SketchUp 2015 Wishlist

mitcorb

@gudio83:
See this link: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=58335.
An extension or plugin like this is more likely to happen than it being incorporated into the program itself. Is this what you are describing in your comment?

TK0001

I would like layer transparency and to have it save-able in Scene Manager, so you could "ghost out" non-essential information in a certain scene, and "highlight" the things you want to stand out. Essentially, creating a scene that looks like when you double-click on a group or component within a larger model.

manhaaa

Faster model manager with large file and material windows, entityinfo windows, Style Windows...working together in the one windows, maybe multi tab for them.

pbacot

Better palette and dialog organization / control / consistency for Mac.

jonb42

Layout: Speed! I still find it too slow for complex models even using raster renders. I've often wondered sure why Layout can't use the same engine SU does while one is working with the layout, then do the heavy render processing only when it is time to export. We were told a 14x speed increase in the 2014 release but it sure doesn't seem that way to me!
SU: Real circles, though not displayed as such for the sake of graphics speed - like Autocad which "knows" a circle is a circle in terms of snapping, dimensions, anything that matters; but only displays segments.
Layout: fix the export to .dwg so that text stays where it is supposed to and in general the end product comes out looking like it did in layout. Understood Acad can't support some of the fancy graphics stuff Layout can, however what I find is titleblocks, text, dimensions moving around so much that the export is pretty unusable. I WANT to use Layout for all my sheet sets but because I have to submit .dwg copies I'm forced to do all my sheets and annotations in Autocad, xref-ing in the SU model.
Ability to "fade" layers just like they seem to when you are editing a component / group but seeing the rest of the model. This is a great way to emphasize elements - lets say a run of pipe - through a cluttered background. This would need to be tied to scene generation just like whether a layer is on/off. It could be "fade all other groups/components" and / or "fade all other layers" for my money... And of course this functionality would follow through into layout.
SU: enable dimension & leader text to have a background color so they stand out over geometry, like in layout.
Stop the Esc key from quitting dialogs!!!!!!
enable reverse mouse wheel zoom direction in the Mac version!

I think thats enough for a start

...And many thanks to the Sketchup team for a great product that has got so many things right already.

Jon

TK0001

@jonb42 said:

Ability to "fade" layers just like they seem to when you are editing a component / group but seeing the rest of the model. This is a great way to emphasize elements - lets say a run of pipe - through a cluttered background. This would need to be tied to scene generation just like whether a layer is on/off. It could be "fade all other groups/components" and / or "fade all other layers" for my money... And of course this functionality would follow through into layout.

@tk0001 said:

I would like layer transparency and to have it save-able in Scene Manager, so you could "ghost out" non-essential information in a certain scene, and "highlight" the things you want to stand out. Essentially, creating a scene that looks like when you double-click on a group or component within a larger model.

Great minds...

bsfranza

flickerfree opacity/alphas ... when working with several alpha mapped trees and stuff things get ugly

would be awesome if this could somehow get fixed!!!

torofacito

it would be good that door and window components cut to the wall precisely for a given thickness.

BIM plugins should be integrated in it

TANER TAN

Must be high resolution icons in the new version of Sketchup.
Hopefully, this time they do.

atelierpaar

My biggest SU - wishes are still :
[b]1. Speed

[b]2. true geometry of circles and curves
I understood - I am inside a box-program but I do not see the point not to progress.
It would make life so much easier to work with true circles/continues curves and to produce geometrical correct intersections.

STL-file export
After spending countless hours on a flawless SU 8-model, I learned from several 3d printing-shops, that the model could not be printed.
Apparently SU 8 produces a countless errors at the intersection of curved Volumes.
If The future really is 3d printing, its absolutely necessary to improve on curve-geometry and file-export .

erwinmeulman

Multi-threaded kernel COLLADA, as parasolid

pbacot

A couple of things.

Give the control of visible toolbars to users. Many plugins are written to leave the toolbar in the workspace, when opening Sketchup, whether you had them open last session or not. That is you can't keep them closed.
Fix the extensions window in Preferences: So when you are tired of a set of toolbars opening up you go to the extensions window to turn the extension off. The extension window has a tiny scroll window that lists (some, not all) plugins. One must scroll up and down, searching for the right extension because THERE IS NO ORDER OR SEARCH FUNCTION. Make this list contain all plugins and make the window expandable, and please list alphanumerically like the rest of the world.

Box

I think you'll find that is an issue with the relevant plugins not SU.
Have you used the plugin and extension managers that are part of the Sketchucation plugin.

pbacot

@box said:

I think you'll find that is an issue with the relevant plugins not SU.

Have you used the plugin and extension managers that are part of the Sketchucation plugin.

So make it a SU issue. Why does Trimble leave the UI issues up to misc. plugin authors? SU has the worse UI setup of any app. I regularly use.
No. Sketchucation Store plugin? So you would use it to unload extensions that you have in the plugins folder?

utiler

@taner tan said:

Must be high resolution icons in the new version of SketchUp.
Hopefully, this time they do.

Gee, you're easily pleased.....

Box

Pbacot I'm not sure how Trimble can control a 3rd party plugin. Your original point was about plugins that are persistent on restart. This is because the code is written incorrectly causing the toolbar to open no matter what it's previous state was. So it's a fault in the plugin, not Sketchup. If you find a plugin that is doing it you should point it out to it's author.

As for Sketchucation tools, Yes you can turn plugins and extensions on and off, you can even create different set of plugins that you want to load together, you can uninstall plugins, update, auto install, load temporarily or permanently, you can use bundles to sync different computer so they have the same plugins, or create a specific bundle that you will only use on your laptop and auto load all of them with one click........I could go on and on but there are too many things it can do and more coming.

pbacot

Thanks! I'll look at the SCF tools. However can't the developers of SU control/prohibit a particular action of a plugin? Isn't it the function of SU that allows the plugin toolbar to show in the first place?

And, of course, I think you realize, that although I can add managers and plugins to improve my use of SU (and I am glad of suggestions), it doesn't change a wish that the application were better out of the box, if only for the new user who doesn't have the plugins to solve their frustrations. I mostly find the extensions window a pain because it is SO poorly designed and is never improved, not that I haven't learned to live with it.

ArtPen

Have been working in sketchUP on a couple of complex architectural and landscape project just now and thought it will be worse to update a wish list.

GENERAL

1A. Xref or other proper Reference system with Project folder setup.
So you can see all References in the Master model and been able to open them start from the master model make changes in separate file,
then save and update the master model

1B. Some kind of team work please

X64 for big complex project
Texture folder. Each SketchUp file will have a separate Texture folder inside a project folder. To keep all organise.
Faster Viewport using modern OpenGL technologies. Nice representation , colours , anti-aliasing , soft shadows, nicer fog and light.
Groups for Layers
High Quality Google Maps with option to grab bigger locations
X64 and FASTER Layout
I think it is time to introduce wall, slab, window/door, curtain wall, elements
Components to be able to cut through walls ( two faces )
Better lines and curves. Able to see centre point of each curve. Able to see tangent points.
Line types (without using plugin)

OSX

Material list
Show total area of material in a model by right click on the material inside the material browser. Yo can do it on Windows
Better UI
Full screen

Just wanted to ask is there any official way to submit our wish lists to Trimble directly? Of cause they work hard to deliver better program but they quite close from the community.
Updates are very rear. No information is given unfortunately .

Cheers

pbacot

ArtPen. Nice list.

On the XREF idea (it would be great if this were handled to save MB's), I have method that is similar, if you haven't tried it. I often use a component for a whole building, especially accessory buildings in site. I get the footprint laid out then I save the component (contextual menu) as SU file. I then do my work on the building in that file. I can "reload" (contextual menu) anytime into the main site file. It usually comes right in exactly where the old version was (occasionally I do something to throw it off, but it's easily fixed). You can make a file for the structure/ shell of the building that is used both in the site model, for exteriors, and in another model that has only interior elements for that building--so you are not compiling large models with useless geometry.

Anton_S

Very nice list, ArtPen. It just summarizes everything that SU has to have.