7/18/2017 Peter's Tools 1.

93 [McNeel Wiki]

McNeel Wiki

Peter's Tools 1.93

Summary: Miscellaneous scripts compiled into a plug-in (developed primarily by Peter Harris). Download includes toolbar for easy access and
setup.

I'm not supporting Rhino V4 anymore. Also, please remember that these are free tools that you use at your own risk, of course.

What's new since Version 1.90

This update is primarily designed to fix BOM tools. The file that was supposed to save materials definitions
was not being created correctly.

Overview
I've created a plug-in from the most useful scripts that I've written (with the help of many people), and a toolbar to go with it.
The download link is at the bottom of the page. If you'd like a copy of the original scripts, just email me! Thanks to all who have
helped me on these scripts! Especially Pascal, David, Dale, and Mitch.

Commands
The commands currently available in the PetersTools plug-in are:

BOM and object properties tools

1. BOM - Calculates object weights based on density and exports object notes and other attributes to a .csv file or to the
clipboard. (Note: Objects need to have a real material assigned in order to do the weight calculations. See next tool…)
Now includes more options and lets users select which columns to export. Items that can be exported to the bill of
materials includes Part Name, Real Material & Weight, Box Size (bounding box), Object Notes, Volume, Surface Area,
Layer, Volume Centroid, and Area Centroid. This tool has a lot in common with Rhino's built-in properties export
(export → .csv), except that this includes real material and weight, so if you don't need those properties, try the built-in
tool first!
2. RealMaterialTools - Includes options to set a real material to objects (includes a way to create custom materials based
on the density, and it comes with some plastics already in there), match real materials, select objects with no real material,
or delete real material data from selected objects.
3. ObjectNoteTools - Includes options to set an object note to objects, match object notes, select objects with no object
notes, or delete notes from objects. Object notes show up in the BOM or in the DotWithData tool.
4. DotWithData - Adds annotation dots to selected objects with text option of either part names, layer, real materials,
weight, object volumes, object surface areas, object notes, volume centroid, area centroid, or bounding box dimensions.
5. SelUnnamed - Selects all unnamed objects.
6. NameObjects - Lets you name a bunch of objects in serial fashion (brings up a box for each selected object one by one.)

Geometry-creating or editing tools

1. MagicCap - Creates a planar surface from any selection of curves and/or surface edges. Here's how it works:

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1. JoinCurvesByClosestEnds - Joins two curves by closest ends by adding two straight lines.
2. QuickCage - Click one of 15 numbers (1 through 16) on the command line, and the tool creates a bounding-box cage
around your object with that many points in each direction. Great for quick edits.
3. SplitBoth - Splits two sets of surfaces with each other.
4. SplitWithEdgesAndCurves - Script that automates typing in 'crv' after picking the split command.
5. TrimAtLine - Prompts you to draw a line to use as a trim line, pick whatever you want to trim, then right-click to delete
the line. An accidental feature is that, instead of drawing a line, you can draw any shape to cut with by just picking a
drawing tool.
6. TrimAtZero - Same, but starts line at 0,0
7. SetX - Flattens an object in the world X direction.
8. SetX_To_0 - Flattens an object in the world X direction to 0.
9. SetY - Flattens an object in the world Y direction.
10. SetY_To_0 - Flattens an object in the world Y direction to 0.
11. SetZ - Flattens an object in the world Z direction.
12. SetZ_To_0 - Flattens an object in the world Z direction to 0.

File utilities

1. BatchSaveSmall - Lets you automate saving a folder of Rhino files small (including subfolders, optionally). This
command does not work well on Rhino 4 files if you are running the command from Rhino 5 because it will ask if you
really want to save as V5 for each file. I cannot find a way around that warning.
2. Open3dmFileInNewWorkspace - Opens a Rhino file without closing the currently open Rhino file.
3. OpenSelectedInNewWorkspace - Opens the currently selected objects in a new Rhino window.
4. PickScriptFromFolder - This script creates a list of the scripts that are on your computer and that are listed in your
search paths in the Rhino options. You can click on any script in the list to run it.

Misc tools

1. TimerTools - Simple tools for keeping track of time spent on a task. Nested options include StartTimer, StopTimer,
SetProjectNumber, and TimerLog. If you StartTimer or StopTimer without a project name, you'll be prompted to add
one. The TimerLog is a text file of the start and stop times along with project numbers.
2. DetailsTools - Tools for modifying all details in a layout at once. Includes ability to change display mode in all, zoom
extents in all, make scale match in all, or apply your own macro or command to all details.
3. HideCurves - Hides all visible curves.
4. HidePoints - Hides all visible points.
5. ZoomToUnlocked - Zooms to all unlocked objects ('normal' objects).
6. ZoomToUnlockedAll - Same as zoom to unlocked, but all views.
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7. AboutPetersTools - Brings up a box showing you what version you are running.

Installation in Rhino 5
1. Download the zip file to either your downloads folder or a user folder (C:\Users\(user-name). Unzip to the same place.
2. Right-click on the PetersTools.rhp file and select Properties. On the General tab, see if the file is blocked. (It'll say so
near the bottom of the page.) If so, unblock it. This cannot be done unless the file is in your downloads or user folder.
(Actually, I've heard that desktop works, too.)
3. Copy the PetersTools.rhp file to your Rhinoceros 5.0 (64-bit)\Plug-ins folder.
4. Copy the PetersTools.rui file to wherever you like to keep toolbars.
5. Start Rhino.
6. Run PluginManager and press the install button. Browse to your Rhinoceros 5.0 (64-bit)\Plug-ins directory and select
PetersTools.rhp.
7. Load the toolbar that you saved by going to the Tools menu, pick Toolbar Layout, then File/Open the toolbar file.

Download
Download link for Rhino 5 users: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zcjd1juurx2jrff/PetersTools1.93.zip?dl=0
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/zcjd1juurx2jrff/PetersTools1.93.zip?dl=0]

Here's the Rhino 4 version, which may have different options… Download link for Rhino 4 users (I think this is the right file!):
peterstoolsv1.25.zip

E-mail me [mailto:phcreates+plugin@gmail.com] with your questions and feedback on this plug-in. I get very little feedback, so
anything I get really helps!

people/peterharris.txt · Last modified: 2017/03/23 by peter_harris

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