A new home for SketchUp
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My wish is to improve the Ruby API platform with more access and control over the SketchUp environment. There are many things there that can be added and improved. (For instance, getting unicode support into the Ruby API - since we're dealing with unicode strings and filenames elsewhere and it's an international userbase.)
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@mike lucey said:
I suggested that I collect 5 -6 Wish list items that are high priority and maybe quote them under a new thread for John to take up and comment on.
Well Thomas's Ruby API wishes are very important and everyone is going to hope for better handling of high poly models.
A few pages back we had a link to a piece of Siemens software that offered a kind of grid deformation that is just what SU needs for modelling curved surfaces - basically taking what SU does well with rectilinear geometry and primitives and expanding it. Similarly incorporating something similar to Curviloft into the basic tool-set would be great (I'm thinking of MOI here).
And as far as really fundamental things are concerned, can we please, please, please see a solution to the dreaded camera cropping issue; there are workarounds like working in parallel projection or changing the field of view angle, but it really gets in the way of your work flow.
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@unknownuser said:
And as far as really fundamental things are concerned, can we please, please, please see a solution to the dreaded camera cropping issue; there are workarounds like working in parallel projection or changing the field of view angle, but it really gets in the way of your work flow.
oooh, if the camera were an entity with properties, ability to copy, set parameters, constrain to path (...ok, maybe I'm way off in 3dsmax/ modo/ blender world.) To be able to manipulate views better would be huge.
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That makes sense to me and would really help when exporting to other apps e.g. Thea.
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A lot of the wish list requests so far have been what I'd call 'under the skin' functionality (better API, 64bit etc) so I thought I'd chime in with some usability ideas.
Layers:
Layer grouping/hierarchy.
Layer settings (like AutoCAD) colour/weight etc.Scenes:
To be honest I think the scenes are fine, the only problem comes when a new layer is created and you have to go through all the existing scenes switching it on/off and re-saving the scene(s). I know that there is a plugin (Add hidden Layer) but as its in the plugins menu I forget 99% of the time to use it. Maybe new layers should be off by default in existing scenes or highlighted in some way.Folder Paths:
Customisable paths for Plugins etc. with multiple folders selectable or each type. (Again like AutoCAD...sorry
)
If I could specify multiple folders for plugins I could for example have a folder for the 'as supplied' another for the free and another for the commercial plugins. Instead of a single folder for all my textures I could have ones for Wood, Metals, Project specific etc.Interface:
Customisable toolbars. I only use 1 or 2 of the available commands from a lot of the plugins I have installed but I have to have the entire plugin's toolbar visible to access them. If I was able to create my own toolbar(s) with only the commands I wanted it would simplify my environment massively.Profiles:
Specify a template/ plugins /toolbar positions etc and save them to a file that could be used in a shortcut/alias to start SU.
Maybe the ability to switch between profiles (interface only ?) mid session like Adobe Photoshop.Materials:
Better visual management of the swatches - I don't quite know what it should be like, I just know that currently navigating the swatches in a model with a lot of materials can be laborious.Viewer:
I know we have the free version but a stand alone viewer with no editing ability that could be run full screen or embedded within Powerpoint would be handy. The viewer would not need installing as it should/would be a single exe/dll that could be supplied with the presentation or emailed along with the model. Scene control would (I assume) need to be exposed to Powerpoint to enable buttons/keystrokes to move between them.Maths in the VCB:
More maths functions in more tools. We already have the ability to copy something and say x5 or /3 etc but I've had many occasions where I've wished for more, especially with the move command.Mac version:
I have both PC's and Mac's and I've got to say that compared to the Windows version SU on OSX is horrible, materials palette, tool bars (or the lack off), window focus and much more.
Now don't get me wrong I love my Mac's and think that for 90% of the programs that exist on both platforms, the Mac versions are nicer to use, Its just SU that I find unusable. -
@paul russam said:
Instead of a single folder for all my textures I could have ones for Wood, Metals, Project specific etc.
hey wait.. you can already do that..
@unknownuser said:
Profiles:
Specify a template/ plugins /toolbar positions etc and save them to a file that could be used in a shortcut/alias to start SU.this you can do also.. (though not easily and not from within sketchup)..
@unknownuser said:
Viewer:
I know we have the free version but a stand alone viewer with no editing ability that could be run full screen or embedded within Powerpoint would be handy. The viewer would not need installing as it should/would be a single exe/dll that could be supplied with the presentation or emailed along with the model. Scene control would (I assume) need to be exposed to Powerpoint to enable buttons/keystrokes to move between them.probably not exactly what you're asking for but…
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/download/gsuviewer.html@unknownuser said:
Maths in the VCB:
(you can currently do maths on specific objects via the dynamic components dialog but it's less than ideal)@unknownuser said:
Mac version:
I have both PC's and Mac's and I've got to say that compared to the Windows version SU on OSX is horrible, materials palette,yes.. the mac material browser could use some love..
@unknownuser said:
tool bars (or the lack off),
what do you mean? sketchup has toolbars on mac..??
plus it also has a custom toolbar which you can do what you're earlier wish regarding customizing toolbar was asking for..@unknownuser said:
window focus
huh?
mac sketchup works like all (most) other mac apps.. not sure what differences regarding window focus you're seeing.. -
LayOut LayOut LayOut!
As much as I like modeling in SU, I have committed to LO for my documentation. And for the time being, until we 3d print houses and buildings, or have 18" wide, tough book e-ink job site hardy slates - most folks will still rely on paper for development review, site work, submission to other professionals, redlining, etc. etc.There is a huge need to for a simple (but scalable) app that can take 3d and present it in 2d to scale - be it CDs, development review presentations (screen or paper), etc. etc. etc. - take LayOut and make it that app. And if you want, open it up so that your other apps work just as easily as SketchUp with it... site planning, GIS, etc. etc. etc.
LayOut shows us a path to a new way of presenting work for construction / fabrication / presentation. IT is not perfect, and could go a long way to being more user friendly and accurate (and consistent...).
Make if faster, and make the tools work more like SU (same pick sequence, same shortcuts, etc).
Open up some of the tools with drawing wide toggles - i.e. 'detailing mode' would have some preferences that you could toggle - vector rendering, updating of references only when you tell it to, specific layers active (perhaps there can be automatic layer creation for the dimension tool..., with ability to toggle on / off), etc., drawing wide toggle to change rendering mode for a model, better layer control (all off, off on this page, locked), etc.
And make it faster, please. Somehow take advantage of the horsepower of modern machines and make switching pages quicker... right now on large files the page switching lags...
And give us the options of components / groups for certain types of text callouts. Sometimes I really do want to change the same 20 notes in a drawing set, and it would be damned handy it I could change a master callout.
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HOLD THE PHONE GUYS
This is NOT the thread for advanced and needed upgrades to SU.
There already exists one or more threads on that topic.
And many of the foregoing valid suggestions have been raised there,
a few by me, even.
A long time ago.
And in Googles Sketchup forum as well.
And John said he reads all of them.
And nothing changed.
Please put that sort of good stuff in its own topic, or this thread will go way offside and become irrelevant to its original discussion, that of Trimble buying Sketchup and its potential ramifications to SU's future.
OK, I'm off my soapbox........
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@jgb said:
Please put that sort of good stuff in its own topic, or this thread will go way offside and become irrelevant to its original discussion, that of Trimble buying Sketchup and its potential ramifications to SU's future.
me thinks this thread has already been significantly derailed and re-routed and brought back and wandered off again and again.
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@mike lucey said:
I suggested that I collect 5 -6 Wish list items that are high priority and maybe quote them under a new thread for John to take up and comment on.
I will try to collect them here in this post first or you can PM them to me.
+1 for what bmike said!. Layout really is the weakest but very valuable link in the chain. On top of what was said please please please can we have vector hatching!
The most significant improvement in SU would be true arcs, that would move it into real "Pro" territory.
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++++++1 for layout improvements!
Some kind of component/block implementation.
Support for auto fields (auto date, page number, page name, scale, etc)
Improvements in dwg export (better handling of text styles, export layers from sketchup to dwg, convert layout dimensions to dwg dimensions.)
Vector and raster fills (currently limited to solid colors, and no, clipping does not count)
Pdf import in layout for windows
Better compatibility between layout mac and layout windows (currently, text does not render the same in both platforms)
Some kind of plugin/scripting support
A simple way to select items by kind, selection filters (dimensions, vieports, text, etc)
Array copy like in sketchupLayout is the perfect companion tool for sketchup, if you need to generate some kind of dimensioned drawings out of your design.
Santiago
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@jgb said:
This is NOT the thread for advanced and needed upgrades to SU.
I agree with you to a certain extent Joel. But we have been told by the SketchUp Team that they can't comment on the long term policy of SU for the time being at least.
This thread can keep voicing speculation but I don't think it will achieve much.
At least having John B offer some comments on various Wish List items might help to alleviate concerns among the membership as to the direction SU could be taking.
Also I will leave it up to John if he wants to comment on them here or on a new thread.
Mike
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I'm making me a backup copy of SU8 and all my favorite plugins ... just in case.
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@chad3006 said:
I'm making me a backup copy of SU8 and all my favorite plugins ... just in case.
that theory will only work for a year or two on Mac
unless you don't do OS updates. -
@bmike said:
LayOut LayOut LayOut!
honestly, i think it'd be sweet if they gave layout a decent little drafting toolbar.. then an API so a more complete toolset could be made / customized if wanted..
then the ability to send to sketchup..
(or is that asking a lot? ..as in - a serious amount of work to get something like that going? (but i imagine they've (suteam) had a basic prototype of this already? if so, maybe mess around with it a little more)
[EDIT].. for speculation purposes…
or does layout go belly up under trimble? -
pop out tool bars... (collapsible)
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@unknownuser said:
@chad3006 said:
I'm making me a backup copy of SU8 and all my favorite plugins ... just in case.
that theory will only work for a year or two on Mac
unless you don't do OS updates.OT
iOS isn't backward compatible?
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@starling75 said:
@unknownuser said:
@chad3006 said:
I'm making me a backup copy of SU8 and all my favorite plugins ... just in case.
that theory will only work for a year or two on Mac
unless you don't do OS updates.OT
iOS isn't backward compatible?
not always.. same for OS X.. depends on how the apps are written I guess but I generally have 2-3 apps that need updates upon an (major) OS upgrade
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@dan rathbun said:
How many of you know that IMSI DoubleCAD XT already has purposeful workflow with SketchUp built-in, as well as the same Ruby engine in DoubleCAD Pro ??
I would think.. if there were any "CAD" company interested,.. that it would have been IMSI, rather than AutoDesk.
[off:3rgjop74]Is the free version Ruby scriptable or only the Pro?[/off:3rgjop74]
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