Thanks for the help Dan, I have learned a lot from you just lurking a while here.
At this time the application will be Windows based, and for SU 2016, I have yet to drop back and test it in other versions. Of course if it does a little ROI a Mac version would be desired, but that would be in the future, and in requiring of a miracle. But that’s our mission and dream here.
I would like the application to be accessible from within SketchUp, but once it launches, at this time, it will not use rb files, but Ruby code will be used via the Ruby Console. In time certain support post-processing tools will probably be developed in typical rb extension, therefore not require the console.
Since, in one version, it ports AutoCAD drawing data, while in design with SketchUp parallel, with SketchUp as the client destination, it sort of rides on top of both in a sort of untraditional manner. Though I am sure an rb interface can do this, this is the way this app went at this time, for interface issues, buttons and such, and my lack of Ruby depth—especially that.
And I am very new to Ruby in general. This app also has a stand-alone version, with model data in “styles files”, just text file data, to drive SU 3D geometry operations. This will allow even totally SketchUp novice, or never used the program once people, to build amazing models rather quickly, yet with no “cookie cutter” type operations—and then learn from there. (SketchUp’s slogan is “3D for Everyone”, our slogan is “SketchUp for Everyone!”, lol) This is a skyscraper, building and city framework modeling tool, btw.
So I am at deployment soon level, and really want to integrate at least the basic app launch from within SketchUp as an option for greater user convenience.
But I really appreciate any insight you have so I can get this end rolling if it is possible, and learn some more Ruby techniques in the process. Thanks alot Dan and tt_su. This has been a labor of love, and I would really like to offer the application through the extension warehouse as well, it has a pretty liberal license policy, left to user discretion, but I would like to monetize the effort a little, of course, and get it into the Extension Warehouse.
Probably more than you needed to know. But thanks for your time, I really appreciate the help and insights a lot. Thanks much! Nice to have support at times like this, so close, yet so far! LOL
P.S. I am probably a month or two from deployment at this time. And can integrate this as I progress if possible.