Sketchucation Tools 5.0.3

alexpacio2013

As I mentioned, if I try to reinstall the plugin, I close SketchUp and open it again, but when I go to the SketchUp Extensions panel, it still says it’s deactivated. I try turning it off and restarting it, but it remains deactivated.

TIG

To uninstall SketchUcation - close SketchUp.
Open your SketchUp's Plugins folder.
Find the file SketchUcation.rb and its subfolder SketchUcation.
Select them and delete them.
Open the PluginStore page and download the latest RBZ - currently it's v5.0.1 [but v5.0.2 will be released very soon].
Open SketchUp.
Use SketchUp's Extension Manager to install that RBZ.
If there's an error message copy it and paste it into a reply.
Otherwise, can you activate the SketchUcation extension if it's shown disabled ?

alexpacio2013

@TIG I followed the steps you told me, reinstalled the plugin, and now I am attaching the errors that come up.

Rapporto errori estensioni
SketchUp: 25.0.660
Sistema operativo: Windows 11 
Ruby: 3.2.2

Estensione: SketchUcation (5.0.1)
Errore: ArgumentError (invalid byte sequence in UTF-8)
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:805:in `block (4 levels) in getMyPlugins'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:804:in `each'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:804:in `block (3 levels) in getMyPlugins'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:798:in `each'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:798:in `block (2 levels) in getMyPlugins'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:796:in `each'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:796:in `block in getMyPlugins'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:751:in `each'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_dialog.rbe:751:in `getMyPlugins'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_loader.rbe:99:in `<module:SCF>'
c:/users/roberto.bolletta/appdata/roaming/sketchup/sketchup 2025/sketchup/plugins/sketchucation/scf_loader.rbe:13:in `<main>'
C:/Program Files/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Tools/EXTENSIONs.rb:197:in `eval'
C:/Program Files/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Tools/EXTENSIONs.rb:197:in `require'
C:/Program Files/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Tools/EXTENSIONs.rb:197:in `load'
C:/Users/roberto.bolletta/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchUcation.rb:173:in `register_extension'
C:/Users/roberto.bolletta/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchUcation.rb:173:in `<module:SCF>'
C:/Users/roberto.bolletta/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2025/SketchUp/Plugins/SketchUcation.rb:17:in `<top (required)>'

TIG

Thank you for the error message. This is a known problem.
The UTF-8 text encoding error was reported recently - but only by two people.
I have now prepared alternative coding to trap for this unexpected issue.
We still don't know exactly what's causing this UTF-8 encoding error, but it's now sidestepped to avoid these issues.
Also some very rare internet connectivity issues, which threw up unexplained errors, are now trapped with error messages if there is a download/unzip failure.
Version 5.0.2 is now ready and being tested in house, it should be published in a few days - watch for announcements.

alexpacio2013

@TIG If it can be useful to you, I use SketchUp in the Italian version because the UTF error seems to be a character issue.

TIG

The other report was from a French member, however, worries about oddly encoded Windows user-names in file paths have been without foundation, and we force_encode them to UTF-8 text just in case. User-names that do not follow the Windows recommendations - e.g. with accented characters - might occasionally cause issues, but they are very rare.
The various extensions' RB files themselves are also get their lines of text force_encoded as UTF-8 text in case they are improperly encoded too [but again that's rare].
However, in the cases of these rare reported error messages, a line from the RB file that's being read in fails to force_encode because it's not encoded at all in any known format ! This is very weird. To avoid the error our code now uses a line.encoding_valid? test, and if that is false it skips it rather than trying to encode it - because force_encoding only works if the text is already encoded in some other format - so there was an error.

gullfo

maybe a quick script to scan the files and log them as it attempts to force the UTF-8 and see which plugins are causing it...

TIG

@gullfo

I was think of that...
Since very few have reported an issue it must be a rare RB file you have that's causing this issue.
BUT can we get v5.0.2 out first.
Then I'll PM you something later this week.
Thanks for your help.

TutorialsUp

Encountering the same UTF-8 encoding error. While waiting for v5.0.2, is there any way to download older versions of the plugin so I can continue using?
Thanks

TIG

v5.0.2 should be out very soon...

i5963c

Something that I noted after installing version 5.0.1: everytime I launch Sketchup, the toolbar with the 3 icons reappears in the viewport. I don't want this behaviour, when I need the Sketchucation plugin, I will use the menu entries. I never saw this behaviour with earlier versions. I have already switched OFF the selection box for the toolbar settings in the View menu (many times) but at every relaunch / start of the application, the toolbar is shown again (and the selection box in the settings is switched ON again...)

i5963c

One more finding: The 'Shortcutter' is also empty (see screenshot of the dialog). Wasn't the case in earlier versions.
Screenshot 2025-10-07 231410.png

Dave R

@i5963c what operating system? What version of SketchUp?

This is what I see in the Shortcutter with the current version of Sketchucation Tools.
Screenshot - 10_7_2025 , 4_42_02 PM.png

i5963c

OS = Windows 11, SU = Make 2017

Rich O Brien

Sketchucation Tools 5.0.2 released

Bugfixing and improvements
SketchUp 2026 compatibility

TIG

@i5963c
The reason the toolbar appears is, because there are updates available - hence the red marker on the first button - not present otherwise.
If you open the ExtensionStore dialog and choose to install the updates, then close the toolbar, when you restart SketchUp the toolbar stays off, until you next activate it.
If you don't want the updates simply dock the toolbar in the side bar with others, it's unobtrusive...

alexpacio2013

@TIG Nothing to do, I installed FredoLib5 02 and now SketchUp 2024, 2025, and 2026 all freeze. I don’t know what to do anymore — the programs close automatically right after startup without showing any message. I have no idea what to do, and it’s essential for me, especially Lord of the Toolbars, because of my issues — I simply can’t do without it anymore. If I delete the FredoLib5 folder, SketchUp starts again, but of course without all the plugins connected to Fredo. I also tried installing an older version (15.4e), but it still won’t start. Help.

Rich O Brien

Download the SketchUp installers: https://www.sketchup.com/download/all

Right click the installer and choose Run as Admin

When prompted choose Repair

See if that alleviates any issues.

If not move your Plugins folder to your Desktop and start SketchUp so it creates a new Plugins folder

Begin by install Sketchucation Tools: https://sketchucation.com/plugin/696-sketchucationtools

See if there are issues starting SketchUp. If not you can rule out this as a cause.

Begin installing other extensions and seeing when the issue begins.

There may some clash or some corrupt file, basically anything, because everyone's setup is unique to them.

I have never seen a FredoLib5 folder. I do see a Fredo6_!LibFredo6 folder.

So you just need to take some time to figure out what could be causing a clash that stops SketchUp launching. The Plugins folder is a sensitive place and an errant file or out of sequence setup will lead to issues.

I think the first thing to rule out is some system related issue. Moving your Plugins temporarily to a neutral location will rule out a system issue.

Then it's a case or recreating your setup and seeing when the clash happens.

With every new SketchUp version I treat it as a new start. I never drag old stuff into places. I use our own Bundles system to re-install extensions for older versions.

gullfo

@TIG said in Sketchucation Tools 5.0.2:

The reason the toolbar appears is, because there are updates available - hence the red marker on the first button - not present otherwise.
If you don't want the updates simply dock the toolbar in the side bar with others, it's unobtrusive...

ONE ISSUE - a lot of the "updates" are way older than the ones i have installed... not sure if maybe the extension developer does not have their plugins in the correct database/format/link etc but i've got plugins 2-3 years old when all of them on my system are current...

e.g. i installed the latest LibFredo and it still shows up in the list of updates (active update button) with the same rev identifier...

anyways, i docked it in my toolbar, but i think the main complaint for most people, i don't want to dock it, i want to only select it in the extensions menu...

Gábor

@gullfo Have you installed the latest LibFredo with SketchucationTools or manually by downloading it from the website? If the second option, then the Tools doesn't know about it being installed, and indicates a need for the update. After you update it with the Tools, you should not be prompted for an update again.