Calling Whaat and Fredo!! new MAC issues (SOLVED)

jeff hammond

I do not have a Plugin folder after Users/Library/Application Support/SketchUp7/Sketchup
Should I create one then put all my plugins in there in future?

no, you shouldn't.. when you install podium, it makes the folder in your user library.. if you don't plan on using podium, place all the plugins in the system library (ie - Macintosh HD) and they will work fine from there..
i have a few of these problem plugins (sds,bool tools,etc) and they are in the proper plugin folder and work great.. i once installed podium and it 'broke' a few of my rubies and started causing crashes even after i moved the rubies to the newly created podium folders..

speaking of which, i didn't actually try to put the podium files in macHD/library/etc.. i'm now wondering if that would work.. i'll report back later

jeff hammond

i just installed podium 1.6.1(evaluation) again and as expected, a few of other plugins no longer loaded.. here's what i found..

the installer puts the actual podium plugin at

user/library/application support/podium

it then goes on to create aliases in other places.. [the alias files have the little arrow on the icons -- the main files don't have that]
example of podium's alias icons

what i did to get everything in proper working order was this:
remove the following 2 folders/contents: (you'll need admin access to move these files around)
user/library/application support/google sketchup 6 (*note- i only have SU7 installed. this folder didn't exist prior to installing podium and it only contains the podium aliases. if you're using sketchup6, go into this folder and only delete the podium aliases)
user/library/application support/google sketchup 7/sketchup/plugins

then, go to user/library/application support/podium
inside that folder you'll see two files: podium_load.rb and Podium.bundle (the real files.. not alias)
place those at the normal plugin location:
Macintosh HD/library/application support/google sketchup 7/sketchup/plugins

after that, podium works and all the plugins work.. all from the initial plugin folder which is installed with SketchUp.

if you don't mind having your rubies in different locations (and having to figure out which ones work where) then go with the previous work around [which is a bit silly imo -- conform everything to work with a bad podium install instead of fixing the podium install and let everything else work as it should]

i like to keep a sidebar folder containing my rubies so i can easily try and/or delete new rubies.. i don't really like typing: Macintosh HD/library/application support/google sketchup 7/sketchup/plugins... much less navigating to it ... if you're doing a new install of sketchup and you have a lot of rubies to add, i suggest placing the folder in your sidebar -- in the finder window, just drag the plugins folder into the sidebar under 'places' (in the same place as Applications, user, desktop, etc) you'll then have one click access to your plugin folder or you can just drag/drop your rubies there)

dylan

Thanks for the info guys.

I do use Podium but have not installed it yet, I shall do that later.

Great tip about the plugin folder Jeff in the sidebar

driven

I found this post after kindly Jeff had emailed me this solution, and thought I'd add my two pence to the Mac/rudy/SU info pool.

I've put the whole HD sketchup folder in the side bar with addition folders for different classes of rubies which I will into specific task related categories.

The new folder doesn't affect anything else and contents can be copy paste into the real plugins folder as specific set (i.e. engineering drawing; rendering; testmode; etc...) or individually for a session (i.e. rendering; file conversion)

It does mean I need to Send to Trash the 'real' plugin folder and Copy Paste my new set in replacement, but doing all from one Finder window is straight forward enough for now. I'll have a look into running an Automate script for toggling between sets.

The idea is that I sometimes want to use a plugin that doesn't want to play nice with others, so I can isolate it and restart with only it and it's friends loaded. PC derived rubies seem to be the biggest problem.

The other thing I added to the side bar was a smart folder for .rb downloads, to help find what I downloaded it a surfing session, maybe I'm the only one who looses downloads between my different download managers (mail,safari,speeddownload,etc)

heres a screen shot for any-one interested.

thanks again Jeff

john

mac_ruby_navigation aid

chrisjk

I have been running into the disappearing icons/tools thing on my Mac (SU 7.1 and Snow Leopard) and have discovered that the problem (for me at least) is the mere existence of a second Plugins folder at the User level. In my case, the Podium stuff turned out to be a red herring. I do need the Separate Plugins folder because I bought the Profile Builder plugin and for some reason it has to live there rather than in the main system level folder.

Just temporarily deleting the user level plugins folder restored the tools and icons I had been missing. Thankfully, because I really want both the Profile Builder and the Bezierspline tools, I found that I can install the problematic tools which disappeared in the user level folder and they work OK - in my case these were Fredo's Bezierspline tools and Bool Tools.

Edson

chris,

you are right: some plugins only work if installed at the user level (go figure why!).

recent problems i had. after i installed 7.1 for mac three of didier bur's scripts ceased to work: layer manager, compospray and projections. nothing would happen if i pressed one of its icons.

in an attempt to solve the problem i installed all 3 plugins on both the HD and my user plugins folder. the result was: Layer Manager and CompoSpray are working but Projections remains dead. i am inclined to think that what did the trick was the dual installation but have no clue as to why they are working again.

just today i found out that point.rb was working but its icon was not showing. i moved it to the user level and the icon appeared.

thus it seems we do need to keep both plugins folders if we are to use all available plugins. i would like very much if any of our ruby experts could find out what 7.1 did to screw up some plugins that worked perfectly under 7.

jeff hammond

Fwiw, I have a few of the recently mentioned rubys in this thread and the all work fine with su7.1.
Projections, booltools, profile builder, bezier spline, all are installed in the main library plugin folder and I have no plugin folder in the user library.
Again, the user library plugin folder is not there with a fresh SU install and these type of problems begin upon installing podium( which creates a user plugin folder) or by the user creating a plugin folder there.
If you insist on keeping a plugin folder in the user library then you're going to continue having these problems. Google doesn't put it there so why make it?

tfdesign

I still think Atlast/Google need to make it so plugins are dropped directly into the ruby console window, then SU determines where the plugins go. All this guess work is really unprofessional.

thomthom

@tfdesign said:

I still think Atlast/Google need to make it so plugins are dropped directly into the ruby console window, then SU determines where the plugins go. All this guess work is really unprofessional.

As Jeff, said, the official location is under HD. There should be no guesswork. Why some end up in the User location is not Google's fault. That's either user's or installers misplacing it there.

At Googles pages it says: http://sketchup.google.com/download/rubyscripts.html

@unknownuser said:

Installing Ruby Scripts

To install a Ruby Script, here's what you need to do:

Download it onto your computer.

If the downloaded file is zipped, unzip it. You can usually do this by double-clicking on it. Unzipped Ruby Script files have the following file extension: .rb

Close SketchUp if it's running.

Copy the Ruby Script file into the right location for your operating system:
Windows: C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 7/Plugins
Mac OS X: 'Hard Drive'/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins

tfdesign

@thomthom said:

@tfdesign said:

I still think Atlast/Google need to make it so plugins are dropped directly into the ruby console window, then SU determines where the plugins go. All this guess work is really unprofessional.

As Jeff, said, the official location is under HD. There should be no guesswork. Why some end up in the User location is not Google's fault. That's either user's or installers misplacing it there.

Thom, moderator or not, you do not use a current Mac system. You have a Mac, but as you said in your own words, "it is not used". Please instead of coming out with really unhelpful remarks such as this, please could you kindly refrain, because it really doesn't help. I have read the instructions, yet I still can't get Booltools to work. It may be that I may need to reinstall my entire OS, but I really don't have the time to do this right now.

Anyway, this is besides the point. My post was made, because I think it has a valid solution to what really is a problem for many of us Mac users, if only the developers would listen. Thom, you are a moderator of this forum, NOT a developer for Google Sketchup! Jeff is right, there should be no guesswork, but there is.

thomthom

Come on. This wasn't moderating. It was expressing an opposite opinion. I'm have my own criticism of Sketchup and I'm not one to hold them back.
But I'm one for credit where credit is due. And in this case I don't see no reason to call the developers unprofessional. I pointed out that Google only states the HD part as where to install it. Backing up Jeff's post where he said he got all the plugins to work.
In what I quoted you on you pointed the finger to Google for the confusion - which I see no just cause for - as they've never stated anywhere that plugins should go into the user directory.

As Jeff said, on installation of SketchuUp, there is never any plugins folder in the user sector. So starting to put plugins in that area is not an invention of Google.

Though, it would be great if Google would provide with some info on this issue. But calling them unprofessional is uncalled for - and also not helpful.

tfdesign

Thom, if a company fails to deliver what it says it delivers, don't you think that you have a right to criticise it? Google need to address this problem, because it is a problem. Companies and individuals such as those who develop rubies, also need to stick to the guidelines, then we get more reliable products. I think I am completely within my rights to call a company, or an individual, unprofessional, if they fail to deliver what they say they will deliver- especially if that product involves taking money. I've paid for Booltools, yet it still doesn't work. I haven't got the time to sit around playing with folders. The reason developers like user directories is because something that is paid for is owned by an individual, and not a group, that's why this confusion happens.

I apologise if I have upset you, but I can't think of a better word for it.

thomthom

@tfdesign said:

Thom, if a company fails to deliver what it says it delivers, don't you think that you have a right to criticise it? Google need to address this problem, because it is a problem.

Yes, by all means.

@tfdesign said:

I think I am completely within my rights to call a company, or an individual, unprofessional, if they fail to deliver what they say they will deliver

True.
But what is it Google hasn't delivered here in regard to the plugins in User vs HD section?

@tfdesign said:

The reason developers like user directories is because something that is paid for is owned by an individual, and not a group, that's why this confusion happens.

None the less. Nowhere from Google does it say to use the User directory. On PC they are in Program File which is shared by all, and on OSX they should be on HD.

What I was pointing out was that you blamed Google for the User vs HD confusion. Where I see no reason for that, as all the info I from from Google says HD. If a user puts it in the user directory while the documentation says HD, then that is not Google fault. That there is two areas of OSX that look alike is also not Google's fault. If a user or developer install a plugin outside HD, then they are doing that counter to the official instructions.
Is it for that I don't see it just and call them unprofessional on the basis of the folder confusion. And calling them unprofessional is also no "solution" - which is why I mentioned it. But I take it that the statement was a wish for Google to take action and help their users as there is a seemingly widespread issue. And I agree with that. And I also agree that SU would be much better if there was a builting plugin manager, installer/uninstaller so SU would take care of all this itself.

wind-borne

@chrisjk said:

In my case, the Podium stuff turned out to be a red herring.

Immediately upon opening SU after installing Podium, several plugins
broke down.

Immediately after flushing what Podium created, SU plugins worked properly in the proper location.

In between, some valuable learning experiences coupled with rage.

fredo6

Could one Mac users having installed Podium and having scripts in the User folder do us a favor and open the Ruby Console and type $: and then report the result.

For info, the command $: contains the folders where SU is looking for scripts.

Thanks in advance

Fredo

chrisjk

@unknownuser said:

Fwiw, I have a few of the recently mentioned rubys in this thread and the all work fine with su7.1.
Projections, booltools, profile builder, bezier spline, all are installed in the main library plugin folder and I have no plugin folder in the user library.
Again, the user library plugin folder is not there with a fresh SU install and these type of problems begin upon installing podium( which creates a user plugin folder) or by the user creating a plugin folder there.
If you insist on keeping a plugin folder in the user library then you're going to continue having these problems. Google doesn't put it there so why make it?

Jeff,
I have tried installing Profile Builder as you suggest but to no avail - it is not to be seen. The manual makes explicit mention of this "The plugin may NOT work if installed to the following directory: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Google Sketchup 6/SketchUp/Plugins" and although I am using SU7.1 (5803) rather than the version 6 mentioned by WHAAT,it makes no difference. The other plugins you mention will work in either place albeit missing some toolbars/icons or actual tools as in the case of Fredo's BZ tools.

Chris

Edson

$:
["/Users/edson/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins", "/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins", "/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Tools", "/Users/edson/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/plugins/Podium.bundle/Contents/MacOS", "/Users/edson/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/plugins/Podium.bundle/Contents/Resources", "/Users/edson"]

fredo6

Thanks Edson,

I forgot to ask about the default Plugin Folder.
You need to type Sketchup.find_support_file "plugins" in the Ruby console.

What I suspect is that the result would be the '/User...' folder (the first one in the $: list.

Unfortunately, some scripts, among which BezierSpline, make the assumptions that the icons folder is located underneath this Default SU Plugin folder, whereas the real folder is in the '/HD...' folder, along with main script. You may have the same problem with JPP.

I tried to fix that with LibFredo6. Could you confirm that FredoScale or TOS works fine with the above configuration.

Fredo

thomthom

I´ll install Podium 1.5 on my MacMini OSX10.4.
Currently everything works. I have ProfileBuilder isntalled under HD. No plugins under User.

Current folder info:


> $;
["/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins", "/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Tools", "/Users/thomas"]
> Sketchup.find_support_file "plugins"
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/plugins

fredo6

@thomthom said:

I´ll install Podium 1.5 on my MacMini OSX10.4.
Currently everything works. I have ProfileBuilder isntalled under HD. No plugins under User.

Current folder info:


> > $;
> ["/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins", "/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Tools", "/Users/thomas"]
> > Sketchup.find_support_file "plugins"
> /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/plugins
>

I suspect that on Mac there is a disconnect between the $: and the Sketchup.find_support_file "plugins".
This is why I no longer use the find_support_file method and rely only on the location of the main script to find its subfolders.

Fredo

PS: actually, I have written a small plugin for my own usage where I put scripts in a separate folder (on drive), which are accessed and shared by SU6, SU7.0 and SU7.1, so that I can test all versions, without copying scripts around. The other interest is that you do not have to bother with the Vista and Windows 7 access restriction to the C:\program file folder.