(TRICK) To re-enable skp file preview

thomthom

This would be nice as a sticky thread.

kwistenbiebel

This would be nice as a sticky thread.

+1

kwistenbiebel

I'm running Vista 64bit so if I follow pibuz's advice would I have to type "regsvr**64** thumbsup.dll" and press "return".

That doesn't work on my box.

Anyone else has an idea to get this working for Vista 64 bit?

BorgMan

I had the same problem as well not so long ago. I fixed it by hitting the SU installer and clicking the "repair" option instead of the "install" or "remove" option. It will then check to see if there's anything out of the ordinary (like faulty preview information) and fix it. I think this is the most universal way of fixing this kind of problem, no matter which operating system

kevsterman

Where would I find the SU installer?

BorgMan

Well... You used a file to install the program, right? That is the file you need. I don't know where you put your files, I usually throw them in a folder called Downloads...

jeff hammond

@marklas said:

Hi guys, do you know how you enable this on a Mac?

Thanks,

Mark.

it's not so simple but it's doable... one way is to select custom icon in the 'save as' dialog..

the weird thing about this is that the icons have to be bigger than 48x48 in order for you to see them correctly.. [finder / ⌘J / icon size] .. if you don't want the bigger icons on your system, make a folder for skp files and have only that folder display larger icons (and that works out ok since you're actually trying to look at the icon)..

another problem is that your system isn't showing a preview in the same way it does a .jpg.. you can put a generic icon jpg on your computer and be able to see its icon as a preview.. with the skps, you're only seeing the preview because you custom made an icon for it... so, only the files that are saved with a custom icon will be able to be seen as you wish.. all the other ones will still have the generic sketchup icon..

this is how it will look vs. the standard view.. (the icon doesn't have to be this big btw)

there's an app called GraphicConverter which used to ship with os x... it stopped shipping with macs around the same time they added .skp support to the app ..
there's a trial available here: (the difference between the trial and full version is that the trial has a 10sec. waiting period before launching)
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/10057380

once installed, you only have to browse a folder containing skps in order for it to make preview icons for the files.. super easy -- file/browse folder/navigate to folder... the icons it builds are much nicer than the sketchup customs and it changes the icons very quickly.. these icons are also visible at any size.. if you really want, you can turn on the GraphicConverter automator actions and search your whole system for skps instead of via folders..

sketchup made icon on left -- GraphicConverter on right

and this is what happens if you want to view the icons at 48x48 or smaller

so those are the two workarounds i know of.. maybe with snow leopard we'll see system support for this.. 10.6 is supposedly going to be a more fine tuned 10.5 instead of a bunch of new features.. focus will be on stability, memory use, etc and i can imagine support for a wider range of files which not only will have preview icons but will be viewable with cover flow & quick look..

kevsterman

@unknownuser said:

I fixed it by hitting the SU installer and clicking the "repair" option instead of the "install" or "remove" option. It will then check to see if there's anything out of the ordinary (like faulty preview information) and fix it.

I found where the installer was, ran it, hit repair but it didn't make any difference

Is there anything else I can try? Is it because I've got SU 6 & 7 installed?

sepo

It could be because the path is not correct. The path is cd *C:\program files\google\google sketchup 6* instead of *cd C:\program files\google\sketchup 6*

kevsterman

Do I have to have all my components in the original SU folder, ie, in the programme files? At the moment all my components are in a folder in My Documents for ease of access.

sepo

No..you don't have to. However I am finding on my Vista comp it is reporting error when calling regsvr32 thumbsup.dll. As consequence I have preview of .skb instead of .skp. Quite bizzare.

ideas_arte

@unknownuser said:

@marklas said:

Hi guys, do you know how you enable this on a Mac?

Thanks,

Mark.

it's not so simple but it's doable... one way is to select custom icon in the 'save as' dialog..

 THANK YOU VERY MUCH...! 

kevsterman

Grr.. I'm still no nearer to solving this problem. Anyone have any other ideas?

eullicious

@pibuz said:

Hi guys!
It may sound repetitive, but I've searched a lot in the forum and I hardly found it at last! So I decided to put it here for a more rapid serach (moderators are free to remove this topic if useless).
This micro-tutorial to explain how to enable the thumbnail preview if it doesn't show up automatically.
It typically happens when you have two sketchup version installed and you uninstall one of them: once uninstalled, your skp files' thumbnails are gone, and you can only see the standard sketchup.exe icon.
A solution is obviously to re-install sketchup (repairing the existing installed version), but most of the times it is more practical to re-enable the thumbnails this way:

Start -> run...
type "cmd" and then press "return"

navigate into your sketchup root directory by typing for example:
"cd C:\program files\google\sketchup 6" and press "return"

now you're in your sketchup6 root folder. Type:
"regsvr32 thumbsup.dll" and press "return".

Done

Hope this can help someone

sorry.may i know where to press 'return' on the keyboard?which key?

thomthom

eullicious

ok done!thx thomthom

Gaieus

Yup, "Return" is an "old fashioned" name of the Enter button (does Mac still u7se it BTW?). It comes from mechanic typewriters when that button "returned" the typewriter to the beginning of the next line.

(Ehm... I still used these mechanic typewriters at university. In fact, AFAIK I was the first to write my thesis on a computer in WrdPerfect at the whole faculty)

troyhome

[there's an app called GraphicConverter which used to ship with os x... it stopped shipping with macs around the same time they added .skp support to the app ..
[/quote]
This is EXACTLY what i've been wanting in a .skp viewer/organizer for mac!!! i can move, delete, etc. Brilliant!!! thanks sooo sooo much for showing us this!!!!!

kwistenbiebel

For Vista 64 bit users (the TRICK is only for XP) Xnview works as well.
Being able to see the icons in the native explorer would have been better though...

kevsterman

Thanks for that hint Kwist. I've downloaded Xnview and it does the trick, tho as you say, being able to do it in the native explorer would definitly have been better.