Hi Brian, here is a step-by-step:

1 - download the PluginGallery.zip file that is attached to this post.

2 - Unzip this to get the PluginGallery.htm file.

3 - Copy PluginGallery.htm to the C:\Program Files\MoI 1.0\ui folder on your hard drive. (note - this is the \ui folder in this case, not the \commands folder which other plug-in commands are usually copied to).

4 - Go to Options / Shortcut keys, and add in a new entry, use this for the command:

script:moi.ui.createDialog( 'moi://ui/PluginGallery.htm', 'resizeable' );

Now when you press the key you assigned the shortcut key to, that plugin gallery page will come up in a dialog box, this will be the thing that Pilou showed a screenshot of above.

It is not particularly exciting right now, it is more of a template that could be filled in if you wanted to include a special plugin view with graphics and lots of descriptive text.

Right now there are 9 big buttons on it, the one in the upper-left will fire off that "ToroidalHelix" command if you push it. The other ones are just placeholders that could be edited if you wanted to fill in other plugins here.


It's not really a very big deal, but if you really really want an illustrated and annotated plugin guide, then this could do that right now...

The text-menu thing that I am planning on adding in for v2 will be a lot more automatic than this and won't require any kind of manual editing to make things show up - this editable one is if you want a fancier screen than that.

- Michael

Thanks Michael.

Hi Brian, no problem.

But I just had a good idea on how to improve it.

I've attached here what I think is the best one (PluginGallery3.zip) - follow the same instructions as above to install it, except for the shortcut key command use this instead:

script:moi.ui.createDialog( 'moi://ui/PluginGallery3.htm', 'resizeable,defaultWidth:1000,defaultHeight:1000' );

That should also cause the dialog to be opened to a larger size by default.

This version (PluginGallery3.htm) is a thumbnail type view to have more things on the screen at once, but still maintains an easier to edit structure without needing to put in <tr> or <td> (table rows or table cells) type things in it, you can add in a new button more easily on this one by just copy/pasting the last button entry in the list.

Also this one is more adaptive than the previous thumbnail one, it fits as many as will display on the screen at once instead of a fixed number across.


So if you really wanted to build a plugin gallery, this one should be the best one to base it on.

- Michael

Thanks. Installed.
But, for adding stuff, I gather you are refering to the 1519.43 post.

Your last work fine also :)

And now very more easy to add something for no limit to the bottom !) (previous also but more complicated :)
And necessary
As I see sinus & cos arrive :)

For an elaborated page
It will just a little difficult for a noob in Html to attribute a new own image from their computer

In any case that is very convenient!

A detail : it's not possible to have the automatic close window after the launch of the plugin?

Hi Brian,

> But, for adding stuff, I gather you are refering to the 1519.43 post.

Yeah, to add stuff means to edit that file in a text editor program like notepad, like Steve was showing in that post.

- Michael

Hi Pilou,

> And necessary
> As I see sinus & cos arrive :)

Hmmm, but sine curve is a pretty good example of something that would work very well on a text menu and doesn't really need a big image or a lot of additional text along with it.

But yes there is not even a text menu currently so if you do want to have an organized plug-in UI for v1 then this method would do it for you right now...


> It will just a little difficult for a noob in Html to attribute a new own
> image from their computer

Yeah, although if you are using an image on your own computer that is already sized, you can then leave out the width and height and you only need to put:
<img src="file://c:/your_image_file.jpg">


> A detail : it's not possible to have the automatic close window
> after the launch of the plugin?

Yup, no problem - try this attached updated version.

- Michael

Now that is more cool cool :)
Close window works fine!
And that is cool that window can be rezised over the screen!
Here I recall the "gallery of Plugin" after use one time the function ;)

With this system, normal shortcut are no more necessary if wanted?
just for the more used or practical and this of the gallery of course! :)

Hi Pilou,

> With this system, normal shortcut are no more necessary if wanted?

Yup, that's correct - if you make a button in the gallery for a plug-in, it is no longer necessary to fill in a keyboard shortcut for that plug-in as well, those are totally separate things.

- Michael

Fun with toridal helix and mobius strip (shelled). All modeled in MoI 3D V1.0, rendered with Kerkythea.

Enjoy!

Michael T.

A little bit late, but i find this super useful. I just want to know if you can make a script that opens the html file for further edition. Thanks in advance...

Hi ed,

> A little bit late, but i find this super useful. I just want
> to know if you can make a script that opens the html
> file for further edition. Thanks in advance...

Sorry, I'm not quite understanding what you mean.

Are you talking about the ToroidalHelix plug-in command?

What html are you referring to?

- Michael

Sorry for being not so clear. I mean a script that can open the htm file were you edit the buttons of the plugin gallery.

Hi Ed, well for editing that .htm file you would just run notepad and then use File > Open in notepad to go open up the file.

If you'd like to have some shortcut for editing that particular .htm file, you could do something like make a shortcut on your Windows desktop that would open that file up in notepad when you ran the shortcut.

To do that, when you create the shortcut in the Windows desktop, put in something like the following for what it should run:

%windir%\system32\notepad.exe "c:\path\to\file.htm"


Then when you double-click that shortcut it will launch notepad and open up that particular file.

- Michael

I cannot use the script. Is an error in my PC maybe (I use VISTA Home Premium).
Any idea how to solve this ?

Thank you

Hi Paul,

> I cannot use the script. Is an error in my PC maybe (I use VISTA Home Premium).
> Any idea how to solve this ?

Your PC is fine - you just need to change what you entered in as the command part of the shortcut there.

Just put the text:      ToroidalHelix

in for the command part of the shortcut key to make that key trigger that plug-in command.

Also the files for the command (ToroidalHelix.js and ToroidalHelix.htm) need to be copied into the \commands sub-folder inside of MoI's main installation folder.

- Michael

Hey Michael,

This is Tracey from Alibre. I hope all is well with you. I have a quick Question.
How can i calculate the OD of the Toroidal helix? (using the Short cut tool) What is the default units of measure?

thank you Sir

Tcope

Hi Tracey, I'm sorry but I don't really understand your question.

What do you mean by "OD" ?

Also which tool do you mean when you say "Short cut tool" - are you referring to a particular command in MoI?


> What is the default units of measure?

The current unit system for MoI is set under Options > General > Unit system (at the top of the dialog).

If you push the "Unit options" button next to it, that will pop up a dialog that will let you set the default units that are used when MoI starts up before you have opened any files. The unit system is stored in files so when you open up a particular file, the unit system setting will get read in from that file as well.

- Michael

'OD' in the engineering world is Outside Diameter.

-

Hi Danny, thanks!

So when you create a Toroidal Helix, it asks for these 2 radius parameters:



The "Radius1" value sets the distance from the center of the torus to its centerline, like this:



The "Radius2" value sets the thickness of the torus - how large the torus is around that centerline, like this:



So that means that the outer diameter of the entire thing will be the Radius1 and Radius2 values added together, and then multiplied by 2.

These are values that you enter when creating the toroidal helix.

The unit system used will be the current unit system that is active in MoI at that time, which can be set under Options > General > Unit system.

- Michael