SketchUp 2021 Thumbnails Don't Display

Many thanks TIG.
I disinstalled the Skup, and reinstalled it as admin (seemed such a good idea…).
Them again in adm mode for repair. Reboot.
But same problem : in the open menu, the newest things appears as a big SkUp 2021 logo.

Many thanks uweb.
(Seemed a good idea too !)
I found old folder of SkUp 2018 2019 in the C:/ProgrammData and deleted them.
No other old SkUp folder elsewhere.
Then I desisntalled SkUp.
I reinstalled it -admin mode- (version 2021 31/12/2020 21-0-339) + repair
then reinstalled the last version (version 2021 01/02/2021 21-0-391) + repair
No better thumbnails :
I even saw that the refresh F5 loose some pictures, and get back to the SkUp Logo !

Thanks for all your support. I really appreciate.
(Jack, in France)


(Just an example : after F5, I even lost some thumbnails !)

The sketchup folders in Programdata would not have hurt - could have stayed. They contain licenses and some settings.

Is it correct, that the thumbnails that were not replaced by sketchup icons are from files of sketchup version 2020 or earlier? meaning these files were not saved using Sketchup 2021?

and the files where the thumbnail was replaced with the sketchup icon were files saved with Sketchup 2021?

You can also do a test:
open sketchup 2021 create a new geometry and save it as Sketchup version 2020 or earlier.
Then do a “save as” and choose skp (version 2021) as file type.

For which of the files do you see a thumbnail generated?

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(Good idea !) But … none of them !!!
test for versions saved as 2018-2019-2020-2021.
FYI, some thumbnails are is good, saved last days of december…
But a simple cube, even saved with 2015, doesn’t have a good thumbnail.

OK, to summarize:

  • You had some leftovers of earlier SketchUp Pro versions, but removed manually
  • Only version installed now is Version 2021
  • any new created file with SketchUp 2021 does not get a thumbnail generated. Only the SketchUp log is shown
  • from existing files only some have today a thumbnail.

Question:
If you open such a file in SketchUp 2021 and save it again as the same file version, is then the thumbnail gone as well?

If so, then the thumbnail generation seems completely broken and there might be some leftovers in the registry.
I do not know, if the following procedure helps, but you can try:

  • deinstall SketchUp 2021

  • make sure there are no references in the Windows registry anymore.
    If you are not familiar with the regedit tool, then do install again those versions of SketchUp you had once installed:

    • install SketchUp version 2018 and during install do NOT select any file types to be associated. Check Thumbnail generation. Then deinstall SketchUp 2018.
    • install SketchUp version 2019 and during install do NOT select any file types to be associated. Check thumbnail generation. Then deinstall SketchUp 2019.
    • Install SketchUp Version 2020.Check thumbnail generation. Then deinstall SketchUp 2020.
  • Install again 2021.
  • Hope it works :slight_smile:
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If you open such a file (old thumbnail, wit the picture) in SketchUp 2021 and save it again as the same file version, is then the thumbnail gone as well?
YES unfortunately

I can make operations on registry if you know what …
Is there anything else as “open with…” that we can check or modify for the assocation of thumbnails in W10 ?

I’ll do all the install/deinstall in adm mode this evening (french time).
Thanks again for your brain time and suggestions :wink:

Welcome.

I think, the thumbnail generation is not linked to the file type association.
once you have deinstalled the 2021 Version (also the Viewers, if you installed) using the sketchup installer file, you can call regedit and search for “Sketchup”. In case Sketchup entries are still there after deinstall, you will get to the entries with F3. the openwith you can delete. also the thumbnail registration you will find. But this is part of Class registrations and you have to delete the whole key in all ocurrences. reboot, once you are done. Then you see, if no errors occur after the registry changes.

The install and deinstall is probably easier, even though it will take a bit longer.

Hi Uwe, I have good news for you… I’m so happy!
2 hours (!!!) spent with the Regedit, looking for “skp” … and many many others things under that 3 letters. I should have started with “.skp” or “sketchup” … that I did after.
I deleted about 80 entries … 2 of them were refused (even trying to change the rights… no way)
Then I rebooted,
and I reinstalled the last Sketchup 2021, in admin mode.
Everything came back !!!

I’m so happy, it will save me lot of time.
So again, thanks for your support and all your knowledge (maybe intuition !).

There currently exist two forum threads started by the same user on the same day about the same issue.

In the other thread, I provide a solution to the missing thumbnail issue.

it would be better if the car manufacturer sells their car in good running condition rather than the buyer having to take the engine apart to find the fault and especially if he has increased the price by 100%

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I went to the wine store to buy a bottle of my favourite ripasso. Only one was left on the shelf. It had a scratch on its label. I still bought it and they charged me the same as for an unscratched one. It tasted the same. I did not file a complaint.

We seem to have a different view of what constitutes a fundamental fault. If missing Explorer thumbnails make SketchUp totally unusable for you, I can only say that you must follow your own judgement.

My irony doesn’t touch your sense of humor.
The absence of thumbnails is obviously not fundamental, I continue to adore Sketchup since Last software, peace to their soul.
What can annoy me a bit is the lack of a clear answer to a small problem, an answer like “this will be solved in a next update” for example rather than dismantling everything to try to solve this problem no fundamental as you say.

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I uninstalled 2020 then 2021. Restarted windows then installed SketchUp 2021 only as admin. Now the thumbnails are working. As 2020 was already installed it must have been getting in the way.

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Alot of faff to get thumbnails working again … Just visited this page to see how it might be resolved because thumbnails are a pretty important way of navigating assets I store locally. Great that people are willing to go to such lengths to figure out the problem with all the installs and uninstalls etc (I always run as admin upon installation, but do have older versions still installed) … However, Trimble could really do with providing a hotfix / patch for this… Uninstalling then reinstalling SU means mucking about with all the icons and spending LOTS of time installing plugins … not got time for that, so I’ll have to cope with loading in models blind and relying on my file naming.

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Just wanted to mention, this topic of getting thumbnails to show in Sketchup Pro 2021. I did what Matheron discussed. This discussion on this same topic is in another set of posts under a different name. I got success without un-installing anything. It does require getting into registry editor, and that always includes the caveat: One can destroy their Windows functionality, and/or the functionality of their programs, including the functioning of Sketchup if one makes even the most tiny of a mistake with registry editor. But if one does the find, edit, save approach to the Sketchup installation, at least for me, it gave me thumbnails and nothing seems crashed as of yet. Dr. Gray

@patrickgray yes fair enough, but Trimble should not expect their customers to edit registry entries so their software can work properly. C’mon Trimble, lets have a proper response and solution via a patch please …

Keep the thread alive is what I think… this thread (and the other sister thread) was opened in November 2020 and still no word?

Thanks IanR
I agree with you 100% that messing around with the registry is just “asking for it.” However…I have 3Gb of Sketchup drawings going back years. For example I decided I needed a self-aligning bearing. I went to the internet to the well known bearing companies. One type of self-aligning bearing is made with two raceways. I thought that concept wouldn’t be that hard to create in Sketchup and I did it for my Ventilator series. Then I had moved on to my Sophisticated Linear Actuator series and I wanted that self-aligning bearing. Without the ability to choose very large thumbnail size and go back through my drawings, I would never have found that self-aligning bearing. At the time I had forgotten that I originally created it in the Ventilator Series. So I was desperate for thumbnails. We can all hope that Sketchup will fix this especially since they’re upgrading the program once a year. Thanks again Dr. Gray

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At least we have some ways to get thumbnails back now.

To me this problem was fixed with the latest maintenance release (2021.1). Thumbnails are back.

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