[umdrehung]

Hello,

sorry but I do not know if I am encouraged to use one of the two existing topics for the new plugin. Therefore I post this new one.
I've been testing the new Sketchup plugin for some days.
Thank you for the great work. It seems to be a great leap forward.
However maybe you can help with the following problems:

1. When I activate the mxm mode of the plugin and try to open an mxm file in the library nearly all mxm files are greyed out. Only new mxms that I generated freshly in Studio can be chosen. I checked the file extensions of the mxm file, but they are correct.

2. Every time I use the icons 'Render' or 'Export to Studio' I get the following error message:

'Unable to locate the Maxwell MXS exporter, Skp2Mxs.plugin, which is expected to be located in the standard SketchUp Exporters folder.
Error info: Located SketchUp, but the /PlugIns folder was not found'

I use Sketchup 7.1 with Mac OS X, with standard file locations and checked all parts of the plugin. Everything is just like it should be. The Skp2Mxs.plugin is located in the standard Export folder inside the Sketchup package.

Lastly a question on how to fix texture paths in Studio.
I tried to fix them using mxm-Checker or directly with 'Fix Texture Paths' of 'Studio' but nothing works reliable. Any Tips? mxm-Checker often quits with the message 'An exception of class NilObjectException was not handled' and Studio simply doesn't fix the texture paths.

Thank you for help,
umdrehung

[JDHill]

New topics are great, it helps to keep issues separated. On these:

1) do you have permission to open those files? That's just a guess, because the file browser is part of OSX, and I don't really control how it behaves.

2) I have another report of this too, but I have not yet learned what causes it, since I have not been able to duplicate it here. It does, however, seem reasonable to ask whether it might not be related to whatever is causing the first issue -- technically, the plugin is asking OSX if a file exists (Skp2Mxs.plugin), and OSX is saying that it does not, even though it does.

As a temporary workaround for issue (2), assuming that OSX is incorrect in reporting the file missing, you may manually disable the plugin's check. You would need to find the file ensure.rb, located in /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/maxwell/lib/utility, and add return true just below the line def Ensure.skp2mxs_is_present(verbose = false), so that the code looks like this:

Code: Select all

def Ensure.skp2mxs_is_present(verbose = false) 
    return true      
    if !@skp2mxs_checked

That will basically defeat the check entirely. Since I've seen this issue a couple of times already, in the next update, I'll show the error once, but still attempt the export.

On your last question, you'd need to ask that in the general Maxwell forum, because I can't really give you any answers about issues in Studio. You may be able to avoid the need to fix paths from the plugin by going to Scene Manager > Options > Search Paths, and entering paths where you keep your textures.

[Richard]

umdrehung

Mate if you still find you have broken links, I've found these can sometimes be bron by referenced but unused links in the MXM. This I've found often occur when building materials from an old one where you may uncheck a map but still have it referenced. In these offending mxm's you will find a red marker around the texture button - to fix just drag a clear button onto the offender to clear the link.

To find the offending material open studio and import rather than open your scene and as each material with a broken link is imported it with stop and ask, hit ignore but note the material that imports after the ignore and open this later to find and repair these links.

I think the inclusion of a button on the MXM "clear unused links" would be handy or the option on import not just to ignore but clear the link would be cool option! As the biggest issue I've found with these is that often the fix paths option may well be looking for a map that doesn't exist or because you aren't using it in an MXM you may have renamed it.

Even a little script from NL that can run separate and maybe overnight like a virus scan and allows the progressional check of ones library of MXM's and reports back a list of broken links from the full library! I'll put this as a wish list item!

[Jacques]

umdrehung

I think I can help with this:

2) I have another report of this too, but I have not yet learned what causes it, since I have not been able to duplicate it here. It does, however, seem reasonable to ask whether it might not be related to whatever is causing the first issue -- technically, the plugin is asking OSX if a file exists (Skp2Mxs.plugin), and OSX is saying that it does not, even though it does.

I have had the same happen on a number of machines (all standard SU and Maxwell installations) but not 100% repeatable - the fix however is!:

1) Quit SketchUp

2) In the Applications folder (/Applications/Google SketchUp 7) right click on the SketchUp app icon -> Show Package Contents

3) Navigate throught the Contents folder and right click on the PlugIns folder -> Get Info

4) At the bottom of the PlugIns Info window unlock the Sharing & Permissions (you will need the admin password for this)

5) Once the Sharing & Permissions are unlocked click on the small Settings/gear icon at the bottom and select 'Apply to enclosed items...' You will be asked to confirm the action.

That should do it, hope that works for you,

J

[JDHill]

Thanks Jacques, have you only seen this with my new plugin, or did it occur with the old one as well?

[Jacques]

This only occurred with the new plugin.

(The old installed OK, but was limited in its usefulness, the new sometimes (3 out of 5 installs) has a minor installation problem (once you've figured out the issue), but is seriously useful - small price to pay!)

[umdrehung]

Thank you guys.
I tried and report as follows:

@JDHill

1. Yes, I do have the permissions. They are exactly the same for both mxms - the ones that can be chosen and the ones that are greyed out.
It seems to me, that it has something to do with some kind of 'flag'. When I open a mxm file in Text Editor and transfer the first 6 characters from the 'good' mxm to the other, the other will no longer be greyed out. The problem is: the plugin becomes instable and hangs up. Therfore this kind of 'hack' is no solution.

@Jacques

2. Thank you, but unfortunately it does not work for me. I set all permissions (system, admin, everyone) to read and write and applied it to all subfolders. Without success. Reinstalled the plugin. No success. But I can live with the error message as long as the plugin works. Will try to deactivate the report of the missing file like JDHill suggested.

@Richard
Nearly every texture path is invalid. I can check this by opening the mxm files with a standard text editor. I haven't found the reason, why they can not be corrected by neither the mxm checker nor the Studio command 'Fix paths'. All permissions are given.

Thank you for your help and for further suggestions,
umdrehung

[JDHill]

What happens if you open the folder containing these MXMs in Finder, copy them all to your desktop, delete the originals, then copy them again to where they were before? Manually editing MXM files is never going to be a good strategy, but the fact that you have now saved the edited MXM might be what is causing it to show up un-greyed in the browser afterward.

[umdrehung]

Copying them one by one to the desktop and back into the folder doesn't help.
The behaviour is still the same. Even if I try to select the mxms directly on the desktop:
Older mxms and mxms downloaded from the online gallery are greyed out. Mxms made with Studio 2.1 by myself can be selected.