[Plugin] Xref Manager

TIG · 31 May 2013, 09:08

@tig said:

[attachment=0:ik81ktpq]XrefManagerHelpNotes.pdf[/attachment:ik81ktpq]

Dear Tig,
I just downloaded your xref manager tool.
One of the benefits of xref's in autocad is that you can insert an xref and not add to the size of the host file.
with sketchup making file sizes so huge this would be an awesome option, but your Xref manager does not seem to work this way. am I correct in assuming this? also will an inserted xref update within the host file when I revise the original?

Thank you so much for your reply.

Manijeh
You can't have Xref's like AutoCAD's. A full version of the Xref-SKP is inserted as a component. It has a date-stamp. If the external SKP is changed it is newer so the option is to 'Reload'... You can do this manually with SKP components in your model. All this [old] tool does is automate the management of these. It uses the term 'Xref' because most users with a CAD background understand the concept of having several files combined into a single 'project'... Unfortunately SketchUp has no ability to make a 'reference' - the full SKP's geometry has to be inserted as a component - like a CAD 'Block' [an 'Xref' in CAD is just a special kind of 'Block' where the geometry is left in its original host...]

Venom008 · 20 Jun 2013, 13:07

Can you also install this on mac? Or only import referenced mac sketchup files? Can only find the windows file. Great program though!

TIG · 20 Jun 2013, 15:07

What makes you think this doesn't work on a MAC

A few aspects - like DXF import WERE initially 'for PC only' - but that was several versions ago.
The current tool is completely cross-platform.
Depending on the SketchUp version then the import of certain file-types other than SKP might be available on Pro installations only.

There is essentially no difference between SKP files made on PC or MAC.
They should open on any other machine.
The only thing to remember is that a v2013 file won't import into a model that is open in SketchUp <=v8, but a SKP <=v8 will open in SketchUp v2013 etc...

Venom008 · 20 Jun 2013, 16:29

My bad, I placed the file in the wrong plugins folder on mac! Needed to go to it via the library. Thanks alot for this program. It will safe us alot of (waiting) time!

MKumar · 21 Jun 2013, 16:34

Hi Tig, Your tool xref tool is very helpfull, But if you can include an option to unload xrefs temporary and reload when necessary would be a great. Cheers

atelierpaar · 21 Jun 2013, 19:03

Hello Tig,
I would like to try xrefManager in SU 2013 but it doesn`t appear in SU Pluginstore.
Is there a reason ?

thanks for looking in to it
Uli

TIG · 21 Jun 2013, 20:29

It is there, do a search for 'xref'...

atelierpaar · 22 Jun 2013, 07:35

found it - dont know why I didnt see it before
thanks
Uli

JQL · 1 Oct 2013, 01:42

TIG,

Would it be easy for you to add a function for one to be able to save over xrefed files through your manager! One could update the externa files in bulk, instead of doing that one by one using context menu's save as. If you would would want to be safe it could warn, or write a backup of the overwritten file of course, as it would be a dangerous operation...

Thanks and best regards,

JQL

TIG · 3 Mar 2014, 11:09

Pending a more major overhaul to ye olde Xref tool [currently stalled]... here's a stop-gap v2014 compliant update [v6.1] - now available from the PluginStore http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=XrefManager

hulmevv · 4 May 2014, 08:37

TIG,
You have saved the day again!!

I first became COMPLETELY dependent on your brilliant SketchUp XREF Plugin, back in 2005 & '06, utilizing your much earlier versions (ver 3.6) of XREF Tools. Here is a project example which allowed us to go well beyond SketchUp's typical application at the time (2006 Exhibit Link: goo. gl/YP5z9k ) The resulting animations might look primitive compared to today's SketchUp examples; however, they are over 8 years old at this point. Video Link: landinnovation. com/nsscsec56vid. html

The bottom line; to see you have once again stepped up to the plate and updated your awesome work to support SketchUp 2014, is just exceptional! ...And in fact, very timely for some brand new SketchUp based endeavor we have planned!

Thank you so much for the hard work, and consistently helpful results!

paappleb · 9 Jun 2014, 20:39

TIG,

First off, a big THANK YOU for all your plugins. You are a great member of this community. Never got to say that before as I rarely post to the forum (lack of time to do so).

Apparently there was a maintenance update for 2014, which I installed today and since then I noticed XREF manager has not stopped working with DWG/DXFs. Here's the error message I am getting from the Ruby Console:

Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method definition' for nil:NilClass> C:/Users/pappleby/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/XrefManager.rb:388:in add_dwg_attrib'
C:/Users/pappleby/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/XrefManager.rb:374:in add_dwg' C:/Users/pappleby/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2014/SketchUp/Plugins/XrefManager.rb:797:in block in <top (required)>'
-e:1:in `call'

It worked fine before the update. Any idea what could be causing this?

TIG · 9 Jun 2014, 21:31

@paappleb

Thanks for the feedback.
This is an old plugin well pass it update date...

I'll look into your report...

g.moggel · 5 Sept 2014, 14:44

hey tig. first of all thanks for your amazing work.

this plugin seems great but i discovered a problem - when i update and have changed a material inside the original file it gets imported as a new material and wont change the already existing material. so i have to delete it, purge and replace it. are you planning on updating it?

cheers,
mo

TIG · 5 Sept 2014, 16:19

That's the way SketchUp works if you did it manually - so it can't be easily changed in API code either ?
There are some Material tools around, but how would they know which material you ant to use/keep ?

juju · 5 Dec 2014, 13:02

Has anyone tried thie XREF plugin in SU 2015? Any problems?

TIG · 5 Dec 2014, 13:16

It should work OK.
BUT it is a bit old and needs a long overdue revamp...

meomeo · 14 Dec 2014, 01:58

I can't describe how wonderful this plugin is. Thank you so much TIG !
The only wish is load and unload xref

snakeysnape · 13 Jun 2015, 04:51

Hi TIG,

I don't know if you are still doing a revamp of this very useful plug-in. If you are, can you make the path of the xref'd files relative to the master file?

We are using it to edit files from a Google Drive, so whenever one of us updates the master file, the others would need to re-path the xref'd files.

I know group editing is not what's the plug-in was designed for but I think it could work.

juju · 22 Sept 2015, 12:22

Hi Tig,

Would it be possible to create a scroll bar on the right for easy navigation within the pop-up window for Xref tools?