Housebuilder

Rich O Brien · 24 Jul 2014, 06:22

Lmao

bemgolf · 26 Jul 2014, 01:18

I hate to jump in with the same question but after downloading it from the Ruby Library I have it save on my desktop. When I go to see the file it is in a zip folder but the title is HouseBuilder_extension. I read one article where they said rename the zip folder to HouseBuilder_extension.rbz. this is not correct. When I look into this folder I the following:

Folder: HouseBuilder (includes icons)
RB File: HouseBuilder_extension.rb
Text File: HouseBuilder_extension
JPEG: housebuilder_install

Several said you must rename files but this is wrong others said you must go into SU2014 after downloading and under windows/preferences/Extensions and click the button that said "install extensions" when I did and searched for the folder on the desktop it was empty and I go back in and check an stuff is in there. There is an issue with HouseBuilder and SU2014. If someone has successfully complete this install please post an explanation why this is not working when we are following it exactly like you are telling.

I am on Windows 7. SU 2014.

Thanks

Box · 26 Jul 2014, 08:11

Rename the .zip to .rbz, open SU2014, window/preferences/extensions click install extension button and find the .rbz and it will install it.

Or don't rename the .zip and extract it's entire contents directly as is into your plugin folder which should be found at C:\Users\YOUR USER NAME\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\SketchUp\Plugins

TIG · 26 Jul 2014, 09:53

Sounds like you have already UNzipped the zip file, and you now have a folder containing its files etc.
Perhaps your decompression software is set to UNzip any zip file as it downloads it - an inconvenience in this case !?
Anyway...
Move all of those file out of that folder intact [keep the helper files, icons etc in their current subfolder etc] into the Plugins folder.
The housebuilder_INSTALL.JPG image you listed contains a snapshot of what should be in Plugins...
Box has already given you an indication of the path to the folder.
To find it in the Ruby Console use:
Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins')

Dave R · 26 Jul 2014, 13:57

Brian, it appears you misread what was said. Box and TIG have already given you correct info that should fix what you've done. For the next person who comes along, do the following and it will work just fine.

Download HouseBuilder_extension.zip.
Do not open the ZIP file.
Rename it HouseBuilder_extension.rbz.
In SketchUp, go to Preferences>Extensions.
Click on the Install Extension button.
Navigate to where you saved the file.
Select it, click on Open.
Click on Yes and the OK.

Housebuilder will now be installed. On the PC click on OK to close Preferences. On the Mac, just close the Preferences window.

bemgolf · 27 Jul 2014, 03:14

@dave r said:

Brian, it appears you misread what was said. Box and TIG have already given you correct info that should fix what you've done. For the next person who comes along, do the following and it will work just fine.

Download HouseBuilder_extension.zip.
Do not open the ZIP file.
Rename it HouseBuilder_extension.rbz.
In SketchUp, go to Preferences>Extensions.
Click on the Install Extension button.
Navigate to where you saved the file.
Select it, click on Open.
Click on Yes and the OK.

Housebuilder will now be installed. On the PC click on OK to close Preferences. On the Mac, just close the Preferences window.

Dave R thanks so much for the directions. You should be writing for the Ruby Library site on how to install for su2014. There explanation is for the aliens. The tool finally worked. Your simple, but direct directions worked perfectly. Even though you dumbed them down what good is it if the people reading can't understand them. Great Job and thanks.

phil81 · 7 Oct 2014, 02:23

i have tried everything but the right thing to install this housebuilder, i have renamed the zip file and it doesnt show when i use sketchup extension install..... i have tried for two hours and am losing my mind

Dave R · 7 Oct 2014, 12:13

Did you follow the instructions I wrote? Exactly?

TIG · 7 Oct 2014, 12:32

@phil81

If you have any file - let's call it 'AAA.zip' and you change its file-type extension to be .rbz, then it is named 'AAA.rbz'... and it WILL be found and offered for installation...

BUT if you have file-type extensions hidden under Windows settings, then Windows Explorer displays the file without the file-type extension, as 'AAA', saying its file-type is ZIP separately - so then when you rename it its displayed name becomes 'AAA.rbz', but Windows still sees it as a ZIP file - because its full name is now 'AAA.rbz.zip' !

To see the FULL file name for ALL files change your Windows Explorer setting under Tools > Folder Options > View > Files and Folders... look about 10 items down, and ensure there is NOT a tick in the 'Hide extensions for known file types' check-box: OK to save changes

You will now see the full name displayed for 'AAA.zip', and now you can either add .rbz onto the end, or change the file-type ending to .rbz - so renamed files as 'AAA.zip.rbz' OR 'AAA.rbz' will both work with the SketchUp installer...

tls · 12 Oct 2014, 03:16

I've followed the entertaining install instructions...and I'm sure I completely missed something obvious, but how may I get the correct icons installed on the toolbar?

I have HB working, but have to guess then play memory to use the widow, door, and other features.
I've uninstlled and installed (from all your links and direct download files) both HB and SU2014, 3-4 times each tonight.

MacAir SU2014

Dave R · 12 Oct 2014, 12:03

Looks to me as if the toolbar icon images didn't get installed into the correct location. There should be a folder called HouseBuilder in the Plugins folder and it should have a bunch of PNG files along with a couple of .rb files.

tls · 12 Oct 2014, 15:33

HouseBuilder is in the plugin folder, SU is just not installing the .png images.
The functions are working...I either guess or look elsewhere for the order of the icons.

Dave R · 12 Oct 2014, 17:54

But are the png icons in the HouseBuilder folder? Maybe you could make and share screen shots of your Plugins folder and the HouseBuilder folder.

phk_xb · 12 Oct 2014, 18:47

I have been trying to install house builder with no success, Im on a mac with sketch up 8. I downloaded the Housebuilder extension from the link provided and my mac must unzip files for me as I have yet to see a .zip file show up when I download the link. I compressed the folder that was downloaded and changed the .zip to a .rbz file. I added the .rbz file to sketch up by using the preferences - extensions - install extensions method and it says the installation is complete, but I don't see an option to choose the Housebuilder extension.

John Sayers · 2 Jan 2015, 02:31

Well I downloaded the new version - changed the .zip to .rbz - pointed to it in sketchup/preferences/pluggins and it loaded - great!

Only one problem. The metric dimensions used don't in fact reflect Australian timber sizes. In the past I have opened the Housebuilder_sections.txt file and altered the dimensions - e.g. a 4" x 2" is a 100 x 50mm which I have changed to a 90mm x 45mm which is what we use here in Aussieland.

Now the text file is incorporated into the .rbz file so I can't access it. I tried reloading it but it won't do it.

So I uninstalled v.2015 - I deleted the C:/Programs/Sketchup folder that was left (as it had retained the plugins folder) and reinstalled 2015 only to find that Housebuilder is now a permanent pluggin which I can't un-install and which has the 100 x 50mm as standard. I was hoping to reinstall it with the altered sections.text file but I can't do it as housebuilder is now permanently installed despite completely uninstalling 2015.

TIG · 2 Jan 2015, 11:51

Uninstalling/reinstalling SketchUp does nothing to change any Plugins you might have installed in your own User AppData Plugins folder...
To find/open that default Plugins folder, use the relevant SketchUcation Tools submenu item [Install its RBZ from the above link if needed...].
The path varies between versions.
Alternatively use this snippet in the Ruby Console:
UI.openURL( "file:///#{Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins')}" )

All you need to do to customize the HouseBuilder tool's lumber sizes is to open the file:
../Plugins/HouseBuilder/housebuilder_sections.txt
and edit it...
OR simply replace it with your own custom version of the file.
For >=v2014 make sure that the file is 'UTF8-withBOM' encoded [use Notepad++ to ensure that, OR use a copy of the original txt file that will already be properly encoded...]
Remember to follow the naming/text rules of the original file for the 23x45|67x89|... separators/joiners etc...

Krisidious · 2 Jan 2015, 12:59

John, if you go through the trouble of changing that file you might upload your AU Metric example for others to use. Just a thought.

John Sayers · 2 Jan 2015, 13:29

Thanks TIG - you were right - it had installed in User/roaming etc.

solved.

Dave R · 2 Jan 2015, 13:31

@john sayers said:

Thanks TIG - you were right - it had installed in User/roaming etc.

solved.

That was the right location for it, too.

John Sayers · 2 Jan 2015, 13:32

Here you go Kris.

housebuilder_sections.txt