Plugin installation recomendations
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I have started a blog aimed at woodwookers about sketchup plugins and how they can help thier modeling. I realized that I should start with how to install plugins and this is what I came up with:
Well I think the easiest way is to use the windows explorer and by right clicking on a file (xxxxxxxx.rb) and select sendto compressed file. This will result in a second file (xxxxxxxx.zip). Now you can right click on this file and select 'rename' and change the extension from .zip to .rbz. Once this is complete open sketchup and install this file as an extension. It's that easy. If the file is already a zipped file "xxxxxxx.zip" change the extension to ".rbz" and install as and extension. This way you do not need to find the plugin directory on your computer let sketchup handle that.What is your opinion of this method? Is it something I should suggest or not?
I found it also works for rbs files.Keith
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I haven't thought about that possibility yet (it sounds more complicated than necessary, but it avoids going to the Plugins folder).
The problem that we have is that the installation method differs, due to the amount of different ways how plugins have been distributed before SketchUp introduced extensions and rbz. Some plugins are single *.rb files, some are *.rbz or zipped folders, some are double zipped folders (because some zip programs create an extra folder inside the zip archive). I fear your way won't work relliably for zipped plugins that consist of several files.
Depending on what zip program a developer used, zipped plugins occur as:
[pre:3pghzpmz]ExamplePlugin_1.2.zip
|__ ExamplePlugin.rb
|__ ExamplePlugin (folder with additional files)[/pre:3pghzpmz]
or as:
[pre:3pghzpmz]ExamplePlugin_1.2.zip
|__ ExamplePlugin_1.2 (folder)
|__ ExamplePlugin.rb
|__ ExamplePlugin (folder with additional files)[/pre:3pghzpmz]
Needs testing. -
I had not thought about the second possibility. In my case as I will be recomending specific plugins I can check before and warn user if a different installation process will be necessary.
Thanks
Keith -
(1) Your talking about how to package the plugin for installation. (not how to install it.)
(2) It is the plugin author's responsibilty to package the plugin for installation.
(3) Your description is not cross-platform, it is Windows only.
(4) There is already a sticky topic on how to install plugins (in the SCF plugins folder.)
I REALLY suggest you point your readers to Documents that have already been written by SketchUp gurus.
Then concentrate on providing content in topics that YOU ARE a guru at.
(Give readers the wrong advice and your Blog gets a "bad reputation.")
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Simple Plugin Installer
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=42315 -
The reason I asked here was for comments.
It was not info on how to package plugins but to suggest to a user how to install a plugin I was recomending if they were not comfortable with moving/copying files to the plugins dir. I have looked at the Sketchup definition of how to install plugins and that was why I thought some users might need a simpler method.
I have downloaded and used the TT installer (and use and like it) but since it was removed from the Ruby Depot the user would need to come to this forum and regester and possibly not wanting to regester at another site.
Keith
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@ktkoh said:
I have downloaded and used the TT installer (and use and like it) but since it was removed from the Ruby Depot the user would need to come to this forum and regester and possibly not wanting to regester at another site.
I added the download to the BitBucket project: https://bitbucket.org/thomthom/simple-plugin-installer/
Direct link: https://bitbucket.org/thomthom/simple-plugin-installer/downloads/tt_simple_installer.rbz
I'll add the installation instructions in the Wiki page for that project.
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Thanks I will make use of that.
Keith
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