I have been using Google Sketchup for a while now, and I always wondered if it would be possible to make it portable. (To use at my workstation in the office).
As an experiment, I just copied the Sketchup folder from my C: Drive and pasted the copy into the "Portable Apps" folder on my USB drive.
When I started the portable apps launcher, lo and behold, Sketchup was there!
I ran it on 3 different machines, with positive results.
Which leads me to my next question: Does anyone know of any other popular applications that can be added in this way?
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None of the programs are going to be "Portable" unless they already have no settings that save somewhere on the computer besides its local folder, and stuff like that.
Tons of applications can be added to be used portably but they will leave all your settings on the computer, etc.
But take a shot, as long as the application isn't dependent on any other software, most should work ok.
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such applications portable (to leave no traces on the host PC) I created the portable application template. It just copies/deletes the traces that are normally left on the host computer.
BTW: I'm currently working on a new version.
What if they are locked down by the administrators to the point where they delete cafeMOD every time I plug it in?
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Unfortunately Sketchup leaves some 800+ registry entries behind. They do all exist in two main keys which makes them easy to read and write using regedit with the /s switch.
Sketchup also assumes the local harddrive is the location for a bunch of support files, and I have no idea how to manipulate registry settings files on the fly to make this a truly machine independent solution.
I suppose I could write a parsing routine to massage the reg file prior to writing, but this seems rather inelegant. Any other ideas?
This is what the registry data looks like
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\SketchUp6\File Locations]
"Models"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"Components"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"Materials"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"Styles"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"Textures"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"Images"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
"ImportExport"="\\\\local drive\\root\\home\\user\\My Documents\\"
'local drive' is the name of our local file server as we use shared directory space.
Chris
When i start SketchUp 7, i get the error: "The system cannot execute the specified program". Perhaps it requires administrator privileges to run? i made a small batch file to set and save registry entries:
@echo offfor /F "tokens=*" %%z IN ('echo %cd%') DO set currentdrive=%%~dz
echo Backing Up current Enteries...
reg export HKCU\Software\Google SketchUpOldRegEnteries.reg
echo Adding Registry Enteries...
reg import SketchUpRegEnteries.reg
echo Replacing Paths To current ones...
for /F "eol=! tokens=1,2*" %%a IN ('Reg query "HKCU\Software\Google\SketchUp7\File Locations"') DO (
echo %%a=%currentdrive%%%~pc
reg add "HKCU\Software\Google\SketchUp7\File Locations" /v %%a /d %currentdrive%%%~pc /f
)
echo Starting Sketchup. Do not close this window,
echo or your settings will not be saved, or the
echo registry enteries removed.
pause
SketchUp.exe
echo Exporting Current Settings...
reg export HKCU\Software\Google SketchUpRegEnteries.reg
echo Replacing Original Enteries...
reg import SketchUpOldRegEnteries.reg
::echo Deleting Temp Old Reg backup...
::del SketchUpOldRegEnteries.reg
echo Done!!!!
exit
However i appears i either did something wrong(possibly need to add more keys?), or administrator privileges are required to run. (the two comment lines, ::, are commented for testing. uncomment them if you like.
One of my friends is running Rocket Dock (http://rocketdock.com/) from his USB pen and Vistart I have found out is portable, as well as ViOrb, True Transparency, AveDesk, Deskspace, RK Launcher, YODM, Stickies, FinderBar, Pontifex, and Paint.net(www.getpaint.net/redirect/wp/index.html)
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made with PortableApps Creation Master 1.6
Google specifically says in all of their licenses that you may not redistribute their products.
Additionally, it's not open source.
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
Major bumpage too
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That was great,but can we also copy the plugins???
i want to know pls respond
I think most of the application can be used as portable by this way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1O8jWPIYhA
and one more thing you can also download sketchup portable
This includes Google Sketchup,layout and stye builder
[link removed by Mod Tim, please do not link to downloads of repackaged proprietary closed source software unless you can demonstrate that you have permission to do so, Thanks for understanding, Tim]
It works only on that computer.
At most of the programms, on any other computer will not work. If that program writes somthing in the registry, Common Files, Application Data/AppData or any other place in the system, wil not work on another computer. This only works with a few programs that have all that it needs in the installation directory. And those few, even if it works on another PC, will note preserve the user settings or the changes made to the program.
So... that YouTube video si a piece of missleading crap.
Upon installing SketchUp 8 It asked me where I wanted to install it. I chose a folder in my flash-drive and it successfully installed and works. I don't know if it still stores information on the computer but I'm happy I can run the program wherever I want (as long as .NET is installed).
Syberiyxx
Yo, I know nothing about programming, but I do know that they make Ruby plugins that are 100% opensource. I wonder if a plugin could interfere with it saving the non-portable files, or at least make them move to a local location...