[Request] Reveal a material in the Materials browser (In Model) from Ruby #1121

Product

SketchUp

API

Ruby API

Use Case

An extension adds a material to the model (for example from a product library) and then offers the user a "Locate material" action, so they can find the new swatch in SketchUp's Materials browser.

Today the extension does this:

model = Sketchup.active_model
model.materials.current = material
UI.show_inspector('Materials')

The Materials inspector opens and its preview shows the material. But the browser list stays on whatever collection the user last viewed — for example the "Materials" library folders (Asphalt, Brick, Fabric, Glass). The new swatch is not visible or highlighted in the list, so the user still has to click the In Model (house) button and look for it by hand. Observed on SketchUp 2025 (macOS).

As far as we can tell, the Ruby API has no way to do this today:

• UI.show_inspector only opens the inspector by name.
• Sketchup::Materials#current= updates the preview, but not the browser's collection or selection.
• No Sketchup.send_action action selects the In Model collection (and send_action is deprecated as of 2026.2).

Proposed Implementation

Either of these would cover the use case:

1. An option on UI.show_inspector, for example UI.show_inspector('Materials', collection: :model), that opens the Materials inspector on the In Model collection.
2. A method that reveals a material, for example Sketchup::Materials#reveal(material) (or Sketchup::Material#reveal), that switches the browser to In Model and selects and scrolls to that material.

Returning true / false would let an extension tell the user when the host could not do it.

Additional Context

• Related: materials#current not in sync with GUI on Mac #772 (materials#current not in sync with the GUI on Mac), [Request] Hide Material in Material browser ('In Model') #1069 (hide a material from In Model).
• Forum thread on the same limit: https://forums.sketchup.com/t/displaying-only-materials-and-components-inside-model/19353