When is SketchUp going to become a 21 century app?

tomot · 21 Apr 2010, 22:25

Its time to get SketchUp fixed. Or brought into the 21 century. Its still a wonderful easy to use application, however not much has happened since Google bought SketchUp.

The attached file contains 124732 vertices, 248453 faces.

In DAE format its 36,138KB
In OBJ format its 45,407KB
In DXF format its 49,588KB

The free application Meshlab can open this file in 11 seconds, while
The free application Meshman can open this file in 3 seconds.
SketchUp does not come close.

Import into SU in DAE format: I quit the process after 5 minutes, since the progress bar was still at Zero.

Import into SU in OBJ format: still NOT possible although its one of the most recognized formats around. Even valiant efforts By TIG have not been able to produce a reliable importer.

Import into SU in DXF format: took 40 seconds.

Using the above applications as a guide rotating and zooming are fast, and somewhat sluggish in SU.
Now too see how really Suggish SU can get:

Try moving the entire object. Good Luck! I would suggest have some lunch first, then come back.
Try rotating the entire object 90 degrees. Good Luck! have the rest of your lunch, and come back.
Try grouping the object. Good Luck! have afternoon Tea, and come back.

All of this has nothing to do with graphic card performance.
My system: quad cpu, 4gb ram, Nvidia 8800GT

I don't seem to be able to attach the original file in RAR format here, but if you want to give this file a try on your system.....email me!

thomthom · 21 Apr 2010, 22:28

@tomot said:

Try grouping the object. Good Luck! have afternoon Tea, and come back.

After your tea break - try exploding it.

tomot · 21 Apr 2010, 23:34

@thomthom said:

After your tea break - try exploding it.

Ohh no!....you had to mention exploding? It will be Dinner time by then.
(luckily DXF comes in exploded, problem is the screen goes grey as soon as you try to do anything with the mesh, all you see is small green rotating circle, for a very, very long time.)

solo · 22 Apr 2010, 00:26

Because creating a box shape and adding a photo texture for use in Google earth is all they really need it to do maybe?

I agree SU has no balls, it's only good for small models that need to be exported and compiled in a 3rd party app.

remus · 22 Apr 2010, 07:06

Although i agree that SU could do with begin better at handling larger meshes (especially importing and grouping) i think comparing SU and meshlab is misleading given that meshlab is specifically designed for handling large triangulated meshes.

From the meshlab site:

@unknownuser said:

The system is aimed to help the processing of the typical not-so-small unstructured models arising in 3D scanning, providing a set of tools for editing, cleaning, healing, inspecting, rendering and converting this kind of meshes.

tomot · 22 Apr 2010, 22:47

Thanks for adding your comments:
I think none of these programs are specifically designed. They are all using common available code, that describes and displays triangulated vector information. I use another which is even faster:
http://www.glc-player.net/ its simple and quickly read 3d file formats.

Most of the code, if your a programmer, is freely available. Its simply a matter of getting of the couch and making SketchUp more powerful. (my non-programming perspective )
http://www.dgp.toronto.edu/~rms/links.html

I would hate to think that Google has taken such a narrow path as**"adding texture to boxes"**, I know a dozen Designers that would like SketchUp to become their primary design and working drawing application. I don't think the current young guns at Google understand the passion that was behind SketchUp's creation, nor do they know how to take it forward.

thomthom · 23 Apr 2010, 05:28

@tomot said:

Most of the code, if your a programmer, is freely available. Its simply a matter of getting of the couch and making SketchUp more powerful

Adding fast code is a "simply" matter.

Pixero · 12 Jun 2010, 06:47

I'm having a very hard time believing they work full time on developing SketchUp.
These last years have shown a huge amount of fantastic addons for SketchUp but what have the development team come up with?
Dynamic components, Styles and Layout.
I hardly ever use either one of them. Sure they have fixed some bugs and speeded up SU a bit, but come on...not even the shadow bug is fixed after soo many years. Thats laughable in a "Pro" app. JUST DO IT!
If it wasn't for the community's plugin development I would have stopped using SU a long time ago.
If the next version won't deliver what we all been asking for, SketchUp will slowly die as a professional tool I'm afraid.

SketchUp developers, prove me wrong!!

Mike Lucey · 12 Jun 2010, 09:10

Good topic Tomot. These days I do much less SketchUp work and the bit I do normally involves just small models. However I do appreciate the frustrations being expressed.

Pixero (Jan) mentioned that the current GSU developers have only come up with Dynamic components, Styles and Layout over the past couple of years. I think there have been more improvement / additions but again not as much as one would expect from a company owned by Google.

On the other hand, I am a realist and think I can see a reason why SketchUp is in its present state. Quite simply its doing the job that that it was purchased to do and we all know what that is. BTW, I have no problem with this.

I notice that Google buy up also develop a load of applications, some do well and some die and most are free as in the case of GSU, which I would add did bring 3D to everyone! SketchUp would by now have been dead in the water if it were not for the army of Ruby Scripters that love the program and are willing to continuously develop brilliant rubies. I use the word 'love' in its true sense, that being a caring attitude for its wellbeing.

These scripters are clearly not doing it for the money. Many do this work freely and I imagine will continue to do this . Its amazing what we will do when the wellbeing of something we care about is involved!

I wonder if its about time Google SketchUp woke up and examined what is right under their nose! I am suggesting that Google should contract many of the king pins of the Scripting Community in a serious manner. I imagine the budget would not have to be huge because, as said they do actually 'love' the program and would not break the bank!

It has been suggested that the current SU development team is a much depleted one in comparison to the old @Last team. I don't think this is the case. Its passion that is missing. This often happens when a small personal company is taken over. You can buy the company but not always the passion! I know that many of that team are still there but now have new masters and obviously a new agenda.

Would it not make sense for Google SketchUp to employ / sub-contract some of the passionate bright lights in the SketchUp Community to get SketchUp development back on track and possibly change the slogan, '3D for Everyone' to '3D as it should be'.

Mike

Pixero · 12 Jun 2010, 09:49

@mike lucey said:

Would it not make sense for Google SketchUp to employ / sub-contract some of the passionate bright lights in the SketchUp Community to get SketchUp development back on track and possibly change the slogan, '3D for Everyone' to '3D as it should be'.

Or, that they concentrated on the core, getting it up to date, and opened SU up even further so the community could develop all these features that we want but cannot do currently. Like better UV tools, animation enhancements, and dare I say, fixing the shadow bug. (Yes, I know its a legal matter but I've never seen any other Open GL application with this bug so there must be ways of getting around this?)