Do i need plugins do so modeling with sketchup?

[Tekkybot]

hi. ive always been a more is less kinda guy. do i really need plugins to do good models with sketchup? models like cars, spaceships, gns etc etc?

[thomthom]

No. But it'll really help you speed up things. They added the plugin system so that people can personalise SU with the tools they need specific to their task. But there's no need to insist on having all or none. Pick the ones that you need.

[Tekkybot]

makes sense

[Tekkybot]

its just that some plugins are hard to figure out like soapskin and bubble , skin, and tools on surface. i almost dont even want to bother

[thomthom]

@tekkybot said:

its just that some plugins are hard to figure out like soapskin and bubble , skin, and tools on surface. i almost dont even want to bother

Yes, soapskins and bubble is really awkward. However, it's a very useful tool of you ever need to do tensile structures. You can look at it in this way: how much time you spend on learning a new plugin versus how much time you would spend doing it manually every time.

I've heard many people say: "I don't have time to learn new things. Time is money." Which is only looking at it in the short terms. In the short terms you 'lose' a bit of time. But if you look at it in the long terms, it save allot of time once you've mastered it. that that saves much more money.

With so many things around us that 'just work' it's easy to give up without giving it a try. But if you do give it a try you'll more likely than not get your value for it.

[dylan]

I agree some do seem difficult to work out and many you cannot work out there true potential without a full demonstration/video.
I suggest if there are any you are particularly interested in, post here your questions and we will try and help/explain further.

[Tekkybot]

ok. what is soap skin and bubble and how does it apply to modeling with sketchup?

[thomthom]

@tekkybot said:

ok. what is soap skin and bubble and how does it apply to modeling with sketchup?

If you need a approximation of how tensile structures behave, that's the tool for you. And that's the original intent of it. I've used it specifically for such a task. I had to model up some 'umbrellas' as a roofing system for a street. We found a solution that didn't use glass, but transparent film which was pumped up by air. SSB saved me a whole lot of work for that.

[Tekkybot]

so its not for like modeling curves? what about tools on surface? and skin?

[thomthom]

You can use SSB to create organic shapes. I've used it to create ponds some times. Drawing the outline of the pond, use those edges to SSB and apply a negative pressure.

Tools on surface allows you to draw lines and shapes on curved surfaces, as oppose to normal SU tools which require a flat plane.

Skin I haven't used. But I think it generates a surface out of a selection of edges and curves..?

[jeff hammond]

some examples of how i use skin and soap skin bubble.

skin does basically what it sounds like it would do..

say i'd like to put a surface to cover up this hole: [EDIT] i should've exaggerated this more in the example but those two sides aren't parallel.. they're closer together at the bottom than at the top.. otherwise, i'd just use push/pull here

i can manually connect the vertexes:

or i can use skin.rb:

after soften/smooth:

i choose which method to use based on the amount of connections and/or complexity..

for soap skins, i mainly use them as a visualization tool.. (and i don't think the author had this use in mind but it works for me)

say i have a complex hole to fill:

skin wouldn't work here and doing this manually would be a major undertaking so i use a soap skin:

after some pressure adjustments and soften/smooth i have a very fast method for visualizing this shape:

[Tekkybot]

good post jeff

[Tekkybot]

i should rephrase what im asking... what are the STEPS needed to take to blow up a bubble when using soapskin and bubble? ? what exactly, do you DO? i notice that s/b has all these extra icons in the folder that don't appear in sketchup for me after checking the s/b menu. maybe this is why i cant get s/b to work?

[Gaieus]

You need to activate SSB at Preferences > Extensions (then maybe even the toolbar at View > Toolbars)

[pilou]

And a little tut for use it

[mfarooqi]

@unknownuser said:

And a little tut for use it

Thank you MAN..