[Plugin] Profile Builder Free Edition

[Whaat]

I'm happy to announce a free edition of my Profile Builder plugin. The original plugin was released about three years ago on Smustard. The free edition allows all of the features of the original pro version except for the ability to define your own profiles. However, users of the free edition are welcome to install any profile libraries (PLB files) that pro users have created.

In fact, the free edition comes packed with 26 profile libraries including:

- AISC steel shapes (C,HSS, L, S, and W)
- AITC Glulam profiles
- Hundreds of moulding profiles (bases, casings, chair rails, crowns, etc.)
- Lumber profiles
- Metric and Imperial circular and square profiles
- Concrete curbs

In addition, the Pro version of Profile Builder has just dropped in price to the amount of $20 US.

Here is what users are saying:
"I use it every day. What a time saver!" - Dale Martens
"I haven't used the follow-me tool in the three years since Profile Builder came along" - Dale Martens
"The toolbar could be nicer..." - Dale Martens

If you have never heard of Profile Builder, the videos below will provide you an introduction. Thank you, Eric Schimel for the tutorial.

Grab the plugin here: http://www.smustard.com/script/ProfileBuilderFree

[Krisidious]

I love my Profile Builder Pro... I paid for it once... and I'd pay for it again tomorrow.

It's smart follow me... love it.

[pilou]

Christmas in Spring!

[thomthom]

Mighty impressive quotes.

[utiler]

Dale sounds like a hardcore user.....

[guanjin]

Unfortunately, there is no Chinese version，If there is a certain popular！！

[Whaat]

Dale sounds like a hardcore user.....

Seriously, it is one of my most used plugins. maybe the most.

I'm still discovering new uses for it. Just recently, I started using it for roofing (ridge caps and hip caps)

[EarthMover]

Pro user and love it. The bigger my custom created library gets, the faster model creation becomes.

[ideas_arte]

The 26 included libraries are a great tool!

Thank you very much!

[Bob James]

I've had the pro version for a long time and it is indispensible for my work since I often make models using various size I-beams and channels (plus some "homemade" shapes)

[pilou]

There is no possibility to resize (scale) the profile just before the drawing ?

[thomthom]

Dale sounds like a hardcore user.....

Seriously, it is one of my most used plugins. maybe the most.

Parametric lofting - as it should be. I'm always frustrated when I am handed a model made by someone else where I realise they of course haven't modelled with Profile Builder. The quick change I want to do becomes tedious.

[Sergio Morera]

Excellent plugin, very generous of you to provide such a powerful free version. Thank you

[brookefox]

~ Do not bump ~

Thank you very much, Dale. Very kind of you to share the power.

And your first video is tasty umami.

[jpalm32]

Liking this PI more & more.
Thanks.

[the.pjt]

I'm Iranian and we are in a Boycott, and we couldn't buy anything .... thanks a lot for this free version .. thanks a lot.

[etong]

I've downloaded the plugin, saw the icon, have a dialog box but when I click on the drop down it's empty, click the buttons in the Profile Builder dialog box with no response.
Unload I think possible plug-ins that might create some conflicts like the housebuilder and building structure tool but to no avail.
Any idea would be welcome.
Thanks!

[mwm5053]

house builder an building structures won't interfere with profile builder I use all three. I use the Pro ver so I can't say about the free one but you should have .rb file and a folder titled Profile Builder with a folder in it named library do you? Some libraries come with it and some you can download more on Smustard.

[Ben Ritter]

Thank you very much.

[Whaat]

I've downloaded the plugin, saw the icon, have a dialog box but when I click on the drop down it's empty, click the buttons in the Profile Builder dialog box with no response.
Unload I think possible plug-ins that might create some conflicts like the housebuilder and building structure tool but to no avail.
Any idea would be welcome.
Thanks!

Hello,

I don't believe there are any conflicts with those plugins. I have heard of the issue you are having before. It might be due to your Internet and Javascript settings. Profile Builder uses web dialogs which use javascript.

If you are using Windows, open Internet Explorer and try going to Tools->Internet Options->Advanced->Reset Internet Explorer Settings.

[etong]

I've downloaded the plugin, saw the icon, have a dialog box but when I click on the drop down it's empty, click the buttons in the Profile Builder dialog box with no response.
Unload I think possible plug-ins that might create some conflicts like the housebuilder and building structure tool but to no avail.
Any idea would be welcome.
Thanks!

Hello,

I don't believe there are any conflicts with those plugins. I have heard of the issue you are having before. It might be due to your Internet and Javascript settings. Profile Builder uses web dialogs which use javascript.

If you are using Windows, open Internet Explorer and try going to Tools->Internet Options->Advanced->Reset Internet Explorer Settings.

Hi,

Already did what you suggested, still the same problem. Sorry & thanks.

[TIG]

The drop-downs in the dialog are populated from the files available in the tool's folder.
If there are no files/folder then it'll be empty...

As I understand it you should have the following files/folders in your Plugins folder, mimicking the files/folders that arrive in the .zip file...

Plugins folder level.PNG

Plugins+ProfileBuilder folder level.PNG

Plugins+ProfileBuilder+Libraries folder level.PNG

If you have additional .plb files these should go into the 'Libraries' subfolder.

[etong]

The drop-downs in the dialog are populated from the files available in the tool's folder.
If there are no files/folder then it'll be empty...

As I understand it you should have the following files/folders in your Plugins folder, mimicking the files/folders that arrive in the .zip file...

Plugins folder level.PNG

Plugins+ProfileBuilder folder level.PNG

Plugins+ProfileBuilder+Libraries folder level.PNG

If you have additional .plb files these should go into the 'Libraries' subfolder.

Hi TIG,

All are in its proper order and all accounted for but still the webdialog appears empty.
Sigh!

Thanks!

[TIG]

Have you checked the security permissions for these folders/files? ...
And that they are actually what they say they are?
Windows can put things into 'Compatibility Files' folders without telling you, but display them as if they are really where you intended...
This can happen if you don't have FULL security permissions to the Plugins folder and its contents etc...

Otherwise I am at a loss... any others want to chip in ???

[etong]

Have you checked the security permissions for these folders/files? ...
And that they are actually what they say they are?
Windows can put things into 'Compatibility Files' folders without telling you, but display them as if they are really where you intended...
This can happen if you don't have FULL security permissions to the Plugins folder and its contents etc...

Otherwise I am at a loss... any others want to chip in ???

Hi again TIG,

I don't quite understand by compatibility files, though there are a few folders there but most are working properly except for 1 or 2.
I have no problem I think with permission since nobody else uses the pc and I believe since I owned it, I am the Administrator of the PC.
Should I worry whats inside my Compatibility Files?

[TIG]

Your profile says you have XP... do you actually have Vista or Win7 ??
If there's a 'Compatibility Files' folder associated with the Plugins folder [button on windows top bars] then there might well be files or a subfolder-of-files that Windows has surreptitiously put into it, but still tells you they are in Plugins !
It's to save you from yourself as Bill Gates assumes your are a moron...
In that case Sketchup will fail to auto-load all of the relevant files and fail in some way !
If so... move them into the 'right place' - you should never leave files languishing in these 'side-step' folders - if they exist it means you don't have proper access rights to at least some folders !
Have you right-clicked the Plugins folder's icon and used Properties > Security and ensured that you do indeed have FULL permissions for the future ? Also check the files that it contains and any subfolders etc also have FULL permissions.
Note that the permissions should also be FULL on the Materials, Styles and Components folders...
If none of this works reconfirm your OS and post a screen grab of the Plugins folder window etc...

[pbacot]

Say, just recently I find that the text fields in Profile Builder are solid black. If I type in them I can see a dim outline of text.

I just downloaded another ruby LSS toolbar, and found the same thing. Other plugins don't show this. Would anyone know does it have to do with the type of dialog and some of my settings?

[TIG]

This issue has been reported and discussed here before and relates to Safari shipping with the latest MAC OS being incompatible/uppity - see here e.g. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=45382&p=406698&hilit=black+dialog#p406698 ...

[pbacot]

Thank you TIG. Somehow I missed this. Then I assumed I was the only one with such a problem. Might have searched...

EDIT: Just like to add while I'm here... WHAT AN EXCELLENT PLUG-IN!!

Just had a situation where I had run some complex cornice from the roof lines, and the roof turned out to be off (made obvious by the cornice). No problem--the excellent geometry adjusted perfectly!

[zook247]

Can I use profile builder to make negative profiles, that is, reveals cut into a wall?