Sketchup setting or plugin profiles?

Is there such an option or method of being able to switch between Sketchup profiles without switching ‘user’ profiles within Windows?
Example: User has 15 plugins they always want to keep active.
problem: Sketchup crashes randomly - but not with all plugins disabled (or plugins/addins folders renamed)
potential solution: be able to run Sketchup normally with plugins or another ‘safe mode’ profile with no plugins enabled.

I believe this would come in very handy . Especially with crappy Sketucation plugins being so popular.

tia.

What Sketchucation extensions are you calling crappy?

for one, the store.

Whenever I see this popup in a users Sketchup (to troubleshoot a crash issue):

I know I’m gonna have a bad time.

Do you mean the Sketchucation ExtensionStore tool? What is the problem with it? It works fine for me.

are you saying there’s no problem with something like this?

please clarify?

User doesn’t need admin rights to install plugins themselves.

That is not caused by the ExtensionStore tool. I agree with Box, that looks like failure to install SketchUp correctly. Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen that.

first time seeing what?
too many plugins?

that’s not the point. and it’s not my original question.

As to the original question, Fredo6 has, if I remember right, created an extension that loads plugins located in different folder locations. This would allow the setup for different folders for different sets of extensions, and to choose with the extension which ones to load.

Because you have installed lots of extensions, then inevitably there will be lots of toolbars or menu items.
You can switch off the toolbars, but if the extensions are still loading you will still get their menu items.
You can use the Extension Manager to switch extensions off and stop them loading.
The SketchUcation Toolset also has a Plugins Manager dialog which lets you prevent plugins from loading even if they are not extensions.
You can even make ‘Sets’ of Plugins/Extensions for particular uses and switch between them as your project evolves… Although you do need to restart SketchUp to see the effects - a limitation of the API/extension interface.

I’m afraid that your attitude leaves something to be desired…
Your attitude is ‘crappy’ - but SketchUcation’s tools are not [IMHO].
You might be one in a million to think so, but that’s no excuse to defame SketchUcation in public.

[PS: I am the author of much of those toolsets you hate]

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I suggest, as others do, to use the Extension Manager to disable Plugins you do not use often. For those that you do, I suggest organizing them in a way that makes sense to you and your workflow.

In my case I like to do the following:

In general I keep the SU Toolbars along the top and left side, with two exceptions. 1 The measurements toolbar, (I keep this at the lower left corner, reminiscent of AutoCAD command line location from back in the day)
2. I use Enscape on a daily basis, so I consider that as a core part of my workflow, so that is also located on top.

I place all other third party plugins toolbars along the bottom, and will periodically place the most used tools on the top line. As I notice I’m not using a plugin that has stayed towards the bottom, I will either disable it or uninstall it.

Note, these toolbars are great to have, but for commands you use often, either learning the standard or creating new shortcuts is in my opinion the fastest way to design. Windows → Preferences → Shortcuts

Once you’ve learned your core shortcuts, you may be able to hide the related toolbars giving you more view-port real-estate to work with less visual distractions.

A question for the community related to this: Back in the old days of me using AutoCAD, having memorized most of my shortcuts, I used to toggle on expert-mode, which allowed me to hide all menus and toolbar icons, giving me a full screen with no distractions. If there was a command I did not remember, I could simply toggle all the menu and toolbars back on, click on the command, then toggle it all off again to continue working. This creates a clean workspace similar to an old simple text editor program I like to use called Darkroom. I saw there used to be a plugin for that for SketchUp, but it has not been updated since ver 2017.

https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/e38f6e71-bbd5-48ce-b2a2-2d14a3bfbbe4/su-fullscreen

Is there a built in way in SU or a new Plugin that lets you toggle Toolbars/Trays on and off and maximize the view-port screen?

Nah, I think you’re just taking it personal.

The problem is , end-users (users I have to support when they cry Sketchup is slow or crashing) are installing any and all plugins they think it will help them work better.

We ask them to only install plugins they need.
They do not listen and pile up plugins .
We show them if we disable some (or all plugins) Sketchup works much better.

I am simply asking for a way to disable all plugins, or a feature request to add ‘profiles’ to Sketchup OR a ‘safe mode’ option.

I guess I have my attitude to blame, as you say.
I am also sorry that on this ‘official’ Sketchup forum, I have hurt your feelings.

I understand @TIG. It has made a platform to help us not to be criticized and it is used by many users.

Do you think that if someone installs 700 applications on an iPhone, it’s Apple’s fault?

If you ask users not to install so many extensions and they don’t listen to you, the problem is theirs. Anyway, I doubt very much that the person who has the screen full of toolbars is able to work like this so for his own good he should be uninstalling or closing extensions.

Apple has a permissions option when deploying company phones.
You can configure Apple MDM to not allow anything to be installed. This is a basic feature.

I am simply asking if there is a way to run Sketchup with no plugins installed.

If I wanted to complain about how bad SketchUcation and anything to do with Fredo6 is terrible I would go to the Sketchucation forums.

Stay out of this thread please unless you have an answer in regards to official Sketchup functionality .

There is. It’s called SketchUp Go.

2 Likes

Plugins can also be disabled in SketchUp:
https://help.sketchup.com/en/disabling-ruby-scripts

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Then why, in your original post, did you make the statement about “crappy SketchUcation plugins”. Come on, face up to your own poor choice of wording, don’t blame the people you offended!

1 Like