Google SketchUp Ruby API

Introduction
- Getting Started
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Quick Reference

Object Reference
- App Level Classes
  - SketchUp
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  - Camera
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- Entity Classes
  - Entity
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- Collection Classes
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- Geom Classes
  - Geom
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  - Vector3d
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- UI Classes
  - UI
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- Observer Classes
- Core Ruby Classes
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Camera

class

Parent: Object

Introduction

SketchUp 6.0+

The Camera class contains methods for creating and manipulating a camera. The camera in SketchUp is the "point of view" from which you look at the model.

     # Create a camera from scratch with an "eye" position in
     # x, y, z coordinates, a "target" position that
     # defines what to look at, and an "up" vector.
     eye = [1000,1000,1000]
     target = [0,0,0]
     up = [0,0,1]
     my_camera = Sketchup::Camera.new eye, target, up

     # Get a handle to the current view and change its camera.
     view = Sketchup.active_model.active_view
     view.camera = my_camera

Methods

Camera.aspect_ratioSketchUp 6.0+

The aspect_ratio method is used to retrieve the aspect ratio of the Camera.

Returns:

aspectratio: an aspect ratio, such as 1.85, if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 ar = camera.aspect_ratio
 if (ar)
   UI.messagebox ar.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.aspect_ratio=SketchUp 6.0+

The aspect_ratio= method is used to set the aspect ratio for a Camera. Changing this value will cause SketchUp to show gray bars over the screen to show the resulting view.

If you set the value to 0.0, then the aspect ratio of the Camera will match the aspect ratio of its View.

Returns:

aspectratio: an aspect ratio, such as 1.85, if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 ar = camera.aspect_ratio = 1.85
 if (ar)
   UI.messagebox ar.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.descriptionSketchUp 6.0+

The description method is used to retrieve the description for a Camera object.

Returns:

description: a string description for the camera if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 description = camera.description
 if (description)
   UI.messagebox description
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.description=SketchUp 6.0+

The description= method is used to set the description for the Camera.

Returns:

description: a string description for the camera if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 description = camera.description = "35 mm Camera"

Camera.directionSketchUp 6.0+

The direction method is used to retrieve a Vector3d object in the direction that the Camera is pointing.

Returns:

direction: a Vector3d object pointing in the direction that the Camera is pointing if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new      
 # Returns 0,0,-1 which indicates it is pointed down the Z axis
 direction = camera.direction
 if (direction)
   UI.messagebox direction.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.eyeSketchUp 6.0+

The eye method is used to retrieve the eye Point3d object for the Camera.

Returns:

eye: a Point3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # Returns 0,0,1 which indicates it is right in line with the Z axis.
 eye = camera.eye
 if (eye)
   UI.messagebox eye
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.focal_lengthSketchUp 6.0+

The focal_length method is used to get the focal length in millimeters of perspective Camera.

This value is computed based on the field of view (see the fov method) and the image width (see image_width).

Arguments:

length: The focal length for the camera if successful.

Returns:

nil

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 l = camera.focal_length
 if (l)
   UI.messagebox l.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.focal_length=SketchUp 6.0+

The focal_length= method allows you to sent the focal length (in millimeters) of a perspective camera. This is an alternate way of setting the field of view.

Returns:

length: the new focal length for the camera if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 l = camera.focal_length=120
 if (l)
   UI.messagebox l
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.fovSketchUp 6.0+

The fov method retrieves the field of view of the camera (in degrees).

This is only applicable to perspective cameras.

Returns:

fov: field of view, in degrees, if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 fov = camera.fov
 if (fov)
   UI.messagebox fov.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.fov=SketchUp 6.0+

The fov= method sets the field of view, in millimeters, for a Camera.

This is only valid on a perspective camera.

Arguments:

fov: A field of view in millimeters.

Returns:

fov: the new field of view if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 fov = camera.fov = 56.78
 if (fov)
   UI.messagebox fov.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.heightSketchUp 6.0+

The height method retrieves the height of a Camera in inches.

This is only valid if it is not a perspective camera.

Returns:

height: height in current units if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 h = camera.height
 if (h)
   UI.messagebox h.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.height=SketchUp 6.0+

The height= method is used to set the height for the Camera in inches.

This is only valid if it is not a perspective camera.

Returns:

height: height in current units if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 h = camera.height = 20
 if (h)
   UI.messagebox h.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.image_widthSketchUp 6.0+

The image_width method retrieves the size of the image on the image plane of the Camera.

By default, this value is not set. If it is set, it is used in the calculation of the focal length from the field of view. Unlike most length values in SketchUp, the image_width and focal_length values are specified in millimeters rather than in inches.

Returns:

width: the width of the camera if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 w = camera.image_width
 if (w)
   UI.messagebox w.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.image_width=SketchUp 6.0+

The image_width= method is used to set the size of the image on the "film" for a perspective camera.

The value is given in millimeters. It is used in the conversions between field of view and focal length.

Returns:

width: the width of the camera if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 w = camera.image_width=1.0
 if (w)
   UI.messagebox w.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.newSketchUp 6.0+

Returns a new camera with eye (where the camera is) and targets (where the camera is looking) of type Point3d, up direction of type Vector3d, optional perspective flag of value true or false, and optional field-of-view value in degrees of type Float.

Arguments:

eye: See Camera.eye.

target: See Camera.target.

up: Camera.up.

perspective: (optional) see Camera.perspective. Defaults to true.

fov: (optional) see Camera.fov. Defaults to 30.0.

Returns:

camera: a new Camera object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 if (camera)
   UI.messagebox camera
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.perspective=SketchUp 6.0+

The perspective= method is used to set whether or not this is a perspective camera or an orthographic camera.

Arguments:

perspective: true for perspective, false for orthographic

Returns:

status: true if perspective, false if orthographic

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 status = camera.perspective = false
 if (status)
   UI.messagebox "Perspective"
 else
   UI.messagebox "Orthographic"
 end

Camera.perspective?SketchUp 6.0+

The perspective? method is used to determine whether a camera is a perspective or orthographic camera.

Returns:

status: true if perspective, false if orthographic

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 status = camera.perspective?
 if (status)
   UI.messagebox "Perspective"
 else
   UI.messagebox "Orthographic"
 end

Camera.setSketchUp 6.0+

The initialize method is deprecated. It essentially does the same thing as Camera.set.

Arguments:

eye: See Camera.eye.

target: See Camera.target.

up: See Camera.up.

Returns:

camera: a new Camera object

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 eye = camera.eye
 target = camera.target
 up = camera.up
 # We just set it to exactly what it was pointing at in the first place
 camera = camera.set eye, target, up
 if (camera)
   UI.messagebox camera.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.targetSketchUp 6.0+

The target method retrieves Point3d that the camera is pointing at.

Returns:

target: a Point3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # Target point is 0,0,0
 t = camera.target
 if (t)
   UI.messagebox t.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.upSketchUp 6.0+

The up method is used to retrieve the up vector for the camera. This is the direction that the top of the camera is facing.

Returns:

up: a Vector3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
 up = camera.up
 if (up)
   UI.messagebox up.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.xaxisSketchUp 6.0+

The xaxis method is used to retrieve the x axis of the camera coordinate system defined by the camera's direction and up vector.

This value is computed from the cross product between the camera direction and the up vector.

Returns:

vector: a Vector3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # 1.0, 0.0, 0.0
 v = camera.xaxis
 if (v)
   UI.messagebox v.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.yaxisSketchUp 6.0+

The yaxis method retrieves the y axis of the camera coordinate system defined by the camera's direction and up vector.

This value is computed to be perpendicular the camera x and z axes. It is equivalent to the up direction, but is computed to make sure that it is perpendicular to the direction.

Returns:

vector: a Vector3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
 v = camera.yaxis
 if (v)
   UI.messagebox v.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Camera.zaxisSketchUp 6.0+

The zaxis method retrieves the z axis of the camera coordinate system defined by the camera's direction and up vector.

This value is computed. It is the same as Camera.direction

Returns:

vector: a Vector3d object if successful

 camera = Sketchup::Camera.new
 # 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
 v = camera.zaxis
 if (v)
   UI.messagebox v.to_s
 else
   UI.messagebox "Failure"
 end

Google SketchUp Ruby API

Introduction

Quick Reference

Object Reference

Camera

class

Introduction

Methods