Reviews of SU 8?

[Viztecture]

time is money

[brodie]

@unknownuser said:

@viztecture said:

The reason im sticking with 7.1 is lazyness really, its not worth the effort of transfering my rubys and render engines across

that takes about 16 seconds really.

haha, I'm kinda in the same place really. Only the Pro version works with my renderer (Maxwell) so I'd have to upgrade which would consist of my making a phone call and having them spend the $99, but I just can't find one mediocre reason to make the call.

-Brodie

[CalypsoArt]

@unknownuser said:

@viztecture said:

The reason im sticking with 7.1 is lazyness really, its not worth the effort of transfering my rubys and render engines across

that takes about 16 seconds really.

Then that is really a statement about V8. If 16 seconds is to much effort for the benefits of V8, then Viztecture may see the benefits as negligible.

[fuzzion]

10 Questions regarding version 8 if any can answer -

1. Does it work with vray 1.5 and/or the newest vray version?
2. Does it work flawlessly with productivity enhancing plugins like Smustard SDS, fredo’s scale, extrusion tool, tgi amorph, etc…
3. Can you import .obj files
4. Do your hot bars disappear like su7 ?
5. Does it allow for smoother Frame rates when high poly scenes are loaded, or is it still welcome to the “Sketchup slide-show” ?
6. Is the UI improved?
7. Are complex plugin calculations like SDS faster on SU8 than on SU7.1?
8. Is Smusartd’s Booltool better than the SU8 sort ?
9. Does SU8 have the function to make rendered drawings look like patent drawings that mimic accepting drawing standards of the USPTO ? i.e, ability to assign individual line thickness through SU render engine.
10. What are the chances that a ver 8.1 comes out in the next 12 months?

[thomthom]

@fuzzion said:

1. Does it work with vray 1.5 and/or the newest vray version?
   Yes and No. 1.48 isn't working well under OSX. But it does under Windows.

@fuzzion said:

2. Does it work flawlessly with productivity enhancing plugins like Smustard SDS, fredo’s scale, extrusion tool, tgi amorph, etc…

There was an update to the Ruby engine in SU8 - but most plugins worked. The few that didn't has pretty much all been updated by now.

@fuzzion said:

3. Can you import .obj files

With any of the OBJ importer plugins which you always had yes. But not as a native import option.

@fuzzion said:

4. Do your hot bars disappear like su7 ?

"hot bars"?

@fuzzion said:

5. Does it allow for smoother Frame rates when high poly scenes are loaded, or is it still welcome to the “Sketchup slide-show” ?

Haven't tested any numbers... but since 7.1 SketchUp has allowed me to work with models up to 1 million faces...
(are you talking about animation - transition between scenes?)

@fuzzion said:

6. Is the UI improved?

No real change. There was the Save/Restore toolbars feature that was added - but not working 100%.

@fuzzion said:

7. Are complex plugin calculations like SDS faster on SU8 than on SU7.1?

hmm... good question. Haven't run any performance tests, but it's possible the new ruby core provided some speed increase. I imagine I remember someone talking about this. (but don't expect times to drop by ten or hundreds or anything like that...)

@fuzzion said:

8. Is Smusartd’s Booltool better than the SU8 sort ?

Dunno - never tried it myself.

@fuzzion said:

i.e, ability to assign individual line thickness through SU render engine.

No

@fuzzion said:

10. What are the chances that a ver 8.1 comes out in the next 12 months?

If you look at the previous .1 releases - quite probable. Though this is something only Google can tell - and they never announce anything until it's released.

[thomthom]

@thomthom said:

@fuzzion said:

10. What are the chances that a ver 8.1 comes out in the next 12 months?

If you look at the previous .1 releases - quite probable. Though this is something only Google can tell - and they never announce anything until it's released.

At least maintenance releases - not sure how they define .1 releases...

[Gaieus]

Maintenance releases are generally not numbered with the .1 way but of course, who knows...

[thomthom]

looking at the release dates for SU7...
7.0 - November 17, 2008 - http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2008/11/drum-roll-please-introducing-sketchup-7.html
7.1 - September 22, 2009 - http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2009/09/sketchup-71-is-here.html

But in addition to these there was service releases.

No sure how the pattern is from SU6 ...

[fuzzion]

@thomthom said:

@fuzzion said:

1. Does it work with vray 1.5 and/or the newest vray version?
   Yes and No. 1.48 isn't working well under OSX. But it does under Windows.

--> So both new and old Vray works with SU8 for windows.

@fuzzion said:

2. Does it work flawlessly with productivity enhancing plugins like Smustard SDS, fredo’s scale, extrusion tool, tgi amorph, etc…

There was an update to the Ruby engine in SU8 - but most plugins worked. The few that didn't has pretty much all been updated by now.

--> Sweet

@fuzzion said:

3. Can you import .obj files

With any of the OBJ importer plugins which you always had yes. But not as a native import option.

--> So nothing has changed

@fuzzion said:

4. Do your hot bars disappear like su7 ?

"hot bars"?

--> I meant toolbards. I think your answer in question 6 answered this with the new save and restore feature.

@fuzzion said:

5. Does it allow for smoother Frame rates when high poly scenes are loaded, or is it still welcome to the “Sketchup slide-show” ?

Haven't tested any numbers... but since 7.1 SketchUp has allowed me to work with models up to 1 million faces...
(are you talking about animation - transition between scenes?)

---> So SU8 did not increase this aspect of its program.

@fuzzion said:

6. Is the UI improved?

No real change. There was the Save/Restore toolbars feature that was added - but not working 100%.

---> Sweet

@fuzzion said:

7. Are complex plugin calculations like SDS faster on SU8 than on SU7.1?

hmm... good question. Haven't run any performance tests, but it's possible the new ruby core provided some speed increase. I imagine I remember someone talking about this. (but don't expect times to drop by ten or hundreds or anything like that...)

----> So no major upgrades.

@fuzzion said:

8. Is Smusartd’s Booltool better than the SU8 sort ?

Dunno - never tried it myself.

--> ANyone ????

@fuzzion said:

i.e, ability to assign individual line thickness through SU render engine.

No

--->

P.s. Is there a program that allows SU models to output like USPTO accepted patent drawings? That would be radical!

@fuzzion said:

10. What are the chances that a ver 8.1 comes out in the next 12 months?

If you look at the previous .1 releases - quite probable. Though this is something only Google can tell - and they never announce anything until it's released.

-->I wonder if we will see a real performance bump in SU8.1 ,just like what 7.1 did over 7.0 or maybe this is a pipe dream.....

[thomthom]

Are you having problems with the OBJ importer plugins?
Why is it so important for you that it's native?

[brodie]

Not that it was directed towards me, but I've pretty much given up on getting anything textured from 3ds Max into SU. OBJ seems to be my only hope but anything reasonably complicated (which it always is in my case) seems to fail. Don't have the specifics at the moment but as I recall between the 2 different importers I have it will either bring the object in without textures or else when I select the object to import it won't do anything (no import, no thinking, just lets me go on using SU as if nothing happened.

-Brodie

[jason_maranto]

Solid Tools seem to be faster and less prone to error than the Smustard Bool Tools plugin... I have Bool Tools but didn't bother loading them for V.8 because Solid Tools seems superior.

It is worth noting that they added the bool functions to the Ruby API and that is being used by the free OSCoolean http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=14773 Plugin.

I have no idea if there is a performance hit going through the Ruby API versus the Solid Tools.

Best,
Jason.

[jbacus]

@unknownuser said:

Not that it was directed towards me, but I've pretty much given up on getting anything textured from 3ds Max into SU.

Have you tried COLLADA? Specifically, the ColladaMax plugin for 3ds Max to generate a .dae file from Max followed by a .dae import in SketchUp? I think COLLADA offers the best long-term hope for clean 3D asset exchange.

john
.

[dacad]

Hi John

I don't really think the problem lies in COLLADA format being good or not, I honestly think it's a pretty good format, and I was one of the users, that really support that idea when it came out:

"There's a good side and a bad side in this. The good is that first Google is talking to us!! i still can't believe it but it seems true. And other good thing is a promised better collada export, and many may see these not worthing much but, believe me, this will be great in the future. An open format that anyone can use, that right now just needs a good vehicle to spread fast, and sketchup it's perfect for that."
(you can read the full post here: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=21492&p=182910#p182910 )

The problem is can you really say COLLADA is a more standard (or mature and proven) exchange format that OBJ today? serious? I would be lying if i said yes.

And it's not really productive to use other software to convert to other file format so that it can open in the original software we wanted in the first place (or having to pay and update all the software we have at the same time because the new version now has collada and now it can "play" better with SK)

Now I believe that in the future (if all goes well) collada will be the perfect global 3d exchange format, it has everything to triumph and probably other formats won't be needed in the future...but what if I need it now? And if it's need it now you can imagine how much worst was in the past (God knows that several of us (I'm one) could really used it...)

just my 2 cents on this matter

[brodie]

@jbacus said:

@unknownuser said:

Not that it was directed towards me, but I've pretty much given up on getting anything textured from 3ds Max into SU.

Have you tried COLLADA? Specifically, the ColladaMax plugin for 3ds Max to generate a .dae file from Max followed by a .dae import in SketchUp? I think COLLADA offers the best long-term hope for clean 3D asset exchange.

john
.

Well, I've tried the Autodesk Collada (.DAE) export from 3ds max but that didn't work. I'm not too hip or the differences between formats, but that is going to be exasperated if now I don't just have to worry about the format type but also who's modifying it (ugh).

I'd love to try out that plugin, but I can't figure out your link. There's a big DOWNLOAD button on the right side, but that doesn't download the plugin. Instead it links you to the homepage of (presumably) the creater of the plugin you're referring to. That page also doesn't have the download, but it does have another link that says Collada (at this point my heart goes pitter patter). Following that path brings me to another page with no download link but amongst the text I see "ColladaMax" under the heading Collada Premium Tools so I follow that rabbit trail. Finally I'm greeted with some info that sounds like what I need it's a plugin that works with 3ds Max 2011 32 or 64 bit, blah blah blah, another link. And boom finally I'm there! At the page that says,

"Contact Feeling Software directly (info@feelingsoftware.com ) for pricing information. Please include the estimated number of users (including artists and developers) in your e-mail."

So not only do you have to pay for the plugin, but they don't even give you a price? Is this really what you're recommending John or did I somehow end up in the wrong spot?

I'm sure in your decision to adopt Collada, you considered the connection between SketchUp and 3ds Max. However, I think the ball has been dropped somewhere and the connection isn't working so great (i'm fairly tech savvy and quite adept with SU and can google search with the best of 'em). 3ds Max 2011 is now able to import a .SKP file like magic with components and textures in tact and it just works. If you could help me figure out some sort of path from 3ds Max to SU it would help my workflow quite a bit.

-Brodie

[Pixero]

@unknownuser said:

If you could help me figure out some sort of path from 3ds Max to SU it would help my workflow quite a bit.

One, working but rather expensive solution, is Right Hemispheres Deep Exploration that can import and export both max and skp files and more.

[jbacus]

Maybe you'll like this link better. I don't use either Max or Maya very much, so I can't vouch for the quality of these plugins. But they do seem to do what you want.

john
.

[brodie]

Had promise, but no-go. It won't install unless I have 3ds Max 2010 or before installed - guess it doesn't work with 2011. I emailed them, so we'll see.

John, do you see this as being more of a 3ds Max issue or a SketchUp issue? I don't know much about the specifics of importers and exporters but it seems like importing a .3ds (for example) object into SU should preserve components/instances and textures. It's been awhile since I've tested it (maybe it's less of an issue on simple geometry), but I know I've had issues with both of those things before and it really hurts workflow. I could actually probably fit a 3d tree from Dosch Design into SU but it's not good because it comes in without the components or textures in-tact.

-brodie

[brodie]

It looks like that plugin works pretty well, albeit with some caveats. Certain types of materials will export as colors rather than exporting with textures intact. I ran a plugin to convert all the materials in the scene to Standard materials and when I imported it into SU, the materials and mapping all looks to be in tact. The only other downside was that the import takes quite awhile. I didn't time it but I'd guess for a 6mb .dae file which consisted of 1 chair of decent to good quality took about 10 minutes or so to import (the fast majority of that time consisted of an empty progress bar showing no progress for some reason). It also doesn't import with components/instances in tact, but that may be a plugin or .DAE limitation rather than something specific to SU's importer.

-Brodie

[jbacus]

@unknownuser said:

It looks like that plugin works pretty well, albeit with some caveats.

As I've said before, converting models from one native 3D model format to another is kind of like performing a machine translation from one language to another. Sometimes it works well (for example, translating from spanish to french). Sometimes it works less well (for example, translating chinese to hungarian) Think of COLLADA as your "esperanto", with all the possibilities and limitations that that implies.

john
.