Top 3 SU plugins

Prisoner

@prisoner said:

A great UV toolset would instantly appear on my list... hint hint.

What is wrong with the UV toolset written by Thom? Could you not use those?

Right, I should give it a try again. Last time I used it it couldn't do what I needed (mapping imported 3ds files), have to give it another try. Thanks for reminding me.

utiler

@bob james said:

I've just downloaded "Default Layer Geometry": I really need that and it will undoubtedly become one of my frequently used plugins (I just must keep everything on layer 0 until everything is built!)

I have many of the complex plugins that are indispensable when I need them (curviloft, vertex tools, Tools on Surface, Extrude Along....,etc.), but

For every day general use:
Nudge (Doesn't anyone use this: I'd be lost without it.)
Options
JSAlign
Layer Tools and Layer Manager
Edge Styles
1001bit Tools

And, somewhat less often, but still a lot:
Round Corner
Profile Builder
BZ Toolbar
Weld
Extrude Lines
Arc Centerpoint Finder
Tube along path

For final tuning:
Repaint and Cleanup

And, of course, when the model is ready:
Thea Exporter

Hey, that's a good top 3, Bob.....

Bob James

@utiler said:

Hey, that's a good top 3, Bob.....

Oh, I thought it was the top three categories

Seriously, the top three depend heavily on what project I'm working on. But since you've busted me here are my

top three non-project-dependent rubies:
Nudge
Options
QJSAlign

pilou

Nudge ?
Nudge orbit by Tig ?

Bob James

Nudge by Todd Burch (it's on Smustard).

It's $16.00, but worth every penny (It was $8.00 when I bought it back in 2006 ). It's old, but, for me, very useful every day.

I tried "moveit", but it only works on groups and components (at least when I tried it).

pilou

Thx for the info

jeff hammond

@bob james said:

Nudge by Todd Burch (it's on Smustard).

It's $16.00, but worth every penny (It was $8.00 when I bought it back in 2006 ). It's old, but, for me, very useful every day.

I tried "moveit", but it only works on groups and components (at least when I tried it).

and that differs 16 bucks worth from standard move ??
i don't get it.

Dragoonprogramming

mine have to be:
1Roof maker(roofs are a pain and this plugin makes it considerably easier)
2Scf Power Toolbar
3Curve tool

fuzzion

Sketchup is good at creating basic shapes. IT is NOT 3dsmax or maya. However, when you want organic shapes, nicely chambered edges, twisting and radial bending
and other sorts done quick yet look professional on par with 3dsmax, you incorporate plugins.

Ofcourse skethcup can do these to some extent I love SU too, but lets be honest, the Plugin industry for sketchup is a brilliant idea since it could follow the same model
of app stores for droid.

My favourite 3 are (excluding vray)

1- Round Corner (Almost everything in life has some rounded edge too it. This program chambers everything you select like 3dsmax)

2- SDS ( everyones talked about what this is )

3- TGI3D for SU Amorph ( Organic modelling toolset. One of the best feature is upscale. Although primarily aimed at organic modelling, i use it on downloaded models from warehouse and increase polygon count by up to 100x making them look superbly sexy) http://www.tgi3d.com/index.php?Page=Amorph&VideoID=15705085&field=content6

Bob James

@unknownuser said:

and that differs 16 bucks worth from standard move ??
i don't get it.

I use Alt-N shortcut. I press Alt-N, put in exactlyhow far I want to move, press an arrow key (Ctrl-arrow key for up and down), and, bingo.
And it does not have to be a group or component.

That's how it's different.

thomthom

@bob james said:

@unknownuser said:

and that differs 16 bucks worth from standard move ??
i don't get it.

I use Alt-N shortcut. I press Alt-N, put in exactlyhow far I want to move, press an arrow key (Ctrl-arrow key for up and down), and, bingo.
And it does not have to be a group or component.

That's how it's different.

I still don't see how that is different from using the Move tool and the VCB... ?

pilou

@unknownuser said:

I still don't see how that is different from using the Move tool and the VCB... ?

It's more easy and speedy to click twice on the arrow key (say step is 3.14 cm) than write 6.28cm(6 clicks on the vcb) or move with of a lenght of 6.28cm ! (6 clicks again in the vcb)
And it's more funny to drive your objects like a toy car !

Pixero

@bob james said:

Nudge by Todd Burch (it's on Smustard).

It's $16.00, but worth every penny (It was $8.00 when I bought it back in 2006 ). It's old, but, for me, very useful every day.

I tried "moveit", but it only works on groups and components (at least when I tried it).

Have you tried my jsMoveTool? It works with any selected item.
http://www.pixero.com/downloads_sketchup.html

Usage:

Select a object or group of objects.
Select the JS MoveTool and enter a distance in the VCB. Press Return/Enter.
Now move with arrow keys.
Use Alt + Up/Down to move in Z axis.
You can enter a new distance at any time.
Press Ctrl (Apple Key on Mac) for distance * 0.1
Press Shift for distance * 10

And it's free...

Bob James

@pixero said:

Have you tried my jsMoveTool? It works with any selected item.
http://www.pixero.com/downloads_sketchup.html
And it's free...

I've used Nudge for four years and wasn't looking for a replacement. If I didn't already have it I'd be downloading jsMoveTool right now (as I said previously, jsAlign is another of my major everyday tools).

pilou

@Pixero
How do you explain that?
I have this on my computer for a while

@unknownuser said:

Name: jsAlign.rb 1.5

Author: Jan Sandstrom http://www.pixero.com

Date: 23 June 2009

But I just download from your site http://www.pixero.com/downloads_sketchup.html by curiosity and obtain that

@unknownuser said:

Name: jsAlign.rb 1.02

Author: Jan Sandstrom http://www.pixero.com

Date: 6 Aug 2007

Curious isn't it

Pixero

Not really. Just me beeing lazy.
Will fix...someday...

derei

Wouldn't be nice to add a poll to the topic and the people to vote their plugins? I realize it would be a pretty long list), but we could see in this case which are the most used/appreciated/useful.

Rich O Brien

Entirely dependant on use/profession I suppose. I see no use in roof plugins as I don't need it. But an architect might say the same for the gears plugin.

For me plugins increase the speed at which I work. But there are some that just work miracles, SDS and FFD for example. I do think the community would benefit from a complete and interactive ruby index that makes sense of what is actually available. And more importantly how to donate.

Rich

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

Wouldn't be nice to add a poll to the topic and the people to vote their plugins?

You'd have to list every plugin in the poll. Hundreds...

rattusNOR

super thread, very useful