[Plugin] Drop Materials onto Instances v1.1 20111019

[TIG]

TIG-dropmaterialsontoinstances.PNG

Copyright 2011 TIG (c)
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
purpose, and currently without fee, is hereby granted, provided that
this text and the above copyright (c) notice appear in all copies.
This software is provided "as is" and without any express or implied
warranties, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
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Name: TIG-dropmaterialsontoinstances.rb
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Menu: 'Plugins' > 'Drop Materials onto Instances'
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Usage:
Make a flat set of faces [it's easier to manipulate/scale if a group or
a component] with colors to represent the materials required to be
dropped.
For example draw/make the text logo and color it, or use 'ImageTrimmer'
on a transparent png to get the cutout faces and then repaint those
with new materials in simple colors as desired, or try ThomThom's tool
'Bitmap to Mesh'.
Place this set of faces directly over the groups/instances to be
processed.
Select all of the groups/instances to be processed and activate the
tool.
A count down is shown in the status bar.
Every group/instance with its center below a face will take the material
of that face; so any default material faces within them will appear with
those materials. Other groups/instances remain unaffected.
The smaller the groups/instances relative to the faces above the less
'pixelated' the result will be...
It is one step undo able.
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Donations: PayPal.com to info @ revitrev.org

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Version:
1.0 20111015 First issue.
1.1 20111019 Error in menu coding fixed.
###

TIG-dropmaterialsontoinstances.rb

[jolran]

Haven't had the time to test. But by the looks of it. Kewl!
I'm sure this will be useful.

You are very productive at the moment.

[TIG]

Most of these recent tools evolved from one central idea based on raytracing combined with EEbyVectorToObjects ideas... The draping forms and materials onto other things is relatively straight forward if you constrain yourself in the Z-axis - the main limit is the API's flakiness
[The SolidSolver was something I had previously added to my own copy of thomthom's solid_inspector tools. But I realized it was readily split-off-able into its own tool... Again I had made a manifold? tool ages ago that was as slow as watching paint drying - so that too is a great improvement!]

[jolran]

Most of these recent tools evolved from one central idea based on raytracing combined with EEbyVectorToObjects ideas... The draping forms and materials onto other things is relatively straight forward if you constrain yourself in the Z-axis - the main limit is the API's flakiness
[The SolidSolver was something I had previously added to my own copy of thomthom's solid_inspector tools. But I realized it was readily split-off-able into its own tool... Again I had made a manifold? tool ages ago that was as slow as watching paint drying - so that too is a great improvement!]

Ah, I see. Interresting concept.

[pilou]

Take a look to QUBICLE

And my video!

[wyatt]

OK with 70 downloads and no problem reports, I must be doing something wrong. Plugin is located in the Plugins folder. Start Sketchup...no error messages and no Drop Materials onto Instances in the Plugins menu. I removed SketchyPhysics because I know that sometimes causes problems, but still nothing. The code and file path seem pretty straightforward, but I can't figure out where the conflict would be. Are there known plugin conflicts that would prevent this one from appearing in my menu?

[TIG]

Heres' v1.1 viewtopic.php?p=360335#p360335
Wyatt - you weren't going mad! There was a stupid typo in the menu code - it should now appear as expected in 'Plugins'...

[wyatt]

Yes, there it is, and it works great. Thanks!