[Wiki/Docs] RHI with RUI file does nothing with the RUI

Rhino Developer
1

I created the an RHI file containing a RUI file in the Common folder, like instructed at http://wiki.mcneel.com/developer/rhinoinstallerengine/authoring

However, the RUI file does not get installed; the plug-in (RHP) works fine however. To install the RUI file, the user now has to navigate to C:\Users{user}\AppData\McNeel\Rhinoceros\5.0\Plug-ins{plugin-folder}\Rhino\5.0\Common in the Tools -> Toolbar Layout dialog to get it installed.

Is this lack of RUI installation intended behavior or am I doing something wrong? If it is intended, I think it would be more user-friendly to directly install RUI file(s) if present in the Common folder.

Thanks!

2

@brian, can you help here?

3

Menno,

Are the RUI and RHP files packaged in the same RHI file? Does the RUI have the same name as the plug-in?

I think that Rhino is supposed to find RUI files with the same name as the plug-in in the same folder as the RHP - but maybe that isn’t working yet.

4

Yes, they’re packaged in the same file, and they RHP and RUI have the same name. I have put the RUI in the Common folder as instructed on the page referenced in the OP. But I’ll try to put it in the same folder to see how that works out.

It would be great to have this working!

5

Ok, it is working when the RUI file is in the same folder as the RHP file. It is not working when I have the plug-in in Rhino 5.0\x64 and the RUI in Common\
You may want to update your documentation at http://wiki.mcneel.com/developer/rhinoinstallerengine/authoring to reflect this situation.

6

Not looking to hijack this thread.

@brian my rhp and rui file are in the same folder sharing the same name - but on first install rhino copies the rui file into the roaming McNeel folder and references the rui file there from then on.

any help much appreciated

7

Hey @KeithR no problem asking this.

My guess is that the RUI file gets copied to the roaming McNeel folder because then the user can make changes to the toolbars without affecting other users on the same system.

In our case, however, we managed to reference the installed RUI file directly: we have since switched to an MSI installer that also installs a RUI file. When this file is installed, the MSI installer will append the location of the RUI file to this multi-string registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\McNeel\Rhinoceros\5.0x64\Scheme: Default\Window Positions\Docking Toolbars\Rui Files

The reason this works is because the MSI installler makes a per-user installation, so if the user edits the RUI file, they are editing their own copy.

8

Hi Keith,

This is by design - we copy the RUI files into a well known and writable
location for the user. It is possible for RHIs to be installed into
read-only locations, making it difficult for users to rearrange and
position their toolbars.

Can you explain what the downside is for us doing this?

  • Brian

Brian Gillespie
Rhinoceros Development
Robert McNeel & Associates

9

Hi Brian,

If I release a new update to the plugin and rui - will the user see the updated version of the rui.

thx