Embed SketchUp models in web pages

AdamB · 10 May 2011, 11:09

Hi

I've finished a web browser plugin (initially for Windows Explorer and Mac Safari) which allows you to embed your lit SketchUp models right inside a web page. The first time you look at a webpage with this kind of content, you'll be prompted to install a small browser plugin.

Here's an example: http://www.light-up.co.uk/index.php?t=story&p=71

You can click on the watermark and it will take you to the webpage URL that the author placed in the luca file.

Voila.

thomthom · 10 May 2011, 11:41

Gaieus · 10 May 2011, 13:22

So what happens when I download and extract those files? (Or how do I install the web player?)

Please, Adam, there are computer illiterates here!

tfdesign · 10 May 2011, 13:27

WOW Adam! where's the "eyes-popping out on springs" emoticon?

AdamB · 10 May 2011, 13:53

@gaieus said:

So what happens when I download and extract those files? (Or how do I install the web player?)

Please, Adam, there are computer illiterates here!

[short]
The process is very simple. Just click on the link and follow instructions.

[longer]
If you navigate your browser to the URL I posted and you're using Internet Explorer, then process is totally automatic. IE will show you a dialog asking whether you trust the "Code Signed" plugin from Adam Billyard. (Code signed plugins means you can be guaranteed that nobody has altered or messed with what you're downloading so is considered a safe route to browser plugins)

If you're using Mac Safari, instead of the viewer, you'll get a button labelled "Download Plugin". Press it to download the and install the plugin for Safari.

AdamB · 10 May 2011, 13:54

@tfdesign said:

WOW Adam! where's the "eyes-popping out on springs" emoticon?

Thank you. It turned out to be a ton of work.

Gaieus · 10 May 2011, 14:05

Well, first I tried from Firefox.
Now I dug up my IE as well and it indeed installs there just fine. Nice,
Will it be possible to have it on other browsers too?

Also, I tried to navigate a bit - for me, something more like a walkthrough would be much better (sorry if I sound like constantly complaining and whining but I have been very enthusiastic since I first heard about this web player)

AdamB · 10 May 2011, 14:54

@gaieus said:

Well, first I tried from Firefox.
Now I dug up my IE as well and it indeed installs there just fine. Nice,
Will it be possible to have it on other browsers too?

In time, yes.

@gaieus said:

Also, I tried to navigate a bit - for me, something more like a walkthrough would be much better (sorry if I sound like constantly complaining and whining but I have been very enthusiastic since I first heard about this web player)

Sure, but isn't that what SketchUp has Scenes for?

Gaieus · 10 May 2011, 15:07

SU yes but not an interactive thing on the web.

Anyway, I will play around (as I now have LightUp anyway) and will whine enough, be warned!

AdamB · 11 May 2011, 19:48

OK, pop quiz. What famous film is the LightUp test scene based on?

solo · 11 May 2011, 19:52

War games.

Ecuadorian · 11 May 2011, 23:58

Didn't work in Firefox but after dusting IE it worked fine.

May I suggest a more Doom-like navigation scheme? I mean,
left/right arrows > turn left/right

AdamB · 12 May 2011, 06:12

@ecuadorian said:

:thumb: Didn't work in Firefox but after dusting IE it worked fine.

Did you miss this bit..

@adamb said:

I've finished a web browser plugin (initially for Windows Explorer and Mac Safari)

But I will look into Firefox support.

@ecuadorian said:

May I suggest a more Doom-like navigation scheme? I mean,
left/right arrows > turn left/right

It uses keys WASD to move around, the mouse to look around, the mousewheel to zoom.. short of throwing in some zombies, I can't think how much more Doom-like the controls could be.

AdamB · 12 May 2011, 06:14

@solo said:

War games.

Correct! And one of Matthew's finest.

nomeradona · 14 May 2011, 00:43

adam why dont you push your light up more.. add another innovation MaterialUP, bumps, reflection etc.

AdamB · 20 May 2011, 13:45

I've added a Mozilla / Firefox version of the LightUp WebPlayer. So now we have:

Windows IExplorer
Mac Safari
Windows Firefox 3.6 / 4.0

It is packaged (as they all are) as a digitally signed Firefox .XPI installer, so Firefox should install it automatically after getting your permission.

Any problems, questions you ping here or at the LightUp forum.

Adam

PS Here's another simple test page showing multiple realtime views all on the same page being formatted by your browser:

LightUp WebBrowser Player

(www.light-up.co.uk)

thomthom · 20 May 2011, 14:12

Installed, restarted, but no model. Just the control buttons.

Firefox 4, Win7 64bit.

AdamB · 20 May 2011, 14:18

@thomthom said:

Installed, restarted, but no model. Just the control buttons.

Firefox 4, Win7 64bit.

OK, perhaps it takes some time to download the .luca file.. Does your Add-Ons menu show the LightUp plugin installed?

If you point your FF browser at a small .luca file (eg http://light-up.co.uk/resources/webplayer/blocks.luca ) you should get a fullsized window of the model.

And thanks for the feedback,
Adam

thomthom · 20 May 2011, 14:26

Firefox looks fine in the Addon list - looks to be installed properly.
Just tried the browser test page in Internet Explorer and it installed and loaded the models very quickly. So something must be bust with Firefox.

AdamB · 20 May 2011, 20:01

Thomthom,

Please can you try and install it again (the rev has been bumped so FF might pick that up else uninstall the previous version).
I've ironed out a few little bugs that might have been catching you.

Adam