Names of components in local folder does not match names in the component window

I have a local folder that has SU components in it. These components have file names that describe each component. When I access the component window within SU to choose a component, the file names that I used to lable the component within the local folder, which provide the description, do not appear. Is there another place that I can edit the descriptions of these components?

TIA
John

Can you show a comparison of what you are seeing? How do you go about saving the components?

As an example of what I see, one of my local collections looks like this in SU. Looks like I need to do some cleanup, too.

And the file names in the directory, like this:
Screenshot - 1_19_2020 , 8_29_17 PM

Local folder and SU component window looks a lot better than mine, see below. When I save a component for the first time it goes into a folder called components. To

then get it into a local folder, I do a save-as and give it a file name. Maybe I should file all the components into the component folder where I can give it a description as I save it?

John

Screen Shot 2020-01-19 at 7.49.34 PM.jpg

It sounds like the problem is you are giving the .skp file you are saving a name that is different from the Definition Name you used when you created the component. I name the component correctly by completing the Definition Name when I create it or Iā€™ll edit the Definition Name before I save it. Then using Save asā€¦ will automatically give the file that name.

Actually I rarely use Save asā€¦ from the Context menu anyway. I just open the secondary components pane and set it to the desired library. Then I can drag the component from In Model into the local collection.

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To be more concise, the Component Definitionā€™s name property is what is displayed in the Components inspector panel listings, not the skp filename.

FYI, A component definition also has a description property that can take a small paragraph. You can see both the name and description when certain thumbnail listing types are set.

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Thank you,

So I have about 150 or so components in 5 different local folders. How do I convert those .skp files so that they appear in the component window with accurate names?

Which name do you want to use?

Each component would need a different description

They can be opened singly and directly and the name and description edited via:
Window > Model Info > File

image


But this also came up recently and I though @john_drivenupthewall (or @TIG) wrote a utility to go through a directory and copy the filename into the name property, for each skp in the folder.

I tried using the Model Info Window to add a description, but SU wonā€™t save it. Iā€™ll try the utility idea.

I donā€™t know about anyone else but component handling seems to be the biggest weakness that I have found using SU

Itā€™s kind of a GIGO thing. If you give a component a name when you create it or at least correct it in Entity Info before saving it, there shouldnā€™t be any problem with it later.

I tried correcting the name in entity info and that doesnā€™t save either. It appears that the component window is pulling the component info from somewhere else. Do you know where?

You have to open the component file directly in order for the Model Info to affect the component name and description. If the component is inserted into an empty model then it wonā€™t.

Sorry Dave, not working. I opened the .skp file directly and it opened sketchup with the component. I went to Model Info and changed both the name and description but it wouldnā€™t save.

Dan, Dave, whatever :wink:

Oh ā€¦ dang thereā€™s a bug in SketchUp that hasnā€™t been fixed yet. Setting the name and description properties, either manually or via code, does not set the modified? flag to true.

I have posted an Example command in the Ruby API category ā€¦

[Code] Example: Command to iterate a folder of Components and set their name property

In my example, because of the modified? flag bug, I had to use my own ā€œeditedā€ flag variable.

But concerned that you have ā€˜Mikes Knobā€™ in your Component Library @DaveR :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

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Hi Dan,

I am crashing and burning here. Where or where is SU saving components??? I create a simple rectangle and make it a component and then click create. In preferences, my components folder has a path file that I follow to an empty folder(???) What gives?

Never mind yaā€™ll. Iā€™m not going to bother with the component window, just going to use the local folder to store components and then edit the names from there. I need to stop the head beating.

There are two standard disk locations. Program distributed components and user components.

For SketchUp 2018:


The component libraries (folders) distributed with SketchUp (and used by any user account on the machine,) are located ā€¦

WIN: "%ProgramData%/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Components"
%ProgramData% resolves to: "%SystemDrive%/ProgramData" (usually C:/ProgramData)

MAC: "/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Components"
This is in the HD Library path.


The user component libraries (folders) that are automatically enumerated (when SketchUp starts) and listed in the Components inspector panel are located ā€¦

WIN: "%AppData%/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Components"
%AppData% resolves to "%UserProfile%/AppData/Roaming"

MAC: "~/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Components"
"~" resolves to "/Users/<USER>" aka the userā€™s HOME folder path.


Well, obviously if the folder is empty, then you (the user) have not saved any user generated components in that folder. :roll_eyes:

As said above, SketchUp (like most applications,) store user specific resources and non-user specific resources in separate disk locations. (It always has been thus generally for software. Although in earlier Windows editions of SketchUp this rule was violated.)

The path that this preference is set to upon installation is the user components library path (as given above, and in the SketchUp application release notes for 2017. See the subsection labeled ā€œStandardized Product Content Locationsā€.)

This also applies to folders for Classifications, Gems, Materials, Styles, Templates, and Plugins.

Beware, that you can change this path so that the Save As ā€¦ dialogs open to another disk location. (You might do this if you are going to be working on a special library and you want the dialog to open directly in that subfolder, or you may be building a special library that is outside the SketchUp versioned user library and want itā€™s path to open in the Save Asā€¦ dialog.)

However, changing this path preference does not affect the location where SketchUp looks and enumerates user component folders at startup. It only affects where the Save Asā€¦ dialog opens. (So changing the path should likely only be a temporary workflow.)


Have you tested the utility I posted yet ?

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