A Plugin Extension to add extended Descriptions to Component Definitions -
either to 'All', or to just those currently Selected.

This has many uses…

For example, in the newer versions of Layout you can use the Tag tool to add a
clicked-on Component's Description in a Tag - and of course if this has the additional data
inserted, then you do not need to manually edit it, which would have in turn meant that
you had lost its connection back to the SketchUp Model.

Installation:

The Extension's RBZ archive's contents can be Installed in SketchUp >= v8M2 [SketchUp >= v2015 recommended] using:-

Preferences > Extensions > Install Extension…

Where it will be installed and load from the User's default Plugins folder.

Alternatively the #SketchUcation Toolset's# submenu item:

Archive Installer…

could be used to install the RBZ into the default Plugins,
or into any other custom Plugins-folder location.

Usage:

Extensions || Plugins > TIG-ComponentDescriptor submenu

Process All…

All of the Component Definitions in the Model are processed.

Process Selected…

The Selected Component Instances' Definitions are processed.

Edit Settings…

A dialog opens, in it you can choose/enter the desired Settings

Reset Selected Descriptions…

The Descriptions of the Selected Component Instances' Definitions will be 'Reset'

Help…

Opens the Help PDF document.

If you Select one or more Component Instances, then there is a context-menu item:

TIG-ComponentDescriptor - Process Selected

All of the Selected Component Instances' Definitions are processed.

See the main Help file for full details of the various tools available...

Link to Help...

Processing:

If this is the first time a Component Definition has been Processed its 'Original Description'
is stored, as an attribute for reuse later. This can be 'Reset'.
Depending on the Settings [see below…] the following can happen…
Optionally the Component's Name is added onto the start of the new Description,
using the defined Name Connector.
Optionally the Component's Original Description is included in the new Description.
Optionally the Component's Dimensions are appended onto the end of the Description,
using the defined Dimensions Connector.
You can Sort the Dimensions as Thickness, Width, Length in ascending order, or leave
them as the unsorted bounding-box X, Y, Z values. In woodworking they are usually
required to be sorted, but in other uses perhaps the actual Z 'height' is preferred always
to be last, irrespective of its comparative value with the other Dimensions.
The current Model's Units settings are used for the Dimensions' Units, Accuracy, Units-Suffix etc.

Optionally, other Settings determine the following:-
if the approximation '\~ ' is removed from dimensions, how inches are formatted - e.g. " versus in.
how fraction-inches are displayed - e.g. 1 1/2" versus 1-1/2".
After each Dimension [Thickness, Width, Length or X, Y, Z depending or 'Sort' option]
the parts can have an addition suffix/connector - e.g. ' thick by\n' or 'X\n' etc.

Optionally the Component's Volume [if 'solid'] can be appended onto the end of the Description,
using the defined Units and Prefix etc - see Settings below…

A closing dialog confirms the number of Definitions which have been processed.

Settings:

See Help for a full explanation...

1.0 20150517 First issue.
2.0 20151019 Future-proofing recode.
2.1 20210520 Fixed glitch in LWT sorting / reporting when two matching dims, signed.