It's not a good thing to populate the right click menu too much - it will become populated by some of the plugins anyway. Indeed shortcuts are the way to efficient and speedy modelling. Keep the toolbar for those functions you use less frequently only. If you want to start with plugins, there is one that allows you to build your custom toolbar. http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2008/06/custom-toolbars-release-08-06-01.html I have it and am used to a workflow where there are three "stages" of tools: The ones I use most frequently: there are shortcuts for them the ones I use less frequently - I have this custom toolbar for them finally the ones that I very rarely (or almost never) use - I have them "hidden" and use the menus. Like the Freehand tool for instance.

Thanks guys

When you have the floor plan, I would definitely keep the real wall thickness (even together with the inner walls) and pull the walls up instead of only the outer faces. It is much quicker (you need not draw all the vertical lines separately) It is way more realistic even from outside views. Single face walls always give themselves away. You say you may want to add the interiors later. That would mean a lot of additional work when you could do it much simpler in one action. Some additional suggestions: always separate your geometry by grouping it. Say you draw the outline of a house and pull it up to a bit of height to give it some foundation (and thickness for your floor). Make this a group. Copy its top face outside the group and now offset and draw your walls on this face; pull them up and then immediately group all your walls. Go on modelling in the same fahion. This will allow for much better control of the whole model both while modelling and later when presenting. Use components for anything that is more than once in your model (say the same window three times). Groups and components are very similar in nature but components have some additional advantages (maybe later in detail) Do not forget that layering - as opposed to CAD - will NOT separate your geometry. It is merely to control visibility in SketchUp. Also, do not EVER put ungrouped geometry onto any other layer than Layer 0. In fact, do not even change the active layer and always draw on Layer 0. Otherwise you mess up your model like this: [flash=640,500:34r2tjg3]http://www.youtube.com/v/fBdP499iw0Y[/flash:34r2tjg3]

Hi folks. What I would try is to use components containing a simple edge for the posts. Then, when done, I would reload with the final post component. If you prefer to use the final posts, don't forget that using X-Ray mode will allow you to snap to inner geometries inside the posts, providede that you have such geometries. This inner geometry could be a central vertical axis, for example. Just ideas.

The HDRI background won't appear in the Sketchup viewport. However, you can use the FIRE engine to preview it interactively. -Brodie

I believe that SU native tools should be used initially by noobs in order to see the scope of the product, plugins are there to expand the app further and they certainly do, but I maintain that one should only venture to plugins once they are fluent with the capabilities of the base product.

the more easy was Podium 1.7 (just 2 cursors! ) in free version 500*500 I don't know if it's the same actually ? (seems not follow your text May be you must take a look to Blender Section Internal Renderer If you concentrate just on this subject, I believe that is not so hard And you will have a terrific result without any limite of size for 0 € / $ It's allow you to use the Collada format for a direct link from SU by Blender site [image: fde045f23a.png]

Hi Elisei, This is very helpful. Thank you for showing me the step by step approach. Particularly using the intersect to get the angles after it has been made 3D. I think one of the most challenging parts of being a newbie is trying to visualise the small steps to get to the end goal. Cheers Joey

honoluludesktop, can you give a screen shot of your photoshop layers?

You have also SimLab Composer Animation

My HD4850 GDDR4 runs just fine since over 2 years. I really would like to upgrade, but sadly I can't see any reason for this, even Lumion runs like a charm on this (old) card. I could not imagine your 3000 will make big problems. Why don't you try your card with a complex model and the free version of su?

super cool! thanks a lot!!

@007 said: Edson, did you flatten the image before saving, as it won't update in SketchUp then? it takes the likes of 007 to solve the riddle. you nailed it! the image needed flattening. thanks.

Search Google for your image. Save it to your PC. File > Import as image. Check the texture box. Use in model

Angy, as I suggested, please, post in in the SketchyPhysiscs subforum instead. Those members rarely visit any other part of the forums and you could have a much better chance to get help (I myself do not use SP so I cannot help)

I have a blog about SketchUp and landscape design called http://sketchupland.posterous.com/. It's been more general stuff lately, but I'll have more landscape specific articles soon. Here is a list of good 3D trees from 3D Warehouse: http://sketchupland.posterous.com/best-3d-trees-from-3d-warehouse. There are a number of good landscape designers/architects on the forum. Hopefully they will showoff their inspiring work, and show you the ropes. [image: 1.jpg]

Very cool models and environments. Is the lighting/shadows created with a plugin or do you use another program to do the renderings?

You could change the default number of sides used to create the circle in the first place. The default value is 24 but you can set it higher. Perhaps you would get a smooth enough curve at 60 or 120 sides although you can go higher. Keep in mind that this will increase the file size possibly very dramatically. Don't increase the number of sides unless you need to. You do have to make the decision on the number of sides before you make the cylinder or otherwise extrude the curve.

Thanks Guys for your help. I seem to have sorted it

Hello to follow on from the questions, when the model is embeded in a webpage as a 3d model is it possible to install some code that would allow you click on a certain part ie a electric motor and this would link you to a new model on a seperate screen?