Housebuilder

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

Krisidious · 2 Jan 2015, 14:22

Awesome John, never know when it might come in handy.

Robxm · 6 Feb 2015, 05:15

Cannot install HB on Mac (OS 10.6.8) in SU8.01.
I have downloaded HB folder on my desktop containing garage_tour.skp (no model in scenes), HouseBuilder.rb and HouseBuilderTool.rb

I open SketchUp > Preferences >Extensions and Install extension.
I navigate to the HB folder > open and all contents are GRAYED out preventing installation.

I am thinking I should manually install HB and I cannot find any SU plugin folder to place HB into. There is no SU plugin folder in the folder I purchased from SketchUp and I cannot find any SU plugin folder on my Mac.

Any help is greatly appreciated. The HB plugin looks enormously useful.

Dave R · 6 Feb 2015, 10:09

I guess you haven't read through this thread. The correct installation process has been give multiple times here.

From your description it sounds like you downloaded the ZIP file but it got unzipped automatically by your OS. You really ought to set it so that doesn't happen. It would make things easier.

Install Extension requires that the extension be packaged as a zip file whose file-extension is changed to .rbz. The reason Install Extension didn't work for you is you have no .rbz file to point it at.

Try again.

As for the Plugins folder, in current versions of SketchUp it does exist but it is in a hidden directory. There's no need for you to access it directly if you have files structured correctly and install them properly. Your profile indicates you're still using SketchUp 6. Is that correct?

HouseBuilder_extension.rbz

Robxm · 6 Feb 2015, 14:56

Thank you Dave for the HouseBuilder_extension.rbz file.
I was wasting time with the rb files and the rbz installed and worked in SU8 after reopening.
HB appear in my Draw menu.

Dave R · 6 Feb 2015, 15:56

Most plugins/extensions anymore are .rbz files and can be installed automatically with the Sketchucation Plugin Store (and the Extension Warehouse if you ever decide to update SketchUp to the present) but there are some out there still that will come as ZIP files. It would probably be worth your time to disable auto-unzipping so that zip files remain intact when you download them.

jjmormon · 18 Apr 2015, 18:51

Does someone have the US version for HouseBuilder they could put up for download? I'll throw you a few $$$

Dave R · 18 Apr 2015, 19:47

Here you go. That'll be $10.

You could have just looked three posts up from yours.

gphillips · 25 Apr 2015, 01:17

I successfully installed the Housebuilder metric extension using the rbz file provided on this thread, and it works OK so far (Thanks) EXCEPT:
When selecting lumber size using the drop down menu arrow (e.g. for walls or roofs), the selection arrow must be held down, not clicked, or the options disappear. A bit of a nuisance.
I wonder do other versions do this (e.g. Imperial version)?

TIG · 25 Apr 2015, 15:05

This is a known annoyance of the UI.inputbox drop-down list.
It can be overcome.
If you know the start number for the size...
Click in the drop-down box to highlight it - on long lists you can't see all entries.
If your size is off the list...
Start to type in the start number.
The list selection jumps down to it highlight the first item starting with that number.
Use the up/down arrows to move to the desired size which will now be nearby.

The only other way is to make a webdialog to do this in html/js, but that's another story

gudio83 · 25 Apr 2015, 15:05

click and hold mice left button when selecting lumber size. thats it.
It will be great someone to add some new features in this plug-in (like add OSB / divide by panels...). its best plug-in for timber constructions for now. However it have many issues with windows and doors, but i make it manually.