Cheers, I did think why don’t I just start it up after I posted. Hard drive takes 5 mins to get going .

There has been an update to SketchUp v2015 so you should install the newest version, which fixes a few issues [note that this update is at no cost]. With SketchUp v2015 Pro the same license-code will now work on both PC or MAC. So in theory if you also install SketchUp v2015 Pro on a MAC you can activate it with the same license code you already have. If the two computers are on the same network, then only probably only one version SketchUp will get licensed at a a time - the license-checker spotting if that license is already used on the network and then preventing a duplicated use...

....and beer Seriously though, if I had 10k to drop on a PC I'd have gone for a proper bespoke job with someone like E22.

Yes that's the one I meant, freddo tools. Although Cotto's way will work just fine. Thanks chaps

Thanks Dave, I keep forgetting that you can actually 'draw' in LO as well.

Hey, I also use SU primarily for exhibition design work, so hope this may be useful. For rendering I use Thea, which I've found offers the best balance between quality and speed in a deadline-driven environment. As for drafting, it really depends on the level you need. For knocking out some quickly dimensioned elevations, Layout does the job, but for drafting from-scratch, I found it way too laborious (I do accept this may be my shortcoming, not SketchUp's). For 2D drafting, I've moved over to NanoCad, which has a VERY Autocad-like interface, and more importantly is FREE, for the basic version which does everything I need. Between SU, Thea and NanoCad, I think I've got it covered cheers, A

an intel core i7-4790K will give you the highest possible single core performance without overclocking today: 4,4GHz ...and an all core turbo of 4,2GHz.

I have a copy of Draftsight and use it on occasion along with AutoCAD. Very similar feel and functions. I can transfer .dwg drawing files both ways and have not found any significant degradation in data. I have found it very useful if someone sends me an Acad file saved in a newer version than mine. What my Acad will not open, Draftsight will. To answer Ands43 I agree with JGA, from experience that you can import and re-use your title blocks from Acad. There is another free 2D program, DoubleCad XT5 which is a product from IMSI. It has two big brothers, TurboCAD LTE 6 and TurboCAD LTE Pro 6 which have a low cost, but function very much like Acad LT. DC has a builtin opening screen with many size drawing templates. Both work well with Sketchup

Thanks Kaas

Of course the link Kaas supplied refers to LayOut 2014. By your profile it looks like you're still using LayOut 3 (it says you are using SketchUp 8, still) so Auto Text won't be available. In that case, you'll just put in page numbers manually with text boxes like any other text.

@unearthed said: Don't you mean .skb file extension ~.skp is the MAC equivalent of PC's .skb - it's the backup file... personally, I have them turned off in Preferences, so they don't clutter anything, and Autosave, I only use occasionally... but I 'Apple S' [save] regularly... why? it seems the occasionally SU will attempt to do all 3 at once, updating the ~.skp, the Autosave-.skp and the .skp, it takes a disproportionate amount of time on even a simple model... the more Plugins with 'Observers' or open 'Panels', the longer this will take... I can redraw my changes with a fresh eye quicker than that, so I use 'Save' instead... I do occasionally come unstuck... I don't recall any way of setting it to a different folder... john

I'veused VW since 2005 (currently on v2012). Due to it's odd way of handling 3D I've only used it in plan view (except for cut & fill ops) - compared with Acad it's a step backwards, whereas SU is yards ahead of both in 3D. In a nutshell VW is like having a dog and barking yourself. I do everything in 3D in SU and then export to VW for say plant counting or area calcs as VW has a good internal spreadsheet (but it's NOT excel and VERY poorly documented). VW does NOT work with Excel despite what you may be told about ODBC linking. I also send images out of SU for layup in VW. I've found SU LO to be too slow but it's probably my machine. I also show my clients live 3D models and plans over the web from SU - I've tried screencasting VW but client screen output is black(screenleap works but not join.me). ASFAIK VW was written (in Pascal) for macs, and appearsto have been ported to Windows - it is also absolutely dependent on the version of Quicktime current @ time of release (this is not well-documented and can cause genuine stress). BEWARE of auto Quicktime updates. My work is landscape architecture and planning (from courtyards to coalmines - mine reinstatement surfaces), so I work at both very small, and very large scales - VW in my experience doesn't perform very well when a site gets very large (>3km across) or very complex. When I have more money I'll switch to Rhino3D plus a few of it's plugins - which will still make it only 1/2 the price of VW. Also Grasshopper is going to push my planting plans to new levels. Some things: can be very hard to achieve small email-size pdfs, due to inefficient data handling, and putting bitmap info outside the viewport into the file - the only solution is to tile and class each tile separately! That said I've just finished a complex planting joband seven sheets come to 6Mb and the client can zoom right in to small groups of plants, which I'm happy with. VW has plugins but they are scarce with poor backward/forward compatibility). There are some great plugin writers. But the support https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm site is looking tired and visits seem to be falling off. There are occasional scaling issues where metric/inch conversion seems to be going on seem to be the core problem - The layer class idea is good in concept; but poorly implemented - Rhino has sub-layers, whereas VWs layers and classes are separate. Each layer can have it's own scale too and when you make a layer it can default to anything - be aware (lack of validation is almost a theme with VW) Depending on your field there can be very few people using it seriously. In a word I'm still ambivalent - with landscape architecture and software you often have to take what comes.

Huh? Could you make your question more clear? The transition from Google to Trimble should have been seamless as far as licenses were concerned.

@dale said: Having used both Mac and PC with SketchUp, I still feel the Mac version is way more glitchier than the PC. This also really depends on the video card. The dreaded NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M in the older MacBook pro with its blackout issues is a real winner. I too find the my PC version is more stable than my mac. Set your autosave up and create back ups. If it persists on a particular model copy the geometry to a blank model, that helps on my mac.

Thanks Tig

I have updated it but it still has the same number!

@tails said: They are official resellers on 1001bits website, but I'll go direct. Good choice. Top tool

Thanks TIG template sorted.

Thankyou for putting all the videos up!

Thanks Dave!