It started there: http://www.gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f ... =20#p88959

I figured out a way to do it, and one thing leading to another, and one boring meeting after another, I almost completely rewrote the thing (the only recognizable remnants being the pygtk stuff...), learning some more python along the way.

So, here is a somewhat improved version of the manager where:

• there is one single Python file to handle all managers (brushes, dynamics, fonts, gradients, palettes, patterns, scripts)
• there is no need to edit the Python source, all user changes are handled with a configuration file
• the standard defaults are usable as is, you may not even need a configuration file
• on platforms that support it, the activation from directories is performed with symlinks instead of file copies, which is much faster.
• there is support for "Dynamics" (but due to a Gimp bug/developer oversight, you have to make a menu entry elsewhere than in <Dynamics>)

The script isn't a drop-in replacement for its predecessor, it does a couple of things slightly differently, so you have better deactivate your add-ons first before switching. Read the doc carefully.

Somewhat tested on Linux and Windows XP, with patterns, crossing fingers for the rest

Get the latest version here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gimp-tools/files/scripts/
And see the doc here: http://gimp-tools.sourceforge.net/managementtools.shtml

Enjoy.

ofnuts how will this find my resources in my C:\GIMP\ sub folders?
Do i just point my Edit>Pref> to each sub folder for each resource?

I am sticking with the old version of MrQ's managers then.They are the only ones that seem to work.And i like them being tabbed inside each resource.Very tidy.

Yeah i am sticking with my version that works.

Yes, if by "single reposirory of resources" you mean one parent directory anywhere with your sets as subdirectories. The contents of the subdirectories can be mixed, only the right ones are copied/linked.

You set addon_stored to your "C:\GIMP\" and the subfolders will appear as selectable sets.

Your call... but this manager works exactly like MrQ's... except that you have a config file.

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!!!