[Plugin] Simple Plugin Installer

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 12:54

Overview
SketchUp's "Install Extension" button only allows .RBZ files, and you have to navigate through several clicks to get to the button.

As someone who often installs plugin I wanted an easier and more flexible method which resulted in this small and simple utility to make it easier to install .RBZ, .ZIP packages. It also let you pick .RB files which will be copied to the Plugins folder. (Note, this feature has not been tested under systems with limited access, so it might fail - where the user will see an error message.)

Version 1.1.0
Added guard against VirtualStore under Windows. See this thread for more info on VirtualStore: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=48399

[anchor=InstallRBZ goto=InstallRBZ:10udb40n]Installing RBZ File[/anchor:10udb40n]

For more information on installing plugins: http://www.thomthom.net/thoughts/2012/01/installing-plugins-for-google-sketchup/

Access
Plugins > Install

Features

ZIP Package
Allows for installation of .ZIP files as if they where .RBZ files.
RBZ Package
Does the same as SketchUp's "Install Extension" button.
RB File
Copies selected .rb file to the Plugins folder.
( As reported by Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins') )
RBS File 1.0.3
Copies selected .rbs file to the Plugins folder.
Open Extension Manager
Simply opens the Extension page under SketchUp's Preferences window.

Requirements

SketchUp 8M2 or newer

SketchUp Plugins | PluginStore | SketchUcation

SketchUp Plugin and Extension Store by SketchUcation provides free downloads of hundreds of SketchUp extensions and plugins

(sketchucation.com)

Footprint

<Sketchup>/Plugins/
+-

tt_simple_installer.rb

mitcorb · 2 Jan 2012, 14:06

Hi, thomthom:
This looks good. I hope to try it out as I eventually move to Sketchup8...and I will.

TIG · 2 Jan 2012, 14:36

Thanks thomthom ! This a very good idea.

However, if I rename your script with a leading '!', which is so that it loads very early and thereby puts the new submenu item at the start of the Plugins menu list, I find that it fails to load - with an error message at startup.
This is because the module 'TT' has not [yet] been defined: however, some later installed 'tt_' tools require 'TT_Lib2/core.rb' that will then define it; so it works if it's left with its original name, because it loads after those, BUT of course then it's submenu item is buried in the rest of the Plugins list.
This means that your new tool needs 'TT_Lib2' [and it would therefore benefit from a require 'TT_Lib2/core.rb' being added to it] - BUT currently the download page doesn't say this or have a link to get it...
OR [better I think] you could to redefine the module so it is independent of 'TT' - naming it say ' module TT_SimpleInstaller' ? [I don't think it uses any of the TT_Lib_2's functions anyway ?]

Currently I've renamed the module this way and added the '!' to the start of the file name and it works well.

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 14:37

Ah! That's a silly bug!

I'll fix that asap! Done!

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 14:50

If only the Ruby API wasn't so limited...

I'd ideally like to be able to select multiple files and/or folders. Also wish the file pattern filter wasn't bugged so one could combine multiple file patterns...

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 15:16

Idea... ...using HTML5, a webdialog can act as a drop pad for files. Just dump a selection of files, rbz, zip or plain rb files and install in bulk!!

Dave R · 2 Jan 2012, 15:27

Thomas, this is a great idea! Is it possible for the plugin to also run load"plugin_name.rb" after copying the file and installing it into the Plugins folder?

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 15:28

@dave r said:

Thomas, this is a great idea! Is it possible for the plugin to also run load"plugin_name.rb" after copying the file and installing it into the Plugins folder?

Capital idea ol' chum!

Jim · 2 Jan 2012, 15:55

@thomthom said:

Idea... ...using HTML5, a webdialog can act as a drop pad for files. Just dump a selection of files, rbz, zip or plain rb files and install in bulk!!

Yep, but it would make a better stand-alone "Drop Pad" plugin that can dispatch various file types to user-configurable plugins.

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 15:57

@jim said:

@thomthom said:

Idea... ...using HTML5, a webdialog can act as a drop pad for files. Just dump a selection of files, rbz, zip or plain rb files and install in bulk!!

Yep, but it would make a better stand-alone "Drop Pad" plugin that can dispatch various file types to user-configurable plugins.

You mean being able to configure what plugin to handle what fileformat?

Jim · 2 Jan 2012, 16:04

Yeah, but the downside is that the plugins that handle the file types would likely all need modified to handle the Drop Pad dispatcher.

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 16:11

Well, it won't be doable until IE10 is released anyway...

thomthom · 2 Jan 2012, 16:15

@jim said:

Yeah, but the downside is that the plugins that handle the file types would likely all need modified to handle the Drop Pad dispatcher.

hm... you meant for the pad to dispatch to existing plugins...?

john2 · 5 Jan 2012, 10:59

any plans to further advance this into a full fledged plugin manager that allows u to uninstall plugins too?

thomthom · 5 Jan 2012, 11:12

@john2 said:

any plans to further advance this into a full fledged plugin manager that allows u to uninstall plugins too?

Nope! It's too big of a project - I have too many other projects on my hand. But Dana is working such a manager.

john2 · 5 Jan 2012, 15:18

@thomthom said:

@john2 said:

any plans to further advance this into a full fledged plugin manager that allows u to uninstall plugins too?

Nope! It's too big of a project - I have too many other projects on my hand. But Dana is working such a manager.

where's that plugin any idea