[Plugin] Loader for Rotated Rect, Circle and Box [6/14/12]

[Michaelv]

This plugin creates a single menu entry and a single toolbar for all three tools:
- Rotated rectangle (rectangle from 3 points)
- Rotated Box, the very recent and great plugin from sdmitch:
viewtopic.php?f=323&t=45806
- Rotated Circle-cylinder, the very recent and great plugin from sdmitch:
viewtopic.php?f=323&t=45909

V1.1.1 (current) with Rbox V 1.2 and RCylinder V1.2

All three plugins have also been modified to work on Mac (the last two only switched the ctrl key for the Alt key for grouping on/off). They should work on PC however with no problem (not tested though), just some keys may have changed.
The loader has not been tested on PC but there I don't anticipate any issue either.
V1.1.x: All should work perfect on both platforms (Alt for Mac, and Ctrl for PC for box and Cylinder). Rectangles is a different script, so not sure this version works perfect on PC, it does on Macs.
Waiting for feedback on the loader/toolbars as well, but it should work on PC.

The icons are crude, and even frankly suck, but I'm not a graphic artist, so help is welcome. Here they just serve the purpose.

This zip includes all three modified tools (and they are stored in a subdirectory). Even though for simplicity it is probably better if you take the original tools out of the plugin folder,you can also keep them, all it would do is give you another access point (single menu entry for the original tools, and toolbar/submenu entry for the grouped one). Both are independent so you can have either, or or both, your choice.

Much thanks to all the original tool creators.

To install:
Unzip the enclosed file into some directory, then:
Copy or move the following content of the extracted folder (3Points Tool) into your plugins folder:
- 3Pts_loader.rb file
- "3Pts_Tools" folder with its content ("Points" not spelled out)
The "3 Points Tool" folder ("points" spelled out) is just a container, it can then be discarded with whatever other files that may remain in it.
More details on installing here: viewtopic.php?f=323&t=35746

For cleaner install on PC or for the rbz file see here:
viewtopic.php?f=323&t=45923#p410850

[brookefox]

Sounds like a nice idea. I'm PC but someone else will likely be able to test before me.

Thank you, Michael. I hope Uncle Sam is pleased, as well.

[davecoopstl]

There's a problem with your .ZIP file for this Plugin.

It puts the required .rb files and support files sub-folder in a parent "3Points_Tools" under the Plugins folder.

So the directory structure where the .rb files live looks like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins\3Points_Tools

HOWEVER, the .rb files need to be in the root PLUGINS folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins

And THEN your "3Points_Tools" folder (with the support files) can be a sub-folder under the Plugins folder.

Right now, I had to copy the files and folders out of the "3Points_Tools" sub-folder, and place them in the Plugins folder, to get your script to work.

Make sense?
Dave.

[Michaelv]

There's a problem with your .ZIP file for this Plugin.

It puts the required .rb files and support files sub-folder in a parent "3Points_Tools" under the Plugins folder.

So the directory structure where the .rb files live looks like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins\3Points_Tools

HOWEVER, the .rb files need to be in the root PLUGINS folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins

And THEN your "3Points_Tools" folder (with the support files) can be a sub-folder under the Plugins folder.

Right now, I had to copy the files and folders out of the "3Points_Tools" sub-folder, and place them in the Plugins folder, to get your script to work.

Make sense?
Dave.

Yes it makes sense. Sorry it was lack of instructions, so here it is:
Copy the content of the extracted folder (3Points Tool) into the plugins folder (that is the 3Pts_loader.rb file and the 3Pts_Tools folder.)
The "3 Points Tool" folder is just a container, it can then be discarded.

[davecoopstl]

Michael,

I suggest that you change the way that this loader installs your plugin. It's just not the standard way that ALL of the other .ZIP files install plugins.

You should create it so that it places the .rb files in the "Plugins" directory, and then your "3Pts_Tools" sub-folder in the "Plugins" directory.

Many users are not computer savvy enough to understand they need to unzip the .ZIP file, and then go in and move the files and sub-folder around. It's just a little bit confusing.

Just a suggestion...
Dave.

[Michaelv]

viewtopic.php?f=323&t=35746

It is not considered safe to download stuff directly into the plugin folder, nor is it safe to unzip stuff just anywhere, including the plugin folder.
One should put downloaded stuff into a download folder, then unzip there if necessary, then use/move etc.. the content as suited and necessary.

There are many plugins on this site that work that way (shell folder) which BTW is required by the zip process, it cannot zip and agglomerate files and folders without putting them in a directory.
An in SU there is just no way to access the inside of a folder inside the plugin folder without a rb script in the plugin folder.

[Jeff Hammond]

lol. trying to force the Mac way onto the pc users..

good for them let them deal with awkward ruby install instructions for a change.

..but in all seriousness.. you'll probably want to use something like BetterZip to do this. It has the option to leave the Mac specific DS_store files out as well as ditch the secondary folder.

most pc users just unzip into their plugins folder and that's that.
or, maybe provide it as a .rbz which will do the right thing on both systems. ?

[Michaelv]

lol. trying to force the Mac way onto the pc users..

good for them let them deal with awkward ruby install instructions for a change.

..but in all seriousness.. you'll probably want to use something like BetterZip to do this. It has the option to leave the Mac specific DS_store files out as well as ditch the secondary folder.

most pc users just unzip into their plugins folder and that's that.
or, maybe provide it as a .rbz which will do the right thing on both systems. ?

Nope not trying to force anything, that's the only way I know. Not that complicated either is it?

So I'll go the rbz way, got to figure it out first.
When I zip a file and try to rename it as .rbz, it comes back as .rbz.zip.

[brookefox]

As a PC user I unzip to the default folder (current: downloads) because I'm sick of fighting Windows defaults. For me Windows has always done a poor job of remembering the last used location or anything else useful, so I just accept its default, which is the downloads folder and then take it from there. So it means I need to know a little bit about what I'm doing, which is a good thing, if not for the reasons which require it in this case.

[Jeff Hammond]

So I'll go the rbz way, got to figure it out first.
When I zip a file and try to rename it as .rbz, it comes back as .rbz.zip.

try going to Finder ..then Preferences -> Advanced -> check 'Show all filename extensions'
then rename it to rbz.. (i.e.- .zip will now show up in the file name and you'll be able to replace it with .rbz… you'll be prompted something like 'are you sure you want to change the extension?'… click OK (or whatever)

[Jeff Hammond]

As a PC user I unzip to the default folder (current: downloads) because I'm sick of fighting Windows defaults. For me Windows has always done a poor job of remembering the last used location or anything else useful, so I just accept its default, which is the downloads folder and then take it from there. So it means I need to know a little bit about what I'm doing, which is a good thing, if not for the reasons which require it in this case.

the difference with mac and pc here is that mac will unzip with an additional folder in the mix..

for instance - say i send you 100 .skp in a zip package.. you unzip them on your desktop.. you now have 100 .skps scattered about your desktop.. do the same thing in the other direction (you send them to me) then when i unzip them on my desktop, they'll all be inside a folder instead of puked all over the place ..

but Michael.. are you putting the files in a folder first then compressing them? if so, you shouldn't do that.. just select all the files then compress them.. pc users will get them how they like but if you unzip it on mac, the additional folder will be added..

that said, pc users will still get the ds_store files and those will freak them out … which is why i suggested using a 3rd party compressor which has an option to leave those out.

[Jeff Hammond]

ha.. oh wait.
i guess i can just do this since i have the right software and pref settings etc..

here's the zip and rbz.. (the zip will have the additional folder on mac but pc users can just unzip into their plugins folder if they choose.. no mac specific files in there either.. the rbz works fine on both systems)

[Michaelv]

Jeff,

Thanks so much. I wasn't aware of all these complications for PC with just zipping the file.
You're right if I display the full extension I most likely can do it. I was actually surprised it didn't give me a warning (change of extension), but it's because I did it on the desktop.
So I'll correct that.
Now I'm not sure I followed this whole extra folder business.
So if I take the script and the script folder into a container folder, compress and rename that folder rbz, that will not work either (I understand they may have the ds_store file still)?

I don't seem to be able to zip a bunch of file/folders without putting them first into a container.

I looked for other zip packages but they don't work on my system (10.5), they require 10.6
I know I can include the script not zipped, but I don't think I can do it with the folder, so I have to zip no?

Thanks very much for your help.

[Jeff Hammond]

Now I'm not sure I followed this whole extra folder business.
So if I take the script and the script folder into a container folder, compress and rename that folder rbz, that will not work either (I understand they may have the ds_store file still)?

I don't seem to be able to zip a bunch of file/folders without putting them first into a container.

I looked for other zip packages but they don't work on my system (10.5), they require 10.6
I know I can include the script not zipped, but I don't think I can do it with the folder, so I have to zip no?

Thanks very much for your help.

a couple of things about .zips on mac:

-- to create an archive of multiple files.. select all the files (using the cmmd key for multi-selections).. right click on one of the selected items.. choose 'Compress (n) Items'…

-- a pc user will unzip that and all of the compressed items will be at the top level (no enclosing folder)… on mac, they will unzip into a new folder..
however, if you put all the items in a folder prior to compressing, OSX will not create yet another subfolder upon unzipping because it sees it as only one item.. (or, another way to explain it -- if you compress a single file, say a .jpg, then unzip it… it will come out at the root level… but, if you compress 2 jpgs in the same manner then unzip it, OSX will now put the jpgs in a folder since there are multiple items being expanded)

-- the ds_store files are harmless (and by default, hidden on OSX-- but they're inside every folder / gui directory on your system… what they do is basically like a preference list for a given folder.. for instance, i could send you a project folder which you can open and it will show my arrangement of the folder.. i could have icons grouped into sub groups or the files ordered in a certain manner and you would see it that way too… if i send the folder to a pc user, they'll just get the file list in alphabetical order (or whatever) as opposed to the way i've organized the folder… but, a pc user will see the ds_store files and while harmless, i understand how they'd be skeptical of seeing an oddball file like that..

-- regarding the .rbz file created on a mac… i haven't tested it (i don't have windows anywhere) but i'm pretty sure the sketchup 'install extensions' will not transfer the ds_store files to a pc machine (and likely, won't transfer them on a mac either).. the installer is also smart enough ditch the sub folder we get upon uncompressing.. however, if you put all your files into a folder prior to compressing them, then make it a .rbz, the su installer will place only that folder in the plugins folder on either system (i.e.- a bad install)

[Jeff Hammond]

here's a utility that should work on leopard:

http://gotoes.org/sales/Zip_Mac_Files_For_PC/

If you have come to this page, you probably already are part of the growing ranks who love Macintosh computers. You probably are also aware that we live in a PC world, and sending zip archives that you create on your Mac can confuse and confound PC users with the extra ".DS_Store" and "__MACOSX" files. Be kind, PC users already have enough confusion to deal with. Send them zip files that they can understand!

When you use the "Create Archive" function on your Mac (to create a zip file) you may believe that you have made a cross-platform file that can be opened by any Mac or PC user... but that is not true. PC users will be able to see files and folders that would be hidden on the Mac: The ".DS_Store" file and "__MACOSX" folder.

Not only can these files and folders confuse your end-user - but they can also confound downstream processing on PC where the end-user has automated extraction for zip files, resulting in a failed extraction of the zip file. The solution is our Zip Mac Files for the PC utility... a simple, lightweight drag and drop application that keeps Mac and PC users talking.

You can try this program for free by downloading the free trial version of the Zip Mac Files for PC utility (see link on the left). This free version is good for one renaming use only (so you can see how it works). You can download the free trail as many times as you would like. If you'd like to avoid the hassle of downloading it over and over, you can purchase the Zip Mac Files for PC utility using PayPal.

that might just be the strangest trial software setup i've ever seen though..
it works once but you can download it as many times as you'd like


fwiw, zipped files created on mac for PC will still work just fine on a mac.. the same way a zip created on PC will work ok on mac..

[Jeff Hammond]

[oh, but once you get this sorted out, edit your top level post to include the new downloads then we can make some of these subsequent posts labeled as off-topic… or, just make a new thread to announce the loader.. it will be a lot less confusing for those interested in the tools as opposed to osx zip techniques ]

[Michaelv]

[oh, but once you get this sorted out, edit your top level post to include the new downloads then we can make some of these subsequent posts labeled as off-topic… or, just make a new thread to announce the loader.. it will be a lot less confusing for those interested in the tools as opposed to osx zip techniques ]

Understood about this zipping business, thanks. We can just delete the posts (or leave them to show the extent of our dedication to our PC friends )

[Whizzywig]

Help!
I woudl like to use this rb but when I try to download it, it comes as a PHP and not a ZIP.
I have tried this in two different download managers. What the heck am I doing wrong?

Chears

[Gaieus]

Occasionally I heard this already. It has to be some browser setting/glitch. First of all, try to rename the php extension to zip to see if it is downloaded at all.

[mitcorb]

I have had the php issue before. I don't think you can just rename it. Seems like the php file is very small(a few kb) compared to the size of the zip or rb that you are trying to download.
For me, it was a little bit of persistence to get the correct file. Repeat the process until you see the correct extension.
Could be an obscure system security thing or a time based thing (grabbed too fast for whatever time out setting) This is just intuitive speculation as I really don't know.

For a program named Windows, it surely isn't very transparent.