I've put together a visual guide to the PickHelper class in SketchUp's Ruby API. When I first tried to use the PickHelper class I was confused over what the different methods did, and found that the class has multiple purposes which makes the class somewhat more confusing to understand. I... read more →
Jan
14
Dec
12
Importing DWG files into SketchUp can lead to unexpected results and problems. In this guide I’ll outline the steps I perform when importing a DWG drawing. The DWG files I work with are usually building plans or site plans for architectural projects. Preparations AutoCAD I avoid importing directly into SketchUp.... read more →
Oct
08
This is something I've not been good at myself in adhering to - and that is ensuring that when I write plugins they do not modify locked groups or components. Because the surprising reality is that the #locked? property of the Group and ComponentInstance class is nothing more than a... read more →
Sep
09
A common pitfall I see SketchUp plugin developers fall into is finding the correct path to where their plugin is installed. It is important to realise that a plugin might not be installed in SketchUp's Plugins. The reasons are many, but a very common one, that's becoming more popular these... read more →
Aug
28
Release Notes Version 1.1 Overview http://youtu.be/HQV9ApkWhVI Version 1.1 Gizmo http://youtu.be/-SLRpvY_QJ8 Making an Alien with Vertex Tools (High Speed) Check out the timelapse Rich O'Brien's made when he modelled an alien head with Vertex Tools! http://youtu.be/xfM02PleFMg
Aug
17
There are extensions to the base classes in SketchUp's Ruby API which often new SketchUp plugin developers overlook. If you aren't aware of them you might find yourself reinventing many features of the SketchUp API which already exists. There is very little you need to do to deal with units,... read more →
Jun
26
V-Ray's Dirt map enables you to quickly add detail and depth without generating large bitmap textures. Have a look at the documentation for examples of what each property does. For this tutorials I'll be using a simple road section as example model to demonstrate how to set up and control the Dirt... read more →
Jun
12
I notice there is some confusion from time to time between the Soft, Smooth and Hidden property of edges in SketchUp. Soft and Smooth is often mixed up and less people know the difference between these properties than soft/smooth vs... read more →
May
16
What many people might not consider is that a SketchUp Ruby plugin could be malicious. The plugins has full access to the file system and with the Win32 API it can access the registry. When installing SketchUp plugins one should be just as... read more →