It locates the menu where you want it...

Hi Ofnuts
first of all, many thanks for having done a big job starting from one comment of mine on MrQ Managers.
Now, I want to share with you the steps I did to try your improved version (really a totally new plug-in!):
(all the steps done working on User/.gimp-2.8 folder)
1 - removed MrQ plug-ins from the plug-in folder
2 - added your plug-in into the same
3 - created a brushes_storage folder with all my brushes sub-folders (I saw your default name is *_storage)
4 - emptied the standard brushes folder to avoid mix-up with previously loaded brushes
5 - started Gimp
OK, I found - by right-clicking on the brush dock "brushes sets...", I clicked and found the list of all sub-folders included into brushes_storage, excellent.
Then I selected just one of the sub-folders and hit OK.
I got a message "Activating added add-ons...", but this message runs endlessly.
Did I do something wrong? This is my first simple question.
The second one may appear to you and to all experts here quite stupid, but I have to writer it down:
you talk about a "configuration file": where is it? will it be created automatically after the first run of the plug-in?
The user needs to change that file (luckily not the python file!) if for instance wants to change the *_storage folder name with something else.
Should - maybe - the user extract the lines related to the default configuration entries in the readme or plug-in, then store them into this configuration file (with which name and extension?)
Sorry for my ignorance...
Thanks again

This is my edited addonCollectionManager.ini file that comes from the readme.txt
I only really wanted the brushes and scripts, so they are enabled.
I commented out bits I did not require. Not sure if this is required.



I know Ofnuts said the python file did not require editing but I did anyway
changed line 45 and commented out line 46



Works fine so far, think I will keep it, looks like this

Thanks Rich!
Created the file .ini as per your example (except I activated only brushes) then I put the file in the same folder where the plug-in is; probably this was an error, because I do not see the brush set under menu, as the .ini says...

OK, so far so good


No... possibly a bug. Remove the installed version, replace by the one in the ZIp attached to this post. Start Gimp and try to activate new brushes. This will create a "trace.txt" file in Gimp's current directory (on XP, this seems to be c:\documents and settings\{user's id}). Find it and copy the contents here.




There is no configuration file by default. You can create one: "addonCollectionManager.ini" in you plugins directory (ie, right next to the .PY). Of course you don't need to edit the Python file (this is the one reason for the rework). To change the location of your sets there are several ways:

The simpler way:

This will configure all your sets to come from, according to type:

• brushes: c:\users\{your_id}\.gimp_2.8\brushes_whatever_suffix_you_want
• fonts: c:\users\{your_id}\.gimp_2.8\fonts_whatever_suffix_you_want
• etc...

because "{GimpUser}" is automagically replaced by your profile location and "{type}" by the managed addons type.

Otherwise there is the more tedious:


But you can also keep all this stuff outside of your profile:

with of course directories named:

• C:\users\{your_id}\My documents\Gimp Addons\brushes
• C:\users\{your_id}\My documents\Gimp Addons\fonts
• etc...

Why did you need to do so? The 'enable' line in the configuration file doesn't work?

Thanks Ofnuts!!!
the new version is OK, my brushes are loaded!!!
(maybe, you are so nice to consider - do not hit me, please - also my question whether it would be possible to keep the sub-folder name when loaded onto the brush dock, so that the filter can select by group...)
Anyhow, thanks a lot...

addendum: in Windows 7 the trace.txt is created under User

@Ofnuts
I was having some trouble getting anything other than 'scripts' to show in the Help menu.
So I started commenting out and simplifying.....I will go back and see if the default works.

@dinasset
Just note that my folders with the resources in are named "something_alt"
That is the line addons_stored:{GimpUser}/{type}_alt
guessing yours are not and that line needs to be changed.

..and a bit more tinkering. I see what Ofnuts meant about the pluginrc file.
I changed the menu locations in the ini file to menu_location:<Image>/Resource
No result until I disabled (renamed) the pluginrc which Gimp rebuilt when starting.
Now have a Resource menu with 2 entries, brushes and scripts.

@Ofnuts
using a personalised .ini I noticed (by reading the trace.txt) that the configuration is read under the standard user folder plug-ins ("Reading configuration file C:\Users\User\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins\addonCollectionManager.ini) even if your plug-in itself was placed under a different folder, the one I use for new plug-ins testing.
So, I moved from "right next to the .py" into the standard plug-ins folder, and my personalised configuration was read and applied correctly. I tell you that because - if some body else is reading this topic (I guess many...) now it works so. Very likely you said "right next to the .py" because you assumed I put the .py into the standard plug-ins folder. OK, everything fine, for me (also because, after the testing, I will move the plug-in also under the standard folder)

@rich
no, I did all properly, but it was the version I had previously that didn't work, the new one provided to me by Ofnuts works perfectly!

@all: enjoy the new Ofnuts plug-in!!!

@Ofnuts
1. Restored you plugin back to original, working fine
2. Decided to add some more resources folders, fonts and patterns.
Both show up in the menu system. Fonts are no problem but nothing shows in the patterns menu unless the .pat (and 1 png) files are zipped. Not a problem for me but any ideas.

Do you have to zip each individual scm file still ofnuts?

Hmm. I'll look into that.

To add selectable sets you add them either as subdirectories of the "*_stored" directories, or as ZIP files in the same directory.

No... but you have to put them in directories under "scripts_stored" (if you are using the standard configuration) and use the manage to activate the directories.

The "selection units" are directories or zip files(*). Your .pat or (.png) has to be put in a subdirectory of the "patterns_stored" directory, or in a zip file (but on Linux, use a directory, this is much faster)

(*) Because as it says on the box, the manager manages collections/sets of add-ons, and not single add-ons.

ofnuts when you refer to "*_stored" directories does that mean I should create a folder named "brushes_stored" and inside place folders containing my brushes, if so can i place "brushes_stored" in my C:\ drive as that would be in my gimp path

Thanks

Yeah - Rod's post 'tweaked' my memory. The fonts came from GURM in folders and showed up straight away. I still find individual zipped scripts extremely useful as a means of reducing clutter. Anything with a theme, ie. fonts, brushes can go in a sub-folder.

Exactly, you can also use Zip files instead of folders



Yes, and then you tell the plugin using the configuration file: