ChatGPT and Ruby (SketchUp API)

Developers Ruby API
1

I thought I would test out ChatGPT and see if could help me find some basic algorithms using the Ruby SketchUp API.

I asked it to help me find an edge in the root of the model, its response:


*✅ Here's the Fix:*
*Before selecting or highlighting an edge, check that its parent is the model’s entities collection, not a group or component instance.*

*Update your picking logic like this:*

def onMouseMove(flags, x, y, view)
  @ip.pick(view, x, y)
  entity = @ip.edge

  if entity && entity.is_a?(Sketchup::Edge) && entity.parent == Sketchup.active_model.entities
    @hover_edge = entity
  else
    @hover_edge = nil
  end

  view.invalidate
end
2

I then pointed out it was incorrect, it then responded:

So I’ll admit — you’re correct, and my previous suggestion that .parent == entities was misleading. That’s only true for container-like things (like faces inside a group), not for standalone geometry like Edge`.

3

It gets quite a few things wrong but it can help, just a word to the wise.

It can help cobble together some basic stuff, but I am finding even on simple syntax it will occasionally get some things wrong. I a less likely to trust it now, give it a few more months I guess and it will be smarter than me.

4

For those who are savvy with creating tools and use the draw method I do have a question which after all this time programming extensions I still do not have a good handle on.

In my draw method below I am essentially highlighting a bunch of edges in the root of the model which I have previously selected however I don’t understand why it does not display or draw them unless I am hovering over a valid edge. I’m a bit stumped by this, my very simple code is below:

def draw(view)

puts "Draw called"

  @drawn = false

# Show the current input point
 if( @ip.valid? && @ip.display? )
	@ip.draw(view)
        @drawn = true
 end


# Highlight hover edge in green if not selected or red if already selected
      if @hover_edge
		if @edges.include?(@hover_edge)
        		view.drawing_color = 'red'
		else
			view.drawing_color = 'green'
		end

		view.line_width = 5
        	view.draw(GL_LINE_STRIP, edge_to_points(@hover_edge))
      end

      # Highlight selected edges in blue
      view.drawing_color = 'blue'

      @edges.each do |edge|
        view.draw(GL_LINE_STRIP, edge_to_points(edge))
      end
end

My apolgies my indenting is all wonky again.

5

The related methods in the tool are the following:



def onMouseMove(flags, x, y, view)

	self.set_current_point(x, y, view)
	
end




def set_current_point(x, y, view)
    	if (!@ip.pick(view, x, y, @ip1))
        	return false
    	end
   	need_draw = true
    
    	# Set the tooltip that will be displayed
    	view.tooltip = @ip.tooltip
      
	 # Compute points
    	case @state
    	when STATE_PICK

		@ip.pick(view, x, y)
    		entity = @ip.edge

    		if entity && entity.is_a?(Sketchup::Edge)
			if entity.parent == Sketchup.active_model
      				@hover_edge = entity
			else
				puts "edge parent is: #{entity.parent}, not in the root of the model"
				@hover_edge = nil
			end
    		else
      			@hover_edge = nil
    		end

  		need_draw = @ip.display? || @drawn
    	end


    	view.invalidate if need_draw
end



def onLButtonDown(flags, x, y, view)

	@ip.pick(view, x, y)
      	edge = @ip.edge

      	return unless edge && edge.is_a?(Sketchup::Edge) && edge.parent == Sketchup.active_model

        if @edges.include?(edge)
          	@edges.delete(edge)
	else
          	@edges << edge
        end
      	
      	# view.invalidate
end


def edge_to_points(edge)
      [edge.start.position, edge.end.position]
end
6

Still stumped.

I would like the selected edges to still be drawn (ie. thick blue line) even when I am not mousing over a specific edge. However as it currently stands as soon as I move my mouse off of an edge the selected edges do not get drawn. I must be missing something obvious here.

7

Whenever I go to chatgpt to whip up a random tool, I always preface the convo with the link to the sketchup api website. Does help a bit. I’ve made like six random tools specific to my needs, a lot of trial and error lol.

1 Like
8

I’ve spent all afternoon trying to make this work and now I think I’ve even stumped ChatGPT. I will say though I’ve learned quite a bit from ChatGPT as it tries to debug my code, this thing is really quite good overall.

9

I’m really not getting the reason for adding the dummy point into the draw method?

10

Problem solved, it was the line_width not being set or maybe SketchUp resetting it to zero, an annoying subtle issue that hung me up for over a day.

11

Now that you mention it, there was an issue where SketchUp was not resetting draw color, line widths and stipple which was affecting things outside the tool’s scope. I believe SU was updated to always reset to black, 1 pixel width, solid stipple when the draw() method returns.

Looking at your first snippet the line width setting is within a if conditional that only sets for red or green.

I’ve found that MS Copilot AI is better at finding errors than it is at creating solutions.

1 Like
12

Probably you’re part of the sketchup labs program already, if you’re not you should join and try the sketchup assistant plugin.

13

I can’t believe I missed this and ChatGPT couldn’t seem to suss it out either, but it did help me tighten up other parts of my code and give me a number of ideas that I probably would not of had.

When I’m coding I find that it is easy to get going down one path and its like I have blinders on. So using ChatGPT or some other AI to throw different ideas at me is actually quite helpful.

When I really get stuck though there is nothing better than some really knowledgeable eyes looking at it, for that reason I am always grateful to this forum and the individuals who are gracious enough to help out.

1 Like