Google is Listening!
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Thanks for your input Gaieus. My observation with Sketchup in Ubuntu Koala with Wine 1.2 is very good speed using Nvidia drivers, so it must be using openGL natively. But you have a point because trying to make a raster export is disastrous. But working within Linux without doing that is snappy,apart from a garbled start screen. What I was thinking of was a Sketchup Linux written for Debian or Red Hat which has a large user base. Recently, Bricscad released a full Linux version of their CAD application and it is pretty impressive. Snappier than in Wine.
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@unknownuser said:
i'm sort of under the impression (judging by a couple of random posts by SUteam members) that they don't want to go full on in supporting plugins..
i'm pretty sure if they set up a depot app store type of thing then they'd have a gigantic slew of new problems to deal with.. fredoscale was a decent example of what may happen so imagine if that was happening to millions instead of thousands.
it'd be sort of sweet if google had an approval process of some sorts prior to rubies going live but again, that's a big undertaking in itself + we'd miss (some of) the benefit of talking directly with the developers and offering ideas/additions etc. (that could still occur but the process would be weeks/months instead of hours/days.)Jeff,
I would not go that far to put the ruby plugin dev under their wings. I think the way it works now is ok.
There are a lot of good plugin ideas being put in a trash can caused by the lack of some basic classes.
The handling of problems with (and responsibility for) the plugin must be handled by the plugin author, not by Google SU. -
Smooth out the pencil tool lines and add points to edit the curves please.
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For those who don't know the answers and discussion about ideas/votes are happening here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/sketchup/label?lid=6921451b4657bdbb&hl=en
Best,
Jason. -
@pout said:
Jeff,
I would not go that far to put the ruby plugin dev under their wings. I think the way it works now is ok.
There are a lot of good plugin ideas being put in a trash can caused by the lack of some basic classes.
The handling of problems with (and responsibility for) the plugin must be handled by the plugin author, not by Google SU.Pout—
Sure, developers should write good code, but I think Google SU is pretty irresponsible with the way they handle Plugins.
It's okay if they want the program to be a platform for developers, it builds community for giveaway software. However, they know full well that the vast majority of developers are unpaid volunteers, by definition amateurs. And who says amateurs should know how to code as well as a pro, let alone be able to afford the time to debug a plugin to the professional level?
Issue 2— Google hosts the forum, including a discussion for Plugins. However, there is no central directory, no place where all plugins are listed, rated, reviewed, explained and linked to. Right now you have to ask around, search around, track down all the posts and do a lot of homework. If this is what it takes to make a functional program (and the consensus is that plugins MAKE Sketchup, why not make it easier to figure out what you need to do the job you are working on?
Issue 3— You download a Ruby, open the folder and dump all its contents in the Plugins folder. No wonder there are naming conflicts! Give us a Plugins Manager. Rewrite the program so that you put Rubys in the Plugins Folder inside their own folder. With a moderate selection of Rubys I have 50 some items in there and no clue as to what goes with what. How are we supposed to debug if there is a problem? Dump everything and download it over again? Get real!
This stuff isn't rocket science, it's basic software management. It's just fine for a giveaway program, but lots of us have the pro version and for $500 this isn't a big upgrade, it's pretty simple and obvious.
Jim
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The flip-side to that is it could be that some our best and brightest Ruby coders are here because of (rather than despite) the lack of overseers... that would make it too much like a job thus squashing the creative spirit.
I'm not a big fan of micro-management of anything -- I personally prefer to have people let me do my thing my way... if that doesn't happen then I find a new playground. I'm sure there are Ruby authors who feel the same way.
I mean the crux of it is they are dissatisfied with how Sketchup works and are trying to re-create it in their image. If you have to deal with oversight then you begin to take away the ability of the author to "dream out loud".
I understand your desire to make things easier, and that is certainly on the mind of the Sketchup developers, but developing for the lowest common denominator is why Sketchup needs plugins in the first place.
Best,
Jason. -
Hi Google !
I don't know if this was already mentioned but we really need the orthogonal type in sketchup like AutoCAD do in order to simplify the building of object with Sketchup.
And I also really need a bezier curves tool develloped by sketchup. In fact I've found a plugin that help me to build some special curves but this tool isn't truelly efficient.
Hope this will come asap
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@sm4rt said:
And I also really need a bezier curves tool develloped by sketchup.
Here's something for you:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=13563 -
@sm4rt said:
I don't know if this was already mentioned but we really need the orthogonal type in sketchup like AutoCAD do in order to simplify the building of object with Sketchup.
"orthogonal type" ?
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Like Camera > Parallel projection (maybe combined with the "Standard views")?
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is it possible su8 could be worse from a usability / consistency level?
I find suddenly my toolbar positions are much more unstable, always changing and the new 'restore toolbar positions' is great EXCEPT when you have added a new toolbar or changed anything in the display at all and then when you try and restore default settings the thing thinks for about a minute and does nothing.
I am also crashing much more than I ever did with SU7. to the point where now opening a file (which takes a very long time) sometimes crashes su8. I am not saying my experience is the general for SU users but it does seem a bit strange that updating the software causes more problems than before. I am thinking of switching back to SU7 as I cant see any real advantage in staying with a software when it is currently so volatile and plus the updates for SU8 from an architecture perspective (minus what can already be achieved easily with rubies) where almost non-existent.
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@maxel99 said:
is it possible su8 could be worse from a usability / consistency level?
Hi maxel99,
We do watch crash reports pretty closely, and aren't seeing the kind of persistent instability you're seeing. Are you submitting reports when you crash? If you are, it really helps us if you also type in a quick sentence or two about what you were doing (or trying to do) when SketchUp crashed. Those crash reports are really the only way we can track down and fix problems like you are having.
john
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@maxel99 said:
I am also crashing much more than I ever did with SU7. to the point where now opening a file (which takes a very long time) sometimes crashes su8. I am not saying my experience is the general for SU users but it does seem a bit strange that updating the software causes more problems than before. I am thinking of switching back to SU7 as I cant see any real advantage in staying with a software when it is currently so volatile and plus the updates for SU8 from an architecture perspective (minus what can already be achieved easily with rubies) where almost non-existent.
Have you tried updating your graphic drivers?
I've had times where a driver could cause unstability until I either rolled back a version or updated to a newer version. -
Beats me how Google can work magic, absolute magic with search engines, then design and implement something so useful and complex as Google Maps, and utterly flunk out on selling SketchUp Pro.
I mean, c'mon, if Eastern European Mafiosi can make web pages that quickly and functionally deliver products and download malware while sampling identities and stealing credit card numbers, why should America's foremost tech company have such trouble with a simple web sale?
After going through the circular links in the navigation, I find the Buy Sketchup Pro. I want to upgrade from 7, not buy, so I check that option. Whoops, no page there! Wrong link or page has expired— really?
I head back and find a Download Trial. Since everyone else sends a crippled full version, to be unlocked later when you pay the bucks, I take it. I figure I'll buy my key over the phone (no web page for upgrades). I have to fill out a web form because they don't list a phone number. It takes them 18 hours to call back. Helpful salesperson sells me the upgrade, tells me that I'll have a license and key in ten minutes by email. Damn, and I was going to keep him on the line until I was up and running, I had a sense some other issue was lurking in the wings.
Okay, so it takes a half an hour, but what's a bit of time between friends. Whoops again! The menu item for license is grayed out!!
More circular links in the troubleshooting pages. Half an hour more and I notice a help link over on the side of the page for "license grayed out". I guess they get this a lot. Answer—Install the Pro version, not the trial, for which there is no page. YAAAAAAHHHHH!!
I'm paying the bucks so I don't have to go through the tedium of intersecting solids by hand. Instead I have the tedium of lameness in web sales. Solid Tools are grayed out too, so I can't even use the trial version while I'm waiting for help.
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@jim57 said:
Beats me how Google can work magic, absolute magic with search engines, then design and implement something so useful and complex as Google Maps, and utterly flunk out on selling SketchUp Pro.
Sounds like you have had a rough go of it. I tried to follow your path through the web store, but couldn't quite figure out where you started having trouble. So I'll just cut to the chase... have you managed to get SU8pro licensed on your system, or do you need more help?
john
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By the way- it looks like this thread is starting to collect technical support issues for SketchUp 8 rather than discussing feature requests and our 2010 "Questions & Ideas" series. If you're in need of technical support, you're more likely to get a response from the SketchUp support team on our SketchUp Help Forum than you are 17 pages deep in this topic.
john
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Wow. Quite the ordeal. I've upgraded 3 times now with no issues. O.ly time I had serious lag was waiting for a path / response to a question on transferring my license to a Mac from my PC. That took quite awhile. Bit otherwise - easy.
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Thanks for responding so quickly, John. I apologize for not checking back sooner.
I do have a license for SU pro, though the program thinks it's a trial version and has expired on me. Ironically, it happened just after I entered the license and key.
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That was easy to fix— I just installed the key a second time and it worked. Don't know why it didn't the first time, the program acknowledged the license.
Jim
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I am interested in achieving better quality organic models in SU. My question is xFrogxTune has an innovative way of displaying organic models:
"XfrogTUNE uses algorithms that are specially adapted to manage the complexity and the level of detail in tree models. The basic concept behind XfrogTUNE is the reduction of complexity according to the distance between the viewer and the object. If the object is far away, the viewer cannot discern fine details anymore and thus the effort to calculate and display this detail is not necessary. XfrogTUNE allows for a dynamic reduction of complexity: When the viewer approaches an object more detail is added to the object and when he moves away from the object, more and more detail is removed. You can use XfrogTUNE to import models created in Xfrog and generate different versions of this model with different degrees of complexity. In this process the original Xfrog model stays untouched and keeps it’s full detail and complexity. Any reduced version is converted into the XfrogTUNE format that allows for very fast rendering and calculation of the model. This makes XfrogTUNE the perfect tool for the creation of organic models for the use in real time environments. The algorithms that are used in XfrogTUNE are also available as a programming library that can be integrated into any real time environment and thus allows you to use this high definition technology for dynamic complexity management in your own game application etc." I am wondering if the xFrog programing library could be incorporated in to SU perhaps as a SU plug-in so that organic models would change in complexity as you zoom in and out and as a user moves closer to organic models in SU? I know that xTune was designed for the gaming community but could it be adapted to SU? This would give the user a more realistic experience with organic models in SU. and also give the user upon export to a higher end modeler/renderer such as Vue to treat those xTune models in SU as proxies that could be swapped out through Vue's scripting language (python) with the original images designed in xFrog and saved in Vue's .vob file format.
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