Shortcomings of SU 6 I hope are solved in SU 7

kwistenbiebel

Funny...being an architect myself, I don't seem to share the same needs you have (except maybe nr. 2).
My wishes would be much more oriented to having a more stable and speedy Sketchup core.

I very often import .DXF or .DWG (which I export from Vectorworks), but I haven't really experienced trouble with that, as long as I explode them before import in SU.

Exporting 3D to a 2D .dwg is something I have no need for, as I like to keep my 2D drafting seperate from 3D.
Sketchup is not accurate enough I think to be converting it and using it as 2D plan material.

I am sure some of the features you want can be useful, but I think SU has more urgent things to adress (= performance on big models).

plot-paris

Fletch, I completely agree with you. most of these points would mean a great enhancement for SktetchUp.

especially number 5 would come in handy. I imagine having a file (with an icon close to the SU.exe) that you hid instead of the SketchUp executable to open the software. you can start this from a usb-stick.
this personalized SketchUp start up file loads all your prefered toolbars/shortcuts but doesn't overwrite the ones that are saved on this computer

but I also agree with you, kwistenbiebel, that a much more capable version (high polycount, multicore support...) is the most important thing for SU7.

and of course advanced control over SU for the ruby scripters

Fletch

high polycount, multicore support... these have been mentioned a thousand times my friends... nothing new here guys... I have no fear that Google has heard our request there. ...and I requested them a looooooooong time ago as well.

just because your workflow may be different from another's workflow, doesn't mean they are not useful requests. obviously you do not rely as heavily on straight sketchup as I do, KB. ... and wouldn't my request number 3 give you a more speedy SU?
@unknownuser said:

Architects need an advanced Xref capability of models.

I do tons of animation and live walk-thrus with SU... and in fact modeling in real-time with the client next to me these days... or in a room full of clients... so my requests are very real and useful for architects

I also don't tend to hit the poly wall a lot of users such as yourself hit... because I have learned of SU's quirks and taught myself to work around them carefully. not that I don't wish/hope for more power all the time, but it's not such a thorn in my side.

But when the client wants me to rotate the building (or flip it 180 degrees on the site), or worse - I get some guy's model and I need to rotate it around, and I can't because I'll lose the 30 cams (Scenes) already set up... now THAT'S a time killer I could do without.

Mr S

Hi,

Slightly off topic, but I just took a look at your "Small Gallery" link.
Those are very nice images.
Do you only use Kerkythea for rendering in SketchUp?
Do you import SketchUp models in to Viz and use Mentalray to render or do you model from scratch within Viz?

I agree with all the suggestions you have made for improving SketchUp.
I also like many of the other suggestions made by other posters.
However, I have a feeling that Version 7.0 of SketchUp will turn out to be a bit like Vista. Some nice graphical enhancements, a few extra tools added, a few bugs eliminated and a few new ones added.
But no "Wow" factors that will really a big difference from previous versions.

Regards
Mr S.

=========

plot-paris

one easy way to be able to move the camera positions alongside with the model would be a checkbox in the scene window
"show cameras".

if enabled, all the scene views in the model are represented by small camera-models, which you can select and check all the details in the entity info window (like, focal length, position, orientation...)

that would not only be useful for architects (in terms of moving a model with all the views) but as well for cinematographers to check their camera settings in every scene!

plot-paris

never used it either. interesting thing to investigate in a free minute. if you really can move the cameras with the geometry (thus changing the scene vies as well), it will be something worth considering to take in my every day's work...

kwistenbiebel

@fletch said:

high polycount, multicore support... these have been mentioned a thousand times my friends... nothing new here guys... I have no fear that Google has heard our request there. ...and I requested them a looooooooong time ago as well.

You're absolutely right.
So you're thinking another step ahead and indeed , anything that speeds up workflow towards animation and walkthrough control is welcomed.

@Plot Paris, I don't use it , but isn't the 'film&stage' plugin capable of showing cameras in your viewport?

Tobobo

Not to stick my head too far above the parapet but there is an xref ruby knocking around, haven't used it that much. I might provide a temp solution?

But I do agree with all of it even though i might not come into contact with them

plot-paris

I think what Fletch is after, is a reference tool that only refers to external files, but does not include them into the SketchUp file (like the xref ruby does).
thus you can save a lot of disk space.

Fletch

yes Toby, I use the xref ruby... but it does add the file.
plus, if you're on a machine without the ruby ... then... oops! you're stuck!
so it needs to be 'part' of the operation of the program.

I think you can show cams... haven't used that tool... but if you move them, does the scene update with it?
will have to investigate.

thanks for understanding, KB

I'm trying to figure out who's 'tougher' the guy in Jakob's avatar... or the guy in mine.

plot-paris

@fletch said:

I'm trying to figure out who's 'tougher' the guy in Jakob's avatar... or the guy in mine.

obviously the one in yours - has a much more determined look.
will change mine soon though (after frieday, where I am going to watch "The Dark Knight" )