For the moment only one profile and 2 rails! ;)

Hi Pilou, well I'm sure it is still useful anyway, but not quite a full 2-rail sweep though...

- Michael

yes ;)
For your example shown above, this will possible in 3 times when Coons surfaces will be created :)

Don't forget that SU is just a "box modeler" pushing to limit to "subdivision" and now "surfacing" by scripters :)

It's a long way to run :)

Size of "triangles" is given by the dividing of the curves (here 12 in the lateral side as it's one standard arc )
And real name of the plug is "Extrude edges by rails" ;)

Hi Pilou, actually a Coons surface is one that is bounded on 4 sides by curves, which is different from the one I show there - that has 4 profiles in one direction and then bounded on the sides by 2 curves, so actually 6 curves involved. That does not fit with a Coons surface. (EDIT: I guess you mean splitting things up and making 3 Coons surfaces? You will probably see some effect of the splitting though instead of it being one continuous shape).

> Don't forget that SU is just a "box modeler" pushing to
> limit to "subdivision" and now "surfacing" by scripters :)

Yes, since SketchUp only works in polygons, it makes it a difficult fit for some of these kinds of tools.

Generating polygons as the output can cause several kinds of difficulties, like how accurate is the result? To get an accurate result could mean making a really large number of little polygons...

Or things like if you sweep another surface to the side of that with 1 rail in common, is it possible for the second one to have a different number of polygons in it than the first one? If so then there will not be a way to join those 2 pieces, there will be little cracks where the polygons do not match up, stuff like that.

- Michael

Hi Pilou, here's an example that's exaggerated a bit to show you how doing a longer single Sweep is not the same thing as doing a bunch of separate Coons surfaces.

The sweep incorporates a kind of smooth ease-in/ease-out morphing effect in between each profile, for example:



Doing that with separate pieces as Coons surfaces does not give the same result, instead it makes this:



- Michael

Well well so waiting Multi profils with 2 rails :)

>On a side note, how do you measure distances within MOI? I can't find a ruler or a tape measure anywhere lol...

It's a keyboard shortcut script. Get it here: http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/#MeasureDistance

Pilou, you're a double-agent, he he he. Promoting MoI in the SCF and SketchUp here ;)

But yes, lately some forum members have been adding functionality that I thought to be impossible. Still, the most-frequently mentioned wish, true NURBS, is not likely to be ever implemented because SU is a polygon modeler.

Michael, thank you for your reply and links. I've actually already started on the tutorials :) I can tell it's not going to be too steep of a learning curve for the things I want to do. I was just hoping there was a from A to Z tutorial out there that I hadn't found yet. Even though I'm just useing the trial version, I'm very happy with the software. It looks and feels like the software I've been looking for. Now if it just had a Cam plugin. Boy would that be heaven. I'm sure your getting sick of the suggestions but you got a hot piece of software. So it's your fault.

Frenchy, I don't think I could leave SU if I wanted to. When I'm hammering out an idea, sketchup is the only thing I know of that lets me get my ideas out quick enough. My problem with sketchup is exporting shapes to be machined. I end having to spend a lot of time in skecthup and my cam software trying to make a dome come out smooth instead of like a crystal egg. Thanks for the new plugg in to add to my collection. Can't wait to play with it.

Hi FandZ,

> Now if it just had a Cam plugin.

Probably someday... :)

Currently I just don't have enough time available to support 3rd party plugin authors and also continue to develop core program features at the same time.

At some point in the future when more of the core functions are established, then I'll probably be able to shift gears and work on supporting other developers. But it will still probably be a while yet before that happens.

MoI does export to various file formats that are commonly used by CAM programs, so you should not have any problem taking your models generated in MoI into some other CAM-specific software though.

- Michael