[Plugin] SketchUcation Tools

Rich O Brien · 18 Oct 2013, 15:33

Not all plugins are under the Plugins menu. Some are under Edit, Tools, Draw, File, Window....

It really depends on what you installed.
Read the 'More Info' page for each tool...

Also you need to have permissions to write to Plugins folder which is covered ad nauseam in this thread already.

jackrythm123 · 19 Oct 2013, 07:19

I cant seem to find the INSTALL EXTENSIONS button on the extensions tab in preferences. it just isn't there. I know I can manually install these but is there a follow guide for this?

massimo · 19 Oct 2013, 09:18

You need to upgrade SU version - at least the latest SU8 version - in order to have that button and the additional features like AutoInstall...

cotty · 19 Oct 2013, 11:32

It was introduced in SU 8 M2: http://sketchupdate.blogspot.de/2011/12/another-important-update-for-sketchup-8.html

user2 · 20 Oct 2013, 07:19

I'm using SU8 pro (8.0.16846) with Win7x64.
Now I can't install any plugin by SUPS v2.0.0 with autoinstall.
I check that it could't extended the download file in %TMP%\SCF, Actually there's a "t999" file with 0 byte in the extended folder %TMP%\t.
At last I tried to use the old version "v1.2.0", that's works fine.
I've never install this plugin and any plugin before
I can only provide this information and I really love this work.
This is a bug or my problem?

halroach · 20 Oct 2013, 09:20

Is there a way to logout my account from the plugin store through sketchup? I logged in using my credentials on more than one computer and I'd like to logout and have that user use his own account...

user2 · 20 Oct 2013, 10:14

@halroach said:

Is there a way to logout my account from the plugin store through sketchup? I logged in using my credentials on more than one computer and I'd like to logout and have that user use his own account...

That's maby clear the cookies of IE under Win.

TIG · 20 Oct 2013, 10:32

@user2 said:

I'm using SU8 pro (8.0.16846) with Win7x64.
Now I can't install any plugin by SUPS v2.0.0 with autoinstall.
I check that it couldn't extended the download file in %TMP%\SCF, Actually there's a "t999" file with 0 byte in the extended folder %TMP%\t.
At last I tried to use the old version "v1.2.0", that's works fine.
I've never install this plugin and any plugin before
I can only provide this information and I really love this work.
This is a bug or my problem?
Do you get any error messages or dialogs referring to this ?
If you have the Ruby Console open are there any messages ?

Do you have a non-ASCII character in your user...temp path ?
Like an 'accented' letter.
The folder is:
C:\Users\**USERNAME**\AppData\Local\Temp\SCF
This will break many Ruby based tools on PCs that will use that folder path [at least until SketchUp starts to use a newer version of Ruby... but we must wait for some future update for that to happen!]
To check the 'temp/SCF' folder exists it writes a temp-file (t999) and does a File.exist?(t999) check to see if the folder is writable, but that returns false even if it exists when there's as accent in the folder path!

Also please double check that you have FULL security permissions to the ../Local/Temp/SCF/ AND ../Local/SCF/ folders - it should be set automatically, but you never know...

So if the issue is that there's an accent in the path try a renamed user-account without it [or wait until SketchUp gets updated...] !?

TIG · 20 Oct 2013, 10:56

@halroach said:

Is there a way to logout my account from the plugin store through sketchup? I logged in using my credentials on more than one computer and I'd like to logout and have that user use his own account...
Each User on a computer has their own 'Users' account.
Each User logging into the PluginStore through the dialog is asked to login once only [they just have to be a current SCF member and enter a valid password]; subsequent changes to the member's password on the main SCF site will not affect the PluginStore dialog's login, provided they are still an SCF member.
Their acceptable login data is stored in an encrypted cookie file.
On a PC this is is stored separately for each User:
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\SCF\cookie.dat
Where USERNAME is your PC-user login name...
Note that is AppData folder might be hidden from you - but you can change your 'Folder Options' settings so that then you'll see it...
If that cookie exists and it is found to be valid, then the user is auto-logged-in to the PluginStore dialog every time they open it.

So, if another User has their own Users account they will also be prompted to login once, and your use of the PluginStore dialog will be treated quite separately from theirs - their cookie is stored separately from your cookie.
BUT if you must let someone else use your PC's User account [ why ?] and you want them to be able to login to the PluginStore dialog in their own right as another SCF-memeber, then you will need to 'disable' your own cookie.dat file... go to the 'SCF' folder given above and rename it YFcookie.dat so the dialog's initial check will no longer see it...
Now anyone [including you!] who opens the PluginStore dialog will be prompted to login [once], and if the data given is acceptable, then a new encrypted cookie.dat file is made.

To revert to your login... just rename the current cookie.dat as XXcookie.dat and rename your old YFcookie.dat as cookie.dat. When you restart the PluginStore dialog you will be logged in again.

halroach · 20 Oct 2013, 12:10

I'll have to take a vacation to go through that explanation...

The reason I used my login on another computer was so I could check out which plugins and extensions I have installed on my original computer...
Basically I was hoping I'll be able to "sync" all my plugins on all computers I am logged on.

Bottom line:

There should be a login/logout feature for the plugins store.
Suggest an option to sync plugins in the cloud!? (Apple iCloud style) or at least something similar that will help me install the same plugins on a few computers. (I know of the dropbox option which is not very straightforward for the average user).

user2 · 20 Oct 2013, 12:24

@tig said:

@user2 said:

I'm using SU8 pro (8.0.16846) with Win7x64.
Now I can't install any plugin by SUPS v2.0.0 with autoinstall.
I check that it couldn't extended the download file in %TMP%\SCF, Actually there's a "t999" file with 0 byte in the extended folder %TMP%\t.
At last I tried to use the old version "v1.2.0", that's works fine.
I've never install this plugin and any plugin before
I can only provide this information and I really love this work.
This is a bug or my problem?
Do you get any error messages or dialogs referring to this ?
If you have the Ruby Console open are there any messages ?

Do you have a non-ASCII character in your user...temp path ?
Like an 'accented' letter.
The folder is:
C:\Users\**USERNAME**\AppData\Local\Temp\SCF
This will break many Ruby based tools on PCs that will use that folder path [at least until SketchUp starts to use a newer version of Ruby... but we must wait for some future update for that to happen!]
To check the 'temp/SCF' folder exists it writes a temp-file (t999) and does a File.exist?(t999) check to see if the folder is writable, but that returns false even if it exists when there's as accent in the folder path!

Also please double check that you have FULL security permissions to the ../Local/Temp/SCF/ AND ../Local/SCF/ folders - it should be set automatically, but you never know...

So if the issue is that there's an accent in the path try a renamed user-account without it [or wait until SketchUp gets updated...] !?

There's nothing message display in the Ruby console.
My username is CLOUD and there's never a non-ASCII character in my system driver path.
I loggin as the ADMINISTRATOR in my system. And I'm sure the UAC works fine.

NOW I use the old version 1.2.0 instead, It works fine, just without the uninstall option. Did v1.2.0 is the last version before 2.0.0? I will keep it.
I will take some pics and upload them.

TIG · 20 Oct 2013, 12:37

@Hal

We have already been discussing the possibility of a way of users keeping their Plugins Sets synced across their PCs.
At the moment it is a 'Local' setup for each PC...

Why would you ever want to log-out of the PluginStore IF you use separate User accounts properly setup on your networked PCs then each User gets there own login.
BUT if you have been on someone else's PC [during their User-login session] and you have then used your own SCF login details in the PluginStore's dialog, then these details will be reused, until that user's applicable 'cookie.dat' file encrypting your info is deleted from that user's own ../Users/XXX/AppData/SCF/SCF/ folder. So all you have to do is find their 'cookie.dat' file in the ..Users/XXX/AppData/Local/SCF/ folder, as I outlined before, and delete or rename it...
BUT it is best to always login as yourself onto any PC, the other user opens a personal security breach - by letting someone else use their session, anything 'bad' done by the other person appears to done by them, when traced back...
This simple IT protocol ensures that the PluginStore login issue never arises because you always run SketchUp 'as yourself' not as some other user...

However, we will consider a 'logout' option for the dialog, but then we'll have an extra button on the dialog which we are trying to keep simple... Perhaps a "Log-out' of the Plugin Store" menu item in the drop-down menu list ?

PS: This string, copy+pasted+<enter> into the Ruby Console, will rename that user's cookie.dat file with a random-prefix, so the next use of the PluginStore dialog will ask for a login and make a new cookie.dat file. I stopped at deleting it as you can then reuse it by renaming without the random-prefix
File.rename(SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/cookie.dat", SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/#{rand}+cookie.dat")
To delete the file use:
File.delete(SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/cookie.dat")

TIG · 20 Oct 2013, 12:45

@user2

Being an Administrator does NOT necessarily allow you unrestricted read/write permissions to many folders.
That's why I asked you to recheck the Properties > Security settings for these folders...
The earlier version has a less careful check to see if the folder existed and was writable.
It would sometimes fail.
The new version is just more robust, actually writing a file to check it is as expected.
BUT both that earlier version and the newest version will fail on PCs with accented characters etc in User names...
The latest version should work - there are many thousands of users who have no issues with it, so we need to find what specifically you have setup that is breaking it - yours is the only report like this ?

user2 · 20 Oct 2013, 13:43

@tig said:

@user2

Being an Administrator does NOT necessarily allow you unrestricted read/write permissions to many folders.
That's why I asked you to recheck the Properties > Security settings for these folders...
The earlier version has a less careful check to see if the folder existed and was writable.
It would sometimes fail.
The new version is just more robust, actually writing a file to check it is as expected.
BUT both that earlier version and the newest version will fail on PCs with accented characters etc in User names...
The latest version should work - there are many thousands of users who have no issues with it, so we need to find what specifically you have setup that is breaking it - yours is the only report like this ?

THANKS, I find the problem.
I installed sketchup in the default path %PROGRAMFILES% which need Administrator privileges.
SKETCHUP NEED RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR.

But the inside installer runs better than "SketchUcation Archive Installer" without administrator privileges.
I will download plugins from "SketchUcationTool", and install it by inside installer.
THANKS A LOT, THAT"S FINE.

Rich O Brien · 20 Oct 2013, 13:51

1.2 will probably stop working soon. So figuring out your issue is important.

halroach · 21 Oct 2013, 06:07

@tig said:

@Hal

We have already been discussing the possibility of a way of users keeping their Plugins Sets synced across their PCs.
At the moment it is a 'Local' setup for each PC...

Why would you ever want to log-out of the PluginStore IF you use separate User accounts properly setup on your networked PCs then each User gets there own login.
BUT if you have been on someone else's PC [during their User-login session] and you have then used your own SCF login details in the PluginStore's dialog, then these details will be reused, until that user's applicable 'cookie.dat' file encrypting your info is deleted from that user's own ../Users/XXX/AppData/SCF/SCF/ folder. So all you have to do is find their 'cookie.dat' file in the ..Users/XXX/AppData/Local/SCF/ folder, as I outlined before, and delete or rename it...
BUT it is best to always login as yourself onto any PC, the other user opens a personal security breach - by letting someone else use their session, anything 'bad' done by the other person appears to done by them, when traced back...
This simple IT protocol ensures that the PluginStore login issue never arises because you always run SketchUp 'as yourself' not as some other user...

However, we will consider a 'logout' option for the dialog, but then we'll have an extra button on the dialog which we are trying to keep simple... Perhaps a "Log-out' of the Plugin Store" menu item in the drop-down menu list ?

PS: This string, copy+pasted+<enter> into the Ruby Console, will rename that user's cookie.dat file with a random-prefix, so the next use of the PluginStore dialog will ask for a login and make a new cookie.dat file. I stopped at deleting it as you can then reuse it by renaming without the random-prefix
File.rename(SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/cookie.dat", SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/#{rand}+cookie.dat")
To delete the file use:
File.delete(SCF::SCF_Dialog::SCFDIR+"/cookie.dat")

Hi Tig,
I agree with the premise that each user should login with their own credentials on their own computer. But yeah, there will always be the exception or someone like me, trying to see what happens .
So a little inconspicuous button in the menu would be a good idea.

In my case, it just so happens to be (unfortunately) that the concept of searching for plugins on forums, or searching for plugins period, may be difficult for some of my workers. So it's up to me to keep them up to date on the cutting edge of the sketchup world. That's why syncing plugins would be nice, but it would require (in my case) a syncing option between different users... And then another question arises, how do you sync/manage 'purchased plugins'/'plugins that were downloaded from elsewhere and not from the Sketchucation plugin store'... it can be quite a mess to code and design I imagine.

Thanks Tig.

TIG · 21 Oct 2013, 09:05

Anyway... for now, the Ruby code snippet I gave earlier will 'remove' the current user's SCF cookie.dat file, by renaming it or by deleting it, whichever you choose...

craigcampbell66 · 28 Oct 2013, 07:22

Hi all, just wondering if it's me or a quirk of the plugin tools (SketchUcation Plugin store) whereby I open the tool, search and auto install but get nothing until I close and restart sketchup in order to find/use the plugins I have either updated or downloaded.

Also the check for updates tool (Fredo 6) doesn't seem to acknowledge the newly installed plugin versions. (Joint pp V3.0) and the Purge Obsolete files tool never shows any old files.

TIG · 28 Oct 2013, 13:53

When you install a Plugin it will usually load its code and set itself up correctly.
Especially if it's a newly installed tool.
However, in some circumstances - like with updated plugins - most menu items, toolbars etc will have been frozen when SketchUp started up earlier, and then a restart is needed to refresh those...
Restarting SketchUp is also recommended when updating, to ensure that everything is reset properly as SketchUp auto-loads things: some updates can load quite different code and this might conflict with what has already been loaded by a previous version - you cannot 'unload' ruby scripts... a restart is needed.

halroach · 29 Oct 2013, 07:22

I've noticed that with some plugins in the plugins store (loaded from within sketchup), when I click on 'more info' I get to a 'clean dedicated plugin explanation page'.
For example:
http://sketchucation.com/plugin/715-jointpushpull

Whereas with other plugins I am pointed directly to the forum thread (like it always used to be).

I can understand the desire to keep things clean and simple, without confusing the average user with tedious forum threads... but right now there is a complete disconnect between this 'clean description page' and the forum where one could once ask questions and add his own two cents.
It's like you're defeating the whole basis on which all the development of these plugins started on - communication and sharing.

There should be a link to the forum. Maybe an added 'see in forum' tab, along with the 'overview, quickstart, documentation, release notes' tabs...

This, along with the "premium members forum" are both eroding the basis on which the Sketchucation community stands on - "free and open knowledge".