SketchUP 8

tfdesign · 9 Sept 2010, 15:59

I must say that I am still experiencing serious errors in part and layer management, which I would very much like to cleared up at some point please.

jbacus · 9 Sept 2010, 16:53

@pitrak said:

Is there a roadmap for Back Edges mr. Bacus?

As a matter of policy (both Google's and before that @Last's), we won't comment on unreleased features or future directions for the product in any but the broadest possible terms. I recognize how much you'd like to know what's coming next, but we need to preserve a quiet space in which the team is free to experiment with projects that may not work out. Software development is more like painting than manufacturing, and you're better off in the end if we're free to be creative.

john
.

bmike · 9 Sept 2010, 17:11

@aerilius said:

@bmike said:

questionable implementation

I think you meant:

@pitrak said:

For me it's not so much about the lack of new functions (we have rubies for that), but about the poor implementation. Dynamic Components in 7 - great idea, questionable implementation - and now back edges in 8.

Aerilius · 9 Sept 2010, 17:24

Sorry, I promiss, I quoted from pitrak and didn't edit the quote. I have no clue how that happened
Now I corrected it, hope that's fine

bmike · 9 Sept 2010, 17:43

@aerilius said:

Sorry, I promiss, I quoted from pitrak and didn't edit the quote. I have no clue how that happened
Now I corrected it, hope that's fine

No worries!

pitrak · 9 Sept 2010, 18:45

@jbacus said:

As a matter of policy (both Google's and before that @Last's), we won't comment on unreleased features or future directions for the product in any but the broadest possible terms. I recognize how much you'd like to know what's coming next, but we need to preserve a quiet space in which the team is free to experiment with projects that may not work out. Software development is more like painting than manufacturing, and you're better off in the end if we're free to be creative.

john
.

Thanks for your answer. Exactly what I'ld like to do: paint and be more creative. Still haven't got a clue why Back Edges were not implemented in depth, but now at least I know why I don't know.

pitrak · 9 Sept 2010, 18:59

@aerilius said:

@pitrak said:

questionable implementation

SketchUp has already very flexible tools (-> modifier keys) that allow a basic interface with only very few but powerful toolbar buttons. Similar to your request, there are ideas to "complete" or polish existing tools so that they have less limits:

I was only referring to DC and now Back edges. I agree that the other tools are simple, flexible and powerful. But there is indeed a lot of room for improvement.

Personally I am a big fan of MoI3D, I just use it for different purposes than Sketchup. Developed by one single, brilliant guy, who gives amazing user feedback and constantly works to get the program better. Big advantage for him is his users are mainly pros and give very meaningful suggestions.
If you talk about simple buttons with a lot of power, for me MoI beats Sketchup. You can trim a line with a solid, operations are dependent on your viewport, infinite construction lines can be drawn while you're inside your command, it all works flawlessly and powerfully with very simple functions. If you're a newbie, you'll get up to speed fast enough. If you know all the tricks and hidden shortcuts and functions, you have lots of control and drawing power.

But MoI is 'just' a nurbs modeler, and for some tasks I like to model with textures applied. What I want to say: we all know what sketchup is good at, but we also know that it could be improved upon without giving up on simplicity.

I'll get back to my model now.. Just have to push the right buttons and she does everything I want!

frv · 10 Sept 2010, 12:05

I just read that Sketchup is still bigger than Revit, right behind 3ds Max.
http://www.cgarchitect.com/news/Reviews/Review070_1.asp

Looking at these numbers I understand the disappointment about were Sketchip is going according to Google's stated strategy. Obviously a large portion of SU's userbase would love to stay on board a winning ship. One wonders truly how a more dedicated CAD company would have handled such succes in the business. A good chance SU would become the industry standard in architectural modeling. Many feel here that SU needs another, younger and more enthousiastic captain more like the original one to command the current SU team.

But at the moment SU is still a great tool and SU8 is even better. But looking at SU8, SU will slowly drop down the list knowing that it could have been moving up.
Francois

bjanzen · 10 Sept 2010, 16:58

Aerilius - unsuccessful for you does not mean unsuccessful for everyone, and whom did I offend?

b

Aerilius · 10 Sept 2010, 17:10

@pitrak said:

questionable implementation

SketchUp has already very flexible tools (-> modifier keys) that allow a basic interface with only very few but powerful toolbar buttons. Similar to your request, there are ideas to "complete" or polish existing tools so that they have less limits:
scale: orientation of scaling box
pushpull: why can't I use it on curved surfaces (would a new user ask)
polygon: orientation of edge-mid-point in mouse direction
consistent line style options (back edges in all styles available)

I fear that improvements in the old tools could hold the SketchUp team off from concentrating at the same time on the most needed new features (and the requests list is this time long). Me and many others would probably like both.

JuanV.Soler · 12 Sept 2010, 10:30

**%(#000060)[I have just downloaded the 8th version, wich by the way it is not noticed that there is this upgrade when I ve runned the 7.1 version that i have.
LAYOUT 3 vanissh...s when it is openned telling that i have 4..whatever minutes left in the trial.
I just can not test it ¡¡¡

maybe it is my computer and so on...
but I ask you people here, does it occurs to you ?
thanks]**

JuanV.Soler · 12 Sept 2010, 10:42

@unknownuser said:

**]. But looking at SU8, SU will slowly drop down the list knowing that it could have been moving up.
Francois

%(#000080)[we have been saying this for a long time now...
I thought that as far as LAYOUT was growing stable and more stable and improving a lot it was a guarantee.
But now, if it is confirmed that I can not test it before I buy it,
well ............................................there is no hope i would think.]

JuanV.Soler · 12 Sept 2010, 14:13

**%(#000040)[Ok,
solved
just seen the known issues

sorry for my enter
but it would be good to give this information directly somewhere
thank_you]**

jamalito · 12 Sept 2010, 14:32

thnx to this Post
I wish they fixed problem what we watched on old versions

SpookyChick1013 · 12 Sept 2010, 23:32

@jbacus said:

@pitrak said:

Is there a roadmap for Back Edges mr. Bacus?

As a matter of policy (both Google's and before that @Last's), we won't comment on unreleased features or future directions for the product in any but the broadest possible terms. I recognize how much you'd like to know what's coming next, butwe need to preserve a quiet space in which the team is free to experiment with projects that may not work out. Software development is more like painting than manufacturing, and you're better off in the end if we're free to be creative.

john
.

John, Whatever else I may have said, I do want to say thank you for the link to this article. Being the daughter of someone who considers himself a "computer SCIENTIST" (his emphasis, not mine,) I had never actually thought about software development in this way. Having studied painting though, I can see where the analogy may be true. Thank you for lending a valuable perspective on this. Also, I do very much understand the need for a peaceful creative space for developers to experiment in.
While we may disagree on some points and likely never agree on the direction SketchUp is moving, or the SU8 release, I think I understand now a bit more of the dynamics involved for the dev team.
If I ever actually begin making money off of my CGR efforts with SU, I actually will go Pro. Until then, well, the price tag is out of my league, which is a crying shame, because I would like to be able to support the dev team and keep them in cheese sandwiches.

Oh, the reason I keep using SU, in spite of the PolyLimitation, and sometimes annoying flaws? It is still simply the best freeware modelling program available for my working style and workflow needs, which is invaluable for those of us who are trying to learn CGRengering and want to someday be as good as some of the heavyweights like Solo.

Cathryn

Glenn at home · 13 Sept 2010, 12:50

I wonder this myself at times. While I still like SU and I am glad to have it I think that it might have been better 1st if @Last would have not "sold out" to Google or might have partnered with another company that understands 3D and design. I am sure that if AutoDesk would have bought them we would not have seen the free version of SU but on the plus side development might have taken off a bit more or maybe more refined, maybe.

@frv said:

I just read that Sketchup is still bigger than Revit, right behind 3ds Max.
http://www.cgarchitect.com/news/Reviews/Review070_1.asp

Looking at these numbers I understand the disappointment about were Sketchip is going according to Google's stated strategy. Obviously a large portion of SU's userbase would love to stay on board a winning ship. One wonders truly how a more dedicated CAD company would have handled such succes in the business. A good chance SU would become the industry standard in architectural modeling. Many feel here that SU needs another, younger and more enthousiastic captain more like the original one to command the current SU team.

But at the moment SU is still a great tool and SU8 is even better. But looking at SU8, SU will slowly drop down the list knowing that it could have been moving up.
Francois

thomthom · 13 Sept 2010, 12:59

@unknownuser said:

I am sure that if AutoDesk would have bought them we would not have seen the free version of SU but on the plus side development might have taken off a bit more or maybe more refined, maybe.

I don't think AutoDesk would have been any good for SU. Of all the apps that cause the most grief here at the office, they all comes from AutoDesk.

sorgesu · 13 Sept 2010, 13:19

You CAN get vector DWG exported from Layout. It is a setting option. You need to change your Layout Image to vector first.

Take a look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWCve65JJhI&feature=player_embedded - Drafting in LayOut

Glenn at home · 13 Sept 2010, 14:46

I hear that a bit but honestly I have no issues with it. I open it up do my work and turn it off when I am finished. About the only time I see issues are when users don't have the correct hardware or if they just don't know what they are doing. Been using it for 15 years and there have been a release or 2 that had issues but they were some time ago.
To each their own I guess

@thomthom said:

@unknownuser said:

I am sure that if AutoDesk would have bought them we would not have seen the free version of SU but on the plus side development might have taken off a bit more or maybe more refined, maybe.

I don't think AutoDesk would have been any good for SU. Of all the apps that cause the most grief here at the office, they all comes from AutoDesk.

genma saotome · 14 Sept 2010, 19:36

With each release I'm always surprised and disappointed that some basic improvements to texture manipulation are not included... small things like letting me create a shortcut for rotate texture 90d or adding a preference that lets me choose texture by texture the default location of the "red pin" -- is it going to be the center of the poly or at a vertex over on the lower left corner? Depending on the material it's always one or the other and right now it's a PITA when it's always some corner vertex.

How about letting me pick a color for all endpoints -- just the endpoints -- as black on anything really dark is almost impossible to see... or the colors of lines within a component. Show line color for "this" axis only would be useful too. Those are just object attributes, not rocket science.

How about select by material when a material has not yet been assigned? Can't be too hard to do....

Last two, probably a bit more difficult :

let me select a bunch of faces and when applying a texture, let me choose whether I want the texture applied individually to each face as-if I was doing them one by one (the way it's done now,everything is relative to the face) OR as a collective set where the red pin for each face has identical xyz values (i.e., where there is one absolute point for the set and all faces have their texture start from there).
Think stone arch bridge: Texturing multiple faces that follow the vertical faces above an arch is quite painful so how about a texture follow-me?

SketchUP 8

"...exaggerate the essential and leave the obvious unclear." --Vincent Van Gogh