Ruby download

Chris Fullmer

Hi Rod, first, every ruby installs itself in different places. I am not sure where windowizer installs itself. so check the right click menu, the Plugins menu, the Draw menu, Tools menu. Those are probably the most logical laces it would be.

Also, it needs to be installed correctly. Make sure when you unzip the file, you are maintaining the same directory structure that is inside the file. Some unzip programs DO NOT show you the directories inside the zip file, so its hard to know if there are any. To be safe, choose the unzip to location method of unzipping the file. that should keep sub directories intact.

Or you could save the .zip file to your desktop and right click on it and choose "explore". That will open it in the windows explorer, which will show the directories correctly. Then just drag and drop it all into the plugins folder.

Does that make any sense? I'm sure I over explained a fairly simple task - as always.

Chris

Gaieus

Also note that a zip file has a name and that name is practically a folder name so Windows will (if automatically) unzip everything in a new folder named as the zip file instead of putting everything (incuding the rb file and subfolders) straight under the main Plugins directory. Make sure this doesn't happen.
One version of windowizer at least goes into the contet (right click) menu if you cannot find it after proper installation.

Jean Lemire

Hi Rod, hi folks.

Also, some Ruby scripts are treated as extensions, they need to be activated using the Extensions control pannel, like the Sandbox Tools, for example.

Use Menu Window --> Preferences --> Extensions. Verify if there is an entry for Windowiser. If so, make sure that the checkbox next to it is checked.

Close the window and, to be sure, quit SU and restart it.

Just ideas.

August

@jean lemire said:

... some Ruby scripts ... need to be activated using the Extensions control pannel, like the Sandbox Tools, for example.

Use Menu Window --> Preferences --> Extensions. Verify if there is an entry for Windowiser. ...
Hi Jean,

I just checked, and Windowizer (v3, the one I have) does not use the Extensions mechanism. That is done using Sketchup.register_extension which uses an object created by SketchupExtension.new which takes a title string and a path.

Does anyone happen to know of any plugins, other than those that Google ships with the installation, that use the Extensions mechanism? I've been searching and have only found references like this one, that are more theoretical than practical.

Thanks,
August

Jim

August,

there are numerous plugins that use it, are you looking for an example? I know some of Chris Fullmer's tools use it.

Gaieus

The following are listed under my Extensions tab in Preferences (apart from the original SU extensions):

shape bender (Chris Fullmer)
subdivide and smooth (Dale Martens)
free scale (Fredo) (oops, BTW it's now called "Fredo Scale")
soap skin and bubble (Josef Leibinger)

remus

A couple more to add to the list:
-profile builder (whaat)
-lightup (AdamB)

August

@jim said:

... are you looking for an example? I know some of Chris Fullmer's tools use it.
Yes, I am looking for examples. Thanks.

I just received a list from Chris in another thread: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=19345.

@gaieus said:

shape bender (Chris Fullmer)

subdivide and smooth (Dale Martens)

free scale (Fredo) (oops, BTW it's now called "Fredo Scale")

soap skin and bubble (Josef Leibinger)

@remus said:

profile builder (whaat)

lightup (AdamB)
Thank you both.

I also just found:

Custom Toolbars (Jim Foltz)

I think I have enough examples now. I was initially having a very hard time finding any scripts that used it; randomly downloading my way through 678 scripts in the Extensions Index was not working and the only references I found in forum discussions were oblique references like the one earlier in this thread.

I'm writing an article on how to use the Registered Extensions system as a tutorial for Ruby beginners and I want to specifically mention developers and/or scripts who/which already use it.

And my apologies for hijacking the thread.

Thanks again,
August

Jim

And don't forget about Google's own Sandbox tools and Dynamic Components.

Gaieus

@jim said:

And don't forget about Google's own Sandbox tools and Dynamic Components.

Then the ocean modelling tool (new to M1 of SU 7), utilities and one other I'm too lazy now to look up should also be counted.

Chris Fullmer

I think he is interested in who outside of Google is taking advantage of this feature - especially since it is relatively easy to write into a ruby script.

I'm curious if people ever disable extensions using the extensions enable/disable window?

Chris

Jim

I'm curious if the Extensions dialog will still be usable and easy-to-use if there were, let's say 25 or more extensions in there.

Chris Fullmer

Exactly, thats another great question! It probably becomes just as unwieldly as the plugins menu does. If every plugin installs itself there, that could be rather tedious to work with.

But then again, if you're just turning some things on and off occasionally to keep the plugins menu clean and tidy, maybe its a good trade-off?

Al Hart

What is the effect of the second parameter (true/false) in Sketchup.register_extension

[edit]It looks like the .rb file gets loaded whether true or false is set.

August

@al hart said:

What is the effect of the second parameter (true/false) in Sketchup.register_extension

[edit]It looks like the .rb file gets loaded whether true or false is set.

I found this page of doc:
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/sketchup.html#register_extension
which includes this section:
Sketchup.register_extension doc

Here's the text from that image (so that it is searchable), formatted as best as my experience with SCF will allow:

Sketchup.register_extensionSketchUp [6.0+]

The register_extension method is used to register an extension with SketchUp's extension manager (in SketchUp preferences).

Arguments:

extension -- A SketchupExtension object.
registered -- true if extension should be automatically
loaded the first time it is registered.

Returns:

status -- true if extension registered properly

utilitiesExtension = SketchupExtension.new "Utilities Tools",
  "Utilities/utilitiesTools.rb"

utilitiesExtension.description = "Adds Tools->Utilities to the " +
  "SketchUp inteface. The Utilities submenu contains two tools; " +
  "Create Face and Query Tool."   

Sketchup.register_extension utilitiesExtension, false

That formatting is way too much trouble. Code boxes should be wider so it will display readably and there really should be some way of indenting, creating lists bullets, etc.

ANYBODY know of any doc for formatting SCF posts that goes beyond the buttons at the top of the text entry window?

I hope this helps,
August

Chris Fullmer

The SCF uses BBCode. When you are replying, over on the right, under all the smileys, there is a small section with this:

BBCode is ON
[img] is ON
[flash] is ON
[url] is ON
Smilies are ON

and the BBCode is a link to this:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/faq.php?mode=bbcode

So when you are posting, you can use that as a aguide to help with formatting.

Chris

mirami

Hi!
I have loaded the soap bubble skin from tensil structure.de but cannot open it.. I am using Vista and SU6.
I unzip the files as mentionned , I create C>program>google>su6>tools but get a message telling me the file cannot be created, immposible to open... I tried to unzip on the desktop, copied the files in su6, this worked fine. But np new toolbar in SU6 at all.. I tried to take away the anti virus and firewall, ,no results..
Has anyone got this problem before ?
Thanks a lot

Gaieus

Hi Mirami,

Even if successfully installed (you may have administration right issues with this on Vista), SSB needs to be activated from the Window > Preferences > Extensions tab. Also, you may need to activate the toolbar itself from View > Toolbars.

mirami

Hello!
Well, could you be so kind to refresh my memory and explain me how to go in window>preference and what you excatly do one you are there ?
In SU toolbar all is apparently activated..
Thanks a lot

Gaieus

See attached (I don't have it installed at the moment but it should be there)