Editable Follow-Me Paths

Currently, when I need to change a follow-me path, I delete the geometry and use follow-me again. For example, if I drew a pipe with rounded bends, but I decided later that I wanted sharp bends, then I’d have to delete the geometry and make a new mesh with follow-me again. This workflow can be very time consuming sometimes. A simple example of the current workflow:

Path I want to Edit:

  1. Delete Mesh

  2. Edit Path

  3. Use Follow-Me Again to Create a New Mesh

I think there’s an easier way. The paths could be editable groups that automatically change the mesh they initially created. By default, the paths could be put onto a “Follow-Me Path” layer, so users could hide the paths.

To further explain my proposed feature, it might look something like this:

  1. Open the Path Group

  2. Edit the Path to Change the Mesh:

  3. Close the “Follow-Me Paths” Layer

This feature could save people a lot of time.

Although, there are some problems… Like if people where to join meshes together or do boolean operations, then there might be some difficulty in determining what mesh to make & how that operation affects the path. Another addition could be the ability to edit the initial shape that followed the path which could automatically update the mesh (which could also be a huge time saver). Feel free to write down your thoughts on the topic.

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Have a look at profile builder.

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Thanks for pointing that out. That’s an awesome extension that allows people to edit follow-me paths, but what if there was a simpler extension with only a path editor & a profile editor? Maybe the extension could activate whenever the follow-me command is used.

I’d second that. You’d need “Profile Builder 2” which has the option to edit the path of an assembly ( the assembly being the extruded follow me build). Even without that function it makes follow me operation so much more versatile. In fact you can draw out a profile without the need for a path.

At 1:33 in this video it shows that function. The 7th tool from the left.

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Profile Buolder 2 allows that, but it’s not that interactive. You need to choose how to update the path (geometry only, new profile, mirror profile, new insertion point for profile, new profile material, etc…)

Assemblies are great as shown above!

It has even more tools to connect profiles and you can build libraries.

It has it’s flaws, of course, but it’s an incredibly useful plugin.

Edit: it even featurea an amazing quantities take off tool that works on your whole sketchup model to calculate areas, volumes, materials and cost estimates… Great tool!

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