SketchUp 2014
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I'm curious - if this is SketchUp 2014, does that mean we won't see anything substantial until 2015? No actual curves, simple nurbs, ability to zoom in to close tolerances, whatever might be on your personal wishlist for SketchUp development? Not much change since Trimble took over. We keep hearing about 'under the hood' - must be some mighty engine down there by now.
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@arail1 said:
@mitcorb said:
@arail1:
The Plugin menu button does not appear on the Menu ribbon until you install a fresh plugin. This is something not yet documented in the Knowledge Center help.sketchup.com (so far as I know), nor has anyone explicitly enough included this in the threads I have read. Of course, you do know that the plugin destination folder is now under "...AppData...Roaming" and this path has been explained.I might mention that, in order to see a couple of plugin toolbars after loading, I had to restart 2014. But this also happened a few times in 2013version. And they weren't simply lurking among my desktop icons. No big complaints.
Thanks for that.
Because so much of the chatter on the forums is about plugins and installing plugins, it might be wise for someone knowledgeable to post a sticky that summarizes all the useful info that's scattered throughout these threads - where to install them, the info you provided about the Plugin button, etc.I totally agree with your suggestion for a sticky (it may already be in place). In trying to deduce an answer to a question with sketchy diverse information, you are faced with myriad decision points, of which most will be dead end, backwater tributaries. This situation causes myriad doubts, then inaction.
Some people need just a little information, and thrive on accidental discovery. Others, like me, need just a little more explanation. I prefer unambiguous instructions. But ambiguity is a relative term. -
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@frederik said:
@rv1974 said:
...this release.. is one huge dissappointment!
Why...?
What did you expect...?never-ending mantra:
x64, hi(er)-poly support, real curves, dynamic components for dumb architects (not programmers), saving in background, BIM toolls, bug fixing...
P.S. don't bother to explain there's no gain in productivity with x64 -
@rv1974 said:
never-ending mantra:
x64, hi(er)-poly support, real curves, dynamic components for dumb architects (not programmers), saving in background, BIM toolls, bug fixing...
P.S. don't bother to explain there's no gain in productivity with x64x64
I'd also love this... I see all the benefits, especially with render applications, which are working within SU...
Unfortunately - and as you've mentioned yourself - there seem to be a reticence towards making it x64...hi(er)-poly support
Hhmmm... I already feel it's been made better...
Personally I don't need much better poly support...real curves
Although my knowledge in this area is somehow limited, I don't know any other 3D app. having real curves, nor do I see the need...
AutoCAD and Revit doesn't have real curves (as far as I know) and I believe the compatibility with other applications (in particular the option to export to DWG format) also limits the option for this...dynamic components for dumb architects (not programmers)
I'm not a programmer myself, but it really isn't that difficult to make a dynamic component...
Can you give some examples of what it is you want to achieve and how you would like it to be...?saving in background
Not sure I understand this...
BIM toolls
I don't have the need - yet - however, it's my understanding that the new Classifier tool is a step in the BIM direction...bug fixing
I already see a lot of bug fixing has been made...
Anything in particular you want to highlight...?I find it a little funny that you don't seem to have posted any of these wishes previously...
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Clayton49,
Installing 1001Bit Pro was very easy and everything works perfect.Others,
Libfredo6 keeps "Uninstalled" in the list "My Extensions" in "Extension Warehouse" although it is working. I could not install it with the Extension Warehouse but used the .rbz file instead. Same with Fredo Scale and Fredo Tools. These ones were not visible in Sketchup untill I turned the programm off and on again. Although they stay marked "Uninstalled" in "Extension Warehouse" the plugins do work fine.
My other plugins seem to work. Not done them all...Time to just work with the new Sketchup Pro 2014. So far it looks nice!
Thanks! And thanks to all of you who have rewritten your much appreciated plugins!I 'm pleased to have the "Large tool set" back on his fixed place on the left like it was in Sketchup 8 and earlier. It works so much easier!
Veerle
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Personally, I am loving the direction that Sketchup is taking. Not everything that I wished for is coming true, but I have renewed hope that they may be fulfilled in future.
The things I love (and some improvement suggestions):
Layout:
- Smart labels. Love it, BUT - There is an issue here for nested components/groups and geometries. A feature to toggle through the nesting levels would be very cool. For example, you may want the area of a face within a component, but you can't get the area, because it's in a component. Imagine pressing up or down keys on creation of a label to toggle through the label types. Also, lack of integration with text added using the "Classify" (and Component Options dialog) tool is a massive opportunity missed.
- Autotext! It's brilliant. I think the settings for this should be added as a window pane - could be very useful for annotating things like <insulation spec>. If the insulation thickness changes in the project, just change the autotext, and all instances are updated.
Sketchup:
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faster shadows - well, you're not going to be displeased by that, are you?
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Classify / IFC - it sounds very boring, but actually, this feature really makes the building and sharing of Sketchup models in a standard way very useful. I hope this helps Sketchup be taken more seriously among other building professionals. I don't think I still understand the full implications of this feature - I am waiting for an evangelist to sell this to me fully.
More thoughts on Classify / IFC:
I have been waiting a while for attributes to be integrated into the entity info pane, and I think this does help to do it, albeit in a standardised way. Check out the "Component Options" dialog to see the full feature set.I have checked out how you might make a new standard "type": http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/3000045
It troubles me that it is not friendly to the lay user to create new standards/workflows in the area of attribute mapping. Perhaps this is a good thing, which forces users to stick to and become familiar with the industry standards. What does everyone else think?
Also, this feature should have been integrated with LayOut's smart labels....
But in conclusion - more BIM, a smarter Layout - it's going in the right direction in my book.
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@frederik said:
real curves
Although my knowledge in this area is somehow limited, I don't know any other 3D app. having real curves, nor do I see the need...
AutoCAD and Revit doesn't have real curves (as far as I know) and I believe the compatibility with other applications (in particular the option to export to DWG format) also limits the option for this...all of the CAD apps use real curves. (autocad, rhino, solidworks, catia, etcetc )
I mean, if you're really building the things you draw and those things involve using curved lines/surfaces then it becomes pretty obvious as to why you'd need these capabilities in your application.as it is, sketchup isn't sold as a CAD app.. so it's not like they're lying about it's capabilities and whatnot. it's just that it seems like it could become a CAD app with a few modifications instead of it more/less being limited to arch viz.
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My 2 cents worth. I'm really impressed with SU 2014.
Seems much more stable than previous versions, obviously significantly faster in dealing with large models than previous version due to the Ruby 2.0 + other engine optimizations. Just better all around in my book.
The everlasting debate as to whether SketchUp is for sketching or capturing production designs isn't going away - and to be fair, whether the SU team like it or not, I know many users do use SketchUp as a (easy to use) CAD tool and therefore I do empathize with some of the moaning.
Adam
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Have to admit that I didn't know that, Jeff...
Whenever I open a dwg-model in AutoCAD, all circles and arches are not real curves...
They're all consisting of segments, just like circles and arches are in SU...Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something here...
Can someone show/explain what is meant here...?
I have understood this as if a circle is a real curve without any segments... -
@frederik said:
Have to admit that I didn't know that, Jeff...
Whenever I open a dwg-model in AutoCAD, all circles and arches are not real curves...
They're all consisting of segments, just like circles and arches are in SU...Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something here...
Can someone show/explain what is meant here...?
I have understood this as if a circle is a real curve without any segments...Kim - it's a display issue. You can change the display to show more refined segments or less refined, whatever. The engine underneath is actually calculating a real curve. Giving real intersections, etc.
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Thanks, Andy...
I didn't know this...I don't use AutoCAD much and when I import a dwg file to SU, circles and arches remain segmented when imported to SU, but I understand this is caused by the way SU is making circles and arches...
So... Why is it important to have exact curves...?
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@numerobis said:
And why should DWG export be a problem?
Limitations in the format... But as I understand it now, the limitations is within SU and not the dwg-format...
(Great to learn something new...
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@frederik said:
[
Although my knowledge in this area is somehow limited, I don't know any other 3D app. having real curves, nor do I see the need...
AutoCAD and Revit doesn't have real curves (as far as I know) and I believe the compatibility with other applications (in particular the option to export to DWG format) also limits the option for this...
@jeff hammond said:
all of the CAD apps use real curves. (autocad, rhino, solidworks, catia, etcetc )
and i think almost every 3d app too... 3DSmax, Maya, cinema4D, Modo, Softimage, Lightwave, Houdini, Bonzai3D, formZ, Moi3D, NVil...
And why should DWG export be a problem?
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@frederik said:
Thanks, Andy...
So... Why is it important to have exact curves...?
A curve in SketchUp is just a bunch of connected lines - what that means is: there's no center to snap to, no radial dimensions, no tangents, nor any of the other geometrical characteristics of a curve. With true curves any point on a circle or arc will always be exactly the same distance from a center point as any other. Alternately, wherever you snap to on a 'chord' will be a different dimension from a hypothetical center than any other point.
Why is it important to have exact curves? - because it's the basis for enormous amounts of basic geometry.
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"jbacus via twitter
When was the last time a feature that made you catch your breath was added to Photoshop? Or Microsoft Word?"This comment concerns me as far as future direction is concerned.
Most of the requests on this forum aren't really about new features - most of them are about adding features that should always have been there.
My request for true curves is a request for basic geometry that no other application I use functions without. Getting true curves would be like Word getting the ability to capitalize letters - not so much something new and additional, as something that shouldn't have been lacking in the original.
I don't want SketchUp to become too much more than it is but I do want it to function well within it's own parameters. Having to scale an object up 10 times to be able to zoom close in to it and then scale it back down is kind of ridiculous. But as more work is exporting out of SketchUp to sub d modelers, to nurbs programs or for 3D printing, those little errors are costly. That function wouldn't be a 'new' feature - it would be basic functionality that should already exist in the program.
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I had hoped ThomThoms quads would be deeply incorporated in this release.
Maybe even his Bezier Surfaces.Never the less, I got a OK from by Boss to uprade SU because of the BIM classification.
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@arail1 said:
Why is it important to have exact curves? - because it's the basis for enormous amounts of basic geometry.
Cheers, Arail11...
I understand much better now...Although I use SU on a daily basis for the business I work within (mechanical/engineering) I haven't had the need to use exact curves...
For me SU is a 3D application, where I can visualize how things can be put together...
For me it's accurate enough, but I can see businesses where exact curves are needed...Thanks for enlighten me...
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@frederik said:
@arail1 said:
Why is it important to have exact curves? - because it's the basis for enormous amounts of basic geometry.
Cheers, Arail11...
I understand much better now...Although I use SU on a daily basis for the business I work within (mechanical/engineering) I haven't had the need to use exact curves...
For me SU is a 3D application, where I can visualize how things can be put together...
For me it's accurate enough, but I can see businesses where exact curves are needed...Thanks for enlighten me...
I'm probably more aware of the issue than you are because I work 'in between' autocad and SU. Consequently I have to jump through several unnecessary hoops multiple times during the day - I make x marks at the centers of circles and arcs in AutoCad because SU wouldn't otherwise be able to find the center, I extend any lines that touch curves in AutoCAD because when I export to SU those lines will be either short of the curve or extend minimally beyond it depending on where on the chord they fall. And then I have to do a lot of cleanup on the SU side. All because of the lack of curves which would seem to me to be on the top of necessary improvements going forward but the Boulder team obviously disagrees.
Have a good day.
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