Create Dialog Box and script to limit duplicates to specified length

[phuckel]

Hello,

 

I have just started using Vectorscript and I would like to create a Dialog Box to enter a specific length (:real that is positive to go in 1 direction or negative go in the other direction) and the number of duplicates (:integer) so that only the selected 2D or 3D object (eg. fence picket) is duplicated with identical spacing between each duplicate within the specific length (eg. pickets along a fence line).

 

I would sincerely appreciate any help in completing this script - thank you.

 

eg.

Procedure Duplicate_By_Length;

Var

Num: Integer;  {No. of duplicates}

dLength: Real; (Set overall distance for all duplicates to span}

dOffset: Real; {Offset from previous duplicate}

Height1, Width1, Depth1: Real {Dimensions for selected object in 2D or 3D so assume Width1 is the width that will alter the offset}

 

Begin

      "Show Dialog box to ask for Number of Duplicates and the Overall Length that store the values in Num and dLength" {I do not know how to do this}

 

For Duplicates: 1 to Num DO

     BEGIN

     "Create Duplicate"                                                    {I do not know how to do this}

      dOffset:= dLength/((Num - 1)*Width1);         

     "Create Duplicate at the specified offset (dOffset) from the previous duplicate"         {I do not know how to do this}

     END

End

 

Run(Duplicate_By_Length);

 

Thank you to anyone who can provide the necessary scripting commands to complete this script.

 

 

 

 

[michaelk]

Try this.  I put in the super simple dialog calls.  You can do more complicated dialogs, but it requires many more lines :-).

 

I'm sure you will have more questions.  Post back!

 

PROCEDURE Duplicate_By_Length;
VAR
	Num,i						: Integer;  						{No. of duplicates}
	dLength						: Real; 							{Set overall distance for all duplicates to span}
	dOffset						: Real; 							{Offset from previous duplicate}
	Height1, Width1, Depth1		: Real; 							{Dimensions for selected object in 2D or 3D 
																	so assume Width1 is the width that will alter the offset}
	h,hh 						: HANDLE;
Begin
	h := FSActLayer;
	
	Num := IntDialog('How many of these things would you like?','2');		{"Show Dialog box to ask for Number of 
																			Duplicates and the Overall Length that 
																			store the values in Num and dLength" 
																			I do not know how to do this}
	dLength := DistDialog('What''''s the total distance?','10');																		
																					
 
	FOR i:= 1 to Num DO
		BEGIN;
                                                        {I do not know how to do this}
														{  dOffset:= dLength/((Num - 1)*Width1);     }    
      
		hh := HDuplicate(h,dlength/(Num)*i,0);
      
														{  "Create Duplicate at the specified offset (dOffset) from the previous duplicate"  }       
														{I do not know how to do this}
     END;
End;
 
Run(Duplicate_By_Length);

 

[phuckel]

Thank you very much MichaelK for your script - I sincerely appreciate how quickly you created it.
It was almost perfect - The width of the last duplicate exceeded the overall length by its width so I used HWidth(h) in the calculation of the offset distance to make it work perfectly. eg. hh := HDuplicate(h,(dlength - HWidth(h))/(Num)*I,0);

 

Thank you again for providing the script so quickly - you're a wiz!

Edited November 10, 2022 by phuckel
I found a solution to make the script work 100%

[michaelk]

Take a look at GetBBox

 

With the variables

 

h : Handle;

p1X, p1Y, p2X, p2Y : Real;

 

The function

 

GetBBox(h,p1X, p1Y, p2X, p2Y);  will set the values for the Real variables.  p2X-p1X should be the width of your object.

 

If you've been trying to find VS functions at the developer website:  https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/Main_Page then I recommend you try using the local version.

 

You will find it in the applications folder:  /Applications/Vectorworks 2023/VWHelp/Script Reference/ScriptFunctionReference.html  You can open it in your browser.

 

It's organized better (or at least differently) than the online version.

 

 

 

[michaelk]

I probably should have mentioned that I added two variables to your script -  h, hh : HANDLE;

 

A handle variable is a way of referring to objects in VW. (or classes or layers or resources - but let's stick with objects for now.)

 

h := FSActLayer; is a line you will type over and over.  It means the variable h is the First Selected object on the Active Layer.

 

Every time you think, "I wonder if this is possible" you will start with that line :-). 

 

If nothing is selected then h is NIL and the script does little or nothing.

[phuckel]

Thank you MichaelK - I understood the operation of the handles and the need to use FSActLayer command to manipulate the selected objects.

After I added the HWidth(h) command inside the Offset calculation, everything worked perfectly with any 2D or 3D shape so I will not need to use the GetBBox command but thank you for suggesting it.

One day I may even learn to create a more-complex dialog box that allow multiple entries (no. of duplicates, horizontal offset and vertical offset).

 

Thanks again for all of your advice and suggestions - I truly appreciate them.