Posts made by Aureus

@slbaumgartner said:

You didn't say which version of Windows, and Rich apparently missed your title saying the issue is with SU 2015 Pro since your profile still says SU V7.

Since you say "few hundred plugins", I'd bet that you moved to SU 2015 by just copying the plugin files from v7 to 2015? There have been enough major changes from v7 to 2015 that copying plugins across is an almost certain road to disaster! You must obtain fresh, up-to-date copies and install them in SU 2015. Yes, extremely tedious! But since Trimble does not produce the plugins and extensions, they have no way to safely do this for you. Almost anything could be wrong with any specific plugin.

And not only that - I know at least for Windows XP that SU2014 doesn't have that folder named 'Plugins' at the end of this path: "C:\Program Files\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014" (but you do have Plugins in the menu bar anyway).

New versions of rb files can be dropped in the "Tools" folder /I've checked "dropverts.rb", "loop_subdiv.rb" and "clf_scale_rotate_multiple.rb" - they work fine/.

Otherwise you need to install plugins from within the program by using "Install Extension" (Window/Preferences/Install Extension) and they must be rbz files. Or you can use SketchUcation plugin for that.

@thunderclapmorgridge said:

2 a Move function that is isolated to move only... Move needs to be simple basic and not need a tutorial to relieve confusion and frustration.

One doesn't need a tutorial for moving only - you move and don't press CTRL. As simple as that. But it's great that it copies things when you press CTRL. And then when you're there you type, for example "6x" and after ENTER you have 7 same things (lines, surfaces, groups, components, whatever) at the same distance. Or if you press "/6" it puts them inbetween and you don't have to calculate distances. And of course, if you use keyboard shortcuts, it's so quickly and easy.

The same can be said for the ROTATE tool.

I don't want this being changed.

Maybe he still has Windows XP or Vista.

SU2015 cannot be installed on systems older than Windows 7. But in that case SU2014 would do pretty fine.

@driven said:

you can 'Backout' with the 'Esc' key, and 'in' with simple mouse clicks?
what am I missing?
john

Not missing anything.

You're right again. The ESC key does that work the with no need for any plugin (not you have to keep Outliner open).

All you need is to press it as many times as steps you've made when going into a certain group/component.

So for example, if you're editing a group which is inside a component which is inside another component which is...inside another group which is inside another component which is...inside another component (don't laugh - if you model a tree, you know what I mean)...then you need to press the ESC key five times in a row and voila - you've been pulled out. Luckily, it takes a 0.5 sec for those ones with quick fingers.

@jiminy-billy-bob said:

Use the Outliner ?

Yes, so far that's the fastest way. Simply I forget to keep it open, when I have some other windows open.

One another wish: don't make it licenced for montly subscription. Just in case you (Trimble) considered that like some other software manufacturers (Adobe for example).

@driven said:

@aureus said:

Does having "UseSunDorAllShading" checked all the time slow down work in any way?

I don't think it's as bad as 'Shadows'...
btw.. I removed my code block because I'm still deciding on the final setting's, 100 100 is probably better for zero shadows...
would you mind deleting it from your reply?
john

Surely not that bad but if does slow down work, then better to be unchecked with large models prior final exporting images. As for large models and smooth work - I skipped SU2013 but when I installed 2014 I noticed a very nice difference compared to SU8: one big file which took SU 203 seconds to open was an easy task for 2014 - only 17 seconds! The same computer and system. I don't know what they did but they did it excellent!

But let's return to the wishlist.

It's not the biggest thing but right now moving from editing complex components and groups back to the whole model is making me pretty annoyed...
I wonder if one day this could be a bit easier... Right now you need to click somewhere out of the box of the group/component which can be hard if it's bigger than your window.

@driven said:

I normally set it in ruby code so I should of checked ...

           Sketchup.active_model.rendering_options["BackgroundColor"] = (Sketchup;;Color.new(0,255,0,255))
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["UseSunForAllShading"] = true
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["DisplayOnGroundPlane"] = false
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["DisplayOnAllFaces"] = false
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["DisplayShadows"] = false
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["Dark"]  = 100
>                     Sketchup.active_model.shadow_info["Light"] = 0
>                     Sketchup.active_model.rendering_options["EdgeDisplayMode"] = 0

gives me an unshaded 'green screen' view when exporting images...

john

Anyway, you're obviously much more into this than me. Does having "UseSunDorAllShading" checked all the time slow down work in any way?

Actually, you were right, there's a way to fix it. The "UseShadowForShading" should be CHECKED but "Shadows" should be OFF (View-Shadows-Off).

And DARK level should have much more value than LIGHT (in this case meaning less contrast). Upon installing SU it's usually vice versa /Light-80, Dark-45/ though it should be different: more like about Light-45 (or 30), Dark-80.

An interesting combination.

Thanks.

@driven said:

I think you want "UseSunForAllShading" unchecked in the 'Shadow Settings' dialog...
toggle it and you can see the difference of your 'Light/Dark' choices better, set 'View' >> 'Shadows' off when you do it...

john

John, the image was from the SU model which has all that what you say. "UseSunForAllShading" was unchecked and the shadows were off. If on - all the surfaces would be pretty dark thanks to that 'overhanging'.

Good to know, where's that option? (SU2014)

I know to adjust it for shadows (Shadow Settings - Light, Dark) .

This might have been already discussed somewhere but I find a bit weird the way Sketchup displays colours of surfaces. It uses the different shades of the same colour for surfaces at different angles to your view and this is OK and normal as it gives you a clue about 3D aspect of your model. But I find that contrast between those shades is exaggerated. I got used to it (though never entirely) but not once happened that the client stared at the darker shade of a certain colour asking to change it - not realizing it's the same colour he/she likes/sees on the other surface!

See the image. (For those ones who want to check it: RGB - 222, 230, 255)

P.S. Actually, none of these shades are close enough to the original as the frontal surface is too bright. And don't try to apply shadows too this...

To widen this topic a bit.

Does anyone knows some good and free collection of low-poly trees and bushes? I need it for some landscape/cityscape design.

I have a model of the terrain with streets and several hundred buildings and some extra stuff...And all that makes a model of 800,000 entities. And then I import a tree from a warehouse and - puff - my whole complex model displaying a significant part of the town has 800,000 entities and one sole tree has a milion and half!

Hi, numerobis.

So you're under ten milion entities in Sketchup anyway and generally speaking you're doing pretty well with five?

That's not bad actually. One can model a lot of things with that number of entities if a proper way of modelling is applied.

I remember when I first used 3DSMax ten years ago, one experienced guy told me: "Son, you don't put 32 segments for a circle which is in the background of the scene."

@jim said:

There are other settings like OpenGL and Styles in SketchUp that affect performance. You need to be more specific about what settings you use in order to get useful feedback. Perhaps specify a Style for testing purposes.

I myself mostly work with "Shaded With Textures" but with "Shadows" turned off and simple style without bacground colours. Of course, I switch to other settings if necessary.

Hi, guys.

I'd like to hear what is the maximum number of entities (edges and lines) your computer and SU version can handle without making you too much headache?

My machine is rather modest: Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2220 - 2.4 GHz, 3.23 GB of RAM, XP SP3. I use SU 8. Usually (if image textures are not applied) I can work within the range 600,000-1,500,000 entities. When the number is close to one million opening the file takes two-three minutes.

In relation to this - what are your experiences with other 3d modelling programs?

@unknownuser said:

@aureus said:

I see you guys have some fun here.
Betting, eh?
Is it legal in all your countries?

in the u.s it is.. you just can't call it gambling.. call it casinos, bingo, lottery, etc instead...

@unknownuser said:

I didn't intend to be involved in criminal activities when I started this topic.

sure, i can see that.. but your intent was what exactly?

.

Modest as I am, I hoped to see some guy from the SU team dropping by with a big smile: "We have pleasure in announcing that next SU version is going to be released on May the 16th 2015..."
2013, sorry.

This gambler's addiction is taking more and more of my mind.
I think I must go dawn to the bet shop. There's a bunch of good matches this week but the odds are rather odd.

Beer for you, Jeff.

And for the SU team:

• Give us Chris Fullmer back, or give us something in return!

I see you guys have some fun here.
Betting, eh?
Is it legal in all your countries?
I didn't intend to be involved in criminal activities when I started this topic.

@solo said:

Every image gets a watermak so the whole terrain gets coved in Google watermarks.

Not only that but you also end up with a silly outline. If you need to crop it so that you get a normal rectangular outline you can try with exploding images and drawing a rectangle over their flat surfaces. Then you have to delete unwanted area. Or if you deal with 3-d images you need to employ intersecting method with an adequate cube.

I'm afraid watermarks are unavoidable in any case. That's Google Earth's policy: on every image you download you get some stuff so that everybody knows it's from Google Earth.

Obviously, this can be edited in some editing software outside Sketchup.

@3eighty said:

Duh..Forgot about Mustard..Was looking here..Thank You

You're welcome.

Not all plugins are here.

But if search for 'Make Faces' this link is also good:

http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.7888556.8344/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

@solo said:

Ah, thanks guys I'll give it a go.

One problem is the road names show up.

In my case, they disappear once the view is grabbed.