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Class: Sketchup::Entities

Relationships
Super Chains via Extension / Inclusion / Inheritance
Instance Chain:
self, Enumerable
Inherits: Object

Overview

The Entities class is a collection of Entity objects, either in a ComponentDefinition or directly in the Model. A Entities object corresponds to a drawing context in the GUI.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

Instance Attribute Summary

Instance Method Summary

Instance Attribute Details

#active_section_plane ⇒ Sketchup::SectionPlane? (rw)

The active_section_plane method is used to access the currently active section plane in the Entities object.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
section_plane = entities.add_section_plane([50, 50, 0], [1.0, 1.0, 0])
entities.active_section_plane = section_plane
section_plane = entities.active_section_plane

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

#active_section_plane=(sec_plane) ⇒ Sketchup::SectionPlane? (rw)

The active_section_plane= method is used to set the active section plane in the Entities object.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
section_plane = entities.add_section_plane([50, 50, 0], [1.0, 1.0, 0])
entities.active_section_plane = section_plane

Parameters:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

Instance Method Details

#[](entity_index) ⇒ Sketchup::Entity?

The #[] method is used to retrieve an entity by its index in an array of entities. The index is a number between 0 and entities.length - 1. In general, it is preferable to use the #each method to iterate though all of the entities in the collection as it will be much more efficient.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
entity = entities[0]

Parameters:

  • entity_index (Integer) —

    The index for a specific entity.

Returns:

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_3d_text(string, alignment, font, is_bold = false, is_italic = false, letter_height = 1.0, tolerance = 0.0, z = 0.0, is_filled = true, extrusion = 0.0) ⇒ Boolean

The #add_3d_text method is used to create 3D text. It will be added as edges and faces drawn at the origin.

Examples:

# Draw the word "test" at the origin of the model, aligned left, in
# Arial Bold, not italics, 1" in size, best tolerance quality, filled,
# with an extrusion size of 5".
entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
success = entities.add_3d_text('test', TextAlignLeft, "Arial",
  true, false, 1.inch, 0.0, 0.5.inch, true, 5.0.inch)

Parameters:

  • string (String) —

    The text to create.

  • alignment (Integer) —

    Number that defines the alignment. There are constants called TextAlignLeft, TextAlignRight, and TextAlignCenter that can be passed.

  • font (String) —

    font name.

  • is_bold (Boolean) (defaults to: false) —

    true for bold.

  • is_italic (Boolean) (defaults to: false) —

    true for italic.

  • letter_height (Length) (defaults to: 1.0) —

    Height of the text

  • tolerance (Numeric) (defaults to: 0.0) —

    Tolerance of the curve creation. Defaults to 0.0, which creates the highest possible curve quality.

  • z (Length) (defaults to: 0.0) —

    z position of the text

  • is_filled (Boolean) (defaults to: true) —

    true for filled, which will put a face between the edges of the letters.

  • extrusion (Length) (defaults to: 0.0) —

    Extrusion depth

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    true if successful

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_arc(center, xaxis, normal, radius, start_angle, end_angle) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge> #add_arc(center, xaxis, normal, radius, start_angle, end_angle, num_segments) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

The add_arc method is used to create an arc curve segment.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
center_point = Geom::Point3d.new
# Create an arc perpendicular to the normal or Z axis
normal = Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 0, 1)
xaxis = Geom::Vector3d.new(1, 0, 0)
edges = entities.add_arc(center_point, xaxis, normal, 10, 15.degrees, 135.degrees)

Overloads:

  • #add_arc(center, xaxis, normal, radius, start_angle, end_angle) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

    Parameters:

    • center (Geom::Point3d) —

      A Point3d object representing the center .

    • xaxis (Geom::Vector3d) —

      A Vector3d object representing xaxis for the arc.

    • normal (Geom::Vector3d) —

      A Vector3d object representing normal for the arc.

    • radius (Numeric) —

      The radius of the arc.

    • start_angle (Numeric) —

      Start angle for the arc, in radians.

    • end_angle (Numeric) —

      End angle for the arc, in radians.

    Returns:

  • #add_arc(center, xaxis, normal, radius, start_angle, end_angle, num_segments) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

    Parameters:

    • center (Geom::Point3d) —

      A Point3d object representing the center .

    • xaxis (Geom::Vector3d) —

      A Vector3d object representing xaxis for the arc.

    • normal (Geom::Vector3d) —

      A Vector3d object representing normal for the arc.

    • radius (Numeric) —

      The radius of the arc.

    • start_angle (Numeric) —

      Start angle for the arc, in radians.

    • end_angle (Numeric) —

      End angle for the arc, in radians.

    • num_segments (Integer) —

      How many segments to draw.

    Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_circle(center, normal, radius, numsegs = 24) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

The add_circle method is used to create a circle.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
center_point = Geom::Point3d.new
# Create a circle perpendicular to the provided vector.
normal = Z_AXIS
edges = entities.add_circle(center_point, normal, 10)

Parameters:

  • center (Geom::Point3d) —

    A Point3d object representing the center.

  • normal (Geom::Vector3d) —

    A Vector3d object representing normal for the arc.

  • radius (Numeric) —

    The radius of the arc.

  • numsegs (Integer) (defaults to: 24) —

    The number of segments.

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_cline(start_point, end_point, stipple = '-') ⇒ Sketchup::ConstructionLine #add_cline(point, vector, stipple = '-') ⇒ Sketchup::ConstructionLine

The #add_cline method is used to create a construction line. This can be finite or infinite.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(0, 0, 0)
point2 = Geom::Point3d.new(20, 20, 20)
cline = entities.add_cline(point1, point2)

Overloads:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_copy(entities, transform: IDENTITY) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Drawingelement>

The #add_copy method copies a set of drawing elements into this Entities collection.

Source elements' geometric coordinates from within their parent components are preserved, and they are applied to the copies in this component's local coordinate frame. The transformation is also interpreted to be in the local coordinates of this (target) component.

The drawing elements being copied may already belong to this collection or to a different one, but they must all share the same parent, and belong to the same model as this collection. Dependent geometry needed to reproduce the originals (e.g. the edges bounding a copied face) are copied automatically and included in the result.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
face = entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [9, 0, 0], [9, 9, 0], [0, 9, 0])
transformation = Geom::Transformation.new([20, 0, 0])
copies = entities.add_copy(face, transform: transformation)

Parameters:

Returns:

  • (Array<Sketchup::Drawingelement>) —

    the copied drawing elements. If the elements are split by intersecting geometry, more elements can be returned than were originally passed in.

Raises:

  • (TypeError) —

    if any of the given entities is not a Drawingelement.

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the entities do not share a common parent.

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the entities do not belong to the same model as this collection.

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the transformation is not invertible.

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the copy would create a recursive component definition.

Version:

  • SketchUp 2027.0

#add_cpoint(point) ⇒ Sketchup::ConstructionPoint

The add_cpoint method is used to create a construction point.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.active_entities
point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(100, 200, 300)
constpoint = entities.add_cpoint(point1)

Parameters:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_curve(points) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge> #add_curve(*points) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

The add_curve method is used to create a curve from a collection of edges.

The arguments are either Points or an ::Array of Points. At least 2 points are required.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
curve = entities.add_curve([0, 0, 0], [0, 10, 0], [10, 20, 0])

Overloads:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_dimension_linear(start_pt_or_entity, end_pt_or_entity, offset_vector) ⇒ Sketchup::DimensionLinear #add_dimension_linear(start_instance_path, end_instance_path, offset_vector) ⇒ Sketchup::DimensionLinear #add_dimension_linear(start_array, end_array, offset_vector) ⇒ Sketchup::DimensionLinear

The #add_dimension_linear method adds a linear dimension to the entities.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
# From point to point
dim = entities.add_dimension_linear([0, 0, 0], [50, 0, 0], [0, 20, 0])

# Between edge vertices
edge1 = entities.add_edges([70, 0, 0], [120, 0, 0])[0]
v0 = edge1.start
v1 = edge1.end
dim = entities.add_dimension_linear(v0, v1, [0, 20, 0])

# From an edge's midpoint to a construction point
edge2 = entities.add_edges([150, 0, 0], [200, 0, 0])[0]
p0 = edge2.start.position
p1 = edge2.end.position
mp = Geom::Point3d.new((p0.x + p1.x) / 2.0, (p0.y + p1.y) / 2.0, (p0.z + p1.z) / 2.0)
cp = entities.add_cpoint([150, 40, 0])
dim = entities.add_dimension_linear([edge2, mp], cp, [20, 0, 0])

Instance path

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
group = entities.add_group
group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
instance = group.to_component
transformation = instance.transformation
edge = instance.definition.entities.grep(Sketchup::Edge).first
instance_path = Sketchup::InstancePath.new([instance, edge])
start_point = edge.start.position.transform(transformation)
end_point = edge.end.position.transform(transformation)
vector = Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 30, 0)
Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_dimension_linear(
  [instance_path, start_point], [instance_path, end_point], vector)

Instance path as an array

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
group = entities.add_group
group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
instance = group.to_component
transformation = instance.transformation
edge = instance.definition.entities.grep(Sketchup::Edge).first
path = [instance, edge]
start_point = edge.start.position.transform(transformation)
end_point = edge.end.position.transform(transformation)
vector = Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 30, 0)
Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_dimension_linear(
  [path, start_point], [path, end_point], vector)

Overloads:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

#add_dimension_radial(arc_curve, leader_break_pt) ⇒ Sketchup::DimensionRadial

The add_dimension_radial method adds a radial dimension (i.e arc/circle radius/diameter dimension) to the entities.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
# Create a circle
center_point = Geom::Point3d.new(10, 10, 0)
normal = Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 0, 1)
edges = entities.add_circle(center_point, normal, 10)
circle = edges[0].curve
dim = entities.add_dimension_radial(circle, [30, 30, 0])

Parameters:

  • arc_curve (Sketchup::ArcCurve) —

    an ArcCurve object to which the dimension is to be attached.

  • leader_break_pt (Geom::Point3d) —

    a Point3d for the break point on the leader where the dimension text is attached.

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

#add_edges(points) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge> #add_edges(*points) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

Note:

If the points form a closed loop, the first and last vertex will not merge. If you intend to create a face from the edges, use #add_face directly.

The #add_edges method is used to add a set of connected edges to the Entities collection.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(0, 0, 0)
point2 = Geom::Point3d.new(20, 20, 20)
point3 = Geom::Point3d.new(20, 40, 20)
edges = entities.add_edges(point1, point2, point3)

Overloads:

Returns:

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_face(entities) ⇒ Sketchup::Face? #add_face(*entities) ⇒ Sketchup::Face?

Note:

A special case exists for any face created on the ground plane, in which case the vertex order is ignored and the face is always facing down.

Note:

When using the edge array or curve overload this method will return nil and abort any open operation if:

  • The edges do not form a closed loop
  • The edges are not planar In these cases use $! to check for an error message if the face creation fails.

The add_face method is used to create a face. You can call this method a number of ways:

- entities.add_face(edge1, edge2, edge3, ...)
- entities.add_face(edgearray)
- entities.add_face(pt1, pt2, pt3, ...)
- entities.add_face([pt1, pt2, pt3,...])
- entities.add_face(curve)

For the last form that takes a Curve, the curve must be closed - like a circle.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
points = []
points << [0, 0, 0]
points << [100, 0, 0]
points << [100, 100, 0]
points << [0, 100, 0]
# Add the face to the entities in the model
face = entities.add_face(points)

Overloads:

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_faces_from_mesh(polygon_mesh, smooth_flags = Geom::PolygonMesh::AUTO_SOFTEN|Geom::PolygonMesh::SMOOTH_SOFT_EDGES, f_material = nil, b_material = nil) ⇒ Integer

The #add_faces_from_mesh method is used to add Face entities to the collection of entities from a ::Geom::PolygonMesh.

The smooth_flags parameter can contain any of the following values if passed. The constants were added in SketchUp 2014. For previous versions, numeric values have to be specified instead of the Ruby constants.

The 3rd and 4th parameters will accept a Material object or a string name of a material currently in the model.

Examples:

pm = Geom::PolygonMesh.new
pm.add_point([ 0, 0, 0]) # 1
pm.add_point([10, 0, 0]) # 2
pm.add_point([10, 10, 0]) # 3
pm.add_point([0, 10, 0]) # 4
pm.add_point([20, 0, 5]) # 5
pm.add_point([20, 10, 5]) # 6
pm.add_polygon(1, -2, 3, 4)
pm.add_polygon(2, 5, 6, -3)

# Create a new group that we will populate with the mesh.
group = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group
material1 = Sketchup.active_model.materials.add('My Green Material')
material1.color = 'green'
material2 = Sketchup.active_model.materials.add('My Red Material')
material2.color = 'red'
smooth_flags = Geom::PolygonMesh::NO_SMOOTH_OR_HIDE
group.entities.add_faces_from_mesh(pm, smooth_flags, material1, material2)

Parameters:

  • polygon_mesh (Geom::PolygonMesh)
  • smooth_flags (Integer) (defaults to: Geom::PolygonMesh::AUTO_SOFTEN|Geom::PolygonMesh::SMOOTH_SOFT_EDGES) —

    flags for softening and smoothing of edges.

  • f_material (Sketchup::Material, String) (defaults to: nil) —

    material to paint front faces with.

  • b_material (Sketchup::Material, String) (defaults to: nil) —

    material to paint back faces with.

Returns:

  • (Integer) —

    Number of faces created

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_group(entities) ⇒ Sketchup::Group #add_group(*entities) ⇒ Sketchup::Group

Note:

Calling add_group with entities in its parameters has been known to crash SketchUp before version 8.0. It is preferable to create an empty group and then add things to its Entities collection.

The #add_group method is used to create a new group.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
group = entities.add_group

Overloads:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_image(path, point, width, height = 0.0) ⇒ Sketchup::Image?

The add_image method is used to add an image to the collection of entities.

The width and height are measured in model units (i.e. inches). If the height is not given, then it is computed from the width to preserve the aspect ratio of the image.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
point = Geom::Point3d.new(10, 20, 30)
image = entities.add_image(Sketchup.find_support_file('ColorWheel.png',
  'Resources/../..'), point, 300)

Parameters:

  • path (String) —

    A path for the image file.

  • point (Geom::Point3d) —

    A Point3d object representing the insertion point of the image.

  • width (Numeric) —

    Width for the image.

  • height (Numeric) (defaults to: 0.0) —

    height for the image if you want to control width and height independently. Leave as default 0.0 when you want it to be relative to the aspect ratio.

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_instance(definition, transform) ⇒ Sketchup::ComponentInstance

The #add_instance method adds a group or component instance to the collection of entities using an existent definition.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
point = Geom::Point3d.new(10, 20, 30)
transform = Geom::Transformation.new(point)
path = Sketchup.find_support_file("Bed.skp", "Components/Components Sampler/")
definitions = model.definitions
componentdefinition = definitions.load(path)
instance = entities.add_instance(componentdefinition, transform)

Parameters:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_line(point1, point2) ⇒ Sketchup::Edge

The add_line method is used to add an edge to the collection of entities. This is not to be confused with the concept of a "line" from a geometric sense, which is an invisible object represented by an ::Array of a point and a vector. (See the ::Array class for more information on geometric lines in SketchUp.)

This method is the same as add_edges method, but returns a single edge.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
point1 = Geom::Point3d.new(0, 0, 0)
point2 = Geom::Point3d.new(20, 20, 20)
line = entities.add_line(point1, point2)

Parameters:

  • point1 (Geom::Point3d) —

    Point3d object representing the edge's starting point.

  • point2 (Geom::Point3d) —

    Point3d object representing the edge's ending point.

Returns:

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_ngon(center, normal, radius, numsides = 24) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

The add_ngon method is used to create a multi-sided polygon.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
center = Geom::Point3d.new
normal = Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 0, 1)
radius = 100
numsides = 6
edges = entities.add_ngon(center, normal, radius, numsides)

Parameters:

  • center (Geom::Point3d) —

    A Point3d object representing the center of the polygon.

  • normal (Geom::Vector3d) —

    A Vector3d object.

  • radius (Numeric) —

    A radius.

  • numsides (Integer) (defaults to: 24) —

    The number of sides for the polygon.

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_observer(observer) ⇒ Boolean

The add_observer method is used to add an observer to the current object.

Examples:

# This is an example of an observer that watches the entities collection.
# It writes to the console everytime new entities are added to the model.
class MyEntitiesObserver < Sketchup::EntitiesObserver
  def onElementAdded(entities, entity)
    puts "onElementAdded: #{entity} was added to the model."
  end
end

# Attach the observer
entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
entities.add_observer(MyEntitiesObserver.new)

Parameters:

  • observer (Object) —

    An observer.

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    true if successful, false if unsuccessful.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#add_section_plane(point, vector) ⇒ Sketchup::SectionPlane? #add_section_plane(plane) ⇒ Sketchup::SectionPlane? #add_section_plane(plane) ⇒ Sketchup::SectionPlane?

Adds a section plane object to the entities.

Refer to the ::Geom module for information on how planes are represented.

Examples:

# Create a section plane
model = Sketchup.active_model
section_plane = model.entities.add_section_plane([50, 50, 0], [1.0, 1.0, 0])
# Activate it
section_plane.activate
# Make sure section planes are visible
model.rendering_options['DisplaySectionPlanes'] = true

Overloads:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

#add_snap(position, direction) ⇒ Sketchup::Snap #add_snap(position, direction, up) ⇒ Sketchup::Snap

The #add_snap method is used to create a new Snap.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
snap = entities.add_snap(ORIGIN, X_AXIS)

Overloads:

Raises:

  • ArgumentError if direction and up are parallel.

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2025.0

#add_text(text, point, vector) ⇒ Sketchup::Text #add_text(text, instance_path_and_pt, vector) ⇒ Sketchup::Text #add_text(text, instance_array_and_pt, vector) ⇒ Sketchup::Text

The #add_text method adds a note or label text entity to the entities.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
point = Geom::Point3d.new(10, 10, 10)
text = entities.add_text("This is a Test", point)

Instance path

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
group = entities.add_group
group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
instance = group.to_component
transformation = instance.transformation
edge = instance.definition.entities.grep(Sketchup::Edge).first
instance_path = Sketchup::InstancePath.new([instance, edge])
point = edge.start.position.transform(transformation)
vector = Geom::Vector3d.new(45, 45, 45)
Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_text("mytext", [instance_path, point], vector)

Instance path as an array

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
group = entities.add_group
group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
instance = group.to_component
transformation = instance.transformation
edge = instance.definition.entities.grep(Sketchup::Edge).first
path = [instance, edge]
point = edge.start.position.transform(transformation)
vector = Geom::Vector3d.new(45, 45, 45)
Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_text("mytext", [path, point], vector)

Overloads:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#at(entity_index) ⇒ Sketchup::Entity?

The #at method is an alias for #[].

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
entity = entities.at(0)

Parameters:

  • entity_index (Integer) —

    The index for a specific entity.

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#bounds ⇒ Geom::BoundingBox

The #bounds method is used to retrieve the ::Geom::BoundingBox bounding the collection of entities.

For a Procedural Component, ComponentDefinition#entities and ComponentDefinition#control_entities have different bounds. For non-procedural components this has the same effect as Sketchup::ComponentDefinition#bounds.

Examples:

definition = Sketchup.active_model.definitions.first
bounds = definition.entities.bounds

Get separate bounds for control and output entities of a procedural component

definition = Sketchup.active_model.definitions.first
if definition.procedural?
  control_bounds = definition.control_entities.bounds
  output_bounds = definition.entities.bounds
end

Version:

  • SketchUp 2027.0

#build {|builder| ... } ⇒ nil

Note:

While using build it is important to not add or remove vertices by other means than the builder. Also don't modify the position of the vertices in the Entities collection. Doing so can break the vertex-cache that de-duplicates the vertices.

Creates an EntitiesBuilder that can be used to generate bulk geometry with performance in mind. This is particularly useful for importers where the geometry is already well defined and one wants to recreate it without further processing.

The call to #build starts an implicit operation, even if no other model changes are made within the block. This is not the same as Model#start_operation, so it's still recommended to wrap all model changes, including #build with Model#start_operation and Model#commit_operation.

Refer to the documentation of EntitiesBuilder for more details.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
model.entities.build { |builder|
  edge = builder.add_edge([0, 0, 0], [9, 0, 0])
  edge.material = 'red'
  face = builder.add_face([0, 0, 0], [9, 0, 0], [9, 9, 0], [0, 9, 0])
  face.material = 'maroon'
}

Yields:

  • (builder)

Yield Parameters:

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2022.0

#clear! ⇒ Boolean

The clear! method is used to remove all entities from the collection of entities.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
status = entities.clear!

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    true if successful, false if unsuccessful

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#count ⇒ Integer

Note:

Since SketchUp 2014 the count method is inherited from Ruby's Enumerable mix-in module. Prior to that the #count method is an alias for #length.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
number = entities.count

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#each {|entity| ... } ⇒ nil

Note:

Don't remove content from this collection while iterating over it with #each. This would change the size of the collection and cause elements to be skipped as the indices change. Instead copy the current collection to an array using to_a and then use each on the array, when removing content.

The #each method is used to iterate through the entities in the collection of entities.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
entities.each { | entity| puts entity }

Yield Parameters:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#erase_entities(entities) ⇒ nil #erase_entities(*entities) ⇒ nil

Note:

It's faster to use this method and erase in bulk than to iterate individual drawing elements calling Drawingelement#erase!.

The #erase_entities method is used to erase one or more entities from the model.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
points = []
points << [0, 0, 0]
points << [100, 0, 0]
points << [100, 100, 0]
points << [0, 100, 0]

# Add the face to the entities in the model.
face = entities.add_face(pts)
faces = entities.grep(Sketchup::Face)
entities.erase_entities(faces)

Overloads:

Raises:

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the given entities contains instances or definitions are used by Model#active_path.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#fill_from_mesh(polygon_mesh, weld_vertices = true, smooth_flags = Geom::PolygonMesh::AUTO_SOFTEN|Geom::PolygonMesh::SMOOTH_SOFT_EDGES, f_material = nil, b_material = nil) ⇒ Boolean

The #fill_from_mesh method is used to add faces and edges to the collection of entities from a ::Geom::PolygonMesh. It requires that the entities collection to be filled is empty. It has higher performance than #add_faces_from_mesh, but does less error checking as it builds the geometry.

The smooth_flags parameter can contain any of the following values if passed. The constants were added in SketchUp 2014. For previous versions, numeric values have to be specified instead of the Ruby constants:

The 4rd and 5th parameters will accept a Material object or a string name of a material currently in the model.

Examples:

pm = Geom::PolygonMesh.new
pm.add_point([  0,  0, 0]) # 1
pm.add_point([ 10,  0, 0]) # 2
pm.add_point([ 10, 10, 0]) # 3
pm.add_point([  0, 10, 0]) # 4
pm.add_point([ 20,  0, 5]) # 5
pm.add_point([ 20, 10, 5]) # 6
pm.add_polygon(1, -2, 3, 4)
pm.add_polygon(2, 5, 6, -3)

# Create a new group that we will populate with the mesh.
group = Sketchup.active_model.entities.add_group
material = Sketchup.active_model.materials.add('My Red Material')
material.color = 'red'
smooth_flags = Geom::PolygonMesh::HIDE_BASED_ON_INDEX
group.entities.fill_from_mesh(pm, true, smooth_flags, material)

Parameters:

  • polygon_mesh (Geom::PolygonMesh)
  • weld_vertices (Boolean) (defaults to: true) —

    This argument has no effect and is kept for compatibility reasons. Points are always merged.

  • smooth_flags (Integer) (defaults to: Geom::PolygonMesh::AUTO_SOFTEN|Geom::PolygonMesh::SMOOTH_SOFT_EDGES) —

    flags for softening and smoothing of edges.

  • f_material (Sketchup::Material, String) (defaults to: nil) —

    material to paint front faces with.

  • b_material (Sketchup::Material, String) (defaults to: nil) —

    material to paint back faces with.

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#intersect_with(recurse, transform1, entities1, transform2, hidden, entities2) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Edge>

The #intersect_with method computes the intersections between two sets of entities in different 3D contexts and creates the resulting intersection edges in a third context.

This powerful method operates on three distinct sets of entities:

  1. The Receiver (+self+): The Entities collection the method is called on.

  2. The Cutting Entities (+entities2+): The entities that intersect with the receiver.

  3. The Result Container (+entities1+): The Entities collection where the new intersection edges are placed.

The transformations transform1 and transform2 are used to relate these three different contexts to each other, allowing for intersections to be calculated between objects anywhere in the model hierarchy. The intersection calculation occurs in a common coordinate space, and the transformations are used to bring the geometry into that space.

Examples:

# --- Setup ---
model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
model.start_operation('Intersect Example', true)

# Clear any existing geometry to prevent conflicts
entities.clear!

# Create a "cutter" group - a cube shifted in space
cutter_group = entities.add_group
cutter_face = cutter_group.entities.add_face(
  [0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0]
)
cutter_face.pushpull(-50)
# Move the cutter cube to create an interesting intersection
cutter_group.transform!(Geom::Transformation.new([25, 25, 25]))

# Create a "mesh" group - a larger box that overlaps the cutter
mesh_group = entities.add_group
mesh_face = mesh_group.entities.add_face(
  [0, 0, 0], [200, 0, 0], [200, 200, 0], [0, 200, 0]
)
mesh_face.pushpull(-100)
# Move the mesh_group so it partially overlaps the cutter_group
mesh_group.transform!(Geom::Transformation.new([50, 50, 0]))

# Create an empty group to hold the intersection results
result_group = entities.add_group

# --- Intersection ---
# Define transformations to relate the three groups. We use the
# cutter_group's coordinate space as the common ground.

# Transformation from the mesh_group's space to the cutter_group's space.
tr_mesh_to_cutter = cutter_group.transformation.inverse * mesh_group.transformation

# Transformation from the result_group's space to the cutter_group's space.
tr_result_to_cutter = cutter_group.transformation.inverse * result_group.transformation

# Perform the intersection
intersecting_edges = mesh_group.entities.intersect_with(
  false,                          # recurse
  tr_mesh_to_cutter,              # transform1 for the receiver (mesh_group)
  result_group.entities,          # entities1 (result container)
  tr_result_to_cutter,            # transform2 for the result container
  true,                           # hidden
  cutter_group.entities.to_a      # entities2 (cutting entities)
)

# Verify the results
puts "Intersection created #{intersecting_edges.length} edges"

# Change the color of the result edges to make them visible
if intersecting_edges.length > 0
result_group.material = Sketchup::Color.new(255, 0, 0) # Red
end

model.commit_operation

# Zoom to see the entire model
model.active_view.zoom_extents

Parameters:

  • recurse (Boolean) —

    If true, the intersection will recurse through any nested Groups or Components within the receiver (self).

  • transform1 (Geom::Transformation) —

    The transformation applied to the receiver entities (self) to position them in the common coordinate space where the intersection will be calculated.

  • entities1 (Entities) —

    The result entities collection. This is the drawing context where the new intersection edges will be created.

  • transform2 (Geom::Transformation) —

    The transformation applied to the result entities collection (entities1) to correctly position it relative to the intersection calculation space.

  • hidden (Boolean) —

    If true, hidden geometry in the receiver entities will be considered for the intersection. This parameter only affects hidden geometry in the receiver, not in the cutting entities.

  • entities2 (Sketchup::Entity, Array<Sketchup::Entity>) —

    The cutting entities. These are the entities that will be intersected with the receiver. This can be a single entity or an array of entities.

Returns:

  • (Array<Sketchup::Edge>) —

    The intersecting edges created. This array may be empty if no intersection(s) were found.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#length ⇒ Integer

The #length method is used to retrieve the number of entities in the collection of entities.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
number = entities.length

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#model ⇒ Sketchup::Model

The model method is used to retrieve the model that contains the collection of entities.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
group = entities.add_group
face = group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
model = group.entities.model

Returns:

  • (Sketchup::Model) —

    the model that contains the collection of entities if successful.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#parent ⇒ Sketchup::ComponentDefinition, Sketchup::Model

The parent method is used to retrieve the parent or object that contains the collection of entities. A parent can be either a Model or ComponentDefinition object.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
group = entities.add_group
face = group.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
model = group.entities.parent

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#remove_observer(observer) ⇒ Boolean

The remove_observer method is used to remove an observer from the current object.

Examples:

# This is an example of an observer that watches the entities collection.
# It writes to the console everytime new entities are added to the model.
class MyEntitiesObserver < Sketchup::EntitiesObserver
  def onElementAdded(entities, entity)
    puts "onElementAdded: #{entity} was added to the model."
  end
end

# Attach the observer
entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
my_observer = MyEntitiesObserver.new
entities.add_observer(my_observer)
# Add an entity to the model, and the observer will trigger.
entities.add_line([0,0,0], [100,0,0])
# Remove the oberserver and the observer will no longer trigger.
status = entities.remove_observer(my_observer)

Parameters:

  • observer (Object) —

    An observer.

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    true if successful, false if unsuccessful.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#size ⇒ Integer

The #size method is an alias for the #length method.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
entities.size

See Also:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

#transform_by_vectors(sub_entities, vectors) ⇒ Entities

The transform_by_vectors method is used to apply several vectors to several sub-entities all at once.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities

# Create a group with geometry to transform
group1 = entities.add_group
face1 = group1.entities.add_face([0, 0, 0], [100, 0, 0], [100, 100, 0], [0, 100, 0])
face1.pushpull(-40)

# Raise vertices in selection by their distance to the origin.
with_vertices = group1.entities.select { |entity| entity.respond_to?(:vertices) }
vertices = with_vertices.flat_map(&:vertices).uniq
lengths = vertices.map { |vertex| vertex.position.distance(ORIGIN) }
vectors = lengths.map { |length| Geom::Vector3d.new(0, 0, length) }

entities.transform_by_vectors(vertices, vectors)

Parameters:

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#transform_entities(transform, entities) ⇒ Boolean

The transform_entities method is used to apply a transform to several sub-entities all at once.

If you are transforming entities in the active drawing context or any of its parent drawing contexts, the transformation will be interpreted as relative to the global coordinate system. Otherwise the transformation will be interpreted as being on the local coordinate system.

Examples:

entities = Sketchup.active_model.entities
# Add edges to the model at the origin.
edge1 = entities.add_line([0, 0, 0], [100, 100, 100])
edge2 = entities.add_line([0, 0, 0], [200, -10, -10])

# After the transformation, the edges will be moved 100 inches
# away from the origin, on the x axis.
transformation = Geom::Transformation.new([100, 0, 0])
entities.transform_entities(transformation, [edge1, edge2])

Parameters:

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    false if the entities array was empty.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

#weld(edges) ⇒ Array<Sketchup::Curve>

The #weld method takes a set of edges and find all possible chains of edges and connect them with a Curve.

A curve will not cross another curve. They will split where multiple curves meet.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.active_entities
edges = []
edges << entities.add_line([0, 0, 0], [100, 20, 0])
edges << entities.add_line([100, 20, 0], [130, 200, 50])
edges << entities.add_line([130, 200, 50], [130, 300, 50])
curves = model.active_entities.weld(edges)

Parameters:

Raises:

  • (ArgumentError) —

    if the given entities are not part of the same Entities collection.

Version:

  • SketchUp 2020.1