How to export model part above the ground plane only

KarenAvdalyan · January 23, 2019, 12:47pm

I want to export sketchup model in obj format, but not the whole model. I want to export the part which is
located above the ground plane(red-green plane).
I have tried to create a section plane on the ground plane, but it didn’t the trick because after setting section plane and exporting the model I could see that the whole model was exported.
Is there a way to achieve this, without changing the model much ?

Here is what I’ve tried

  model = Sketchup.active_model
  entities = model.entities
    
    origin = model.axes.origin

    if origin.z!=0
      sp = entities.add_section_plane([0, 0, origin.z], [0, 0, origin.z])
      #sp = entities.add_section_plane([xaxis, yaxis, zaxis], [xaxis+10, yaxis+10, zaxis])
      sp.activate
      
      sp
    end

  status = model.export(outpath, true)

DanRathbun · January 23, 2019, 3:05pm

This has been asked for and discussed in the past …

Outliner create slice group via API, somebody can help?
(Note, I posted a Windows Only send keys hack in post 6.)
Create Section Plane Programmatically?

API Feature Request logged …

github.com/SketchUp/api-issue-tracker

Create Group from Slice (Section Plane)

opened 03:01PM - 23 Jan 19 UTC

DanRathbun

enhancement Ruby API SketchUp logged parity

### SketchUp Ruby API Feature Request Please expose the internal method from …the section plane right-click context menu, to create "**Create Group from Slice**". (Repeatedly asked for in the forums over the years. Currently hacky platform dependent send keys workarounds is all that can be done.) ```ruby WIN ||=( Sketchup::platform == :platform_win rescue RUBY_PLATFORM !~ /darwin/i ) require 'win32ole' if WIN def group_from_slice if WIN # Send the ESC key to close the Ruby console window, so that the # main application window will receive the CTRL+ALT+S keystroke. WIN32OLE::new('WScript.Shell').SendKeys('{ESC}^%s') else puts "Feature is PC Only" end end ``` ---- #### Thinking that a SectionPlane is an Entity subclass the following attempt to use [**`Sketchup::Entities#intersect_with()`**](http://ruby.sketchup.com/Sketchup/Entities.html#intersect_with-instance_method) fails ... ```ruby ents = Sketchup.active_model.entities ents.intersect_with(true,IDENTITY,ents,IDENTITY,true,ents.active_section_plane) #=> [] ``` So, either the above method would be extended to accept a section plane object, **AND / OR** a new instance method added to the [**`Sketchup::SectionPlane`**](http://ruby.sketchup.com/Sketchup/SectionPlane.html) class that mimics the GUI menu command and creates the group of intersect edges within the current active edit context (or the section plane's parent's context, whichever makes more sense.) Q: Would it be possible to create these intersect groups for ANY section plane, not only active section planes ? ---- Or, ... is there a constant integer ID that can be used with [**`Sketchup.send_action()`**](http://ruby.sketchup.com/Sketchup.html#send_action-class_method) ? Or even better a send action string for both platforms ? ---- _Reference public forum threads:_ * [Outliner create slice group via API, somebody can help?](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/outliner-create-slice-group-via-api-somebody-can-help/69337) * [How to export model part above the ground plane only](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-to-export-model-part-above-the-ground-plane-only/86134) * [Create Section Plane Programmatically?](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/create-section-plane-programmatically/82986)

john_drivenupthewall · January 23, 2019, 7:57pm

you will need to change the model. export and then ‘undo’ the changes…

if you link in to Zoro2 from your ruby it will erase all the ‘hidden’ geometry, then you export and then revert…

# this would be a more concise test
model.bounds.corner(0).x == 0.0
# and you can use the constant
 entities.add_section_plane(ORIGIN, [0, 0, 1]).activate

john