Dimensions 0.0.0 - Released (2.54b)

Coding Python Support
1

This addon for the 2.54 beta lets you add dimension objects to measure distances in real time.
Its a test of concept, but may be fun to test.

Some features are.

  • Add as many dimensions as you like
  • Move them to where you want them
  • Start and endpoint can be attached to different objects and follow when you move, scale and rotate.
  • Keep your scene neat and tidy by putting them in a separate layer.

http://blenderpythonscripts.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/dimensions-0-0-0-test-of-concept/

Enjoy!

2

If you tell me, what a ‘dimension’ is (in your language) for me it is 1D, 2D, 3D the dimension of ‘space’??!!

So I do not know what you want to do …, sorry.

EDIT
Bad Peter, you wrote “create Dimension objects” and that is at least 90% clear.
Got the script …and tried to use … ‘dimensions’ …
(One can ‘draw’ lines … though not yet discovered pricisely …)

3

cool,
your scripts are very good :slight_smile:
I would like to add them to https://projects.blender.org/projects/bf-extensions/
so they can be tracked & developed further.
thanks, keep up the good work.

4

can you make a small video showing how this is working less then 10 minutes

i can add some small shape with LMB at a specific location
but then what do you do with this ?

can it show arros + some dimensions ect…

can it show angle between 2 lines ?

there is a lot of potentiel but don’t see it yet!

happy 2.54

5

Looks very nice :eyebrowlift:, but i think we need a little demo on how to fully use it.
I managed to get it to measure two vertex points, but the angle of the lines was a little odd, and the numbers showing were quite dark and small.
I’m sure i’m not use it correctly.

It would be fantastic if you could select an item (or a face) and get it to put all the measures of it without having to select each point manually.

Thanks for sharing it :yes:

6

Thanks for the feedback.

The script is called dimensions as in ‘dimension lines’, you can google it for images. But I thought ‘dimension lines’ was too long a name so I chose ‘dimension’. And it sort of adds another dimension to Blender if you please excuse the phun… :slight_smile:
At the moment it can only show distances between two points.
Maybe I will make videos when my addons are a bit more matured.
Adding it to some repository/tracker is a good idea.

This is how it works.

  • Click the create button. You will get a seemingly ‘empty’ object.
  • Now select either an object, or a single vertex, and click ‘set start’ or ‘set end’
  • The object origin is used as a handle. It shows the start location. Click it once to activate the dimension for editing. It then gets highlighted (yellow). Grab it and move it to where you want it. Use orthographic view (Numpad 5,1,3,7) to get better angles while positioning then.
  • Select dimensions together with the measured object when moving and rotating. Then you won’t have to reposition them.

You can change the color of the numbers by editing the script. Row 547…
The three first values are RGB the fourth is alpha but it seems to be ignored… bgl.glColor4f(0.3, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)
Highlight and line colors are on row 491 and 493. Alpha works here…

7

Hey this works great! And easy way to set this up quick is… after you install plugin Create two Emptys and pull them out away from Center World Then Create your Dimension … (should have a ‘Create’ button on the Right hand tool bar) Then ‘Set Start’ one empty Then ‘Set End’ the other empty move the Dimension COG around to adjust… Wish I could adjust the Text Size… Also wish I had more time to learn to write python code… Nice work though… Two Thumbs up!!