I have one of our users who is trying to open a components folder in the components browser in Sketchup Pro 2025. He can see most of the components in most of the folders, but some folders do not show any compoents, even though there are components in those folders. Our components folder is a Microsoft OneDrive shared folder, so I was wondering if there was an issue with that. However, this does work on a different user’s PC with the same set up. I have made sure that OneDrive is keeping the files on the local PC, to avoid confusing Sketchup’s component browser. (And as I mentioned, other folders are working correctly.)
Any idea why some folders do not show files in the component browser in Sketchup?
It is possible to open the files from File Explorer. (I would assume that the components could be added with the import function as well, but I would like to detemine why the component browser isn’t working for this user.)
Yes network latency? Generally cloud resource locations have been problematic in the past.
Also, make sure that all component folders are subfolders of the folder pointed to in SketchUp File settings.
Consider using a script when the machine boots or when the user logs on that copies any edited or new component files from the shared cloud folder to the user’s local %AppData%"Components"subfolders. This way you ensure the users are using the “master” files, but from local copies.
What happens is that SketchUp will enumerate the available component files either when SketchUp loads or when the components folder menu is clicked. (Can’t remember which.) If there is network delay, you could see the issue you are reporting.
I wouldn’t think that network latency would be an issue since I have the folder set to “always keep on this device,” so the files and folders should be local and available even if the network is having trouble.
The setting for the default components folder has been changed to this OneDrive folder. For the most part, it works fine, and other users with the same set up don’t appear to have this issue.
I’m sure a script would help, I would have to change the default components folder location to a different folder and try it. For now, I told the user that the likely work around is to import the needed component into Sketchup instead of using the component browser.
I will try copying the entire component folder to a different, local location and see if that works for him as a test.
Sorry for the delay in response, I had a few other things that kept my attention away from this. Based on your input though, I did some further testing today and this is what I discovered - If I moved the folders that I had trouble seeing the components in to a higher level folder and went to that folder in the component browser, then the components were visible. I also discovered that we could not import the Sketchup file from the original folder location. I believe that the issue is likely due to the file path/name size and that it appears to be longer than what Sketchup recognizes. I’m not sure what the limit officially may be, but it appears that we’ve exceeded it with these files. I discussed simplfying the folder structure and shortening the names of the folders and files to fix this issue.
I reached out to support as well, and this the main portion of their reply:
I am not actually sure, but SketchUp was originally a 32 Bit application, and back in those days Microsoft had a 255 character file path limit, so that may still exist in SketchUp. I would need to track down the right person to ask, but based on what you are seeing, I am guessing that might be the case.
SketchUp also tends to not like “characters” in file paths, like your Parenthesis marks shown in your file paths.
I would say that if using shorter file paths works, then you are hitting some kind of a limit (windows or SketchUp), and I would recommend re-working the folder names to reduce the file path length.
I have asked the manager of the department that created this folder to consider simplifying his folder names and paths.