Ruby Console

[Tim Grindlay]

Hi,

is there any way I see how to use Ruby COnsole without having SSA, the tutorial requires SSA, and mine has expired. There does not seem to be anything in the user manual.

Thanks.

[lbuttery]

Tim:

sorry, I checked and there are no help database articles on Ruby either

Frankly, I wouldn't worry about it - Ruby is lame in its current limited state
and probably not worth the effort for messing with a few text macros and lables

Lew

[Tim Grindlay]

I was wondering if it could show a Floor Level for rooms - presently you can enter text macros for room area, ceiling height etc, but no floor level..

[Glenn Woodward]

Tim,

When you select a room the Ruby console console returns 2 names (?).
finished_floor_elevation
and
floor_elevation

So...one should be able to use these in a text macro using the Text Macro Management tool.

I cannot for the life of me get such a macro to work.
It is probably something very basic that I am not doing or do not understand.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Chad Cardin]

Lew,

I still use my ruby for a little added 'bling' to my chief screen, I occassionally watch it sparkle and bring me good luck!

[lbuttery]

Chad:

no "sparkle" here

maybe X4 ???


Lew

[gteacher]

Tim

The only info and help for Ruby in Chief is in the Ruby Console Tutorial which, pretty much, defines everything. As far as I can see, Ruby does not have the ability, at this point to do as you want. Although Ruby does have room info such as Elevation. AND you could use this data to make a Macro such as: if elevation = 0.0 then puts "Floor level is: Level one".

The problem is that there is no way for a text and leader line to reference a room as there is nothing available to point to (you can only point to (reference) cabinets,windows, etc.). -- So the Room elevation data is not available unless you select the room. -- Worthless, if you are trying to create labels.

If fact, at this point, ruby is so worthless that it has no practical use. I believe that it has only been introduced now because Chief intends to expand it's use in the near future and may only be a experiment at this point. However, Dan has already indicated that a API is not in the cards, at least not in the near future.

Chief is definitely, slowly being left behind!!

[gteacher]

TIM --- FYI

As additional info---

you can, however, modify the default room label by adding a macro that can address the Ruby info. See attached jpg. If you use the default label, they will be the same for all rooms that use the default. Just check "Show Room Label" in the room dbx.

[Tim Grindlay]

Thanks for the help, I never looked at Ruby while my SSA was current, now it has expired I can't seem to find info on how to use it, my wife won't let me renew SSA until I have finished the building work on our house (complaining about the cold winter or something, wont let me have any more toys...)

I like the macros in the text options, because you can drag the txt box from room to room to check now and then, without having to have all the usual labels on, on my plan template I have such a txt box set up, good for the anno sets where a lot of that info is turned off. a few more macros would be good, I wondered if they could be be created with Ruby (as I really have no idea how to use it), also I was looking for a way to show door and window labels when door and windows were turned off, also have label callouts shown on some layers, with dimensions shown on some layers, I thought that Ruby may be able to do that....

[gteacher]

AWH -- More info

If you have X3, I don't think you need SSA to use the Ruby Console as that is a part of X3. Also, the Ruby tutorial is part of the Console. Just open the Console under Tools, Ruby Console, click Tutorial and follow the instructions. It is basically the same info as the Chief training video # 1323 on Ruby.
You CAN do what you are asking to do by selecting the object and making the inquiry in the console. OR you can use a text box and point a leader line to the object you want to inquire and use the "referenced" class.
You may not find this too useful since not all objects contain Ruby fields. AND each type Object has different info. Moving and pointing a common text box leader to a object might prove to be too cumbersome and you would need a different Macro for each type object. --- But doable.
I think you would be better off waiting until Chief "fleshes out" Ruby, since I think it would probably be easier to just open the respective dbx's if you need to inspect some items.
If I am wrong, give me some specifics and I'll try to help.

[Glenn Woodward]

Tim,

With a bit of prompting from Jerry above, I finally figured out how to get the floor level macro to work.
The trick is that you can't just place it in a room - it needs to go in with the room label - either the default room label (it will then display in every room) or on a room by room basis.

Open the Text Macro Management dbx.
Click New.
Name: Finished Floor Elevation
Value: %finished_floor_elevation%
Leave Evaluate unchecked
OK
Done

To place the macro in the default room label dbx:
Defaults...Rooms...Room Label
Leave a blank line (the Room Label will automatically place on this line when a room is named).
On the next line type: Finished Floor Elevation: %Finished Floor Elevation%

Now, whenever you name a room, the finished floor elevation will display under the room name.

If you don't want to display the floor level for every room, don't do the above, rather, place the macro in the Room Name box on the General tab of the room dbx (you can place it in front of or after the room name.

Any changes to the floor level will be reflected in the text.

[dshall]

Glenn, does that finished floor elevation include carpet?

[perryh]

Hopefully not.

[Allen Brown]

It should. Finish floor means whatever the finish is on top of the subfloor, in this case 1/2" carpet. No?

[dshall]

Hopefully not.

Yes I agree, the framers care about finish floor before the REAL finish floor is installed.