Comment

Comment by Tom Downey on September 6, 2013 at 4:28pm

Hi there, I absolutely love this plugin, it's been quite useful in trying to prototype some custom bolts for POP Displays.

I've run into a snag and I think it's more of a lack of knowledge on how nuts and bolts work on my part but wanted to see if I could get someone's advice. I've been trying to model a hobby knife that will use OLFA breakaway blades, and then 3D print it using a makerbot replicator 2. The threading on the bolt part works fine, but I can't seem to make a nut that functions. At first I was just cutting the threads out of a cylinder, but that didn't work at all. I then realized that I needed some slop int the nut's threads and found out that the plugin came with a thread scaling command. My problem now is hat I have no idea what I need to scale it to in order for it to function. I've tried several different values but no luck. And searching on google is proving quite difficult since thread is a very common term im not having any luck finding something relevant. I'm trying to make a 5/16 - 20 bolt and nut, does anyone have any idea what I should scale the nut to?

Comment by Ray McKaig on August 6, 2013 at 12:09pm

Hi Brandon. Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it. Regards, Ray McKaig

Comment by Brandon Bihn on August 6, 2013 at 11:20am

Hi Ray,

     Everything install and worked great!  I tried the drag and drop and the GUI.  Thanks for the great plugin!

-Brandon

Comment by AlexisDC on July 29, 2013 at 7:13am

Hi everyone !

Thank you for your reply. Ray, thank you for uploading the VB6 program. As Mary Ann specified, it didn't work :(

I will still install Rhino on windows and run BoltGen on it. Thank you for your amazing program.

All the best

Comment by Mary Ann Fugier on July 26, 2013 at 10:06pm

Hi Alex,

BoltGen is written in RhinoScript which is developed specifically for Windows Rhino.

RhinoScript is a scripting tool based on Microsoft's VBScript language.

The key here is "Microsoft", not Apple. 

It will not install or run in the beta for Mac Rhino.

Other scripting languages will need to be used if a plug-in will run on both Rhino for Windows and Rhino for the Mac. Ways to do this are currently being developed.

For now, you will need to use Rhino 5 for Windows to install and run Ray's BoltGen add-on. This is a nice add-on. It may be worth it!

Hope this helps.

Sincerely, 

Mary Ann Fugier

McNeel Technical Support

Seattle, WA

Comment by Ray McKaig on July 26, 2013 at 8:04pm

Hi Alex.

  I am not familiar with MAC OSX and it's Windows compatibility issues.  I do have something else that you can try.  It runs as a separate program to Rhino and directly commands Rhino externally.  It is a VB6 program and must install VB6 runtime files to execute.  Execute it like any other program from your program menu.  If you want to try it, I will make it available on my website.

  It is a VB6 program, and it installs its runtime files on your computer in order to work.

1. When you run the BoltGen program with Rhino running, it will know.  When you quit the BoltGen GUI program, Rhino will remain running.
2. If you run the BoltGen program and Rhino is not running, it will launch the latest Rhino first.  Note that when you quit the BoltGen GUI program, Rhino will want to close, but asks you if you want to save your file.  If you cancel, Rhino will remain running.

  It uses a GUI interface which is nice, but it does not have aircraft type AN bolts.  It does have both metric and english bolts.

I will post it on my website tonight as BoltGenGUI.  I hope it works on your system.

Regards, Ray

Comment by AlexisDC on July 26, 2013 at 1:45pm

Hi there !

First of all, thank you for your plug in, it really looks like the perfect thing I need.

Unfortunately, I did as you mentioned in the previous post to install it, and when Rhino start, it says that

it won't install it because it is incompatible.

Is it because I did smth wrong during the instal or is it just not designed for Rhino on mac osx ?

Thank you

Alex

Comment by Mary Ann Fugier on May 21, 2013 at 10:12am

Thanks for a really neat plug-in, Ray.

I downloaded BoltGen1_63.zip.

• Extracted BoltGen1_63.rhp into C:\Program Files (x86)\Rhinoceros 5.0\Plug-ins folder (do not drop from zip directly into Rhino)
• I have the Rhino 5 64bit sr4 release candidate 5-17-13. and Rhino 5 32bit sr3.
• It is DotNet plugin so the same plugin loaded successfully into 64bit and 32bit, as expected.

"Create Bolts in English or Metric
Drag and drop loaded plug-in C:\Program Files (x86)\Rhinoceros 5.0\Plug-ins\BoltGen1_63.rhp
Command: BoltGen
BoltGen Finished"

This unblock procedure is important, however it was not blocked for me. (I must have lower UAC settings than others do.)

1. Close Rhino first
2. Unblock in File Properties
3. Open Rhino.  
4. Options -> Plugins -> Install the plug-in, I prefer "Drag and Drop".

If anyone is still having problems loading, you can email me, mary@mcneel.com.

Sincerely,

Mary Fugier
McNeel Technical Support

Comment by Ray McKaig on May 9, 2013 at 8:08pm

If you have trouble getting Rhino to accept the BoltGen plug-in, I found that I needed to close Rhino first, unblock the file's properties, then run Rhino.  Then install the plug-in in Rhino as per normal.

Windows is getting pretty finicky these days.

Regards, Ray

By the way, Version 1.6 is available at:

http://news2.mcneel.com/scripts/dnewsweb.exe?utag=&group=rhino&... 

It creates both blocks and screws without threads in addition to the normal bolts.

Regards, Ray

Comment by Ray McKaig on May 9, 2013 at 9:55am

Release 1.51 corrects a minor thread length bug.  Also, the downloaded file should work now.

The installation trouble was created by 7-Zip.  This download used WinZip to create the file.

Sorry for the troubles!

Regards, Ray McKaig

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