SketchUp 2014 Wishlist

Anton_S · 6 Aug 2013, 05:31

It would be nice to have entity.path function that will return an array of parent entities.
Ex:

<span class="syntaxdefault">model </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> Sketchup</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">active_model<br />ents </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> model</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">entities<br />ents</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">2</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">path<br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment"># -> [#<Sketchup;;Group;0xc69a4f4>] # returns path containing parent groups/components<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">ents</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">path<br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment"># -> [] # return empty array, since ents[0] is top entity<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">ents</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">[</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">2</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">][</span><span class="syntaxdefault">0</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">].</span><span class="syntaxdefault">path<br /></span><span class="syntaxcomment"># -> [#<Sketchup;;Group;0xc69a4f4>, #<Sketchup;;Group;0xc6428a8>] # returns path containing parent groups/components       &nbsp;</span><span class="syntaxdefault"></span>

This follows from this topic: Finding deepest entity in pick path

tt_su · 8 Aug 2013, 02:12

@anton_s said:

It would be nice to have entity.path function that will return an array of parent entities.

This isn't doable because an entity, say a face, might appear multiple times in a model due to components. When you have a reference to an entity you must keep track of the path from where you picked it yourself.

There is model.active_path that will give you the path of the active context if you obtained the reference for the entity there. And the PickHelper will also return a path for each possible pick solutions.

Anton_S · 16 Aug 2013, 16:50

Ok then, what about that?

Add view.active_entities - that will return a list of entities visible in the view
Add a clear button to the standard ruby console. I don't like how developers console and ruby console+ adds extra spaces, or removes the "\n" from text, which ruins the reports.

DOD3R · 17 Aug 2013, 12:19

i would like to control the visibility of layers of sketch-up model in layout

jeff hammond · 17 Aug 2013, 17:49

shift key, when used with something like the move or line tool, can lock to any vector as opposed to x,y,z only

kaliphegtu · 18 Aug 2013, 07:08

why not replace photo match by video match !!
Ex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vda2RAEuW_g

jo-ke · 18 Aug 2013, 20:03

Wow, nice!

Anton_S · 21 Aug 2013, 00:00

I little improvement to the UI::Toolbar would be great:

<span class="syntaxdefault">unless file_loaded</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">?(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">__FILE__</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  toolbar </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Toolbar</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">new </span><span class="syntaxstring">"Test"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">;;</span><span class="syntaxdefault">Command</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.new(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Test"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">{</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> UI</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">messagebox</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxstring">"Hello World"</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">}<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">menu_text </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"My Command"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">small_icon </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"pause small.png"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">large_icon </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"pause large.png"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># Changing icons after calling add_item will not work<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  toolbar </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> toolbar</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">add_item cmd<br />  toolbar</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">show<br />  </span><span class="syntaxcomment"># So this won't modify the icon<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">small_icon </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"play small.png"<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  cmd</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">.</span><span class="syntaxdefault">large_icon </span><span class="syntaxkeyword">=</span><span class="syntaxdefault"> </span><span class="syntaxstring">"play large.png"<br /><br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">  file_loaded</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">(</span><span class="syntaxdefault">__FILE__</span><span class="syntaxkeyword">)<br /></span><span class="syntaxdefault">end</span>

This follows a very old post: Changing Command Icons of the Toolbar

Anton_S · 7 Sept 2013, 02:35

Yesrterday, I actually went to see my temp folder and found there is a lot of "SketchUpUndo..." files. Would it be nice if they be automatically deleted?

Or will it be even better if the user was able to undo operations that were done in the previous saves
Example:

User draws a rectangle, and then push-pulls the face.
Saves the model
Closes SU
Launches the model once again
Presses Ctrl-Z and undoes the pushpull operation
Let the user undo operations even after restarting SU...
Just an idea

supkava · 7 Sept 2013, 09:54

what's really needed:

line-styles, line-colors and line-weights
workplanes for dimensioning (now it's somewhere in space speaking about dimensioning a layout/plans/sections) and annotations (text without leader in certain workplane)
hatches of cutted components coresponding material types
improved relation with LO: now to print SU model in LO make no sence - terible quality, or vector rendering option shall be reconsidered (probably this is an improvement for LO)

caronte01 · 10 Sept 2013, 03:51

Solid sections when cutting solid elements!!!! (with an option to assign a material to the cut face

In layout, components, and better dwg export (with sketchup layers)

masterpaul · 24 Sept 2013, 04:52

1) Real 64 bit support
2) A native search-box(searches all plugins, and options). Basically launchup but located permantly in the same bar as plugin,help etc, as to not obstruct the work-space

3) Surprise me with something really new

John Sayers · 7 Oct 2013, 12:00

Thankyou Trimbale for fixing the construction lines colour problem when axes were switched on and off and thankyou for the engine changes I assume you've made.

Here's my list

Return the two column option for the large toolset - it fits on laptops left column. Not everyone is using large screens.
Get rid of scrolling on Layer select drop down.
Return all dropdowns (Scenes, Layers etc) to original size so they tuck up to top of screen - why someone would want to make them bigger has me baffled.
Windows version to have ability to have multiple projects open at once as the Mac version does.
cancelled.
Somewhere down the line Google screwed the zoom in. Now construction lines also disappear if you zoom in too far. This never happened in earlier versions.
Someone at Google changed it so you had to click a surface to push/pull it! it's stupid, worked perfectly well before where you just moused over the surface you wanted and it highlighted.
Similarly they changed the ability to mouse over surfaces behind other surfaces and the mouse changed to pushpull tool when you were over the active surface behind another surface that you can't see.
Have a box to check if you want the rotate factor when using the move option. If you want to move it, then move it - if you want to rotate it then rotate it. The rotate option switching on when you are trying to move something is annoying.

tt_su · 7 Oct 2013, 13:00

@john sayers said:

Somewhere down the line Google screwed the zoom in. Now construction lines also disappear if you zoom in too far. This never happened in earlier versions.

Under Preferences there is a checkbox labelled "Disable pre-pick on Push/Pull Tool" which will return the behaviour to the old style.
Alternatively, hit Ctrl+T to quickly deselect and you can use hover over a face to push pull it.

John Sayers · 7 Oct 2013, 13:03

Wow - thanks Thomas - I've never noticed that before

smicha · 24 Oct 2013, 12:33

SAVING LARGE FILES IS SO SLOW!!!

I have a 150MB file (about 25m edges). When I hit ctrl+s it takes about 1 minute to save to file. I created a ram disk so speed up the saving process. The time was reduced to 25 seconds. But still IMO this is irritating. 25 seconds? I converted the model to 3ds max format and checked how fast it is saved under 3ds max. Ctrl+S and ... it's done. Not even a second.

SU TEAM please do something with speeding up the saving process.

matt.gordon320 · 24 Oct 2013, 18:20

I'm sure I'll have to edit this as I think of more "wishes", but here's one:

A more accessible way to work with large (100+) numbers of scenes. I frequently have to create views for lets say 10 different homes with a view from 4 different rooms. I typically export linework, shadows, textures, false Z-Buffer, and other maps separately so I can comp them in photoshop. Obviously, this leads to a LOT of scenes. Scrolling through the scene manager or the scene bar gets a little tedious.

dukejazz · 25 Oct 2013, 06:29

In 2014 sketchup I want is see an animated gif as a texture, so essentially it will be a animated movie texture. just like we apply normal textures.

This would give much more action to sketchup

Box · 25 Oct 2013, 13:12

Perhaps you'll find this layer plugin by jiminy-billy-bob useful.
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=53906

matt.gordon320 · 28 Oct 2013, 17:43

@box said:

Perhaps you'll find this layer plugin by jiminy-billy-bob useful.
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=53906

Hi Box, could you share what way you'd recommend using it to manage scenes? I'm mildly familiar with the the Layer Panel Beta, but I can't seem to figure out quite what you meant. I was more speaking to scrolling through either the scene bar/scene dialog box and updating scenes, but if there's something I missed or you have a cool tip, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!