Macro StraightenObject

Other languages:

Description
StraightenObject
This macro align an object with FC coordinate system according reference items (face/edge) This macro has been written mainly to re-align imported objects (eg. STEP) with main FreeCAD planes/axis. To use the macro, select the reference item(s), eventually other objects, then run the macro. If you want to align your object with other plane/axis, use the macro then the Transform function of FreeCAD. See "Details" chapter for multi-object selection. Macro version: 0.8 Last modified: 2019-06-10 FreeCAD version: 0.17+ Download: ToolBar Icon Author: OpenBrain
Author
OpenBrain
Download
ToolBar Icon
Links
Macros recipes How to install macros How to customize toolbars
Macro Version
0.8
Date last modified
2019-06-10
FreeCAD Version(s)
0.17+
Default shortcut
None
See also
Macro PlacementAbsolufy

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Context 2 Usage 3 Installation 4 Details 5 Script 5.1 Limitations 6 Forum discussion

Description

Context

This macro has been written mainly to re-align imported objects (eg. STEP) with main FreeCAD planes/axis.

Usage

Functionally, the macro will use one or both of following reference items to straighten (rotate & move) the object(s) :

Face : the selected face will be set coplanar with XY plane, its center mass being set at the origin
Edge (or 2 vertexes) : the selected edge will be aligned with the Y axis

To use the macro, select the reference item(s), eventually other objects, then run the macro. If you want to align your object with other plane/axis, use the macro then the Transform function of FreeCAD. See "Details" chapter for multi-object selection.

Installation

The macro is available through Addon Manager. Code is provided on this page for convenience in case user system doesn't have git-python. Though it should be up-to-date, latest release is always available at FreeCAD-macro repository

For more detailed explanations, see the How to install macros page.

Details

Below a table presenting the different cases that are handled by the macro :

First selected object item(s)	Subsequent selected object(s) item(s)	Macro behavior
One reference face	Any (optional)	First object is rotated/moved so reference face lies on XY plane, its center of mass being at the origin. Other selected objects undergo the same movement as first object
One reference edge (or 2 reference vertexes)	Any (optional)	First object is rotated around its center of mass so that reference edge is parallel to Y axis (no shift is applied). Other selected objects undergo the same movement as first object
One reference face + one reference edge (or 2 reference vertexes)	Any (optional)	First object is rotated/moved so reference face lies on XY plane(its center of mass being at the origin) and reference edge is parallel to Y axis. Other selected objects undergo the same movement as first object
2+ faces + any	Any (optional)	Macro fails
2+ edges (or 3+ vertexes) + any	Any (optional)	Macro fails
Any other combination	Any (optional)	Macro fails

The macro will perform the following checks :

If the reference face is perpendicular to the reference edge, the latter will be ignored (warning notification in the status bar)
If the reference face isn't a flat one, weird result may happen (warning notification in the status bar)

When you select several object, the macro will propose 2 options to apply the straightening :

Parent : the macro will try to find a common parent to all selected objects :
- If no one is found, the macro fails with an error notification in the status bar
- If one or more is found, the transformation is applied on the hierarchically lower one
Multiple : the transformation is applied on each selected object separately

To Be Completed with picture example

Script

Limitations

Reference items shall all belong to the first selected object. Reference items among several objects is not supported at this time
Straightened object(s) shall be in a coordinate system corresponding to the global one. If you used Part container(s) to locate your objects, you should first use Macro PlacementAbsolufy on your model. If this condition isn't fulfilled, weird things can happen.

ToolBar Icon

Macro_StraightenObject.FCMacro

#!/usr/bin/python
#####################################
# Copyright (c) openBrain 2019
# Licensed under LGPL v2
#
# This FreeCAD macro will straighten an object vs. root origin based on a selected face or/and a selected edge (or 2 selected vertices)
# * If only a face is selected -> Center of mass of the face is set at origin, and normal to face at this same point is aligned with Z axis
# * If only an edge is selected (or 2 vertices) -> Object is rotated around Z axis (centered at the bounding box center) so that the virtual line between the 2 edge endpoints (or between the 2 vertices) is aligned with X axis
# * If both a face and an edge (or 2 vertices) are selected, both previous effects are applied (at the difference that the Z rotation in centered on the face center of mass)
#
# Selected reference items shall belong to the same object
#
# Main use of the macro is to re-align imported objects with the FreeCAD origin
#
# Version history :
# *0.8 : some typo improvement + commenting for official PR
# *0.75 : adding transaction for correct undo management
# *0.7 : multiple objects support (LIMITATION : reference items shall all belong to first object)(LIMITATION : unexpected results may happen if selected objects are in different coordinate systems)
# *0.6 : change way of reaching PartDesign Body, older has trouble with objects contained in a part
# *0.51 : change reference face alignment so it is considered a bottom face rather than a top one
# *0.5 : beta release
#
#####################################

__Name__ = 'StraigthenObject'
__Comment__ = 'Straighten an object by a face and/or an edge (or 2 vertices)'
__Author__ = 'openBrain'
__Version__ = '0.8'
__Date__ = '2019-06-10'
__License__ = 'LGPL v2'
__Web__ = 'https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Macro_StraightenObject'
__Wiki__ = 'https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Macro_StraightenObject'
__Icon__ = ''
__Help__ = 'Select face and/or edge to guide object straightening then run the macro'
__Status__ = 'Beta'
__Requires__ = 'FreeCAD >= 0.17'
__Communication__ = 'https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=35191'

__dbg__ = False #True for debugging

from PySide import QtGui

def cslM(msg):
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage('\n')
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(msg)

def cslW(msg):
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage('\n')
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(msg)

def cslE(msg):
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage('\n')
    FreeCAD.Console.PrintError(msg)

def cslD(msg):
    if __dbg__:
        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage('\n')
        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("Debug : " + str(msg))

_0Vec_ = FreeCAD.Vector(0, 0, 0)
_XVec_ = FreeCAD.Vector(1, 0, 0)
_YVec_ = FreeCAD.Vector(0, 1, 0)
_ZVec_ = FreeCAD.Vector(0, 0, 1)

if __dbg__:  ##Clear report view in debug mode
    FreeCADGui.getMainWindow().findChild(QtGui.QTextEdit, "Report view").clear()

cslM("Starting Straighten Object macro")
cslD("Getting selected objects to define targets")

selError = False #true if incorrect selection made
cancelOp = False #true if operation canceled by user

if len(FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()) > 1: #if several objet selected
    cslD("Multiple objects selected, asking user what to do")
    msgb = QtGui.QMessageBox() ##create a message box to ask for user choice & populate it
    msgb.setWindowTitle("Multiple objects selected")
    msgb.setText("""You have selected multiple objects
        This is experimental feature, unexpected results may happen if objects are in different coordinate systems
        Click 'Parent' to try to find a common parent and apply transformation to it
        Click 'Multiple' to apply transformation on all objects individually
        Click 'Cancel' to cancel operation""")
    msgb.setInformativeText("!!! Reference face and/or line shall belong to the 1st selected object !!!")
    msgb.setIcon(QtGui.QMessageBox.Question)
    pbut = msgb.addButton("Parent", QtGui.QMessageBox.AcceptRole) #button for 'Parent' mode
    mbut = msgb.addButton("Multiple", QtGui.QMessageBox.AcceptRole) #button for "Multiple' mode
    cbut = msgb.addButton("Cancel", QtGui.QMessageBox.RejectRole) #button to cancel operation
    msgb.exec_() #display message box
    if msgb.clickedButton() == pbut: #if 'Parent' mode selected
        cslD("Parent mode selected, will search for a common one")
        plist = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()[0].InListRecursive #initialize the parent list
        for obj in FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection(): #for each object in selection
            plist = list(set(plist).intersection(obj.InListRecursive)) #search common parent with previous objects
        cslD("Found common parent(s) : " + str([str(p.Label) for p in plist]) + " / if several, choose the first one")
        if len(plist) == 0: #if no common parent found
            selError = True
            cslE("No common parent found")
        else: #if common parent found
            target = [plist[0]] #take the lowest level one as target
            cslD("Selected parent as target : " + str(target[0].Label))
    elif msgb.clickedButton() == mbut: #if 'Multiple' mode selected
        cslD("Multiple mode selected, will apply on all objects")
        target = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection() #take all selection as target
    else: #if operation canceled
        cancelOp = True
        cslD("Operation canceled by user")
elif len(FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()) == 1: #if only one object selected
    target = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection() #take it as target
else: #no object selected
    selError = True
    cslE("No object selected")

if not(selError or cancelOp): #if a valid selection is available
    cslD("Target(s) after mode application : " + str(target[0].Label))
    cslD("Checking if PartDesign feature selected")
    for cnt, t in enumerate(target): #going through the targets
        try:
            while str(t.TypeId)[:10] == 'PartDesign' and str(t.TypeId) != 'PartDesign::Body': #while object is in a PartDesign and is not the Body
                t = t.getParentGeoFeatureGroup() #try its parent as new target
        except: #if a PartDesign object has no containing Body
            selError = True
            cslE("Found a PartDesign object not in a Body")
            break
        target[cnt] = t #update target

    target = list(set(target).intersection(target)) #remove duplicates to prevent applying 2 times transformation on same object
    cslD("Final target(s) : " + str([str(t.Label) for t in target]))

    cslD("Getting reference items")

    refFaceDef = False #true if a reference face is selected
    refPt1Def = False #true if one reference point is found selected
    refPt2Def = False #true if another reference point is found selected

    cslD("Subobjects : " +str(FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelectionEx()[0].SubElementNames))
    for selItem in FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelectionEx()[0].SubObjects: #going through selected items of first object
        if isinstance(selItem, Part.Face): #if it's a face
            if not refFaceDef: #if reference face not yet defined
                refFace = selItem #define it
                refFaceDef = True #and remember
            else:
                selError = True #too much faces selected
                cslE("Too much reference faces selected")
        elif isinstance(selItem, Part.Edge): #if it's an edge
            if not refPt1Def and not refPt2Def: #if reference points not yet defined
                refPt1 = selItem.Vertexes[0] #define 1st reference point as first edge point
                refPt1Def = True #and remember
                refPt2 = selItem.Vertexes[len(selItem.Vertexes)-1] #define 2nd reference point as last edge point
                refPt2Def = True #and remember
            else:
                selError = True #too much points selected
                cslE("Too much reference points selected (vertices or edges)")
        elif isinstance(selItem, Part.Vertex): #if it's a vertex
            if not refPt1Def: #if 1st reference point not yet defined
                refPt1 = selItem #define it
                refPt1Def = True #and remember
            elif not refPt2Def: #if 2nd reference point not yet defined
                refPt2 = selItem #define it
                refPt2Def = True #and remember
            else:
                selError = True #too much points selected
                cslE("Too much reference points selected (vertices or edges)")
        else:
            selError = True #incorrect type of item selected
            cslE("Incorrect type of item selected")

if cancelOp:
    cslM("Operation canceled by user ... exiting")
elif selError or (bool(refPt1Def) != bool(refPt2Def)) or (not (refPt1Def or refPt2Def or refFaceDef)): #if selection error or only one reference point defined or no reference face/point defined
    cslE("Selection error : see report view & documentation for more details ... Exiting")
else:
    FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.openTransaction("Straighten objects") #open new transaction for undo management
    cslD("Starting Transformation")
    obj = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()[0] # take as reference the first object selected for transformation
    shiftVec = _0Vec_ #no shift move by defaut
    faceRot = FreeCAD.Rotation(_ZVec_, _ZVec_) #no reference rotation by default
    lineRot = FreeCAD.Rotation(_ZVec_, _ZVec_) #no reference line by default
    normVec = _ZVec_ #normal is the Z axis by default
    rotCenter = obj.Shape.BoundBox.Center #center of rotation at object bounding box center by default
    warning = False #True if a warning appears

    if refFaceDef: #if a reference face has been defined
        cslD("A reference face is available")
        faceCurv = refFace.curvatureAt(refFace.Surface.parameter(refFace.CenterOfMass)[0], refFace.Surface.parameter(refFace.CenterOfMass)[1]) #calculating face curvature at center of mass
        cslD("Curvature : " + str(faceCurv))
        if faceCurv != (0, 0): #if reference face is not flat at its center of mass
            warning = True
            cslW("Reference face is not flat at its center of mass, unexpected results may happen") #warn user about it
        rotCenter = refFace.CenterOfMass #changing center of rotation to center of mass of reference face
        shiftVec -= refFace.CenterOfMass #the reference face will be centered
        normVec = refFace.normalAt(refFace.Surface.parameter(refFace.CenterOfMass)[0], refFace.Surface.parameter(refFace.CenterOfMass)[1]) #getting normal vector at face center of mass
        faceRot = FreeCAD.Rotation(normVec, -_ZVec_) #calculate needed rotation to align the reference face with Z axis
        for t in target:
            t.Placement = FreeCAD.Placement(_0Vec_, faceRot, rotCenter).multiply(t.Placement) #rotate targets to align reference face normal with Z axis
        cslD("Targets rotated to match reference face normal with Z axis")
    if refPt1Def: #if reference points have been defined
        cslD("Reference points are available")
        lineVec = refPt2.Point - refPt1.Point #calculate vector (reference line) defined by reference points
        lineVecMod = faceRot.multVec(lineVec) #reference line has maybe been modified by previous object rotation
        lineNorm = lineVecMod.projectToPlane(_0Vec_, _ZVec_) #calculate line projection on XY plane
        cslD("Normality : " + str(lineNorm))
        if lineNorm == _0Vec_: #if reference line is perpendicular to rotating plane
            warning = True
            cslW("Line reference is aligned with normal, line alignment will be ignored") #warn user about it
        else:
            lineRot = FreeCAD.Rotation(lineNorm, _XVec_) #calculate needed rotation to align with X axis
            for t in target:
                t.Placement = FreeCAD.Placement(_0Vec_, lineRot, rotCenter).multiply(t.Placement) #rotate targets to align reference line with X axis
            cslD("Targets rotated to match reference line with X axis")

    for t in target:
        t.Placement.move(shiftVec) #finally shift targets if needed
    cslD("Targets shift")
    FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.commitTransaction() #commit transaction
    if warning:
        cslW("Macro terminated with warning(s), see report view & documentation for more details")
    else :
        cslM("Macro terminated correctly")

Forum discussion

For any feedback (bug, feature request, comments, ...), please use this forum thread : (Macro) Straighten objects