I want one.

To quote Google... Sketchup requires a 3D class Video-Card with >=512Mb of memory. The card's driver must support OpenGL version 1.5 or higher, and be up to date. Have you looked at your card's control-panel settings - e.g. many to allow 3d applications to take control rather than use presets etc...

Another sneak peak video: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=152654

I don't have a recommendation on scanners. Anything over 8.5x11 begins to get pretty expensive pretty fast. We have an Epson V30 which I mostly just use for scanning in samples of countertop and such as well as the occasional sketch which I'll use to model from. For printers I like the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 or something similar. The ink is a bit of a hassle because it's got like 7 different cartridges which aren't real large but it prints upto 13x19. Anything larger than that should go to a print shop like Kinkos which has color plotters. Your university should have color plotters as well. Hopefully, they'll also have a large roll scanner as well which will allow you to scan in your presentation boards so you can have a nice record of them for both your personal portfolio. So the room your designing. Are you thinking this is where you'll spend a lot of time in architecture school or is this something else? In school you'll be provided these these things in a communal studio with your classmates where you'll work feverishly many times staying up all night to get your designs finished but it will be one of the best times of your life. You wouldn't want to sacrifice that by doing all of your work at home. -Brodie

Ok, so I've successfully added an unwanted Dell Optiplex to my home network using FreeNAS7 rather than 8. It was a breeze under v7 so it good to know I can free up all those external drives around the house and relocate in this system.

I think this link is supposed to be a sort-of open invitation to G+ - only 150 invites left... https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=%2F%3Fgpinv%3DEFagzNRbraQ%3AXlAIo30CCFQ

That stuff looks really good, Mike. And Kris, I like your illustrations as well as those your mom has done. I've been thinking about creating a collection of materials for SketchUp that could perhaps mimic some of the variety of hand colored styles. I have done a few experimental materials but i would like to come up with some process that might be automated somehow to make a wide range of colors with the same sorts of styles applied to them. I have an idea about that but need to get some other things out of the way, first.

Csaba, Thanks for your response. So you dont think it's enough? I was hoping someone else would try that for $1k... They really push the fact that it's "as powerful as a 2010 MacBook Pro", whatever that may mean... but i guess i may have to wait until the next generation comes out. I'm running on Vista now on a laptop but like the 'coolness factor' of the Mac. -Sasha

I think the girl being scanned in that article is a saint. At least she is very holey.

That is clever. I like the 3D scanning concept

@unknownuser said: An iPad and a Bamboo Stylus is all you need (plus an app or two to draw with). You cant use SU but you can sketch away and then email the PDF when done. I havent tried the iPad version, but for Sketching (on the PC) Sketchbook Pro is THE best. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?id=15119465&siteID=123112 http://www.youtube.com/user/SketchBookPro?blend=23&ob=5 There is also Sketchbook Designer for PC that is a hybrid Pixel/Vector drawing app. Very Cool. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=15793589&siteID=123112 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4g-LbqrU2E&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZvJK48yDKw

@honoluludesktop said: Did you read the product literature? They make something for erotic pleasure read like the description of a pc key board. Have you ever tried a PC keyboard? You might be surprised.

@unknownuser said: ....The only default is cosmetic : icones are very uggly! :mrgreen: Well, that by itself makes it completely unacceptable for an Architect.>_< Thanks for the update.

Thanks all, very helpful

@bjornkn said: Thanks for the tip Any idea what's the difference between the plain and Ti versions? AFAIK the K in 2600K means that it is easy to overclock? BTW, I get a 404 on that link.. GTX560Ti is better. GTX560: 336 Shader units /'Cuda Cores' GTX560Ti: 384 Shader Units/'Cuda Cores' Copy this link: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4221/nvidias-gtx-550-ti-coming-up-short-at-150/15 And put in your browser. Yes the K means the cpu as a unlocked multiplier. It means it's easy to overclock and that you can more overclock. The cpu's have a base frequency [100Mhz] and a multiplier. On i7 2600 is 34x, so 100Mhz x 34= 3400Mhz [3.4Ghz] On turbo mode the multiplier can reach 38x [3.8Ghz]. If you have a unlocked multiplier the limit of the oc will be the vcore and temperatures of cpu. If you have a locked multiplier [non k cpu] you can use the turbo mode multiplier and then raise the base multiplier [100Mhz default], but on this Sandy bridge cpu's it's dificult to raise this value. On previous intel cpu's, like my i7 920, it was easy to change the base frequency: i only have a multiplier of 21x but i could reach 200mhz or more of base clock. The new Intel cpu's have a embedded gpu - the right name is more SoC [System-on-a-Chip] - so if you change the base frequency of the cpu you will mess with the gpu, because they are linked, and thats why you cant push the base frequency. If you change the multiplier you only change cpu settings.. this is the reason why have a unlocked multiplier - K versions - is much better to do OC. [Sorry for my bad english] MK

OK, so this is my turn to scratch y head. I suggested (or maybe rather just "mentioned") Corel to Miguel because at that time it was the only one I kind of knew. Now I have looked at some other ones like Cyberlink because I need a very special effect now that seems to be available with Cyberlink ("Picture in picture - VERY briefly addressed at the bottom of this page). BUT what I exactly need is a video (or still image) in the background of a HD video and a "traditional" TV size (720x576 pixels in Europe as PAL/SECAM TV's are as opposed to NTSC). These have already been recorded and we would like to use them without having to re-record in HD so we'd basically "cheat" and just add some background (either stills or if possible, sometimes even animation). The "front" 720x576 MUST be video. Something like the attached below. Ideally the positioning of that inserted, red area should also be customisable. As my trial for Corel has expired, I cannot check if that is capable and now I have to buy one that is capable of something like this. Any advice? (Also, I am pretty broke so the "inexpensive" category must apply - and I am also rather stupid so it would be nice to have a fool-proof, easy-to-use software). [image: NO0v_hdtv.png]

Surely there's a Coreldraw forum where you could get your question answered.

I want one yesterday!!

(WARNING/DISCLAIMER - techniques described here could blind you. I do not recommend that anyone try this. The following is for information only) Laser rangefinders are somewhere between difficult and impossible to use in bright sun. The first thing to do is get red laser enhancement glasses. The red lenses attenuate all but the red wavelengths in light. So your red laser dot will look brighter than all other light with non-red components. But laser dots are quite small and becomes quickly hard to find as distance increases. By attaching my Bosch distance finder to a monocular with a red filter (25A photographic filter) the problem is entirely solved. The only problem is having the laser beam returned to your eye by a shiny surface. Before engaging the laser I use my monocular to scan my target for highly reflective shiny surfaces. Once I am sure the problem does not exist I engage the laser and get a distance reading. Worst case like a mirrored wall, I would have to tape up a paper target. Or just close my eyes just before turning on the laser. From a practical standpoint there is no problem, but accidents do happen so awareness and an abundance of caution are called for. Next I will need to SketchUp a more permanent rig to attach distance meter to monocular.