Just a quick update on my previous message:

After struggling with this 'bug' on my main desktop, I tried to install the ThruPaint extension also on my tablet PC. On that machine, the extension did not have the problem of the missing material browser.

I then decided to completely shut down the desktop PC and restart it (so, not just quiting Sketchup and relaunching the application).
Bizar, but then the ThruPaint extension worked again, including showing the material browser part.

So, please disregard my previous message!!!
This problem thus 'disappeared' without understanding why it happened in the first place, and how it was 'mysteriously solved'.

However, there is something else now that bothers me: When I select a material in the ThruPaint material browser, this selected material also becomes 'active' in the large material box on the upperleft side of the material browser. However, once I move the mouse beyond the borders of the ThruPaint dialog box, the material in the upperleft box always returns to the 'default' material (see: green box in image below).

I would expect that the selected material in the browser (red box in figure below) would remain 'active' in the upperleft material box when painting faces, edges or objects in the Sketchup viewport. From what I remember, I believe that this was the behaviour in the past, but it's no longer the case now. I'm also not sure whether my memory is right...

Currently, with the default material always shown in this upperleft box once the mouse is no longer over the dialog box, I don't see much value for this box, and it's also quite difficult to know what is the active/selected material that is being used for painting.

Can you please let me know whether the behaviour as described above is intentional of whether it is an 'error'?

Basically, this question relates to the meaning/purpose of the different material boxes shown in the UI while painting (see figure below).

• The red box (with the red material) is the one that is selected for painting.
• The green box (with the 'default' material once the mouse is no longer hovering the dialog box),
• The blue box is linked with the mouse cursor (and also shows the default material...),
• The black box (also with the default material) is shown as long as the ThruPaint extension is active).

Three boxes, all with the default material, while another material is selected for painting: in all honesty, the logic behind this escapes me a bit... But, probably, I miss something fundamental in my understanding of how this extension is intended to be used?

Furthermore, in case of a long list of materials in the material browser, the material that is actually selected may be hidden because it's not in the visible area, based on the position of the scroll bar.

I've searched online for documentation that helps explaining this, but I've not been able to find an answer.

I would really appreciate if somebody could shine a light on this in order to help me understand the use of this otherwise marvellous extension better.

I bought a license for ThruPaint 2.8a (latest version). I also have the latest version of LibFredo installed. I'm using Sketchup 2017 Make.

While ThruPaint was not yet a licensed product, I also used it sometimes, and it worked without any problems for me.

Since I installed the licensed version, I'm facing problems that make the product almost 'useless'. Indeed, the material browser part of the dialog window is always 'empty', so there is no way to select a material to paint with. I've tried many combinations of default parameter settings to see whether it made any difference, but it doesn't. The 'material browser' part of the dialog remains empty. I've also restarted Sketchup, and I uninstalled and reinstalled the extension, but it doesn't make any difference.

To clarify what I mean, I include the screenshot below.
It shows that there are many materials in my model (see the standard material box in the Sketchup tray on the right hand side of the screen (blue rounded rectangle). However, when I select the 'In Model' entry in the dropdown box of the ThruPaint dialog, nothing is shown (red rounded rectangle). Switching between face, edge or object painting also makes no difference. Selecting other entries in the dropdown box of the ThruPaint dialog (e.g. RAL Classic) doesn't show any materials under the dropdown bo neither.

Thanks to let me know how I can make the 'material browser' visible again.

@fredo6
Thanks a lot for the fast reply and solution.
Just installed the update and tested it. It works!
Up and running again.

Re: [Plugin][$] JointPushPull Interactive - v4.8a - 30 Mar 24
I have the latest version of this plugin installed. I also have the required versions of LibFredo6 installed. I'm using Sketchup Make 2017.
On regular times, the plugin crashes. An example of the crash report is shown below:

***Date: 20-May-24 13:15:14 - SU2017.2
An error occurred in Joint Push Pull
Error in Analysis of model

wrong number arguments: 4 or 6 required

body_lib6g6.rbe: 3139 -- linear_combination
body_lib6g6.rbe: 3139 -- vector_exact_average
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1369 -- joint_compute_direction
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1315 -- block in block_prepare_vertices_J
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1315 -- each
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1315 -- block_prepare_vertices_J
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1200 -- block in block_prepare_vertices_all
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1200 -- each
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 1200 -- block_prepare_vertices_all
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 524 -- algo_prepare_calculation_exec
jointpushpullalgo.rbe: 504 -- algo_prepare_calculation
jointpushpulltool.rbe: 866 -- dragging_start
jointpushpulltool.rbe: 1574 -- onLButtonDown***

As I mentioned, this doesn't occur all the time. However, one process to trigger the error is as follows;

• Start Sketchup with a new file.
• Draw a circle in the origin
• Convert this circle into a cylinder with the standard Sketchup Push/Pull tool.
• Convert the cylinder into a group
• Activate the Joint-Push-Pull methods and try to increase the volume of the cylinder.....
• The error window pops-up...

From time to time, after doing some other actions, the joint push pull starts working again (even with the same cylinder!)
PS1: I also tried to downgrade to an earlier plugin version that I still had available on my system (4.6a). The same issue happens with that version.
PS2: The error happens on my 2 PC's where Sketchup is installed (Windows 10 and Windows 11).

Thanks to verify what' going on. Hopefully a fix can be provided.
In case more information would be required, please don't hesitate to ask.

Hello, it appears to me that this plugin 'toggles' between two states ('far' and 'near'). However, there is nowhere a visual clue about the actual state of the viewport.

Therefore, I have a suggestion/request:
Wouldn't it be possible to differentiate between the 'near' and 'far' status? This would be very helpful, I believe.

The differentiation should be made visible, both in the menu system and via the icon in the toolbar.
I assume that the 'far' status will be the 'default' one. If a user wants to switch to 'near', this can be done, either via clicking the toolbar icon, as well as by checking the 'Clipping Fix' entry in the Camera menu. The menu entry should then be preceded with a checkbox, while the toolbar icon could e.g. change or show a 'pressed icon'.
Obviously, both visual clues (i.e. checkbox in menu and icon in toolbar) should remain 'in sync' at all times.

Thanks to consider this request/suggestion.
Kind regards.

Just a quick update. As suggested, I contacted the author of the extension.
He informed me that the selection of the pins (in order to compress them with the Gizmo) requires that the simulation is running. Actually, this was the solution for my problem!
May be relevant if other users would face the same problem.

Hello, please find the requested info below.

Fredo6 Plugins Information on 2024-01-19 17:33:54 +0100

• Platform: x64-mingw32 - Ruby: 2.2.4
• Sketchup: 17.2.2555
• LibFredo6: v14.2a
• LibFredo6 Binary loaded
• Sketchucation ExtensionStore: 4.3.1
• SCFLicense: v6.1a - 72
• Fredo6 Plugins

  Curviloft v1.9b - licensed FULL
  Curvizard v2.4b - licensed FULL
  FredoScale v3.5a - licensed FULL
  JointPushPull v4.7a - licensed FULL
  MatSim v1.2b
  MoveAlignMe v1.2a
  RoundCorner v3.3a - licensed FULL
  ToolsOnSurface v2.5a - licensed FULL

• SCFLicense directory present

  Signature File: 2023-05-29 20:03:34 +0200
  ClothWorks: 2024-01-19 15:51:06 +0100
  Curviloft: 2023-05-29 20:45:27 +0200
  Curvizard: 2023-05-29 20:45:50 +0200
  FredoScale: 2023-05-29 20:47:48 +0200
  JointPushPull: 2023-05-29 20:48:02 +0200
  RoundCorner: 2023-05-29 20:46:08 +0200
  ToolsOnSurface: 2023-05-29 20:46:39 +0200
  TopoShaper: 2023-05-29 20:47:11 +0200
  VisuHole: 2023-05-29 20:47:28 +0200

Hi, I think so. I have version 4.3.1. Not sure if it's really the most recent version?

I don't recall how I installed it. The SketchUcation store (and also this site) lacks indeed a bit of userfriendlyness in my view. Difficult to navigate as far as I'm able to do.

By the way, I also have the Fredo6 bundle installed (via the SketchUcation store) and that works fine. I installed this bundle half a year ago (together with the most up-to-date version of the SketchUcation store at that time). The ClothWorks extension (that I acquired some days ago) dates from before this date, so I would assume that my actual SketchUcation store version must be compatible with the (older) ClothWorks extension?

I acquired a license for ClothWorks, and installed the plugin and activated the license as specified in the instructions.
The plugin appears in the Sketchup menu (also with right click) and the icons are visible in the toolbar.
However, a feature that is apparently linked to the paid license (i.e. 'compressing' the pins) doesn't work. I can only select the set of individual pins, but the Gizmo to manipulate the combined pins is never activated.
I tried already to release the license, uninstall, exit and relaunch Sketchup, reinstall the plugin and re-activate the license. It all doesn't help...
I have the plugin installed on 2 PC's (Windows 10 and 11). It doesn't work on both PC's (the license is valid for 3 devices, by the way).
Any suggestions to fix this issue are highly appreciated. I bought this plugin basically to do some modelling of curtains, and without the feature to compress the pins, this plugin is quite useless to me.

Hello,

Thanks for the quick reaction and update of the extension (also for TruePaint, which had a similar validity period issue, btw).

However, I think there is a problem with the MatSim update.

I installed it on my system, and noticed that it didn't work. When I click one of the two icons or use the equivalent menu options, nothing happens (i.e. the normal dialog boxes don't appear).
When I activate the Ruby console, there is actually an error, as shown in the screenshot, included in the attached screenshot (Error: #<NameError: unintialized constant F6_MatSim::Bandeau::HTML>).

This error occurs with a SketchUp model for which I applied the initial version of the MatSim plugin already before. I noticed that when I try to use the new version of the MatSim plugin on a new SketchUp model or on a model that hasn't already MatSim settings applied, the error initially doesn't appear, and asks whether you want to create a material simulation. However, afterwards, the error also happens for these files (i.e. actually nothing happens when clicking the buttons). For each click on a button, the same series of messages is added in the Ruby console.

So, it looks like there is a problem with backward compatibility, so I'm stuck for the moment.

In my current model, I rely heavily on the MatSim features (i.e. I applied different coloring schemes to emphasize different model components in different scenes). For the time being, I needed to manually select the appropriate simulation settings for the scenes, so the announced link between MatSim settings and scenes would be a big timesaver for my use case.
However, now I even can't access the MatSim settings anymore, which makes my setup completely 'useless'.

As a 'quick fix', can I therefore suggest to release an intermediate version that just includes the update for extending the validity period (unless of course if the root cause of the current problem can easily be fixed).

Thanks a lot in advance.
Kind regards.

Hello,

I get an error message when I launch this plugin, indicating that the version has expired. The error message also refers to the homepage of a plugin that is even not installed on my system (MoveAlignMe).
I have no clue what's happening...
Thanks to let me know what needs to be done in order to be able to use the MatSim plugin again.
Kind regards

@fredo6 said:

@i5963c said:

I tried to find out how I must link a simulation theme with a scene (the last message seems to imply that this should be possible). However, so far, I'm not able to do this. Can you please explain how this feature works?

This feature is not included in the current version. I have however implemented it and it will go in a next release to be published soon. You will be able to assign simulation themes to any scenes.

Hello, is there any indication on the expected release date of the feature that will allow to assign simulation themes to scenes?

Many thanks.
Kind regards.

@amckeag said:

This extension is great! I'm really happy to see a way to temporarily apply materials, which helps keep a library of components/objects consistent across models.

I'm curious if there are plans (or if it's even possible) to include a way to temporarily apply materials at the group or component level, instead of just the materials level?

Hi, I just did a quick test of the functionality that you requested in your post. Actually, it looks to me that it is already possible to apply materials to groups/components as well as to faces. All these variations of material assignments will be temporarily changed when a different theme is selected via this plugin.
As far as face materials are concerned, the plugin also differentiates front and back faces.

My only desire w.r.t. this extension (see also my post above) is the ability to link themes with scenes, so that the simulations can receive a more 'permanent' status on a scene by scene basis. My main use case for this enhancement is the ability to distinguish between different reference materials for 2D elevations versus 3D views or renders.
I understand that this feature is already implemented by Fredo, with an expected release on 'short notice'.

Hi, thanks a lot for your very quick reply!
I'm looking forward to this next release...
Kind regards

@fredo6 said:

@chrisik said:

Is it possible to link the themes with scenes?

It should be possible to automatically display a Simulation theme when you switch to a scene.
.

Dear,

I tried to find out how I must link a simulation theme with a scene (the last message seems to imply that this should be possible). However, so far, I'm not able to do this. Can you please explain how this feature works?

Many thanks.
Kind regards.

It seems to be up and running again...

As suggested in the reply message, I cleared my browser cache, I closed the browser, and I then tried again to download the SketchUcation plugin and the bought Fredo extensions. Unfortunately, the result is the same: it's not possible.

When I try to download the SketchUcation ExtensionStore plugin, I get the following error:

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /pluginrepo/rbz/SketchUcationTools.rbz on this server.

When I try to download the Fredo extensions, I get similar error messages as described in my initial mail. So, I'm afraid that 'yesterday's problem' reappears today, and that it's not structurally solved...

Kind regards.

Hello,

Is the SketchUcation site for downloading extensions down?
I saw a recent thread about server problems some days ago, with the message that the service was restored, but apparently, the problems have reappeared. At least, I can't download any extensions, including the Fredo bundle that I bought earlier today.
Thanks to verify what's going on.

Kind regards.

Hello,

I just bought the license for the Fredo bundle. If I understand correctly, I also need to download the SketchUcation ExtensionStore plugin (v4.3.1). However, when I try to do so, it doesn't work, and I always get the following error message in my browser:

/pluginrepo/rbz/

/var/www/html/pluginrepo/rbz/SketchUcationTools.rbz
File does not exist. Make sure you specified correct file name.

Also the extensions that I just bought, can't be downloaded (similar error message, just a different rbz filename)

Thanks to let me know how I can proceed.
Kind regards.