I'm working with the TF rubies, and having direction problems.

here is a paste from the online sketchup help:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Notice that each axis has a solid line on one side of the origin point, and a dotted line on the other side:

Blue: the solid line points up; the dotted line points down.
Red: the solid line points east; the dotted line points west.
Green: the solid line points north; the dotted line points south.
-------------------------------------------------------------

I've drawn a model based on these directions, but shop drawings from rubies have the directions turned 90deg(solid red line is north).

I wanted to see if I'm missing something before redoing stuff?
thanks,
-Mark.

The TF rubies assume the postive (solid) red axis is north. I believe Google Earth assumes the same thing. I'm surprised to learn otherwise. You should be able to select your entire model, make a group out of it, rotate it 90 degrees, re-position the origin, and then explode the group. CB.

I am able to correct, wishing I had checked earlier of course. I did a bunch of posts and it did not catch my attention, but as soon as I got into the beams I could see something was amiss.

Sketchup opens with Solid Green facing away from the viewer, this would be the traditional orientation for north. Probably worth checking into. Is there a way to modify the rubies on my own machine to change the directions?

Btw, I'm glad to have finally gotten into the tf rubies.
thanks for a great tool, your book is on order.


Actually, I have to correct myself, Sketchup opens at 45deg to the axis lines... green is away and to the right.

It's a bug in my code. I'll correct the problem in the next release. CB.

Something else I'm noticing is that the "end of timber" labels don't stick to the tenons on the end of the timber, but the timber component. This is often burying them in the tenons, and I see the same in your example.
Again, great tool, much appreciated.

I agree, that could work better. The code does not currently bother to look inside sub-components for faces that are further out. I'll add that to the to do list for the next version. It also does a poor job on timbers that are not plumb or level, like a rafter - it can't find the top. You can also just disable the NSEW labels using TF Rubies | Configure. CB.

Na, I wouldn't turn them off, the labels are quite useful, especially in the plans I'm doing right now. A couple of the students from my classes have asked for small frame plans so directions on the faces will be a big help for them in understanding the overall joinery and placement of timbers in the frame.
I would like to learn more about how the ruby scripts work, are there resources on the web you could point me toward?
thanks.

Well, you can just open the tf.rb file and look at my code. The best resource is the the ruby forum at Sketchucation.

You'll also need the Sketchup API.

CB.

I'm working on a timber component that has built in reference faces - to me this is far more useful than the NSEW labels. Currently I color code as I go - but a V and VV indicator of primary and secondary reference faces (with the V's pointing to the arris could be oriented in the timber as you place it - this would related back to square rule or mill rule layout techniques.

-Mike

I use the color code method also. One color for a reference face, and another for an unfinished (hidden) face, which is usually a reference face as well. On my printer, hot pink translates into a nice shade of gray that's not so dark as to be opaque. CB.