[Plugin] Shell

[thomthom]

Shell.png

Overview
Result of a work in progress test for another plugin I'm working on. It adds thickness to the surface inside selected groups and components.

Where is differs from Joint Push Pull is that it works on selected groups and components only. A group is added inside the group/component which will contain the shell. It generally seem to work faster than JPP, but it's tested far less and might very well break.

Usage

1. Select groups and/or components.
2. Activate Shell from the Tools menu.
3. Enter a thickness in the VCB or pick a distance in the model.
4. Double-click to commit. (You can also use Return to commit as long as the thickness has not changed.)

BitBucket
The project is available on BitBucket so if anyone wants to add improvements they can join the project and submit their changes.
https://bitbucket.org/thomthom/shell/wiki/Home

Access
Tools > Shell

Requirements

• SketchUp 8 or newer - ( Other versions untested )
• TT_Lib2 (v2.5.4)

Download

Footprint

<Sketchup>/Plugins/
+-

tt_shell.rb

[Rich O Brien]

Nom nom nom

[thomthom]

Rich, I think that a 1.6MB cookie image is warrant for a ban...

[Rich O Brien]

OK, I'll ban you later

[thomthom]

I expect a cookie in 1:1 scale to that photo in my mail

[EarthMover]

Looks interesting. Thanks Thom!

[utiler]

You're da bomb, Thom!!!!

Have been feeling for your countrymen of late, mate....

[driven]

hi Thomas,

would it be ok to change the menu name to 'tt_shell' as it needs to be unique to use a mac system shortcut key and Jim's simple shell uses 'shell' in the SU menu already...

it also turned off all my other toolbars [except 'booleen helper' and SU ones] when I first loaded/ran it.

never had that happen before...

I'll do some testing tonight.

john

[thomthom]

would it be ok to change the menu name to 'tt_shell' as it needs to be unique to use a mac system shortcut key and Jim's simple shell uses 'shell' in the SU menu already...

You can edit line 40 to change the menu name.

it also turned off all my other toolbars [except 'booleen helper' and SU ones] when I first loaded/ran it.

There is nothing in the plugin's code that modifies other toolbars. It doesn't even add one itself.

Did it cause any errors when you loaded the first time?

[driven]

yes,
it failed on one particular group and generated error messages, so I'd make something less something less complex, but I noticed all my toolbars had gone.

I turned the same ones back on restarted SU, used tt_shell again and they were fine...

I get non planar faces errors on things that JPP works on.

I'll have a proper look later

john

[thomthom]

Can you give me a sample model?

[driven]

hi thomas,

here's something similar that fails tt_skin, but works for JPP.

the lavender one is jpp'd.

Also, the disappearing toolbars are from TIG's new DAE exporter, which uses

Sketchup.send_action('terminate:')

which 'disappears' the toolbars and was the last thing that I had used before I installed this.

john

tt_skin_test.skp

[thomthom]

Cheers for the model!

[Stinkie]

OK, I'll ban you later

Thanks, Thomas!

[nomeradona]

this is the one im waiting for. I requested for this before but many keep on pointing joint push pull. thanks thomas..

[jorge2011]

Hi thom, This plugin generates a small error, you can fix that

Error: #<ArgumentError: Points are not planar>
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:370:in `add_face'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:370:in `shell'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:362:in `each'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:362:in `shell'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:321:in `offset_mesh'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:319:in `each'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:319:in `offset_mesh'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:173:in `onReturn'
C:/Archivos de programa/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/tt_shell.rb:420

[jeff hammond]

wow
i missed this one..
gonna test it a little later tonight.

thanks thom

[thomthom]

Hi thom, This plugin generates a small error, you can fix that

Ah, yea. There are bugs in this plugin. Hence the Alpha status of the version number. Though I've not had any time to work on it recently.

[robert111]

mr thomthom
when i make group for this form , i and i use shell plugin , i have this stroange message

[thomthom]

That error message is not something I've put into Shell. I have no idea where it's coming from. Exactly what is the steps you do to produce that? (Can you also share the model along with the steps?)

[j_forrester]

Is it possible to shell but keep the return from the original geometry. I have tried with JPP too but seems to fall down when you try it with and opening with single extruded returns.

Many thanks

example.jpg

[thomthom]

Is it possible to shell but keep the return from the original geometry.

The generated geometry is created in a separate group - if that is what you mean..?

[robert111]

i post my file and vedio for this bug

[jeff hammond]

i post my file and vedio for this bug

4.6MB for that .skp

one word:

PURGE

model info -> statistics -> purge unused.
gets it down to around 150kb

[TIG]

Your SKP will shrink to almost nothing IF you use Model Info > Purge Unused...
Then there's no need to zip/rar it and others will be more willing to look at it!
You don't appear to understand the idea of what makes a 'solid'.
An 8 sided box is a 'solid' - all edges have 2 faces - no more, no less.
Your group group has only 4 faces and several edges with only one face... so it's not a 'solid'.
Select two groups in turn and see what the Entity Info dialog says... make one as a 6 sided box [it says it's 'Solid'] and yours will not say it's 'solid' !
Therefore you can't do 'solid' operations on your group - it's not a 'solid'!

[thomthom]

... I'm confused ... you're getting the error when trying to use Solids Tools?

Shell doesn't require solids...

Can you explain step by step what you are doing? (What you click on etc.) Also, what are you trying to accomplish.

[robert111]

thomthom

i make box and i deleted 02 faces and i have group it
and after i click in this box and i click after shell plugin
i have make video for my file can you see it
the file video is shell bug.rar

[TIG]

Robert

As I tried to explain...
Shell and similar only only work if the group is a 'solid'.
An 6 sided box with no 'holes' is a 'solid'.
If you delete edges and/or faces then it is no longer a 'solid'.
The simple definition of a 'solid' group [or component] is that every edge in it has 2 faces attached to itself - but no more and no less...

[thomthom]

Shell and similar only only work if the group is a 'solid'.

No...

Shell doesn't require solids...

Usage.png

I will have a look at the sample video and see if I can understand what this whole is about.

[thomthom]

Ah!

Now I understand what this all is about!

You're trying to use SketchUp Solid Tools's "Outer Shell" command - instead of "Shell" which is this plugin. I can see how you got confused.