welcome to SUcation! you can use a mouse or tablet as you like. the first step is modelling. build a good model first. it depends what your objectives are...if you just want some nice pictures, you don't have to worry too much about the internal structure of your model. even a lot of exterior details can be created with textures and bump/normal maps. if your model is for structural purposes, then detailed modelling is everything. if i'm working on a job that needs some renders, i may use one of the many plugins ...podium, IDX, SU2POV, kerky, etc...to export the model and textures. rendering can be time-consuming, so i may start the render process on another computer. then i can carry on working on the model on the first computer. SU can run on linux i believe, but not without a bit of modification/tweaking. some of the renderers run on linux...povray, kerkythea for example. there are lots of tutorials out there, and as rclub says, lots of help on these forums good luck!

Thanks Chris

Also, in the Component browser window, you can right click on any component and select "Properties" which will pop up the same dialog as you get when creating a component. Now here you can set any gluing/cutting attribute without exploding the component first to "remake" it. Note that not every changes made here will seem to affect the components already in place so you might re-insert them into the model.

My plan is to do all mechanical modeling in SU, import it in Zbrush and subdivide it without the smooth option on, make the texture and add surface details.

Hi SFX Group, hi folks. It is called Sampling a material and is well explained on page 144 of the downloadable User Guide in PDF format. The manuals or guides for each application and each platform (PC or Mac) are listed on this page: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=36213&cbid=-us87m8efyd6u&src=cb&lev=answer Just ideas.

Not just me then, that what i couldnt find, theres not "measurements" without exploding then selecting that bar OR using the ruler (measure tool), however i have found it way quicker to just make the object again in most cases now i know i can type the figures in i need Many Thanks @pbacot said: I wish SU at least would give the dimensions of a rectangle not just the area. You need to click on a bounding line to see the length of a side. The "entity" window" could be more forthcoming with information.

U can insert any component or group inside of one component or group..

Gaieus, Tried your suggestion and had hopes that it would work, unfortunately all the toolbars came back. Oh well.... Thanks again. Brian

Hi guys -- Quick note to say problem sorted. I downloaded a simple free cad program called emachineshop. http://www.emachineshop.com/ Its well supported with video tutorials for a cad beginner like me, and is provided as a do-it-yourself design service - You design your metal object, and they then use your design to make it for you with their laser cutters, etc. The programs focus is thus pretty limited, but I was able to use it to accurately design my 2D land subdivision in a couple of hours using the survey data from the deposited plan -- the bearings and distances of each boundary. The program was able to calculate areas of each lot as well. Like Sketchup, area calc with emachineshop is not associative -- ie once the shape is finalised, its locked. You cant drag it this way and that, as you can with a line, rectangle, or circle, and watch the dimensions change as you do. Also, having put the intl bndries in to create 4 lots (sub-areas), I had to save it, reopen a copy, then erase lines til I had only one lot to measure at a time. For some reason, I had to flip it over (View/Bottom) before it would read the area. Next job is to tackle 3D and add the contour data. Maybe by then I will be ready to tackle Sketchup and dress it up with some houses and landscaping!! Thanks malakaii

There is Podium (commercial but with an Eval version with 500x500 pixel output limit). This works fine from within SU. Then there is IDX Renditioner which - similarly to Podium - works within SU, is commercial but also has a trial version with image size output limit (640x480) Finally there's LightUp which works a bit different; you "change" the whole model into a rendered one and export only afterwards (Adam, the developer may correct me on this "brief description" - I haven't used it yet though planning to try out for sure). Also commercial - with a time limit but (AFAIK) fully functional trial version.

Thank you very much. I think i got it now. Hoeg

I color everything, bricks, metal, even made the roller shutters (boarding, altered width to 100mm and made the brown much darker). Many Thanks Ashley @gaieus said: Ad far as I know, Sketchy Physics won't create scenes t5hat are needed in SU in order to export animation natively. Try some screen capture software for that - I use AutoScreenRecorder (Free version) for that and am satisfied with the results and quality so far: http://wisdom-soft.com/products/autoscreenrecorder_free.htm As for colours - I guess it's just like with other SU geometry; you can use any materials with the Paint bucket tool to change the colour. [image: 2n7z_03.jpg]

I thought that entire session was great. It was good fun to be presenting with Gaieus, Susan and Jean. All people I feel like I've known for so long. Then to be able to present with them! I think everyone did a great job presenting useful information. Thanks for watching it David, Chris No basecamp this year I guess?

Depending on what you really want to do, I believe some workarounds do exist in SU. Just too tedious.

It's "published" here: http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=19011 Still in debugging phase (say "Alpha testing" - mainly for developers to help) but you can put your hands on it to see where it's going.

I wish there was a feature to apply textures positioned or at least projected on groups and components. Unfortunately we can only do this on "raw" geometry.

If the aspects you need are the same for every model, id do it by first rotating copies of the component to the desired by angles then moving each copy to its own layer. Then by turning all the layers bar one off and making a new scene you can control the visibility of each angle using scenes. When you then go to change the subject, you only need to edit the component and your aspects are left unchanged.

i just installed and played with the sketchyphysics plug in and wow it's pretty cool, still need to get a hang of it properly but i think for what im thinking of using it for it'll really help.

@tobobo said: I can't wait for your posts in the Gallery. Thanks Toby! I'll post in the Gallery by the end of the week

Thanks again. Thats seems reasonably simple. My biggest gripe is changing dimensions after they are already there. In SW if I had one feature that had many other features dimensioned off it. It would hold those dimensions even if I moved the original feature. Ohh well guess it is something I will just have to get used to. Thanks