20 Reasons for SketchUp artists to consider Blender

Bob James · 26 Jul 2018, 09:42

@rv1974 said:

After watching this vid back in 2009 we all (following your logic) should hurry up to switch from PS to Frankenstein Gimp-like soft

Better yet: low-cost Affinity Photo

srx · 26 Jul 2018, 09:54

@rv1974 said:

After watching this vid back in 2009 we all (following your logic) should hurry up to switch from PS to Frankenstein Gimp-like soft

Well, pretty much.
Krita, Affinity Photo, and now GIMP with 32bit workflow...

chippwalters · 26 Jul 2018, 09:57

A new tutorial on how Blender's navigation is almost identical to SketchUp's.

BTW, are these videos of value? I was planning on creating a whole series based on SketchUp's current interface and how it maps to Blenders. If they are offending anyone, then I can just post them on YouTube and not here.

Stinkie · 26 Jul 2018, 10:53

This might be of interest to some. I haven't bought it, so I cannot comment on the quality.

Just a moment...

(www.udemy.com)

db11 · 26 Jul 2018, 23:18

@chippwalters said:

BTW, are these videos of value? I was planning on creating a whole series based on SketchUp's current interface and how it maps to Blenders. If they are offending anyone, then I can just post them on YouTube and not here.

Definitely of value. I had downloaded Blender a couple of versions back and started playing with it, then got busy and dropped it. A big part of the learning curve is knowing what applies from what you already know and what doesn't –– kind of like switching from Windows to MacOS or vice versa.

I'd love to finally learn Blender — not as a replacement for SU (at least, not yet) — but as a complement — and your videos help map a simpler path to proficiency for current SU users. I can't imagine why anyone would be offended by you posting them here, but if they are then I'll follow you to YouTube.

alpro · 27 Jul 2018, 00:50

@chippwalters said:

BTW, are these videos of value? I was planning on creating a whole series based on SketchUp's current interface and how it maps to Blenders. If they are offending anyone, then I can just post them on YouTube and not here.

Keep them coming

chippwalters · 27 Jul 2018, 06:16

Thanks. I'll keep posting. New video on using the Move tool.
I really want to get the basics out of the way so I can start to work on modeling strategies and how they differ from SketchUp to Blender. I'm really fortunate to have a friend who is one of the top modelers in the Blender world: https://www.artstation.com/jerryperkins1447

While it might not be everybody's cup of tea, he does know all the ins and outs of the application. And he's also creator of HardOps and BoxCutter, two amazingly cool tools for modeling.

chippwalters · 27 Jul 2018, 07:56

Rotate tute now up and available:

faust07 · 27 Jul 2018, 08:15

I also think that I am slowly getting to the technical limits of the simulation and animation possibilities in SketchUp and that such ventures could well be continued with Blender, Unity or Unreal. That's why I like to watch how savvy SketchUp users show these ways. Thanks Chipp!

chippwalters · 27 Jul 2018, 09:39

Jerry (aka masterXeon1001) just showed me some truly amazing boolean stuff where they put objects onto/into very curved Blender surfaces and automatically adjusted the normals so that there is zero artifacting. Amazing!

and this one is especially cool because at the end of the video, he deconstructs the object back into a cube!

numerobis · 27 Jul 2018, 11:16

@chippwalters said:

It would be cool to build a "SketchUp" like GUI for Blender. There are already push/pull plugins which work surprisingly well.

Yes, this would be great. But i think one big problem will be the inference engine, so i don't expect it to happen.
(I would also like to see Sketchup or the main features of SU as plugin for 3dsmax - payed plugin would be ok, even if the price would be around the full SU price...)

Mike Amos · 28 Jul 2018, 09:49

Thanks Chip, those video's are much appreciated.

david. · 28 Jul 2018, 16:36

I'm not planning on buying anymore SU Pro updates. Especially after seeing this thread. SU has been languishing for years. Layout has had no significant improvement in performance. It is amazingly slow on my I7 PC, even for relatively simple models. Why??? That's just not acceptable. With all the other alternatives (like Blender) out there, why should I continue to throw money at SU. SU is like an orphan going from foster parent to foster parent. I'll continue to use 2018, but no more updates. I have written and can write my own plugins if needed.

Mike Amos · 29 Jul 2018, 09:23

I get the impression that Trimble are less than committed to Sketchup as a product in its own right. Unless there is a proper rewrite to address some basic and long standing problems I can see Sketchup fading away. A proper shame, perhaps it will become a plugin for other Trimble products.

chippwalters · 30 Jul 2018, 09:12

Another video, this one on the Scale tool. While it's a bit more difficult than SU's, the new Blender 2.8 (coming this fall) has a scale tool just like SketchUp. It also has palettes with buttons like SketchUp as well. Still, learning this version is good as all the shortcut keys are pretty much the same. Most translates.

rv1974 · 30 Jul 2018, 09:56

Some primitive questions here:

how do you rescale precisely (say I want the table leg width 3cm)?
rescale with reference?
scaling with axis being messed up?
How to input multiplying factor say 2 or .5 in Z axis?
I guess, after scaling the textures get distorted. Is there way to restore 'real-world texture scale' easily?
Say I have a window in the wall. To rescale it and at the same time to keep original frame parameters, I use Takahata's 'Stretch by area' (too lazy to deal with dynamic components). This tool can move vertices regardless the context. In other words it can stretch frame+glass+window opning simulteneosly. Is there something similar in Blender?

chippwalters · 31 Jul 2018, 00:23

New tute: Some really cool Navigation tricks. This one is short: 2 1/2 minutes long but has two great tricks!

chippwalters · 31 Jul 2018, 00:33

To answer some of your questions will require I talk about the next tutorial which has to do with objects and groups. But a quick answer for how to move a face to another face, you can just move with a snap mode set:

And as far as numeric control goes, it's just exactly like SketchUp, while you're in the move, rotate or scale mode, you just type in the number you're wanting it move/rotate/scale the object/vertices/edges/faces.

And moving vertices is easy in Blender (as is move faces and edges)...just Ctrl-Tab into vertex mode and select (Ctrl+right mouse button to lasso) and move. Note to select hidden vertices, you need to be in wireframe mode-- or check a setting which allows you to select hidden vertices. I prefer toggling back in forth in wireframe mode by just tapping the Z key.

My friend Jerry did this quick anim to show you moving to verts. Keep in mind, in Blender you DON'T WANT TO SCALE your base object unless you have to as it's easier to work in Edit mode. In SketchUp terms, you'd rather NOT scale Groups but the stuff inside a group. It will be explained in the next video.

and

chippwalters · 31 Jul 2018, 08:20

Here's the Edit Mode, Objects and Groups in Blender video.

rv1974 · 31 Jul 2018, 13:44

$.02: To reset group scale\rotation use TT's 'Group to component', then reset scale\rotation easily (there're at least 3 plugins)