Hi TIG : I got an error message perhaps you can help me with. I downloaded the 2d Toolset to the downloads folder (Win 7 with SU8), then extracted everything directly to Google>Sketchup8>Plugins. When I restarted SU I got this:

Error Loading File 2D#.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:33: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Length"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:71: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
..."2D Line: Select Second End"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DarcTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:33: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Length"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:71: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
..."2D Line: Select Second End"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DcircleTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DcircleTool.rb:37: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Radius"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DcircleTool.rb:83: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...ircle: Select Point on Side"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DfacemakerTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DfacemakerTool.rb:53: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...inside a Loop to Add a Face"), SB_PROMPT
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DfacemakerTool.rb:61: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...inside a Loop to Add a Face"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DhatchingTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DhatchingTool.rb:74: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
... Loop to Add a Hatched Face"), SB_PROMPT
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DhatchingTool.rb:88: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
... Loop to Add a Hatched Face"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DlineTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:33: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Length"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DlineTool.rb:71: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
..."2D Line: Select Second End"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DpolylinecurveTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylinecurveTool.rb:39: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Length"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylinecurveTool.rb:87: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...ne Curve: Select Next Point"), SB_PROMPT
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylinecurveTool.rb:121: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...ne Curve: Select Next Point"), SB_PROMPT
^Error Loading File 2DpolylineTool.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylineTool.rb:39: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
Sketchup::set_status_text ("Length"), SB_VCB_LABEL
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylineTool.rb:87: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
... Polyine: Select Next Point"), SB_PROMPT
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/2DpolylineTool.rb:121: syntax error, unexpected ',', expecting kEND
...Polyline: Select Next Point"), SB_PROMPT
^

I see you said something about "The 2D#.rb needs to load before the others to make the sub-menu and toolbar..." but I don't know how to force that, if that is the problem. My plugin folder looks like this now:

Thanks for any help.

My SU7 (pc version) is not holding ANY recent files in the drop down menu. Where is the control to set the number for this?

Thanks,

Steve

@jgb said:

When I have a high-poly repetitive item that is essentially for final show purposes, like a tree, I make a very low poly flat representative component, with the "always face camera" attribute. Then I put the high poly trees on their own layer, and the low poly trees on their own layer.

When working on and navigating the model I turn on only the low poly layer. (if I really need it)

When I have a scene that needs to be viewed in detail or printed, I switch layers.

Thanks a good idea, JGB. Right now I have the trees on a separate layer that turn off to navigate, and only turn on when I need to take a screen shot.

Thanks everyone for the info. If anyone has any low poly 3D trees that present well, please let me know.

@chris fullmer said:

That ash alone is enough to slow down most machines, expecially if there are very many of them in the file.

They are very poorly made trees for a few reasons. Super high poly is one part. I like high poly, but those tress are especially wicked.

Also, they make each leaf a single component (if I recall correctly). And it turns out that the way they grouped all the leaves as zillions of small components also freaks out a lot of computers. It would have been better if they made a branch component and exploded everything within each branch. That would compartmentalize the component in an easier way for the processor to handle.

So, good luck with those trees. They are hard to use.

Chris

Thanks Chris. The exact type of tree is not important now -- I only need to indicate something like a taller vertical element (Italian cypress, Lombardy poplar - which I made from stacking the foliage on the magnolia) ; a medium size umbrella shade tree (sweet acacia, african sumac, olive, etc) and a large monumental tree (eucalyptus, ash, California sycamore). These need to be 3D, and the quality of branches and leaves to filter the scene (as opposed to just large shapes that have some transparency) is important.

Do you have any components that you might recommend?

BTW, I see you are at Berkeley. I did my doc at the GTU, and worked with Kathleen James Chakraborty from the Architecture Dept. She has since moved on to Ireland, but I know your school well.

--Steve

OK, here is the clean base, showing only the locations of the various trees as components.

This should cause no one any problem to open.

--Steve

OLGM Tree base.skp

Oh dear, Gaius, and Tig, I am VERY sorry that it caused you problems!!!

The components are all from the Google Warehouse (search "tree author:Google)
3d "Evergreen magnolia tree high polygon.skp"; 3d "Summer birch deciduous tree high polygon.skp"; and "Ash deciduous tree high polygon.skp"

I will gut the base of the components and put in a place holder to mark locations, and see it that frees up the program.

Best,
Steve

See attached file

The attached file is small (about 352kb), and is made up of a lot of repeated components. It is a landscape layer showing three different types of trees downloaded from the warehouse. (slightly modified but still very small individual components).

It runs very slowly on my system (SU7.1 on Vista 64 bit), even while much larger files run significantly faster. Is in the "not responding" mode at present. I have purged several times, and tried to "fix problems", and I have even tried locking the components internally (go to edit component to see them locked).

I have also tried to rebuild the model from scratch to see if it still is buggy, but it still runs slowly.

Last, I tried to make the whole model into a group and then a component, thinking that saving it as a component might clean it up, but when I tried to save it as another file, the program crashed and I got the BugSplat screen.

Can someone please try it manipulate the file and see if they have the same issue? Any advice on how to proceed?

Thanks,

Steve

OLGM Trees.skp