[Plugin] !AdditionalPluginFolders - v5.4a - 27 Sep 20

jgt1942 · 26 Jul 2014, 16:19

Where in the heck do I find !AdditionalPluginFolders - I've searched the SketchUp Extension Warehouse as well as setchucation and the internet.
I have SketchUp 2014 installed on my Win8.1 system.
Looking at my system I do see C:\Program Files (x86)\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\Plugins!AdditionalPluginFolders.rb and it is dated 3/4/2014 Do I already have the latest installed? How can I verify? Is it installed in the correct location?
Sorry but I'm lost.

TIG · 29 Jul 2014, 11:42

@jgt1942 said:

Where in the heck do I find !AdditionalPluginFolders - I've searched the SketchUp Extension Warehouse as well as sketchucation and the internet.
I have SketchUp 2014 installed on my Win8.1 system.
Looking at my system I do see C:\Program Files (x86)\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\Plugins!AdditionalPluginFolders.rb and it is dated 3/4/2014 Do I already have the latest installed? How can I verify? Is it installed in the correct location?
Sorry but I'm lost.
Where did the C:\Program Files (x86)\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\Plugins folder come from ?
It is NOT made by SketchUp in SketchUp v2014.
It is NEVER used !
If you have made it manually, then please remove it - it will not auto-load any Plugins from within it anyway.
If you have copied it over from say SketchUp v2013, then there is a good chance that some of its Plugins will be incompatible if reloacted in the correct folder!
Get the latest versions of all Plugins and install those into the correct location...
Most Plugins have been made compatible with v2014, but you need the newest versions of them.

The default Plugins folder [from which any Plugins auto-load as SketchUp starts up] can be found using this snippet in the 'Ruby Console':
Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins')
It is typically returned as:
C:/Users/YourUserName/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins

With ALL SketchUp versions since v8M2 you can AutoInstall RBZ archived Plugins using the Preferences > Extensions > Install... button...
This is SketchUp 101
You don't then need to worry about this as the correct default Plugins folder is always used...

Aside - there is a potential 'shared' Plugins folder, which can be located in:
C:/ProgramData/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/
BUT that is NOT made by SketchUp.
If you [or an Installer App] add it manually, then its contents are also auto-loaded as SketchUp's starts up.
This folder is not normally used - each User get their own Plugins folder.
The native AutoInstaller always puts RBZ contents into the User's Plugins folder.
The ProgramData Plugins folder is only useful when shared Plugins are used between several Users on that one PC.

If you get the 'SketchUcation PluginStore Toolset' [install it from the RBZ downloadble from the Resources submenu item above]... then you can use that to AutoInstall Plugins directly - skipping the RBZ download altogether.
Unlike the native AutoInstaller it also spots if you have any additional Plugins folders setup, into which you might want to install the Plugin, and it offers those alternatives where appropriate...

Fredo's Additional Plugins Folder tool needs to load from the 'default Plugins folder' [which always auto-loads].
This tool then allows you to specify custom Plugins folders - such as Dropbox or GoogleDrive - from which your synced Plugins can be auto-loaded as SketchUp starts on any PC...

But before you jump into the world of Additional Plugins folders please ensure you have the proper defaults setup, and you understand how they work...

dgood133 · 31 Aug 2014, 07:22

Hi Fredo having a slight issue with your plugins, I recently decided to update what is in my system and now whenever I start SU I get an error message from LibFredo6 saying some files are in error and cannot load, please see attached

I have not had this issue before, and I have attempted to redo the install 3 times now with same result…
both using the old way of just putting in the plugins folder and running the auto install from within plugin store, also updated to the latest version…

osx 10.8, macbook pro, Sketchup8Pro

any help greatly appreciated

PS the plugins do seem to be working at least the ones that load…
Thanks
D

fredo6 · 31 Aug 2014, 08:48

Did you try to open the trace log file and see what the error is?

Fredo

dgood133 · 1 Sept 2014, 16:00

Hi sorry for late reply yes I opened the log but I am not sure how to read it I can post the results if will help

LibFredo6Trace_8_1409587670470.txt

fredo6 · 1 Sept 2014, 17:12

You seem to have FreeScale still present in your plugins. This is a very old version of FredoScale. I suggest you remove the subfolder and rb file.

Fredo

dgood133 · 2 Sept 2014, 02:03

Thank you fine sir!

These plugins are incredible and you and the other developers are so generous of your time!
D

alimac · 2 Sept 2014, 09:09

love love love this plug in.

the only thing that would make it even easier for me.

when I drag the !AdditionalPluginFolders.rb to different computers I have to set up the file paths each time.

we have 4 folders of plug into load depending on needs.

Is there a pref/config file I need to copy across as well so that the paths are

For this and other great plugins a big donation coming your way for all your amazing work.

nothing in life is free especially peoples creativity.

fredo6 · 2 Sept 2014, 10:09

@alimac

Thanks for your kind words.
The alternate directories are stored in registry, not in a config file. So I am afraid you need to key in the directories again when moving from computer to computer.

Fredo

smuncky · 2 Sept 2014, 12:52

@alimac said:

love love love this plug in.

the only thing that would make it even easier for me.

when I drag the !AdditionalPluginFolders.rb to different computers I have to set up the file paths each time.

we have 4 folders of plug into load depending on needs.

Is there a pref/config file I need to copy across as well so that the paths are

For this and other great plugins a big donation coming your way for all your amazing work.

nothing in life is free especially peoples creativity.

What we did in the office was find the registry file and created one for 2013/2014 and put it on the server. Each time we need to install SKP and !AdditionalPluginFolders on a new computer, all we have to do is double click the registry for the correct version which then installs the correct path for the !AdditionalPluginFolders to find the other plugins.

alimac · 2 Sept 2014, 13:24

@fredo

a version 5 feature?

@smunky

i'll run it past our in house IT. I can imagine the answer........

fredo6 · 2 Sept 2014, 14:13

@smuncky, @alimac

by curiosity, how many installations did you do?

Fredo

smuncky · 4 Sept 2014, 12:52

@fredo6 said:

@smuncky, @alimac

by curiosity, how many installations did you do?

Fredo

I think we have about 5 computers with this plugin.

fredo6 · 19 Oct 2014, 20:38

NEW RELEASE 4.3a - 19 Oct 14

Important update for support of directories and username with non-ascii characters

See first post of this thread for downloading the script.

fredo6 · 6 Nov 2014, 21:01

NEW RELEASE 4.4a - 06 Nov 14

Update to take benefit of new features in SU 2015, allowing to select directory via a dialog box

See first post of this thread for downloading the script.

fredo6 · 30 Dec 2014, 21:25

NEW RELEASE 4.5a - 30 dec 14

Minor update for support of user-name with non-conventional characters (such as apostrophe)

See first post of this thread for downloading the script.

flyashy · 5 Jan 2015, 04:45

Hello,
I had a suggestion.
Is it possible to integrate AdditionalPluginsFolders script with the sketchucation plugins manager so that the ruby scripts in the additional folders can be updated via the manager just like it finds the ones in the default plugin folder?
That would make life much much better.
Thanks.
Flyashy

TIG · 5 Jan 2015, 14:01

The newest version of the SketchUcation PluginStore tool [v2.6.2 on limited beta-test release] has that already built in.
When you save with AutoInstall it spots your Additional Plugins folder[s] and asks if you want to install into there [it has done so for a long while].
Now when Updating Plugins it looks to see where each Plugin that is being updated is currently installed and it installs the Plugin into the appropriate folder - the Updater's closing dialog shows the installation location[s].

CaptainCrowbar · 17 Jun 2015, 22:33

I found a bug in the current version of AdditionalPluginFolders: On line 281 you call LibFredo6.log "True load: #{basename}" without checking whether LibFredo6 is installed. If it isn't you get an error when SketchUp starts up (if a file of the relevant type is being loaded). This line needs to be enclosed in an if defined?(LibFredo6.log) check.

fredo6 · 23 Jun 2015, 14:30

@captaincrowbar said:

I found a bug in the current version of AdditionalPluginFolders: On line 281 you call LibFredo6.log "True load: #{basename}" without checking whether LibFredo6 is installed. If it isn't you get an error when SketchUp starts up (if a file of the relevant type is being loaded). This line needs to be enclosed in an if defined?(LibFredo6.log) check.

Well spotted. I will fix and republish.

Fredo