Two Plugins With the Same Folder Names

Amazing Artist · 28 Jun 2013, 04:04

I'm not sure where to post this question, so someone please direct. I have 2 plugins that I would like to use from two different authors. Each plugin has a folder and the .rb file. The problem is both authors have named the folder "ICONS" which is creating an overwrite problem when trying to load. How should I resolve this?

Krisidious · 28 Jun 2013, 04:31

You should tell both authors to put their "ICONS" folders within their own respective plugin named folder. What plugins are they? I've actually never heard of this issue...

And to make sure I understand within your plugins folder you have a folder named "ICONS" SketchUp\Plugins\ICONS?

Krisidious · 28 Jun 2013, 04:34

If they are simple rubies you may be able to just open the file in notepad and edit the location of the icons or edit the name of the folder for one or the other. Are these two plugins by the same author by chance?

gilles · 28 Jun 2013, 09:06

Open the two folders in different locations and copy the content of one folder in the other one.
Replace this folder in Plugins folder.

TIG · 28 Jun 2013, 13:29

Many plugins do use a folder specifically made for that file's 'helpers'...
BUT there should be NO issue with two plugins using the same subfolder - many of my simpler scripts use 'TIGtools' as their shared folder, rather than making another folder for say just one png file...
So if two tools use a subfolder called ../Plugins/Icons/ to store their own icons there should be no issues...
Merge the folders' contents when prompted as you do a manual install - installing from an RBZ archive does that 'merge' anyway...

You are over-thinking this... it is very very unlikely to be an issue...

The only thing might be if two authors have used a stupidly 'generic name' for their files inside the shared subfolder, so they then clash... so two 'icon.png' files is bad, but 'my_widget_icon.png' and 'death_star.png' is good as they'll live quite happily in their shared home...
In such a case you will need to rename one of the files and edit the script's .rb to use the alternative file name... However, I know of NO plugins that actually might use such generic naming in a shared folder... The worst outcome of a shared png is that the two tools end up with the same icon...

I have most plugins going: I have an Icons folder containing 78 png files with no cashes of name...

Amazing Artist · 28 Jun 2013, 17:01

They are two different authors. One by TIG (which is currently installed) and one is by MarcioAB (not installed, because I found this problem when attempting to install it) I have attached caps. I am very scared to edit anyone's script for fear of screwing it up due to my lack of script knowledge, but if someone is willing to tell me step by step, I'll be more than willing to give it a shot. Thanks so much in advance for any help.

Amazing Artist · 28 Jun 2013, 17:03

And your right, I might be overthinking.

Krisidious · 28 Jun 2013, 18:50

I can't believe I'm going to actually say this in public... and I'm sure he'll school me on my mistake. But I have to disagree with Tig. While it may work... It's bad form to have files dumping into the another plugin's folder. When I delete a plugin, I go and find it's package and look inside to see what exactly I should delete, I stop the search at top level folders. If there were an "ICONS" folder I would delete the whole thing. I don't understand what's so difficult about putting it one level further down in a plugin's own folder. And even if one were going to keep putting them all in a shared folder, should there not be some allusion to that... like "shared icons"... Was this something decided on by the authors over in the development forum as proper practice?

TIG · 28 Jun 2013, 20:45

As I said I have over 70 files in my 'Icons' subfolder - almost all of them from others...
I wouldn't add icon files to that 'Icons' folder 'these days', BUT it's nothing to worry about.

There was a time 'in the olden-days' when there were few files and it seemed logical to many authors to put every file's icons into this one 'Icons' folder... then as it got more complicated authors started using their own subfolders [TIGtools etc]... then times changed again and many scripts needed several of their own support files, so using a plugin specific subfolder seems much more sensible... indeed to make a v2013 EW compliant extension requires you to have a rb 'loader' and a subfolder of the same name...

The Icons folder is 'shared' - so it doesn't 'belong' to the first install that creates it if it doesn't exist...
It is better not to have a newer script's icons stored like this... BUT it is NOT a major issue...

AND why bother to delete some tiny unused icon files from a shared folder anyway... you are being overly tidy...

Just install and merge the Icons folders' contents.

No problems... when you are not overwriting anything ??

There are NOT that many scripts using the Icons subfolder [I have ~70+ so that's only ~35! out of ~700]

Amazing Artist · 28 Jun 2013, 21:52

Nope you were right when you said I was overthinking, the scripts merged, and I am able to use both. However thanks for the input. Learn something everytime I write here.