This article lays out a systematic overview of the steps users need to follow to install the cove.tool plugins for exporting building geometries. cove.tool offers plugins free of cost and they can be found on their respective Extension Library Platforms Below. Tutorials and other help resources for plugins can be found in cove.tool's App Store.
Autodesk Revit (v. 2021-2024)
Download the latest Revit Plugin, which is compatible with Revit 2021 and later.
Note: If a user has previously downloaded the Revit plugin with the Install Manually process (before November 2019), they will not be able to download a different version of the plugin until the previous plugin files have been deleted. [Skip this step while working with any other versions of the Revit plugin].
To overwrite the previous plugin version, locate the folder "C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\YYYY" and delete files "CoveRevit (Folder)" & "CoveRevit.addin". Note that this file path might be hidden in your folders, to see it go to the View tab and check Show Hidden items. After you have successfully deleted these files, install the updated version of the plugin.
If you're using Windows, uninstalling the previous plugin can be done by opening "Add and Remove Programs" in the search bar and searching for cove.tool. Select it and check what version is currently installed on your computer. You should be seeing 4.0.0, if not uninstall this version. After you have successfully uninstalled the previous version, install the updated version of the plugin.
Installation Instructions
Download and install the .msi file here. Have Revit closed during the installation process.
"Unblock" the zipped file by right-clicking and opening the properties folder. If you do not see a security section, then proceed to run the .msi file (See image 1 below).
Run the .msi, to install the plugin (See image 2 below). If an administrator is required to install new applications onto your machine, contact one, and share these instructions.
Launch Revit. A Security Panel might appear (See image 3 below) upon opening Revit. Select the Always Load option to enable the cove.tool plugin inside Revit.
After this final step, most users should be good to go.
Image 1: Unblock the Zipped folder
Image 2: Install the Plugin
Image 3: Select "Always Load" in the Revit Security Panel
Revit Installation Error Messages
1. Error msg: External Tool Failure: LaunchPanel failed
If you have opened your project in Revit and still do not see the cove.tool plugin as its own tab or you receive an error message like the one below, then you must have missed the step of unblocking the zipped folder while installing, and your computer's firewall is preventing the plugin from initiating the enable tool-bar command or export-script sequence. Repeat the install process with an unblocked file and restart Revit to fix this issue.
2. Error msg: Command Failure for External Command: Contact the provider
Seeing this error message below means your Revit plugin is out-of-date and needs to be reinstalled with the latest version. The plugins require annual code-signing certification and this must be routinely updated for security precautions. Find the latest Revit plugin on the cove.tool App Store.
If the plugin is still experiencing issues, please contact the live chat support team inside the cove.tool app.
SketchUp (v. 2017 - 2024)
Download the SketchUp Plugin from the cove.tool Plugin Page. The plugin is compatible with SketchUp 2017 through 2024. NOTE: If you have an older version of the plugin, make sure to first uninstall the plugin before attempting to install the latest version. To uninstall an existing plugin follow these steps:
Launch any SketchUp project. Under the Window tab, locate Extension Manager. Inside the Extension Manager window, navigate to the Manage tab, and below should be listed your previous "Cove. tool SketchUp Extension" plugin. Select Uninstall to delete this version. Once done, proceed to install the latest plugin.
To install,
Download the .rbz file from the cove.tool App Store.
Extract the zip folder, and place the file in the following folder locations.
> From PC Users, add the “CoveTool_SketchUpExtension_3.0.0.rbz” file to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\SketchUp\SketchUp YYYY\SketchUp\Plugins.
> For Mac Users, add the download .rbz file to folder location:
~/Library/ApplicationSupport/SketchUp YYYY/SketchUp/PluginsFor newer plugin versions 2022-2024, this step can be skipped and the plugin can be installed directly in the Extension Manager.
Launch SketchUp. Under the Windows tab, locate Extension Manager. At the bottom of the Extension Manager window, will be a bright red button labeled Install Extension. Click it and a file search window will open. Locate the .RBZ file from the previous folder location. (image below)
The Extension Manager will then add cove.tool SketchUp Extension to the application list. Make sure the file is enabled in the 2nd tab, Manage.
Once the plugin has been successfully installed, a new toolbar should appear (image below). Selecting the extensions tab > cove.tool should prompt the toolbar to launch. The cove.tool toolbar is 'floating' by default, so if you do not see it right away make sure to check your other screens, or minimize SketchUp to prompt the toolbar. (image below).
Rhino/Grasshopper (5-8)
Download the Rhino/Grasshopper Plugin. The plugin is compatible with Rhino 5 and later (v.6 - 8) and comes with grasshopper extensions.
If you are using Rhino 5, make sure you have installed GhPython and Grasshopper for Rhino 5.0 (64-bit), to proceed with the plugin installation process. Rhino versions previous to Rhino v.5.0 are not compatible with the cove.tool plugin. For Rhino 6, 7, and 8, no additional installation is required.
Download the grasshopper plugin from the App store, and locate the downloaded .zip file and extract contents to a familiar location. In Rhino, launch grasshopper and open the .gh file inside the unzipped folder to load the cove.tool .gh plugin definition. The most recent version of the plugin published is should be "covetool_daylight_energy_v4.2.0" or higher. Once the script loads, users should see the grasshopper definition like the image above.
NOTE: As you start using the grasshopper plugin for geometry export, always create a clone of the definition to your unique project folder. Reusing the same file for every project may result in a possibility of overwriting previous projects and general chaos.
Archicad 24 Installation
In Archicad go to Options > Addon-Manager > Add, or
Copy/Paste the folder in the default Addon folder location
C:\Program Files\GRAPHISOFT\ARCHICAD 24\Add-Onson windows,Applications\\GRAPHISOFT\ARCHICAD 24\Add-Onson OSX.
If users have a Mac OS (operating system) and the installation file is blocked, make sure to unblock by following these steps.
Open "System Preferences" by clicking on the Apple icon.
Select "Security & Privacy" from the "System Preferences" window.
Select the "General" tab, and click on the lock in the lower left corner to allow changes to be made.
Enter your computer username and password, then select "Unlock."
In the "Allow apps downloaded from:" section, select "Anywhere" or click on "Allow anyway".
Close the window. You can now install unsigned applications that you trust. After installation if the plugin does not appear on Archicad, you may try to restart your machine before it shows up.