Peter's Tools

Summary: Miscellaneous scripts compiled into a plugin (developed primarily by peter harris). Download includes toolbar for easy access and setup.

Some of these scripts will not work with Win7 and probably not with Vista (the time-tracking tools and maybe some of the BOM tools will not work.) Someday, after V5 of Rhino is released, I intend to fix these issues. See bottom of the page for a bit more info on what will work for you!

I've created a plugin (hurrah for Monkey!) from the most useful of the scripts that I've written, 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!

The commands currently available in the PetersTools plug-in are as follows:

BOM and object properties tools:

1. BOM - Calculates object weights based on density and exports object notes and other attributes to an excel spreadsheet. (note: objects need to have a 'real material' assigned in order to do the weight calculations. See next tool…)
2. RealMaterialTools - Includes options to set a real material to objects (includes a way to create custom materials, but comes with some plastics already in there), match real materials, select objects with no real material, or delete real material data from selected objects (I plan to expand this with more options at some point.)
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 (I plan to expand this with more options at some point.)
   1. SelUnnamed - Selects all unnamed objects.
   2. NameObjects - Lets you name a bunch of objects in serial fashion (brings up a box for each 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:
2. JoinCurvesByClosestEnds - Joins two curves by closest ends by adding two straight lines.
3. 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.
4. SplitBoth - Splits two sets of surfaces with each other.
5. SplitWithEdgesAndCurves - Script that basically automates typing in 'crv' after picking the split command.
6. 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.
7. TrimAtZero - Same, but starts line at 0,0
8. SetX - Flattens an object in the X direction.
9. SetX_To_0 - Flattens an object in the X direction to 0.
10. SetY - Flattens an object in the Y direction.
11. SetY_To_0 - Flattens an object in the Y direction to 0.
12. SetZ - Flattens an object in the Z direction.
13. SetZ_To_0 - Flattens an object in the Z direction to 0.

File utilities:

1. BatchSaveSmall - Lets you automate saving a folder of Rhino files small (including subfolders, optionally)
2. Open3dmFileInNewWorkspace - Opens a Rhino file without closing the currently open rhino file. (Probably not working for Vista/Win7)
3. OpenSelectedInNewWorkspace - Opens the currently selected objects in a new Rhino window. (Probably not working for Vista/Win7)
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.

Project timer tools:

1. SetProjectNumber - Allows you to enter a project number as a bit of document data.
2. TimerOpen - Opens file with the data about when you started & stopped your projects. (Probably not working for Vista/Win7)
3. TimerStart - Starts a timer (based on the project number & your computer's clock.) (Probably not working for Vista/Win7)
4. TimerStop - Stops the timer. (thanks to David Rutten for help on these timer scripts.) (Probably not working for Vista/Win7)

Misc tools:

1. DotWithData - Adds annotation dots with part names or real materials or object volumes to all parts. (Thanks to David Rutten for a function that I used in this script to find the 'middle' of the objects.)
2. HideCurves - Hides all visible curves.
3. HidePoints - Hides all visible points.
4. ZoomToUnlocked - Zooms to all unlocked objects ('normal' objects)
5. ZoomToUnlockedAll - Same as zoom to unlocked, but all views

1. Copy the “PetersTools.rhp” file to your “Rhinoceros 4.0\Plug-ins” folder.
2. Copy the “PetersTools.tb” file to wherever you like to keep toolbars.
3. Start Rhino.
4. Run “PluginManager” and press the install button. Browse to your “Rhinoceros 4.0\Plug-ins” directory and select “PetersTools.rhp”.
5. Load the toolbar that you saved by going to the Tools menu, pick Toolbar Layout, then File/Open the toolbar file.

Please note: there there may be an issue when running scripts that are compiled with Monkey when you are also running the T-splines plugin. I have not heard of any crashes related to this, just failure of tools to work, but be cautious and save often.

Here's a version for Rhino 4 (only tested on WinXP, and I have one report that it won't load on Win7 64-bit): peterstoolsv1.25.zip

Here's a version for Rhino 5 users (only tested on Win7 64-bit, and the timer tools do not work): peterstoolsforrhino5_v1.zip

E-mail me with your questions and feedback on this plug-in. I get very little feedback, so anything I get really helps!