Development and Updates for the Medeek Wall Plugin

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.1 - 08.15.2018
- Added an HTML "Draw Wall" menu option. This is toggled in the global settings with the Graphical UI parameter.

I would actually consider this a critical update since the improvements with this new menu system almost make this a completely new plugin.  Please upgrade to this latest release at your earliest convenience.  If further testing proves that this is the best way to go I will probably devise a similar system for drawing windows and doors. 

Using an HTML menu allows for much more complexity and control (ie. javascript) as well as tooltips and other cool features such as SVG graphics.

[Medeek]

I've got a lot of things on my plate right now (plugin development and other unrelated items) but as I've been communicating with various parties today regarding the current functionality of the plugin it would appear that a common theme is the ability to better manage and apply materials.

With that being said I've decided to develop my own material manager (within the global settings of the plugin).  The user will be able to easily add, edit and delete materials.  A material can be either a color or image based material.  For an image based material the user will be able to specify the image (upload to library) and then specify the scaling (horz and vert).  For a color based material the color can be set with a palette picker or RGB code. Additional customization (ie. transparency) can be accomplished via the standard SU material dialogs/tools.

This will allow the user to setup commonly used materials and have those populate the various drop downs in the draw and edit menus of the plugin.

Initially I wanted to go the SKM route but this has some serious backward compatibility problems so I've since abandoned that idea.

Currently the wall cladding drop down allows for the selection of any material currently defined within the model however this methodology is flawed in that it becomes too cluttered with materials that the user probably does not care to utilize for the wall geometry.

I may also incorporate some sort of flag system so that the user can specify which custom material will appear in which drop down field (ie. sheathing or cladding or both).  I will need to give this some additional thought.

There will still exist some standard materials that are hard coded into the plugin and cannot be removed (ie. OSB, Plywood etc...)  The idea being that some users may not want to spend the time defining a custom library and just want some standard materials right out of the box.

I think I've nailed down most of the details on how this will all go together but any suggestions or thoughts are always helpful.

[Medeek]

On a slightly different note I am very curious as to how the plugin(s) are actually being utilized.  I rarely see posts with good examples of the plugin(s) in action.  My most recent call for projects on the boards did not have a very large response so I often wonder if people are actually using these plugins as I intended, or do they just get purchased and then put off to the side.

In order to spur some interest I am considering offering a cash prize (and additional time added to any plugin licenses) or some other similar prize/reward and possibly make it into some form of a contest.  My idea being a contest where you can submit a project (one per person/firm) and then have a community vote to determine the winner.  Each submittal would consist of five images or some similar sort of criteria. 

I would post a permanent page on my website highlighting the winners/contestants so it might also server as an advertising vehicle for some as well.

It would also serve as a form of advertisement for the plugins as well since it would showcase their capabilities and utilization in actual projects.

I'm not a rich man (yet) so I was thinking of starting out with a $100 cash prize, with future such contests hopefully garnering even more interest and then being able to up the stakes considerably.

At this point it's just an idea, thoughts?  Is there any interest?

[Medeek]

How would you call out a entrance door with sidelights?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feather-River-Doors-63-5-in-x-81-625-in-Rochester-Patina-1-2-Lite-Unfinished-Smooth-Right-Hand-Fiberglass-Prehung-Front-Door-w-Sidelites-873191-3A4/203126132

Along that same vein here is a schematic of how the single and double side lites for doors will be calculated:



Rather than provide doors with side lites as a new type of door I will probably just make side lites an additional option for existing doors.

Switching a door from RH to LH will move a single side lite to the same side as the door knob, this seems to be the most common configuraton.  Of course a door with a double side lite will be symmetrical and it doesn't matter on the door handedness.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.1b - 08.16.2018
- Configured the HTML "Draw Wall" menu to remember the previous settings.

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.1c - 08.17.2018
- Added an option in the Walls tab of the Global Settings to auto-load a wall preset within the HTML Draw Wall menu.



If the auto-load preset option is enabled then each time the draw tool is activated it will pull the parameters from the preset, otherwise the parameters will be per the previous wall drawn.

Note that the Auto-Load Wall Preset parameter only applies to the HTML draw menu.  If the graphical UI is not enabled then the legacy system is in place and there is no way to auto-load a preset.

Some may still find the HTML draw menu a bit overwhelming with all of its parameters.  I may add a +/- button at the top which will allow the user to shrink the menu so that only the presets are shown and possibly a few other options.  The menu configuration will then be memorized and will pop up the same as the previous configuration (large or small).  Along those same lines I should probably also provide a global settings which will allow the user to set the default behaviour of the menu configuration.

[Medeek]

Sidelites in 2D:

[Medeek]

I forgot to add in the glazing line into the sidelites, I think this is a little better:

[Medeek]

Version 0.9.2 - 08.21.2018
- Added sidelites (double and single) for all door types.
- Enabled 5-lite (full glass) and 3-lite (half glass) grilles for door sidelites.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/930bc1a3-1a33-4ad7-bd77-25b7d1218cbd/Door-Test-2

I will probably need to add a few more options for grilles for the sidelites and probably even a couple more parameters so that full glass sidelites can be mixed and matched with half glass doors, but I think I've got a decent start on this one for now.

Note, that sidelites can be moved to the right or left of the door (single sidelite) by changing the handedness of the door.

Both the door draw and door edit menus have been updated with this new feature.  The sidelite width can be set to any value and defaults to 12" (400mm) which seems to be the most common size.

[Medeek]

Featured on SketchUp Essentials (Justin Geis):



Note that this video was made prior to the new HTML draw menu, so unfortunately it is already a bit dated.

[Medeek]

A few different grille and sidelite combinations:

[Medeek]

I'm often asked where did the name "Medeek" come from? So as an aside from the serious business of trusses and residential framing I should probably explain how this name sort of happened.

After I sold my web hosting business in 2006 I took up my native artwork for a spell and also spent a couple years researching the art form and many of the legends and stories behind these mythical creatures that we often draw.  The legend of Medeek is thought to have happened very near to my ancestral village and so I was naturally interested in it.

One of my prints I released in 2006 was a Medeek design (originally intended for a silver bracelet):



https://stoningtongallery.com/artwork/medeek-black-and-red/

The artwork I utilize in my logo and throughout my site is all my own work. 

The financial crash of 2008 pretty much put a hold on my art career but in a way it led me to my current projects within SketchUp.  Even though I enjoyed the artwork I also enjoy creating these plugins as much or perhaps even more.  What really drives me I guess is the ability to be able to create.  The SketchUp API allows me turn my ideas into reality, Thank-you SketchUp for having the vision and foresight to provide this important tool for developers like myself.

[Medeek]

Preview of the upcoming Material Manager in the Global Settings:



This will allow the defining of both color based and texture based materials that will then populate the various drop down menus of the plugin.

I am also including the ability to inactivate/activate a material so that it can be turned off without having to completely delete it.  Also the ability to fully edit a material or delete one will be included.

A 16x16 preview (thumbnail) of the material will be standard.  I will probably enable some sort of javascript element so that as you mouse over the thumbnail you are able to view a larger preview of the texture or color.

[Medeek]

A preview of the "Add Material" sub-menu:



Fiddling around with HTML and Javascript is somewhat tedious and time consuming but I think the end result will be worth the effort.

I've never tried nesting modal HTML menus before so this has definitely been a learning experience.

[mqbeers]

Hello Nathan.

I guess I always seem to be the one reporting strange behaviors, but here is another:

I created to pre-sets - 1 for exterior walls with wall cladding, sheathing, wall height, insulation, etc. and 1 for interior walls with SR both sides, no sheathing, no insulation, no trim, etc. I did this because the global setting do not seem to apply to the walls I draw unless I load a preset. Anyhow - when I am draw an exterior wall, it seems to be correct according to my settings. But - when I want to draw an interior wall, I start the plug-in, click on Load, load my interior wall preset, and then start to draw the walls. What I get is the same exterior walls. I have to draw the wall and cancel the plug-in. Then select the wall, load the interior wall preset, hit update, and the wall then conforms to the new preset.

So - long story short, loading a preset before drawing a wall does not seem to work. Be interested to hear what you think.