General discussion related to SketchUp Pro and Make
by Rich O Brien » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:14 am
Greetings, I tried this post in the newbie section but it died a long death! So, here's my query, i want to make various thread types for screws and bolts of different diameters, pitch and leads. That is, 'V-Threads, Acme Threads, Buttress Threads' etc. Is there a plugin that will make my life easier? I've tried 3d Warehouse for components but no luck? Remus kindly supplied the following links to help understand what i'm trying to make http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_thread http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttress_thread
There's a frontroom and a backroom....reverse faces
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by Gaieus » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:30 am
Hi, With any helix plugins and then using the follow me for instance, the problem is that the follow me will always twist your drawing so that's not a good solution. The general approach with any helical structures (although not with the threads you wish to model but well applicable) is described with different exmples here http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ ... revstart=0here http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ ... revstart=0and here http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ ... revstart=0You just need to calculate the elevation of the thread according to the segments of the circle you are using at the beginning.
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by gilles » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:28 am
screw1_5.rb is a very simple plugin: -draw the shape of your thread (notice that the center of the screw will be SU origin point) -select the shape, then in plugin window choose screw -enter two point for the pitch -in the pop-up window specify numbers of steps and number of turns(negative for clockwise) -enter -wait few seconds -TADAA !! you can find it there. http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDepot/Ruby/EM/screw1_5.rb
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by Jim57 » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:11 pm
For a more complex take on it, try the ruby, k_tools/graphs/screwing of lines about the z-axis. This allows you to draw your own form (that is, a section of the thread) in the proper relation to the z axis, then screw it around once while advancing it a set amount. It generates one turn of the worm around the z axis. You can find it in the Ruby Depot: http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDepot/Ruby/EM/k_tools_50.rbBest, Jim
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by driven » Sun May 31, 2009 2:11 pm
hi, here some simple screw_1.5.rb springs I just made, I'll put up a tutorial if anyone wants.. springs just have a different profile and spacing, and a bigger poly count than treads, but this is a nice easy to use ruby. Work from center of origin... animated springs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUwcTCpSZQ
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by Rich O Brien » Sun May 31, 2009 8:45 pm
Hi John,
Thanks for the post. Much appreciated and very impressive.
Looking forward to the tutorial
rgds Rich
There's a frontroom and a backroom....reverse faces
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by driven » Sun May 31, 2009 9:39 pm
My pleasure,
I've only been teaching myself SU for the last 3-4 weeks (have dabbled in the past) so as to make animated model of a device I'm designing.
It involves lots of moving springs and threads so I been trying all sorts of rubies out to try and get a good look with as low a poly count as I can,
heres a thead I did with arc tool, skin.rb and xformcllone.rb
and there's one using simpleloft.rb at that subject
away working for a few days, will have a tidy of my screen cast when I get back, my lack of speed and basic skills makes me cringe when I watch, but the workflows are pretty good.
john
learn from the mistakes of others, you may not live long enough to make them all yourself...
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by Roger » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:24 am
Just a thought regarding your goals. How important is the screw thread in your render? If the screw or bolt is the subject of your render, then all the foregoing suggestion by other members of the forum are valid. However, the purpose of the render is to show a device that is far more important than the screw sub components, I have found that a bit map of horizontal lines (like corrugated metal roofing reduced in scale)can be applied to machine screws, bolts or threaded holes can produce a very convincing render and still remain low poly.
It is all a matter of perception. If the screws are you product or will be seen in extreme close up, then model them. If the roles of the screws is a secondary item to a far more important product, then I say fake them.
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by RootlessAgrarian » Tue Oct 20, 2009 5:52 pm
I gave Screw 2.3 a try but so far am puzzled by it. This version does not offer an entry box for the offset, just a step count and number of turns. I am always getting zero offset -- it just "smears" the shape around into a torus.
I had a look at the source code and though I don't speak Ruby, I got the impression that it was somehow inferring the offset from the geometry of the shape to be smeared -- some kind of slope derived from an edge orthogonal to the axis of the lathing operation. Can anyone confirm?
Nothing is 'mere'. -- Richard Feynman
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by NewOne » Tue Oct 20, 2009 5:58 pm
driven wrote:I'll put up a tutorial if anyone wants..
YES, please! 
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by driven » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:10 am
haven't sorted screen casting out yet, but I found screw1.5.rb is the most stable on my mac. it appears to be the same as described in the PDF tutorial for screw2 ( http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDep ... torial.pdf) Offset is determined by the distance your profile is drawn from the blue axis so construct at origin, in free space. Use a new page/layer/or hide/move whatever is there already and make it a group or component for further use. john
learn from the mistakes of others, you may not live long enough to make them all yourself...
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by watkins » Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:53 pm
You might find these thread textures useful. viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11378&hilit=+threadsThey are not perfect, but do the job and are low poly. The attached drawing used the textures. Regards, Bob
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by ALWX65 » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:21 pm
This is something I really want to learn. Is there a video anywhere showing exactly how to do it? All I want to do is show the threaded portion of a bolt sticking out the back of a nut.
ALW
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by archiasdomesticus » Sat Apr 17, 2010 8:03 am
From what I can tell the scripts on that are referenced in this thread (screw, k_tools) are no longer available on at http://www.crai.archi.fr. Have they been moved? What plugins are still available to help with drawing screw threads? Thanks, Jim
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by gilles » Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:48 pm
Here they are. EDIT: screw1_5 is in fact screw3.0, screw_2.1 is an earlier version.
Last edited by gilles on Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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by aea » Fri May 14, 2010 3:43 pm
no manage ?
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by Rich O Brien » Fri May 14, 2010 5:09 pm
Hi, Here's how to use this plugin.... Step 1 As your bolt has a diameter of 225cm you need to place your thread profile 112.5cm from origin... Step - 1.jpg Step 2 Now double click your thread profile and select Plugins>Screw, at this stage you need to choose a start point and an end point. I chose the bottom of the profile as the start point and the top as the end point... Step - 2.jpg Step 3 Your bolt was a circle made of 24 segments therefore your thread needs to mimic this for optimum fit so insert 24 into the Step box and choose a whole number for the turns to allow you to align threads afterwards... Step - 3.jpg Step 4 Click OK and wait......... Step - 4.jpg Now you can select your thread and align it to your bolt. This is a basic method of achieving what you need. But you could also align your bolt at the origin at the beginning and then apply the steps. The only thing that may change is the dimensions of your threads/lead/pitch which depends on whether it's UNC or UNF Anyway, here's my version to look at... screw.skp
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by liquid98 » Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:16 pm
Things that flourish fall into decay. This is not-Tao, And what is not-Tao soon ends ~ Lao tse
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by Roger » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:04 pm
Reminds me of the building I passed on the way home this morning. It was the "Pilgrim Screw Company". It seems like a straight line looking for a joke.
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by brookefox » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:44 pm
Thread title should perhaps refer to bolt thread, which I am happy to learn about, but I am looking for screw thread.
~ Brooke
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by Roger » Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:02 am
pilgrim_sm.jpg Roger wrote:Reminds me of the building I passed on the way home this morning. It was the "Pilgrim Screw Company". It seems like a straight line looking for a joke.
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by KE6CVH » Thu Oct 11, 2012 6:19 pm
Hi Gilles, I just downloaded both attachments from your post April 17 2010 and laast edited Mar8 2010. I have them showing up in my plugins when opening sketchup 8 but can't see them in the file folder, kind of strange. One shows up as "screw" and the other as "screw 21". What I need is a tutorial as I don't have the slightest clue how to use them. When I click on the tutorial link on this discussion it brings me to the ruby depot library homepage and if I look under A-Z I can only see the download that doesn't work and no tutorial. Best regards, Mike
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by gilles » Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:00 pm
Screw1_5.rb is the one you need (screw in plugins window) Have a look at Rich's tutorial: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=245701#p245701
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by wimve » Fri Feb 27, 2015 7:13 pm
Rich O Brien wrote:Hi, Here's how to use this plugin....
Hello, Was looking for this today. Works like a charm ! Thanks.
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by Oliveros » Fri Nov 08, 2019 6:55 pm
I'm the last guy to the party. I'm trying to figure this out for 3d printing. Is the plugin used in the example the "Screw_21.RB" and "Screw 1_5.rb" links that were posted?
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by TIG » Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:12 pm
The v1.5 RB file is the newest one [unfortunately it was misnamed by its author ! as explained in an earlier post...] Download it, and manually put that .RB file into your [hidden] Plugins folder, alternatively you can ZIP it and then add .RBZ to the end of the ZIP file, to change its file-type. Then you can install that RBZ, using the native Install Extension processes... The tutorial referenced in this thread covers how to use it... This post might also be of interest... http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtop ... 51#p654151
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by Humpmetwice » Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:49 pm
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by Dave R » Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:01 pm
Humpmetwice wrote:Draw Whorl??
Good suggestion as long as you aren't interested in standard thread profiles.
Etaoin Shrdlu
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(THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE)
G28 X0.0 Y0.0 Z0.0
M30
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by Oliveros » Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:48 pm
So far it's working really well for me with the whole Dave Method and then using the upright extruder with a thread profile.
I'm printing at 0.06MM layer height to get accurate threads but it seems to be working, I managed to match an existing thread for a part I'm trying to replicate out of PETG as the existing is crap.
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