[Plugin] AMS Window Settings 4.2.3 (11 March 2017)

[Anton_S]

Allows switching SketchUp fullscreen and toggling the visibility of menu bar, toolbar containers, status bar, scenes bar, and various other elements of the window. This tool might come in useful for those with small monitors or who aim to get the maximum out of their rendering.

ams_window_settings_v4.png

Video

Access

(Menu) Window → Settings → [Option]

Usage

• Use menu/toolbar/dialog to set options.
• To move the WindowSettings dialog, select the dialogs's title bar without releasing and drag it to desired location.
• To activate the drop-down option of the WindowsSettings dialog, click on the dialog's title bar without dragging, i.e without moving the mouse cursor.
• Use the save button/menu option to save multiple settings.
• Use the reset button/menu option to set original settings.
• Use the retain button/menu option to set saved settings.

Requirements

• Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 10. This will not work on Mac OS X.
• SketchUp 6 or later
• AMS Library 3.4.0 +

Localization

I added the localization to the menu and the dialog, but most of the languages were not user reviewed. Only the Russian version was translated manually. Others were translated with Google Translate. If you're not satisfied with the current translations, you can simply erase the ../ams_WindowSettings/lang folder, which is located in the Plugins folder, and use the default English translations. You may also modify the commands_xy.strings and window_settings_xy.html with the proper translations. You could then send me a PM with the better translations, so that I could merge them to the plugin.

Download

• AMS Window Settings can be downloaded and installed through PluginStore or ExtensionWarehouse
• A standalone RBZ format is also available at Google Drive
  See Installing Ruby Plugins for instructions.

Changelog

• 4.2.3 - Mar 11, 2017
  
  • Made the settings dialog to consider the DPI scale factor. Thanks to perroloco for the report.
• 4.2.2 - Mar 09, 2017
  
  • Fixed the improper loading of localized dialogs. Thanks to bharralure for the report.
  • Improved Russian translations.
• Previous versions
  
  See ams_WindowSettings/change_log.txt
  

[Gaieus]

Wow...

Some notes (using Windows XP on this machine):

1. First I was confused until I figured that
   • hiding the toolbars hides floating toolbars
   • and hiding the control bars hides the parts of the SU window where the docked toolbars are.
2. There is already a menu item under Window > "Hide dialogs/Show dialogs" - so your "Child windows" option here is a redundant duplicate.
3. When I hide the status bar, any VCB entry still works. This is a pretty good function!

All in all, a very useful plugin - especially (for me) the "control bars" hiding function. Thank you very much!

---

I have long wished to be able to hide my (what is here called) "control bars" so that when making tutorial videos or teaching SU online, they do not confuse and scare away beginners.

[Rich O Brien]

Doesn't work on my Win7 64bit. Only Child Windows will toggle. I got toolbar chaos on install.

Nice concept though

[Gaieus]

Doesn't work on my Win7 64bit.

Too bad. Hopefully it can be fixed (as it works on my 32 bit XP). My laptop (with, of course, a much smaller screen where I could use it better than on my 22" desktop monitor) is 64 bit Win 7.

---

Would there be a possibility to (instead of having a separate menu item to show and display the different elements) toggle them on/off? This would also allow to assign a single shortcut instead of two, different ones.

[Gaieus]

This is better than I thought. Here is what I did:

1. Hid the control bar (with the docked toolbars - I only have them on the top in several rows)
2. resized my window to extremely narrow (all toolbars by now would have been cluttered) - even narrower than my widest toolbar is - in fact, even the menu jumped into two rows now
3. resized my window back to a safe width (where all my toolbars can fit)
4. unhid my control bar and nothing was cluttered!

Thank you again - and really hope that those compatibility issues can be solved!

[Anton_S]

Doesn't work on my Win7 64bit. Only Child Windows will toggle. I got toolbar chaos on install.

Nice concept though

Yes, I knew it didn't work on win7 64 bit... Tested on my brothers laptop. I'm gonna mess with his laptop for a while and figure out a way.

[Rich O Brien]

That'd be great

[Vicspa]

Yeah, that'd be great, thanks

[Anton_S]

There is already a menu item under Window > "Hide dialogs/Show dialogs" - so your "Child windows" option here is a redundant duplicate.

No, its not. The "hide dialogs" hides windows such as entity info, model info, soften smooth edges, but doesn't hides ruby console, photo textures, component options, and other child windows with a certain class that could be hidden.

Would there be a possibility to (instead of having a separate menu item to show and display the different elements) toggle them on/off? This would also allow to assign a single shortcut instead of two, different ones.

It depends. Lets, say we have a "status_bar" option toggled. Checked: visible and Unchecked: hidden. And something happens: The user hides the status_bar using the other script. How would "status_bar" option know whatever it should be checked or unchecked? - Well, use set_validation_proc and let it ask every frame whatever the status_bar is hidden or not. I could make it like that, thought it will slow down sketchup:

Menu.set_validation_proc
Arguments:

menu_id: The id of a menu item on this menu. (The id is returned from the add_item method.)
block_proc: a block or proc object that will be invoked by Sketchup went it redraws the UI. (Complex conditionals and calling many other methods can slow down Sketchup!)

I could make it toggable, but its ur option: yes or no

[Gaieus]

No, its not. The "hide dialogs" hides windows such as entity info, model info, soften smooth edges, but doesn't hides ruby console, photo textures, component options, and other child windows with a certain class that could be hidden.

Okay, point taken (and I do understand this).

It depends. Lets, say we have a "status_bar" option toggled. Checked: visible and Unchecked: hidden. And something happens: The user hides the status_bar using the other script. How would "status_bar" option know whatever it should be checked or unchecked? - Well, use set_validation_proc and let it ask every frame whatever the status_bar is hidden or not. I could make it like that, thought it will slow down sketchup:

Point also taken (although I do not understand this)


Anyway, great plugin. Thanks a lot again!

I (mainly) use it to hide my "control bars" - although from now on, I may also have some (less frequently used) toolbars also open (or hidden this way).

And of course for my 64 bit, Win 7 laptop, the (hopefully easily) updated version will also be welcome!

[Aerilius]

I've been waiting to hide the menu bar (no joke). Thank you!

[Anton_S]

use set_validation_proc and let it ask every frame whatever the status_bar is hidden or not. I could make it like that, thought it will slow down sketchup

Have to take my thought back. I thought that set_validation_proc updates every frame, but it only updates once you entered the submenu that contains that item. So, yes I'll modify it to be toggled, including make it work on windows 7 64 bit.

Thankyou for your replies!! They make me

[derei]

What exactly this plugin does? From Rich O'Brien's post (download/file.php?id=81834&mode=view) I understand that it doesn't work... so let me rephrase: what this plugin SHOULD do?
Thank you very much.

P.S. - when posting plugins, it would be nice to add a image/animated GIF/movie to visually exemplify what the plugin does, if possible. Some users are already doing this, but I think it should be implemented as a "must" rule, for everybody.

[thomthom]

I understand that it doesn't work...

...on his system. For Gaieus it worked.

[Aerilius]

This plugin allows to turn off (or on) certain elements of the SketchUp interface. Something that wasn't possible before. For example someone has no need for a statusbar, or to make SketchUp fullscreen for a presentation. Maybe Anton can make a little gif animation for the first post (or I could do one).

[Rich O Brien]

Please do. One of us can add it to Anton's OP for those that want to visualise its use.

[Aerilius]

I've created an animated gif of how it looks:

window styles.gif

[Anton_S]

I've created an animated gif of how it looks:

window styles.gif

Aerilius, thankyou really much!!! I'm just too lazy to add description myself.

[Rich O Brien]

I wanna play

[guanjin]

Great, my Windows XP
There is a problem, set the shortcut key to display the menu bar is invalid

66666666666666.gif

[Anton_S]

Great, my Windows XP
There is a problem, set the shortcut key to display the menu bar is invalid

66666666666666.gif

Yes, it should be invalid!!! Wanna know why? Well, I explained it a bit on first post. Its just the way of how shortcut pereferences works. Shortcut Pereferences script tends to select the menu bar items once the shortcut key is pressed. But, When the menu it self is no more there, Sketchup can no longer select the items. What's weird is that once u hide the menu bar other shortcuts that were set by sketchup (Ex: "s" - scale, "p" - push) work, but once u click the shortcut that belong to "show menu bar," all shortcuts stop working. Show/hide menu bar was just for fun, so yeah don't use it. Though, I'll try to fix that issue too.

[guanjin]

Yes, it should be invalid!!! Wanna know why? Well, I explained it a bit on first post. Its just the way of how shortcut pereferences works. Shortcut Pereferences script tends to select the menu bar items once the shortcut key is pressed. But, When the menu it self is no more there, Sketchup can no longer select the items. What's weird is that once u hide the menu bar other shortcuts that were set by sketchup (Ex: "s" - scale, "p" - push) work, but once u click the shortcut that belong to "show menu bar," all shortcuts stop working. Show/hide menu bar was just for fun, so yeah don't use it. Though, I'll try to fix that issue too.

Thank you! Can not be restored, the canceled, resulting in unnecessary trouble

[unclex]

only fullscreen can work

and
suggest to change the plugin menu from “Plugins” to “Window"

[Anton_S]

only fullscreen can work"

Is that about the updated or the first version?

[unclex]

updated
@ SU8.0.11
@ win7 pro patched 4GB

[Anton_S]

updated
@ SU8.0.11
@ win7 pro patched 4GB

Is it 32 or 64 bit processor?

[Anton_S]

A bit better version of window settings. Its now better at updating the window and placed inside window/settings/. Can anyone check if it works on windows 7? If it would then I'll make it as a main update.

Edit: See first post to download

[unclex]

WellDone

Win7X86Pro
Su8.0.11Pro

except Toolbar, all worked

and i can not dare try the Menu Option, if i close it, how reopen it ??

[Anton_S]

WellDone

Win7X86Pro
Su8.0.11Pro

except Toolbar, all worked

and i can not dare try the Menu Option, if i close it, how reopen it ??

The toolbars option is to hide toolbars that are not embedded into SU controll bar, meaning the onece that have a border and caption. They should work.

And yes, hide menu option is just for fun, There is no way of unhidding it through shortcut pereferences. Though you could set a timer or call a command to unhide it. Just read throuh posts and you'll figure it out.

Have you checked if show/hide "controll bars" work when SU is maximized or full_screen? If didn't, then can you please check that and reply.

[Anton_S]

updated february 10th, 2012
Now works on windows 7 too!!! Well, read the 1st post for an info.

Thankyou, for your replies and comments!!! They really improved the plugin plus my English.
Somehow, therefore, I don't strugle at the english essays anymore...