Posts made by aadbuild

Hi guys thanks for posting, I know you all are disappointed Plusspec is out of your budget. I am sorry that is the case for you. All I can do is keep on creating pro software that saves you money and time.
I am not Google and I am not Microsoft, I am a builder who spent all most 8 years creating software that helps me and the rest of the users design and build more quickly and more easily.

I know some people that will spend 3 hours searching the Internet for a free Sketchup model, the exact same model that costs $10 on turbo Squid or other similar sites. It probably cost that person $60 to to save $10. The same analogy goes for PlusSpec.

I have made the position clear and have set the price. If you want to get your local registered training provider to contact us for a Student version please do. If you want to get involved with PlusSpec because you have a heap of time we have plenty for you to do and in return we will help you with a license.

We can use more people as we are being bombarded with people learning Plusspec for their business.

Plusspec will save you hundreds of hour of work and make you look like a professional or more of one.

This software is professional software that is easy to use. If you do not want it do not buy it.

Keep up the good work guys, I have customers to support and people to help.

I love Sketchup and its development community!

Hey guys thanks for taking the time to comment.
Universities currently get PlusSpec for $66, Students get PlusSpec for $66 via university.
There is plenty of stuff on YouTube that shows live working in PlusSpec.
https://www.youtube.com/user/rubysketch

I have to be straight guys, at this point in time I will not be reducing or changing the licensing system. If you choose not to buy it that is your call and I totally understand your situation, in return I want you to understand mine. If you really really want PlusSpec and you want to be a part of the team, PM me with your email address. I will always do my best to help out the little guy...

If you would like to win PlusSpec there is a competition on our site for the best use of Layout.
https://www.plusspec.com/pluspec-layout-competition.html This is a great way to get yourself exposure and a great way to get PlusSpec for Free. ... and yes you can submit existing work.

......Or I can throw down the gauntlet and give a one time opportunity.
If you are or you know a CAD genius I do not care what software they use: Revit Archicad , Bentley or the best Sketchuper in the world.
If the intern in my office (Grant 19 years of age( Grant does not know this yet)) can not draw up and estimate a job 5 times quicker than the fastest person in the world or the fastest person you can get. I will give everyone that has posted above this line 5 years for free! Ouch that could hurt .

I will get Drew to start a new post on Sketchucation with all of the details and lets have a good old fashion race... like they did in the old days just a bit more geeky .

Now I have to get back to work. Talk soon.

All I can tell you is PlusSpec is what you need for a professional modern day outfit. I know that this is now changing the world we live, design and build in. It is up to you to try and you can do that at no cost, when you opt out within 30 days. This is a revolution that far surpasses your expectations & I am sorry you feel the way you do. I understand the reasoning of your comments yet I beg to differ.

Until you use our software I think it will be hard for you to understand what we have done and it will be hard for you to know where we are going with this, time will tell. There was a trial version available for free yet we found we were dealing with people trying to crack it. This I can not allow, it is stealing! So for you honest guys, I apologise.

Drawing a model that looks like a house and drawing a model that is a house are two different animals. If you are drawing models that look like a house you have only charged for a small percentage of the work that has been handed to you. In "Sketchup" a wall is a rectangular prism with a material associated, In "PlusSpec" a wall is made up of the necessary components to build it, your engineer can certify it and contractors can build it. Many charge Extra for the documentation that is produced in Plusspec this by itself will pay for your license in one jobs. Builders using PlusSpec are now charging for quotes that they used to do for free...... and the list goes on.

The cost to change a model into true virtual design is something you are missing out on if you do not have our software. If you are doing it manually you are losing time and time is money.
Our users are now drawing a full build-able model in Sketchup that would normally take them 100+ hours in less than 1 hour with a BOQ (Bill of Quantities). Need I say more?

As far as price rises go you are not comparing apples with apples. IE Pre release versus actual.

We will continue to produce the best software for our industry and we will do it from real world experience. I hope to see you there, if not I wish you all the best my friends.
Kind regards Andrew

This problem appears to come when a Sketchup user is using a none English version. We are yet to confirm but this seams to be the issue from testing in our office.
I am sorry to say the Plusspec currently works with the English version of Sketchup. We will be looking into this more. I hope that helps.
Also Igor I noticed that you do not have a paid version of PlusSpec yet you have used a trial version sometime ago. This is where you problem stems from.

@highlander said:

When exporting to ifc, no classification is assigned to the different part like ifcwall etc. etc.

Is this something that is coming or do you need to do this manually?

Sander

17th of February will answer all of your questions and more.

IFC YES
Custom timber sizes, YES
and lots lots more!

Igor we always get back to our users. We have encountered this problem once before yet can not replicate on the 30 plus computers with the same spec as yours in our office. Do you have time to contact us today? we will actually log into your computer remotely and do our best to fix it. It would be great to know why 1 in 1000 computers does this and you could really help us. In return we will extend your license for free.

I am talking with the developer as I type and he is asking what the system language is set to ?
And what Language of Sketchup did you buy?

Could you please go to the forum, I pay someone full time to check it yet I can not pay 30 people to check every forum every minute of the day.

No one likes yearly renewals, yet at the same time no one likes 10 year old software. The technology industry is changing so quickly that constant development is required. The new PlusSpec 2015 is 10 times better than PlusSpec 2014 and the cost to keep the latest software is less than a case of beer per week and the renewal cost is less than 10% of most of its competitors.
The new version of PlusSpec comes out mid Feb 2015 Michael (MWDS) and you will not find anything even remotely close to what you are looking for other than PlusSpec. Call me after you try the rest.

We also do not like IE yet to create tools that have more power you need a minimum of IE9. If you are going to do it you may as well update to the latest being IE 11.

In Australia we changed from imperial to metric 30+ years ago. I still call a stick of timber 4 by 2 as I was taught by an imperial carpenter. I taught apprentices 15 years ago that looked at me with the "wtf" look in their eyes, now they say 4 by 2 instead of 90 by 45.
The only thing easier about imperial over metric is it is quicker to say 4 by 2 sheet than it is to say 90*45 the rest of the imperial system is far more complicated than need be. Working in tens is just simple, yet I understand why it is not being changed as Kristoff says.

I read that someone has not had support re loading issues? I am not aware of that and I need to be (PM please). We have come across one issue that is a 1 in 200 event where there is a ruby error that we are working on. It is a hard one as we do not have control over the rubycode. It was fixed by Sketchup yet it just raised its ugly head again yesterday. ARGGGGHHHH.

As far as window hinging we will mostly likely change the USA version if it is of concern. PlusSpec was made to make mistakes less likely not more likely.

Anyone love the new sidelight and highlights in the windows? We will make a video tutorial on the new windows soon. the best thing about the window sis they work according to industry standard sizes so it makes it easier to specify. If you have your favourite local window company or you want a major one on board in the USA let us know which one and we will chase them up.
I know some USA users are simply selecting the none option and inserting windows from the warehouse. It is a lot slower yet it is a solution. The best solution is to give your favourite window company a call and tell them to contact us. We make complex, fast , optimised dynamic components to suite their sizes and naming conventions and you may have noticed the new tab in the scene creator turns off everything except windows. Click take off button and hey presto you have window schedule. I copy and paste the text straight in to layout. One thing you will like about what we have done is you can simply click the label tool in layout and the window will be named correctly and you have the choice to choose sizes. MMMmakes me smile

Highlander there is a lot of questions in one post. Ill make it short.

1. What about manufacturers in Europe (The Netherlands).
   Give them our number and we will build their components properly so they estimate and perform.

2. I want to create my own profiles for the windows/doors, is that possible? We do a lot of restoration projects and nothing is standard.
   Windows are customisable yet if you don't like them select none in the window menu and either create your own or use the 3d warehouse and the BIM tool provided with PlusSpec for quantification and layer management

3. Same with the walls.
   You can change materials which will change walls. If you have a one off wall that will never be made again use Sketchup and associate a PlusSpec material. You can then estimate that wall, or us a combination. you have to remember you are still in Sketchup you can explode walls and change geometry to your liking. . I suggest getting to know how to use it first and in a couple of weeks you will have the ability to create you walls.

4. If A builder uses the exported IFC file (from SU) can he continue with that file (in REVIT, Archicad etc.),
   yes yet you will loose the parametric ability. The geometry comes out nicely

5.window plans and scenes are easy. there is tab for it.

6. Room tags, use Sketchup yet if you would like to elaborate we will make it. We are working on a tool that sounds like what you refer to now

7.No dutch translation as of yet, Interested in doing it?

8. we have people in 102 countries I would think so yet have to check

9 LOD is a concept made up by Revit users that are implementing LOD so they can draw more efficiently as Revit gets bogged down when there is too much detail in a model or they have not had the time or knowledge to create a working drawing, or they do not want to be responsible for the detail because they do not know what they are specifying. For those who do not know what LOD is LEVEL OF DETAIL or LEVEL of development depending on which stage of the design process you are talking about. Level of development I understand and agree there is a use. There is no point adding the fine detail before a feasibility study has been done.
PlusSpec has mainly been developed for residential yet we have done some huge models that work well if you know how to drive Sketchup and you keep your component poly size to a minimum. Use the RubySketch library is my tip. It is free. http://www.rubysketch.com

10 no the guys at Skalp have done a fantastic job with their tool. We need to get the time to get the Skalp guys and us together.

11. PlusSpec is $795 for the first year $395 there on in. Worth every penny you'll save 10 times over in one job.

Sorry about all the grammar and spelling, I have a meeting to go to. My typing is rubbish
Do yourself a favour and download it http://www.plusspec.com

Dave check out tutorial 0 in help on the first screen. It is the best way to get the basics. We are running training in Sydney Australia and we are looking for trainers all the way around the world now.
Anyone interested in getting involved let us know.

@jql said:

I'm just suspicious of a couple of things:

• Heavy models - With all those multilayered walls Skalp will need for sections.
• Corner details - As those multilayered walls will need a lot of detail on junctions with windows, different structural elements, other walls and design variations.
• Window/door configurations - Frame/no frame, insertion on multilayered walls, editability and configurations on details.

For me BIM really imposes on you wich is the opposite of sketchup wich releases your design ideas.

I simply hate standards... will I work fine on Plusspec?

I could not have written a better reply to the post if I tried.

• Heavy models - not on your life. We have nailed this down to a tee.
• Corner details -done and done
• Window/door configurations- We build windows to manufacturers requirements, yet you will find that most windows all use a similar set of rules, therefore allowing you to configure easily. We are making videos on this now and they will be associated with the full version. we are looking for manufacturers in each country and or state.

The industry needs to work to standarsds yet there is no "standard" standard. Omni class, Uni Class, Natspec and the list goes on. We have worked to a typical naming convention that is pragmatic & customisable. We do have improvements to make yet I am sure you will find the freedom second to none.
Logic is where Plusspec excels, yes there is work flow logic to adhere to yet is very flexible.

I don't like to hear architects, builders, designers or engineers snigger about the pitfalls of Sketchup. I have not heard one do it after they have seen PlusSpec. Imagine what they will say when we release our full version.

JQL, we can bang on about this for hours mate, do yourself a favour and use the free trial. Yes we are still making improvements, yet what we have already is more than enough to answer all of your question and some. BIM does not have to be time consuming or difficult if you have the right tools.

Hi all, thanks for the reply, questions & suggestions.

@cadmunkey said:

Does it support UK steel section sizes? If so would it be able to do a complete take off of quantities for a full steel frame model?

We have all Australian Steel sizes complete yet we will create USA, UK and every other steel size as we get further into each country. The best thing for us is to have the manufacturers of the steel or any product involved. As Previously stated BIM's catalyst is construction and constructability yet to begin construction you first need materials that are made by manufacturers. We have received a couple of PMs in regard to actual construction companies having their products made and we are working through this now. Really what we need is all of the community to let us know what they need made to make their work easier. Things like product name , brand or even contact details will be of assistance.

@sketchydog said:

But having said that, you're going to have to emulate most of the intelligent features of Revit to be successful.

We don't plan on emulating Revit features as essentially our aim is to create virtual construction models (with in reason of course). Revit have used one method to do this and we are using another, our method is easier to understand and implement for the end user and it is faster / cheaper to communicate to the consultants in my opinion.

@sketchydog said:

You've got to have walls, for instance, that are highly controllable as a TYPE (or dynamic component if we are thinking in SU terms). Need to control overall wall thickness, structure (all the elements of the wall, outer skin, substrate, vapour retarder air infiltration barrier, insulation, studs/structure, inner substrate, inner finish...with thickness and specific attributes for each. You need to be able to cut a section or plan detail in any wall, or junction of walls, and see all the materials that make up that wall type. AND- you need to be able to adjust the visibility level of detail, so that in 1/8" scale plans, you don't have all that detail trying to print and showing up as solid black, and conversely, that when you are seeing 1 1/2" details, all that detail embedded in the wall type now shows up. AND- you've got to able to effectively tweak and draft over these details as they appear on "sheets"...because the model will NEVER be detailed enough for 1 1/2" or 3" details.

I agree 100% I think we have covered this well and with the next version we'll have a solution for all countries. Level of detail has been covered yet assigning materials in the section has been something we have been talking to the guys at Skalp about as those guys have done a fantastic job in this space. Level of detail (LOD) is something Revit struggles with especially in the time taken to attribute actuals. I am quietly confident our solution is better, only time will tell.

All in all PlusSpec makes design, collaboration and building faster and easier, PlusSpec also makes Sketchup much more powerful. As a result we have a more efficient work flow and therefore industry.
I am looking forward to hearing your feedback positive and negative. Thanks for your responses.

Thanks for comments guys, I only have minute now to reply, I will try to reply properly tomorrow.
PlusSpec windows will cut through 4 faces and you can adjust the window and also change the glass type, frame size, reveal, etc. Here is a private link on YouTube I did not make http://youtu.be/MCncdebWVv4
We do have full Australasian Steel section sizes that are Parametric and also show weights and some beams even have connections built in.
Feel free to send us the sizing and or the company that makes the steel or distributes and we can make it no problems.
Yes once we make you will be able to do a take off from the steel and weight.
talk soon.

OUCH
Thanks for clearing it up, I hope to please you much with good product.
I assume you are talking about the native Sketchup 3d scenes and styles. You know what, you are probably right the low resolution screen captures probably don't do the post justice.
The main reason was to show the full building so everyone could see the amount of detail in the model from a distance. All of this detail comes with attributes and structural information and that is something many designers pay little attention to. If you are going to give PlusSpec a try please attach a few images of what you come up with and the time taken as a newbie. Then go and draw the same thing in Revit and let us all know how long both projects took you. This will give us all a true comparison. If you have spare couple of weeks you may even be able to create a bill of materials in Revit. As you say
@jql said:

a very specialized market like architecture and construction.
?

Construction is the catalyst for BIM. Essentially it is the "I" (information) that is important in the model, not the line weight, Architecture requires form and function yet feasible constructability and price is the trump card. Real construction requires materials to build with, a schedule to build from, and cost of construction. This is what many architectural firms struggle with yet the industry is demanding it.
PlusSpec empowers you with this information. BIM is new to many and many don't want to the extra responsibility of actually specifying real product. The truth is many architects should not be specifying structure and neither should builders as this is the job for the engineers and consultants. In saying that if you do not have a basic understanding of structure how can one design a structure? I send complex models to the engineer via the use of PlusSpec. Communication is made easy with small file size, not line weight. This saves tens of thousands of dollars and a feasibility study that directly relates to the model is exactly what the client wants. With the full version of PlusSpec you can change the model and the price changes with it. Hooooooray!

If you are referring to "Sticks" I assume you mean line weight or style selection that is really up to the end user. If you are talking about 2d documentation you really should be looking at the Layout file. If you are talking about rendering then render the model or get someone to render it for you. If you are talking about rendering you really are not talking about BIM.

It appears to me as though you are more attracted to the render and rendering is a very important part of presentation to the client yet means very little to the builder, subcontractors or consultants. Pretty pictures are for presentation, PlusSpec is for the professional who not only needs to be able to comment and collaborate on the model, he or she needs to be able to send the file, collaborate and on it. Collaborators need to be able to suggest or make changes to it and ensure it can be built. No one likes designing something that will never be built and PlusSpec will reduce the likelihood.

@unknownuser said:

Does exist a youtube video of these Event ?

The event was last week, I will let you know when it is available.

@jql said:

Plusspec grabs sticks to the look of Sketchup yet it is trying to get into a very specialized market like architecture and construction.

Sorry JQL, I am not quite following the grabs sticks comment? Architecture and construction is a very specialised industry and many software companies have ventured into this space in the past. Ease of use and learning curve are the main reason we did not simply purchase their software, instead we created PlusSpec.
Building information modelling (BIM) is not complicated when you are explained the basics. Essentially Sketchup allows you to easily draw geometry that represents a real life product visually and the interpretation is done visually. Traditional BIM software gives the user that ability to add information to a representation so it can be translated in documentation (text). Once the text is produced it needs to be associated with important information such as size, unit of measure, cost, even weight and sustainable information ETC. Getting this information accurately and easily from the model in early concept stage is imperative for feasibility studies, scheduling and communication.
PlusSpec differs from it's BIM competitors by creating geometry (windows, structure, cladding, rooves ETC.) and attributing or associating the geometry with a product and a unit of measure. It then collates this information and exports into a format that is easy to interpret. PlusSpec creates geometry parametrically that is traditionally associated with a wall , roof , floor etc. and it adds it to a layer so you can view it when you choose and turn it off when designing. The beauty of parametrics is: walls, windows and rooves can be changed without a full redraw or even opening a group or component. Even if you don't need the information your draw time will be halved & the best thing about having Plusspec inside of Sketchup is the ability to create without limitation. If you need to quantify the Sketchup geometry simply use the BIM tool.

After reading what I just wrote it is a lot easier to use than it is to write about.

@jql said:

NOTE2: I don't believe in most BIM plugins for Sketchup. Might be an image problem or might be my own mistrust in BIM workflows or even the kind of architecture I see that emerges from BIM software. Maybe it's all of this together... Having said that, do you have a trial?

I believe you will be pleasantly surprised with PlusSpec, the work flow is easy to follow & yes there is a 14 day trial available at http://www.plusspec.com. When you open PlusSpec you will find 30 tutorials and an interactive tutorial that actually talks you through the process.

I am not sure if you are aware that photo rendering and high poly modelling is not usually associated with BIM. Why? That is because all of the extra info associated with the geometry slows the drawing process. We have done a lot of work in Plusspec to minimise the Sketchup file size to allow photo realistic rendering. The model above is a good example. We also created a library of products where all Sketchup and PlusSpec users can access low poly models that have information associated via dynamic components. It is free and you can find them at http://www.rubysketch.com. RubySketch gives you the right amount of geometry and the correct image size according to the product, If you want quality furniture and fittings that don't slow you down give it a try. It wont cost you a cent.

Hi Guys,

I thought you may like to know that we took SketchUp and PlusSpec to a national event in Perth,Western Australia where Revit, Archicad and Bentley were all showing off the latest and greatest advances they have made in the BIM industry.

There were several architects who rubbished SketchUp when it came to BIM, even in front of the Trimble representatives. I must say it got on my goat a little as well yet I bit my tongue and smiled as I knew we were about to show something that would change their opinions...

I hosted a lab session in front of many hard core Revit users, Bentley sales team, university professors and CEOs of large construction and retail chains in Australia. We ran a competition where the attendees had to guess the model size of a building drawn with PlusSpec. Some attendees guessed up to 700 meg yet the model weighed 14meg. 

We drew a high rise apartment block and did a full quantity take off in front of the audience and by the end of the demonstration we received a resoundingly positive response.

We showed how to associate prices with Products.

We demonstrated how to add structure without knowing structure through Parametrics.

We showed a full material break down including concrete, timber and bricks.

We showed a commercial building that was done entirely in PlusSpec and rendered. BIM models are not supposed to be rendered yet we achieved it in photo quality.

We demonstrated preparing for Layout with a single click, cavity walls with windows, curved rooves, gable rooves, skillion rooves and hip rooves.

The aim of PlusSpec was to create an affordable, professional set of drawing tools that would reduce the time taken to draw a BIM model, minimise errors when drawing, allow simple change outs of dynamic windows and doors, add properties for insulation and special glazing types and have the model at a size that could be used to collaborate with all involved. Most importantly PlusSpec allows everyone to do a feasibility study early in the design process. How many designs have you slaved over that were never built?

After the conference I was asked many a question from the BIM community over a relaxing beer. I explained why we created PlusSpec and the reason it is so much cheaper. I noticed one of the guys present getting very uncomfortable, he then stood up mid conversation and walked out in a huff. I asked the Bentley guy (who instigated the conversation) what his problem was. . . the answer I got was that guy was the head sales rep for a Revit re distributor. Our intention is not to upset the more expensive software providers our aim is to give everyone the power to create and quantify at an affordable price.

Nice work Oli!

Currently the resubscription is the $395 Yet we have really only been live for 3 months so we still have 9 months to come up with a more suitable ongoing payment method. Ill keep you posted on changes. If the Aussie dollar keeps going down like it is you will probably pick it up for 5 bucks.

I wrote a Plugin that would be right up your alley.
https://www.plusspec.com/
I started as a carpenter, builder, designer in the residential industry. I need to be able to design quickly yet estimate with precision. I needed to be able to conceptualise using Sketchup yet validate the design with construction attributes. I can not see the point in designing and then manually quantifying so essentially I employed 3 developers to write a plugin to do exactly that. It took me 7 years and the original intention was to keep it in house as it gave me an advantage over my competitors locally.
PlusSpec will add multiple dynamic window types into multiple wall types including cavity walls, add rooves, floors, concrete add textures The new version that is due to be released soon will enable you to create your own walls from your own textures and add pricing and wastage. There is too much to list in this post yet the Plugin comes with 36 tutorials and an interactive tutorial that talks to you inside of Sketchup.

PlusSpec is far more expensive than your everyday plugin yet there is good reason for this $395 (about $370 US dollars). It is super powerful and will cut your design and estimating time 10 fold.

PlusSpec is parametric so you can change on the fly. All the windows and doors can be moved and deleted and the structural components will change to suite. You will also notice PlusSpec comes with a library of over 750 individual models that are free and they are low poly, which keeps you models easy to navigate on a low spec computer.

There is a 30 day money back guarantee as well.

Here is an example of one of the jobs AAD Build just completed with PlusSpec.

BTW I am hearing a lot of good things about Thea render from many Sketchup pro users. I personally outsource my rendering Pete (Solo). Pete makes my homes easy to sell and it saves me a lot of time also.

Nice work Pete!

I have many more examples of work designed and build with Plusspec and I have vast experience with construction. Please feel free to ask, I will answer when I can.

Heres the latest houses just completed with PlusSpec. I'd like to see some of the Sip projects you mention included in PlusSpec, if you could add some photos that would be great.