GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: 8.1
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

List any relevant plug-ins or scripts:
Addon Collection Manager

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Greetings all, I hope someone can help me as I've been trying to get this plugin working and have not had any luck. I have a rather large collection of brushes, and I'm sure there are some people around here who can relate. I was happy when I stumbled upon the Addon Collection Manager plugin from Ofnuts, as I felt that would make things much easier for me so that I don't drown GIMP in brushes so that it takes over an hour to start up. For years, I've been moving brushes in and out of GIMP manually. If I could have a menu inside GIMP of my different categories I can select one or more individual brush sets from, and have them install and uninstall themselves, that would be so very useful.

I have a Windows 8.1 computer, and am using GIMP version 2.10.6. I downloaded the plugin from Ofnuts's SourceForge page, I believe it's the latest version as I didn't see any others. The plugin is entitled addonCollectionManager-3.0.py. I read the instructions on Ofnuts GIMP tools page, and also watched a video on Youtube showing how to set up the manager, so I thought I understood, but clearly I'm doing something wrong. My GIMP is installed in the default way, with the main stuff in Program Files, and my profile in Appdata/Roaming/GIMP/2.10. I have all my brushes organized, with each set being zipped up and sorted into folders by category, which I had been keeping outside GIMP (Grunge, Floral, Stars, Animated, etc.)

To set up, I created a brushes_storage folder and placed it in the main GIMP profile folder where "brushes" and all the other folders are located. I made sure the brushes folder was empty. I put the addonCollectionManager-3.0.py file in the plug-ins folder in my profile. As the instructions said an ini file is not necessarily needed, I tried without one first. I didn't create storage folders for the other resources, as I wanted to get the manager working for brushes first. I put a few of my category folders with their zipped brush sets inside them into the brushes_storage folder. So it's like AppData/Roaming/GIMP/2.10/brushes_storage/Abstract/a bunch of zipped sets of brushes. I cleared the pluginrc and started GIMP. The manager is recognized, and I can right click inside the brushes selection box and choose "brushes sets". A window pops up with the few categories I put into the storage folder, and I can tick the boxes next to them and click OK, but nothing happens. No brushes are loaded, no other options given. I can untick the boxes and that clears the check mark, but no change. Restarting GIMP doesn't help.

I tried unzipping one of the brush sets, thinking maybe the brush sets being zipped was the problem. But still the brushes didn't load. I then tried including an ini file, but this didn't help. With an ini file, the brush manager doesn't show up at all. It's not there when I right click in the brushes, nor is it in the help menu, or any other menu. I tried editing the ini, changing the paths, clearing pluginrc and restarting GIMP each time, but no dice. I also tried the older "MrQ" manager to see if that would work for me, but had the same issue.

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I know it must being something stupid and simple. I have a log from starting GIMP with the Addon Collection Manager installed without an ini. I tried to attach it to this post, but get an error message saying log files aren't allowed, nor are just regular txt files. So I'll try this:


Maybe there's a clue there, but I can't find it. I don't know anything about coding or scripts or anything like that. I'd appreciate any help though. Thank you

I think your problem is there. That is equivalent to a folder in a folder. Windows sees a zip as a folder. Use either brush collections in a folder or brush collections (including single .abr brushes) zipped.

This as an example: brushes_storage contains many collections zipped and also some folders. One of the folders contains 3 brushes and a zip collection.



Activate that and apply the folder name as a filter - only the brushes show, no zip.



Until you get something working, recommend do not use an .ini file and as you did before delete pluginrc to allow Gimp to rescan all the plugins. Of course it might be something completely different

Try to uninstall completely all Gimp 2.10 from your system.

Sometime when you install a new version without deleting some files on older version you get a lot of error.
It is recommended that you uninstall Gimp and delete all files associated with that version, except the personal directory, "C:\Users\YourName\.gimp-2.8.old", before you install a newer version.

1. Once you uninstall Gimp from: Control panel/Programs and Feature, go to the Gimp folder in:
"C:/Program FIles" and delete the file "Gimp 2".

2. Go to: "C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10" and delete this file too. There is another Gimp file in: "C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\GIMP\2.10", delete that one also.

3. Before you install Gimp 2.10.4, your user directory "C:\Users\YourName\.gimp-2.8" and rename the file to: .gimp-2.8.old.

4. Once Gimp is installed, start Gimp. Gimp will create a new Folder
C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10" .

5. Close Gimp and copy only the "File folders" (Not the single files) from your: "C:\Users\YourName\.gimp-2.8", brushes curves, dynamics, gradient etc... Paste the folders in the new directory: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10".

6. Make all the "_storage" folders and subfolder on its own categories... brush_storage, gradient_storage... etc.

7. Start Gimp and see if this help.

You rarely need to uninstall everything. Removing (renaming/deleting) the profile makes Gimp starts afresh.

That is what I did, ofnuts and I'm sure that what Barguest did also. But it didn't work for me, or for him. Then, when I did the steps that I wrote here, It worked. I know that you made this plugin and I'm sorry but I'm trying to help someone with the same scenario that I went through myself.