RpTools is a SketchUp add-on which makes it easier to work with components, to create 2D documents, and perform other powerful functions.
RpTools is an add-on package for SketchUp to make it easy to layout 3D components from the 3D Warehouse (or your own components).
The latest release adds to items:
This should be handy for placing cabinets, or similar items, in a room, where each item is placed relative to the previous item, and rotated properly to align with the proper wall.
This is available on the Component Selector in RpTools.
Makes it easy to create a basic shape for a garage. With a Tire Stop and sloped floor.
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Start Dialog
- Options and Help for RpTools.
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Place Material
- Place materials on surfaces.
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Select Component
- Select SketchUp components from an Explorer like list.
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Move Wizard
- move a component (or any selected entities) along an axis.
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Copy Wizard
- copy a component (or any selected entities) along an axis.
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Mirror Wizard
- mirror a component (or any selected entities) along an axis.
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Rotate Wizard
- rotate a component (or any selected entities) around an axis.
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Stretch Wizard
- stretch a component (or any selected entities) along an axis.
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Aim component
- align a component's axis to point at something else in the model.
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Room
- create room for placement of components.
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Garage
- create garage for placement of components.
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Rich Text
- place and edit 2D text in a SkecthUp model.
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Polyline
- Draws lines without automatically creating faces.
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PDF Plot
- plot with line widths and colors. (Not available in the free version of SketchUp.)
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Alpha Channel
- Adds an image with transparent areas.
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Cylinder Shape
- Makes a cylinder.
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Cone Shape
- Makes a cone.
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Wine Bottle
- Makes a bottle shape.
The Start Dialog shows all of the icons available on the Toolbar, with a help button for each icon to take you to the on-line help.
Click this button to proceed directly the the RPS on-line help forum for RpTools.
Place Material uses an Explorer type tree to select materials and place them directly on faces without having to open components and groups for edit.
The tool “drills” into the model to determine which face, (or component or group), to change to place the material.
Select Component is a tool in RPS RpTools and RpReports which selects components from your SketchUp libraries using a convenient and powerful explorer tree.
You can use the view buttons above the component image to change the preview view, or the use mouse to spin and orbit the component by dragging on the image.
When using the Place button, you can rotate the component during placement with the arrow keys.
First, download and install RpTools.
To get started, select one or more objects in your model, and try the various Manipulation Icons.
Each Icon will load a dialog which can be used to move, rotate, or make other changes to the selected objects in your model.
Move Wizard for RpTools.
Enter the distance to move below, and click an arrow to move in that direction.
If you make a mistake, you can clock the opposite arrow to return, or use Undo.
Use component axes - This is enabled only if a single component instance is selected. If it is checked, the component will be moved along its own axes. (For example if it has been rotated.). Otherwise the selection is moved along the model axes. (Red = X, Green = Y, Blue = Z.)
Copy Wizard for RpTools.
Enter the distance to move when making the copy below, and click an arrow to copy in that direction.
If you make a mistake use Undo.
After the copy, the new entities are selected. If you click an arrow (again), a new copy will be made in that direction.
Use component axes - This is enabled only if a single component instance is selected. If it is checked, the component will be copied along its own axes. (For example if it has been rotated.). Otherwise the selection is moved along the model axes. (Red = X, Green = Y, Blue = Z.)
Mirror Wizard for RpTools.
Quickly mirror components, etc. with the Mirror Wizard. Red and Green mirror operations are reflected through a plane perpendicular to the ground plane (red/green). Blue mirror operations are reflected through a plane parallel to the ground plane.
Click any of the colored arrows to mirror the current selection in along the corresponding red, green or blue axis.
Gap is the distance which will be placed between the selection entities and the mirrored entities. This can be used to mirror furniture in a room or workstation across a hall or aisle.
Rotate Wizard for RpTools.
Enter an angle to rotate by. The radio buttons will prefill some common angles. If you set a small angle such as 15 or 30 degrees, then you can click the arrow several times to get a larger rotation.
Click an arrow to rotate around an axis. To spin an item placed on the floow, use the positive or negative Z arrows.
Stretch Wizard for RpTools
There are 3 tabs available for stretching.
Dimensions shows the current size of the component or entities selected.
Enter the desired size in any of the directions and click Apply to perform the stretch.
You can also return to this tab after performing a percentage or incremental stretch to see what the new dimensions are.
Percentage - Enter a percentage and click an arrow to stretch the component, or selected entities, along an axis. Click an arrow to stretch in that direction.
If you want to stretch in all 2 or more directions at the same time, check the Lock dimensions in these axes check boxes. You must check 2 or 3 axis boxes for locking to occur.
Incremental - Enter a distance to increase the selection by. Click an arrow to stretch in that direction.
Aim, or point, a component by pointing one of its axes at another location in the model.
Aim Axis - select the axis of the component to align.
Then move the mouse cursor to snap to a locatable item in SketchUp to aim the component at that item.
Rich Text allows you to use text fonts, sizes, colors, and images to create 2D text - in plan or elevation in your SketchUp model.
Quickly turn your 3D models into 2D documents.
(This is the same feature as the Rich Text which is available as part of Construction Documentation ).
Use this tool to create an image from text fonts, colors, and sizes - and place the image in your SketchUp model.
Polyline draws lines in the drawing without turning them into faces when they meet.
Each polyline is saved as a group, so it will not be used when closing other geometry.
Pen Width and Pen Color is set for the entire polyline.
See:
Polyline
For plotting and printing plans and elevations using pen widths and color assigned to edge lines.
Note:PDF Plot is not currently available in the free version of SketchUp.
See:
PDF Plot
Creates a Room, for placement of components.
See:
Room Wizard
Creates a simple garage with tire stop and sloping floor.
===Alpha Channel===
Alpha channel adds an alpha channel to a raster image, (to defined parts of the image which are transparent). The alpha channel image can then be used as a SketchUp Image, a SketchUp material, or for other uses (e.g. as a toolbar icon).
See:
Alpha Channel
Tools to create or manipulate alpha channel images.
Alpha channel images contain a channel, in addition to red, green and blue for color, which defines places where the image is transparent.
This is used to create transparent, 2D components in SketchUp, or to paste renderings or other images on top of a background.
Shapes is a toolbar of RpTools to create simple 3D Shapes.
See:
There is a 30 day Trial Version for RPS products. This is a fully functional version, with watermarks or other text added to indicate that it is a trial version.
Follow the links from the Downloads Page to download the latest version.
For more information see the RpTools Tutorial .
If you have any problems or questions, post them on the: RpTools Forum
When combined with RpReports for attributes and reports, RpTools becomes a powerful platform for creating applications for use in house, by your distributors or by your clients.