File Locations "Components" is not shown in Components Browser

:relaxed: Thanks @DanRathbun. I known already mklink and used it common. I thought that there is an more confortable solution with sketchup self like an configuration parameter over an user-configuation file. I have not know the difference between Create a Component and Component Browser → Components for their storage locations. Thanks for the explanation, worth to know and understand.

I think it’s an topic which is not explained anywhere else in the internet, so I created an schreenshot to illustrate how I got this issue solved in the hope to help others. I ended up with an junction Link to get what I expected:

I can give an addtional tip back:

There is an Link Shell Extension which has the goal to create these kinds of links over the context menu of Windows Explorer. To create this custom setup via an batch file is an wisdom for sharing the custom setup to an other user or computer or to automate it. This is usefull if create often individual Symbolic/Hard/Junction-Links.

I found the following caves while I was finding the above illustrated solution which fits best to me:
I tried different kinds of links (symbolic link, hard link, junction) to get what I expecting.

  • Components-Directory as Symbolic-Link Directory via mklink /D "D:\Applications\SketchUp\SketchUp 2015 EN\Components" "T:\# Sketchup System Perferences\Komponenten" does not work with Sketchup 2015. Sketchup 2015 hides the Location Components in Components Browser.
  • Components-Directory as Directory and with Sub-Directories which are Symbolic-Links via mklink /D "D:\Applications\SketchUp\SketchUp 2015 EN\Components\Dole" "T:\# Sketchup System Perferences\Komponenten\Dole" does work with Sketchup 2015. Sketchup2015 shows the Location Components in Components Browser and shows the Sub-Directory Dole. The components in Dole are shown and can be used with Sketchup 2015. (Please be careful when you copy a directory with a symbolic link, the symbolic link to a normal empty directory is converted. The symbolic link is lost. (Windows Explorer))
  • Components-Directory as Hard-Link via mklink /H "D:\Applications\SketchUp\SketchUp 2015 EN\Components" "T:\# Sketchup System Perferences\Komponenten" was not tested by me, because it is not possible to create an Hard-Link to an target on an different hard-drive/iscsi drive. If the target is on an the same hard-disk the link can be created via mklink but if this works has to be tested.
  • Best Solution is to create an Link of kind Junction. More Informations about Junctions can be found on Wikipedia.

:relaxed: Thanks @DanRathbun to point me in the right direction.

I hope this helps someone else. I had this pain a long time since I learned sketchup and started to use it regulary. Never found an Tutorial or an help topic about this.

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