SketchUp 2017 Wishlist
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Now, a week after the V16 release, I have similar thoughts. LayOut was improved so that's really nice. In SketchUp I'm struggling to see improvements to me besides the added inference option.
... I'm actually considering using a LO16 & SU15 combo at the moment because of the new interface & a few bugs in them that break my workflow....I would be very very surprised to see a UV map/unwrap tool, quads, nested layers panel etc etc coming from Trimble in a next V17 release. If you, as a user, really need those tools - get started learning Ruby yourself or pay somebody to make the tools for you. My guess is: they are targeting the average user who just needs an interface to a pro-package (Revit, Maya, 3dStudio, Rhino etc) if they need the pro-tools.
...I hope I will be just as happy with a future update for SketchUp as I'm with this Layout update.
In the mean time, many many thanks indeed to the plugin developers over here that have added so many invaluable tools that make SketchUp a joy to use!!! -
@ashscott said:
Who would be able to do the coding really well?
Hmmm... I might be tempted. I'm not bad at JavaScript.
I would want to change it a little though. I would prefer to group layers according to its prefixes (separated with a hyphen), ala vectorworks and autoCAD. That should make imports from dxf and other formats cleaner without having to rearrange. Would that break the workflow for current users of layers panel?
Back on to wishlists, mine are:
CIRCLE GUIDES / TRUE CIRCLE INTERSECTIONS - I now do my surveys in sketchup. I know true circle geometry is too much to wish for, but being able to use intersections with true circles would really help. No plugin can truly provide this (TIG does have a tool that helps you, but it clearly is a workaround).
LAYERS IMPROVEMENTS
- ability to eye-dropper/bucket layers in color by layers view.
- Layers management improvements, as have been mentioned.
- Support full spectrum of colours and materials for layers, including transparencies (although I know skalp relies on a few bugs to make things work for them). Sketchup needs a proper API In this area too.
- Line-weight by layer? Think about it..
MATERIALS FOR OS X
- I want a better materials palette for os x. Keeping materials organised in Mac is futile currently..
REALTIME ANTI-ALIASING
- Is current computing power not ready for this yet?
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@tommyk said:
@ashscott said:
Who would be able to do the coding really well?
Hmmm... I might be tempted. I'm not bad at JavaScript.
I would want to change it a little though. I would prefer to group layers according to its prefixes (separated with a hyphen), ala vectorworks and autoCAD. That should make imports from dxf and other formats cleaner without having to rearrange. Would that break the workflow for current users of layers panel?
I think it would...
Current LP functions allow freedom. I need that from LP.
I would however regard that prefixes functionallity with welcoming eyes if, having a prefix, would immediatelly arrange a layer in premade group.
I could then have a mix of prefixed layers with auto behaviours and other layers with manual grouping.
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I checked Layers Panel with 2016. It works fine. Seems some people are having some problems, but I haven't come across any.
I also had a look at the code on github. It's clean code but there is a lot of it. I am a little put off the idea of helping supporting it with all of its features, and I understand why jimneybob isn't all that keen either.
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@ashscott said:
@utiler said:
What's a modular operator?
One of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulo_operation
(I still have no idea)Doesn't Simfonia Animation Tools have a modulator function so you can create wave signals (possibly completely unrelated).
Sorry for the (incredibly) late reply. Were you ever taught about "remainders" as a kid, before you learned to divide into fractions/decimals? Modulus is that - so 15 mod 4 = 3
- that is, the remainder after you took away as many fours as you could. It's usually written as a percentage symbol. This is very useful when you're working with discrete numbers.
To be honest, I'm not sure why it's not already in DCs, since ruby does actually have support for it.
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Well the enhanced arc/circle inference snaps in SU16 came a baby step closer to better snap control but is still not there so that is one of my wishes.
But my most fervent wish (still unfulfilled after more versions than I can count) is a fix to Boolean operations that turn Components into Groups. This is such egregious behaviour that I consider it a major bug. It destroys all the efficient and productive effects of using Components.
Please Trimble. Please fix this.
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Tag/Keyword system for organizing layers
say I assign tags 'wall' and '1F' to a layer named '1F_wall', then, on the layers panel, when I click the tag 'wall', the layer '1F_wall' will show up, together with other layers tagged with 'wall', like '2F_wall'. and when I click the tag '1F', layers like '1F_wall' and '1F_floor' will show.
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@greatoe said:
Tag/Keyword system for organizing layers
Great idea — would obviate the need for Layers Panel type hierarchy and would be more flexible / powerful. And maybe easier to execute? (compared to the complexity and related stability issues of the Layers Panel plugin) -
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better AA
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incorporate a better solution for multiple transparent materials!
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ambient occlusion
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do whatever the plugin devs ask you
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Would be nice if you can set four camera views simultaneously(split the screen into 4 views)
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Wish list is shorter this year it seems.
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The most crucial I think for 2017 is to properly address and fix the clipping plane. It is such pain. even when you keep the model as clean as possible... also it would be nice to be able to zoom really close into an area without the whole model shaking and becoming inaccurate.
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@cellularautomata said:
The most crucial I think for 2017 is to properly address and fix the clipping plane. It is such pain. even when you keep the model as clean as possible... also it would be nice to be able to zoom really close into an area without the whole model shaking and becoming inaccurate.
Boy, do I agree - especially with the clipping. It keeps happening to me more and more and it gets really aggravating. I have tried all kinds of things and the clipping happens (even on some very small models - it even happened to me a couple of days ago and all I did was draw a cube that was about 20' on each side).
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I am really not getting on with the new trays in 16, I would like the option to revert to the 15 version.
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I think the obvious one for me right now is:
Ability to export 2D flattened skp models that represent our scenes, with faces and textures applied.
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This would basically remove half the workload on Layout viewports;
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This would allow us to 2D draft inside sketchup;
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This would go along very well with the first request in this thread (line styles)
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Both line styles and 2D flattened skp exports would kill CAD for good and make Layout very useful!
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@baz said:
I am really not getting on with the new trays in 16, I would like the option to revert to the 15 version.
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how about not worry about new wiz-bang stuff and just fix ongoing long term issues. Agree with several others clipping is worse in 2015pro than SU8 that i started with. How about fixing the 3D text tool that crashes my models so often I don't use it anymore. One more thing for us mac users, how about a real functional material editor on par with what the windows guys get ? not going to hold my breath.......
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@kaas said:
@baz said:
I am really not getting on with the new trays in 16, I would like the option to revert to the 15 version.
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Thank Kaas, from us here in the wilderness. I thought that the simple dialog box interface in SU15 was so easy, Especially liked that I could stick em all together and click on the ones I needed at the time.
Software designers have to justify their bucks I s'pose.
My bottom line advice is; If it ain't broke, don't fix it, please. (Or,another way of saying it: Don't add 'features' for the sake of it, please.
Me personally, I would prefer if SU stayed just as it is. My workflow can handle 'clipping' and 'UV' mapping and all the other 'things'.
My main ask would be more integration with LO. With similar, if not exact, commands.
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I'm sorry, but I personally am VERY fond of the new trays and really didn't like the old ones at all.
I agree though that the old ones should be an option instead of being discarded altogether.
For people who don't like having the trays on top of drawings all time, wich is most of us the only chance the new trays give us are:
- stick them to the viewport borders, wich is what I love about them, but that spends a part of total screen real estate;
- autohide, wich isn't practical as the info keeps vanishing;
- or to keep closing them with mouse and openning them with menu/shortcuts wich is really not that practical.
So even if I personally love them, I must agree with criticism...
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