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BuildEdge PLAN is released!
BuildEdge PLAN is a plugin for SketchUp for Windows (Mac version coming soon).
BuildEdge PLAN simplifies the creation and editing of walls and pitched roofs for modeling structures.
Visit http://store.buildedge.com/ to purchase.
Thanks!
Aaron
I'm with Edson. I was a little put off at first, but I think that I am enjoying it much more, now.
It really is a corporate logo, rather than a desktop icon. It is strong and simple, and it "fits" alongside the Trimble logo.
I think that is close, but based on mike breakdown, I don't think it can be models purely in 3d.
@mike lucey said:
Has anyone played around with the actual logo model? See attached file. It looks to me the the plan view does not correspond to the 3d view!
I take the point regarding a logo's requirement to 'look good' when zoomed out but we are now entering the age of retina display! So does this principle still apply?
Co-incidentally I tried out the 15" MBP Retina today in my local Apple store. It was hard to drag myself away and found my right hand reaching for the wallet in my back pocket but I resisted as I want to wait a few months to check out the 13.3" MBP Retina which is rumored to appear shortly.
My point being that things will look just as good, if not better on the 13.3" than my current 17" MBP.
So, my question is, should the 3D logo be a little more defined with line edges? We are going to be looking at this logo for some time to come
I was looking at your image, Mike, and I THINK that it is extruded "squares" with a heavy, 2D outline:
I drew an "extruded" square with red sides and white tops.
Then I used photoshop to trace around the outside with a thick outline, and changed all red to the same hue...
@krisidious said:
That's great. But SU plugin should be cheaper than Revit... Because people who own Revit obviously have money to burn.
Gaieus got it! Our BuildEdge Roof plugin (for that other software) is really just a macro that simplifies the creation of pitched roofs... BuildEdge PLAN allows you to create walls and roofs (with a far more intelligent and powerful roof engine) in SketchUp... and SketchUp is awesome! 
Hi SketchUcationers!
I am very excited to announce that we have a full version of BuildEdge PLAN available for purchase!
For any who don't already know what BuildEdge PLAN is, here is a quick run down on the features of our plugin:
With BuildEdge PLAN, you can quickly and easily create building geometry in an easy and intelligent way.
For more information, please visit our site http://www.buildedge.com
If you already know about us, and want to just straight to a purchse, please visit our store (http://store.buildedge.com) and get yourself a copy!
Thanks!
Aaron
SketchUp attempts to call back home every time it runs. I believe that you can get it to run when not connected to the internet, though. Nothing bad is happening when it does this, just letting the guys at home know you are running.
@gaieus said:
Please, report it to Aaron in his topic of BuildEdgePlan Beta here: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=46470
He'd definitely like to iron out all possible conflicts with SU and/or other plugins.
Got it in the main topic! Thanks for the catch!
@tig said:
@thomthom said:
Ctrl+Erase = Soft+Smooth
Shift+Erase = Hide
Ctrl+Shift+Erase = Un-soft+Smooth (But not Unhide!)
Use 'Entity Info' to manipulate selected edges' hidden/soft/smooth status OR alternatively use the context-menu 'Unhide' [or 'Hide']...
"Learn something new everyday!"
In this case... several new things.
Shift + Eraser to smooth...
I know that this has always been there, but I just discovered it recently (Duh!) thanks to another thread here... I cannot tell you how many times I have tweaked, and redone a push/pull or follow me command just to minimize the number of lines on a solid!
Ah... feels good to share my stupidity!
I think that a big advantage that digital media has over print is right there. To get the needed detail in a set of plans, you end up with an E size roll of paper under your arm. I know someone was asking about bigger tablets (which would be nice) but the advantage with a tablet, even a small one, is the ability to zoom. You don;t need an E size tablet if you can zoom in to the section you need to see. With print media, the scale and paper size limit what you can put onto a page, digitally, the limits disappear (or shrink!).
@mike lucey said:
On this subject! Its strongly rumored that the iPad will soon have a little brother with a 7.85-inch screen. I would like to see a big brother iPad with a screen size roughly equivalent to A4. This size with retina display should be capable of displaying the most complicated of Con Doc on a site. And I am sure many builders would adopt this tech rather that trying to open A1 sheets on wet and windy sites!
This kind of tech could also virtually eliminate the requirement for the designers / tech supervisors to pay site visits. Imagine this set up, a big bother iPad with built in cameras in the hands of the builder as he goes around the project talking / discussion the ins and outs with the designers back in the office with all kinds of data at their fingertips (really with their feet up drinking coffee) which would allow for nearly instant informative and accurate decision making that could only result in better projects being built.
A few years back I spoke to a design professional who said that the greatest advancement in the design/build industry he had seen in the past few decades was the fax machine. Not software or survey/construction hardware, but the fax. In this vein, I think that PDF, the first and most widely accepted digital drawing format, would get my vote for the "best" way to collaborate or share information.
I think this is a shame. I really think that technology is at a point where we can do exactly what Mike is saying. There is not reason that an architect cannot visit a site with a digital copy of his/her drawings. Or that a builder should not be able to mark up a plan set in the field digitally and send it back to the designer.
We are in the future... 
Wow! All they really need now is a slick plugin that makes it easier to model the structure onto the surveyed land... maybe there is someone working on something like that...
A new version of the plugin, now officially dubbed BuildEdge PLAN, is available to members of our focus group.
This newest version includes the ability to draw a wall or roof, and then modify their properties. This will allow you to draft a layout, and then make changes on the fly to the roof geometry or wall size/location.
Check out the link below to see a quick video:
If you are interested in using the pre-release version, drop me a PM, and I will add you to the focus group!
Thanks,
Aaron
We have a new version available for pre-release! If you are interested in helping us out by running this plugin and giving us your feedback, send me a PM and I will get you a copy to use today!
Thanks!
Aaron
The plugin is now available to those in the Focus/Beta group!
If anyone else is interested in joining (and running the software) just drop me a PM!
Thanks!
Aaron
New video of the software that we will be releasing to our focus group by the end of this week. If you are interested in joining the group, drop me a PM!
Thanks!
Aaron
@dan rathbun said:
What are your goals concerning the cost per seat ?
Will it require a SketchUp Pro edition ??
Will there be a more than one edition (ie, Novice, Pro, etc.)
Are you planning to incorporate any extensibility that would allow 3rd party extensions to your BIM system ?
Right now, we don;t have a set price, but we WILL have multiple levels of functionality, though, that is not set, either.
As of now, we don;t plan on making anything dependent on PRO, though I can see where having Layout would be ideal for this sort of work.
As of now, we are considering interfacing via a generic IFC format, but nothing is carved in stone.
@brewsky said:
Hi Aaron!
I'm also working on a BIM plugin for sketchup, check out:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=34007
I just added a tutorial to highlight it's functionality!Development could be much more effective when all sketchup-BIM-developers are working together.
I'm interested in your answer to Dan's question, is your goal a free(open source?) tool?
If so, would you be interested in joining forces?
And if not so, maybe together we could make some "BIM-guidelines", so a wall in one plugin can be recognized as a wall in another plugin...
Maybe even share IFC-import/export...Cheers!
Jan
I have seen your work in the past and I have to say it is quite impressive! As much as several of us enjoy the spirit of open source, we are being payed by a company who will want a return on investment, so it will be secured software that will be sold. As for the "BIM-guidelines", we are using the IFC standards, right now. They are not complete and, I feel, will change in the future, but it is a start, and it is already gaining acceptance and following.
Again, thank you for your input and comments, we are very excited about this product and are looking forward to as much input as we can get from the members of SketchUcation!
Thanks,
Aaron
