Solar north

dcauldwell

Having searched for 'solar north' in SU2013, the only reference I can find is in the (possibly misnamed) 'knowledge Centre' where it says:-

"This plugin isn't installed by default in SketchUp Pro 2013. You'll need to open the Extension Warehouse from within SketchUp, locate the "Solar North" plugin and choose "Install" to add this plugin."

Searching for solar north in the plugins came up with nothing.

Seems like a step back to me, but have I missed something!

David

TIG

Like a number of scripts that used to be shipped with SketchUp, in v2013 you need to download then separately... 'Solar North' is the SketchUp Team's own script.
It is readily downloadable from the their list of extensions in the Trimble SketchUp 'Extensions Warehouse'.
It is not available elsewhere - so for example the SCF 'PluginsStore' doesn't host any of the su_ tools...

Dave R

This isn't really a step back. It is a way to allow users to more finely tune their installation to suit their use of SketchUp. For example I really have no need to specify Solar North. Who cares when the model is a dining room table or a bed? On the other hand, there are probably plugins I use that you have no need of. There's no point in loading plugins you won't use anyway.

dcauldwell

TIG, thanks for the reply. I know where the 'plugin store' is (which is where I couldn't find the 'solar north plugin'), but where do I find the 'Extensions Warehouse'?

DaveR, I agree about only loading the plugins you need, but when you have been used to using a plugin only for them to pull it without any advice about where they are, it is a bit irritating!

Thanks for the response guys.

dcauldwell

Ok - did a google search to find it - its here
http://extensions.sketchup.com/

and sure enough there is solar-north, which I've downloaded. Just got to work out how to install it now.

I've been with SU since the @last days, and never had this trouble finding stuff before. Hey ho!!

EDIT
extension warehouse is in SU under the 'windows' tab, from there, after logging in to 'google'!!! I was able to download my 'extension' - success at last!

David

Dave R

It is different than the old days for sure. I think in general the idea is to make it easier for users to find and install tools to customize their SketchUp to their own needs. As you've found out using the Extension Warehouse to install plugins makes it painless. If you haven't downloaded and installed it, yet, you should get the Sketchucation Plugin Store too. It also makes installing plugins automatic and it does much more.

These two tools have made things much easier here on SCF. We don't spend nearly as much time telling people how to install plugins correctly and troubleshooting incorrect installations. That was a big issue before. If you look at any of the long plugin threads you'll see that much of the content involved a user proclaiming that the plugin doesn't work in SketchUp 8 or similar and usually several others explaining how to install the plugin correctly. Awhile back I even helped one of your countrymen who, in the process of trying to make a plugin work, renamed his hard drive from to 'SketchUp.' I had to remote into his computer to fix it for him.

ccaponigro

Well I spent an hour at least looking for the damn thing today after reading it was on the location dialog box. Given Sketchups close relationship with geomodeling I'm going to it was just silly not to include it!!! Ok rediculas.

dcauldwell

DaveR
Yes, I'm sure that there have been lots of problems in the past with people not being able to get their head round the 'plugin' file structures required by some plugins, and so a more automated system is a welcome improvement.

However, "easier for users to find and install tools" - I would suggest that finding the tools is now NOT easier. I spent hours looking for 'solar north' and still ended up going out of SU and using the google search engine to find it - surely that says something. The system has become fragmented.

I suppose I have been using 'solar north' for so long under previous versions (before SU2013), that I had not realised that it was a plugin (or is it an 'extension'?).

David