that will allow you to draw a bunch of overlapping shapes and it will remove all the interior lines and just leave the perimeter shape. Essentially automating the intersect and removal of unwanted lines to create secondary shapes.

Is it possible to toggle the tools to draw CLines by hitting CTRL? Similar to how Fredo did with TOS. Not so important for the line tools but it would be a helpful feature for the Arc and Circle tools.

Another thing I was wondering is if you could have a tool that would define the height of Z. If you click on a point that is, let's say, 96" up on the Z, then all the tools would draw flat on that Z height. This would be nice for drawing out 2nd story floorplans and such.

Also, with the polyline curve tool....is there a way you could then translate the series of polylines into a flowing set of Arcs? Every other vertex would define the span of the arc and the middle verticies would define the bulge. Similar to the technique for your 2D arc tool, but just allowing you to draw out a series of polylines and having it translate into to tangent arcs. Similar to how you can convert polylines to curve splines in Fredo's Bezier tools. Just a thought.

Thanks again TIG!

[Ben Ritter]

TIG, thank you.

[Ben Ritter]

TIG,

The hatch dialog doesn't appear for me.

Ben

[Jim]

Hi TIG,

Don't assume the variable $exStrings is defined. It is for most people, but not for all. It is originally defined in one of the rubies that came with SketchUp - but not everyone loads those.

[TIG]

TIG,
The hatch dialog doesn't appear for me.
Ben

Have you put the '2DtoolsIcons' folder into the Plugins folder. In that there should be a folder called 'Hatching' containing the jpgs ? What does the Ruby Console say when it fails ?

[TIG]

Hi TIG,
Don't assume the variable $exStrings is defined. It is for most people, but not for all. It is originally defined in one of the rubies that came with SketchUp - but not everyone loads those.

Point taken.
I just quickly clobbered these tools together from stuff mainly based on the linetool ruby that had it in... I'll trap it in the next release...