I guess that way you get to see the nuts and bolts of how the renderer works. I see you are aKT user...have you used recent versions of Povray? How do you like it as a renderer, I mean, assuming it has a pretty front end (like say SU2POV)?

Povray shouldn't be overlooked. It's free and there is now SU2POV exporter. Povray has no GUI of it's own, so people shy away from it. Some arch apps I have used include organic links to Povray. With my basic rendering skills, I have found it to be a pretty fine renderer. Haven't tried SU2POV but will soon.

very nice!! Thanks!!

Thanks Remus. I downloaded the latest version and it did update my existing install without changing any settings...as it should be.

What is the best way to install SU updates?

I find I have version 7.0.8657. If I check for updates I see there is a newer version. I can of course download it. Is it the complete new version or just the updates?

Should it be installed in a new folder leaving the old version intact? I really don't want to mess up any of my settings, plugins etc. So many questions!

Anyway, it's a very useful feature. Blender has a similar axis-locking function.

Thanks for that Gaieus and Teezer

For me this should go in the duh thread!

thanks everyone, i'll check out 1001 and k-tools

I currently use the extend11 ruby from Rick Wilson which extends a line to the next nearest line.

Does anyone know of a script that will extend a line to another selected line (not necessarily the nearest)?

very nice images. what do you use to create them?

the eraser tool trick is cool. to be able to select only visible geometry would also be good.

another way is to draw the first face of your new object. then dbl click select it and make it a group or component. then open the group and carry on building inside it without fear of affecting other geometry

Tricky, but nice

There is the Create Face utility which I think comes bundled with SU. (I think you have to enable it in Window > Preferences > Extensions > Utilities Tools)

If you have the outline of a shape, (no internal lines crossing the outline) AND all lines are coplanar AND form a closed loop, Tools > Utilities > Create Face should fill it for you.

I use it so often it has been assigned the shortcut "F". But it is fussy...any hint of non-planarity, or the slightest gap in the outline and...no go

(It sounds like you need to delete all the internal edges before using it)

PS, nice thread, interesting stuff and now I know about the unfold script...very useful! And, very nice sculpture work!

And yet, it seems like a pretty fine result to me!

Look forward to trying out that add-on! I often build the basic house structure in a cad app, simply because it's easier to build walls, make openings, etc...then move it over to SU.

I think, at least initially, having the wall corners not "tidied up" wiil be just fine. I often spend time tidying up like that only to find wall heights or roof pitches have to be changed...so a lot of wasted time

I guess when people start to use it, the feedback will start to flow, and the process can be tweaked as needed

Not sure what you mean by "routine"...an automatic process?

Anyway, what I tend to do in the case of raking wall intersections is keep the walls partially independent, at least during the design phase. Then the heights of the walls can be adjusted independently if needed...for example if the roof pitch needs to be changed. Either of the following would do:

If I really wanted to pretty it up later, I might put the roof on, group the roof and walls separately, hide top surface of roof, open wall group, select all, intersect with model:

I have noticed this problem since changing to version 7. The dxfs are exported from Cycas. I never had the problem with v6, but I've noticed it recently on the occasional wall. Could be a rounding issue with the dxf importer? just guessing.

I've started saving already

For the record, I have just had to retire my 600MHz Toshiba laptop from active service.

With its 128MB memory and 11GB harddrive running Windows 2000 and with an on-board video chip, it bravely powered SU6 through many a client presentation. (Granted, the model would often break up into wireframe if view changes were too rapid)

Now that I have shifted to SU7, and SU6 cannot open models made in version 6, when I tried to install SU7 on the old girl, I was met with the fatal message "Operating System not Supported".

So there you go. Progress. Still, she had to go sometime.

Although I am thinking that I could easily revert back to SU6 without really noticing, seeing that version 7 was hardly a quantum leap.

@panga said:

For a better render of walkthrough animation, don't forget Kerkythea, it's free, really simple to set up a walkthrough from sketchup scenes. For me the best way to achieve a good animation.

Have to agree with this, super easy and fine results