Ruby API on LayOut

Please give us a ruby api on layout.

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Also a no-brainer… Please make it so.

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Folks commonly request an API for LayOut, but that can mean a lot of different things. What kinds of things would you like to be able to do with LayOut’s API if we were to offer one?

john
.

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John,

The answer is simple, everything a user can do manually in layout!

Just a short list to get an impression of what Skalp would like to do with layout api:

Attach models
Update models
Remove models
Define the paper size and the template
Place new model views
Define the size of the view
Setup the scene of the view
Setup the scale of the view
Setup the render mode and lineweight and color
Create layers and control this layers.

Place dimensionlines
Place line, shapes, …
Control color, weight, layers,… Of all this objects

Insert images and control these images.
…

I think it easier to ask what we don’t need… But the problem is there is nothing at this moment I can think off we for sure don’t need. Ok I can give you a list of more important features if you like. But if you like that, I need to think about what’s the minimum we need to do something good with layout. But be sure gives us an API, and sketchup + layout would become a totally new level!

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I heavily second that!

Totally agree with Guy. Open API will allow create a bunch of new extensions.

Most interested for me will be API for working with models on document level: attach, update, delete, enumerate,…

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Very interested to have API for layout too

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Agree too, just look how plugins In SU have expanded its potential

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Guy explains quite well, in his post above.


If you do not know what an “API” is, you can read the definition at Wikipedia:

If you are interested in Microsoft Visio, you’ll need to do your own research, and try it out to understand what features might also work well in LayOut. (No there is no plugging them together! We would just like LayOut to have some of the features like an API, attributes, gluepoints, smartshapes, etc.)


Related threads:

thanks G

<3 Skalp! Yes, please.

Hi

I love the idea of a Layout Ruby API. Here are some of the things I would love to see doable through an API:



Importers/exporters:

Svg importer.

Pdf importer.

Line type importer(CAD standards like .lin as mentioned).

Hatch importer(same as above but with the addition of vector hatches).

Dwg/dxf importers(without going through Sketchup first).

Import/export of autotext lists.

Batch import of multiple scenes from Sketchup.

More highly formatted text importers (not just rtf).



Native object manipulation:

As said before, the ability to create and manipulate all native objects.  By chaining some of these together we could essentially extend native objects available.

Boolean operations could be helpful here.

Revision clouds or other more procedural objects.

2d objects like dynamic components.



Import object manipulation:

Would love to be able to set a dashed line or colored line for an entire viewport (without exploding the viewport) in addition to all other currently possible manipulations.

Would love to be able to substitute 2d CAD symbols for certain 3d data types in Sketchup (doors or trees come to mind).



Assignment:

Batch assignment of callouts/leaders. 

Batch dimensioning.

Greatly extended use of autotext/attached data from Sketchup.



New or Revised tools:

Ruby text formatting/substitutions in callouts.

Better alignment tools.

Boolean operations on objects.

Outliner for Layout per page/whole document.

Text searches.

Revision tools.

Markup tools.

Batch joining of lines.

Hyperlinks within and outside of documents.

Text kerning for titles.

Vector hatches.

Auto-creation of pages and viewports.

Essentially the ability to automate any repetitive task.

Actually there are too many possibilities to list.



I realize that there is a lot of fluff in the above lists.  But what I like about Sketchup is that there are so many possible ways to accomplish what you are doing.   I wish that same control of data/approach could extend to Layout. 



Thanks for patience with this lengthy comment.


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@eric.jaramillohomes of course you know that LayOut 2018 has DWG import now
All the other features you name; I request them too!!
And I’d like to add I would like a selection filter! Similar to how @thomthom 's Selection Toys in SketchUp works, I want the same in LayOut!

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Since we now have a LayOut Ruby API, reassigned this topic to the Ruby API subcategory.


Those that gave exhaustive lists of features wanted above, have you played with the LayOut API since it was released, and what does it still lack for you?

@eric.jaramillohomes @jwhida @Guy @vlmoyseenko @jiminybillybob

Keep in mind that Features can be requested in the official SketchUp API GitHub Issue tracker.

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Hi Dan

I have been looking at the api, and have written a couple of small scripts, but I’ll try to look at it more over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for your efforts.

Best wishes,

Eric

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