@starling75 said:

Austin Walker ...

Is that a clip from the forthcoming Transformers: Origins movie?

Just checked some of my installed fonts and found the same problem that LO will not allow its selection even though it is listed under "Family" e.g. "Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold". One for Google me thinks.

It's a grey cottage in the fog, can you not see it John?

Check which version of Autobad they have. If it's the latest get them to save the DWG as an earlier version (2010?) or possibly DXF.

Are they big files? I don't know if there is a size limit to importing.

Are they using a third party add-on which may create special data in the DWG that throws SU?

Haven't viewed your SWF.
Is the difference in weight so slight that you can't see it unless you zoom in?
Are the font weights showing in a print out / export?
Do you get the same problem with "standard" fonts?
Are you trying to use a non-standard font?
Do the font weights appear correctly in other software?

Hmmm, can't seem to duplicate the problem in a new drawing Jeff. May be one of those odd bugs that raise their head every now and then just to frustrate. Definitely had it though and the added space was the only way to get the string to be accepted.

This reminds me of one of the other great things about SU, I can open all my legacy drawings but my BIM software leaves me with a load of unresolved components if I try to open anything more than two years old

Dunno why but I really like what you did to the one in the hayfield!

I've had a similar problem with the string format in various LO tools. I found that adding a space after the comma seemed to cure it
e.g. "0.97, 0.97".

A alternative to Jim's obviously simple/preferred suggestion would be if client has V7 free, he could upgrade. Or if he's on Pro the price of the upgrade for the solid ops and Layout 3 are worth the price of entry, depending on how much he uses it!

Could solid state drives be an option in you NAS? Not sure how much cooling they need.

Because it's actually quick and fun to design with, unlike some BIM monsters out there that tie you down with programed limitations and administrative complexities.

This is what you are looking for...

http://rld.crai.archi.fr/rld/plugin_details.php?id=6

Updated link...

Plugin: Add Hidden Layer

Update Apr 2014 - Version 1.0.1 Add a Layer to your SketchUp model and control its visibility on existing and new Scenes. Use Activa...

(sketchuptips.blogspot.com)

I've found this link useful for learning the tools in SU...

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

(sketchup.google.com)

It's one level up from Rich's last link.

Impressive renderings! Really like the bed fabrics.

Just a couple of little observations... The image on the TV doesn't look right, seems too clear, and on the mock up you might like to try the TV higher up the wall for a more relaxed viewing angle.

Thanks for sharing.

An appropriate architectural reference that comes to mind is the Tower of Babel. CAD software companies will always have a hidden agenda that will confound the development of IFC or even 2D exchange, either for commercial advantage or purely down to the economics of developing a global data exchange mechanism. Don't hold your breath for a common solution anytime soon. In the mean time choose the tool that best fits the task.

Quite like the look of Spirit, but no advertised price on their web site?!

Is this at work or home?

For someone to help it might be useful if you posted your machine specs, OS and graphics card details for the problem machine.

So what do you think BIM offers that can't be done already?

I'm a one man band and still working through using SU for full CDs, but I see a versatile tool which through the use of layers & components allows for output in LO that does everything ArchiCAD has done for me over the last ten years. OK there may be speed benefits using some aspects of ArchiCAD, but the limitations are also frustrating and on balance if you know what you want, SU is in my view quicker and more adaptable for type of project and level of detail I put in to my drawings.

When it comes to analysis, SU can "Generate Report" to extract basic information or you can pull the figures direct from SU. Not used it in anger yet, but with Excel I'm sure I can get out what I need. As an example of using SU for analysis, I had a complex loft conversion a little while back modelled in ArchiCAD which required areas for heat loss calculation. I couldn't extract accurate figures from ArchiCAD and ended up producing a shell model in SU which gave me the figures I needed simply by labelling the various faces and adding them up. (Is it still ok to do addition manually? )

Still not convinced BIM is the wonder tool it's made out to be. It's still possible to have data exchange problems with a basic DWG file without adding the mysterious administrative burden of IFC.

I also believe SU is one of the best design tools out there! I'm certainly enjoying its ability to shape & manage my models & components. Think of it as a 21st Century drawing board, simple to use & practical in the real world where the builder needs clear simple drawings not a book full of data analysis.

Thoughts: Why if you had detailed all the junctions did you then outsource the CDs rather than continue to develop them in house?

If you are going to produce section cuts then SectionCutFace by TIG is an absolute must have!

Do a search for Dline, which is also a very useful basic addition to the general toolset.

Other than that there seems to be plugins for almost anything and if there isn't you can ask and someone may come up with a workaround or tip to help you achieve what you want.