Thanks will do a search.

I'm not sure what happened. I use a Wacom tablet, and suddenly in SU when I press down on my mouse wheel, (Rotate tool) it ding/chimes. This never happened before. I'm not sure where to find the setting to switch this off. It only happens in SU. Suggestions?

I'd like to set up a short key, E, for "explode." Cant find explode in the command list. Anyone?

I know SU is not the best application for this but It's what I have to work with at the moment. I need to create a figure trapped in a net. Yep that fake movie "he stepped in a trap" net. I was thinking of using sandbox to shape it but I'm open to suggestions of other methods. The end result should be just what you've seen umpteen times in movies. The net needs to be dimensional but can't have faces obscure the figure.

Great plugin. Love the ability to pull from the sides to set position. I got a bug splat but can't remember exactly where in the process. Worked fine after that. I Agree with others it would be nice to be able to pic a top face and a bottom face in a set of stacked components/groups and have the plugin drill/cut through them all. But I can work with it as is.
Thanks.

I have not played much with the cameras in SU. I've found where I can change the cameras, i.e. 16:9, 4:3 etc. However, when I choose 16:9, am I not just changing the format, but lens focal length is something else. what is the standard focal length looking through a camera in SU. How can I set 18mm, 28, etc?

Opened this model I did some months ago with SU v7.1. (Using V8 now) The first image is as displayed, the second is when I mouse over any part of the model. All the lines seem in no relation to anything. I do have some other issues showing up. Sometimes when I push/pull an object the faces disappear but the outline remains. Then if I change view everything corrects. Today, when push/puling the faces of the object actually jumped to another area of the model. Again, after changing views it jumped back to the correct position.

I've been a SU user since V4. Thanks to the phenomenal plugin writers I've gotten extremely fast for our project purposes--Film, TV, theatre. I often have to model sets with construction details in very little time (minutes to a couple hours if I'm lucky) I generally, model in SU and export to AC for the 2d Drawings. Recently, I met someone doing the same kind of work who was singing the praises of Revit. "Sketchup on Steroids" he called it and "you do not need to change applications to produce the drawings." However, this Revit user had not used SU much, and sort of said he didn't quite get.

I consider SU the easiest program I've ever learned. I've used Rhino, Solidworks, Maya, MAX in the past) Anyway,I'd like to hear opinions from people who regularly use both SU and Revit. Especially as related to speed. In Film there is generally more time to model, and add materials and even render if necessary. I'm currently working in Television with 8 day shoots. I've had to model multiple room sets and produce drawings for construction in the same day. Just looking at Revit training videos and the 2012 trial version, it does not seem that even if I was very proficient that I would reach the speeds I gotten with SU. Still, I hear Revit being mentioned more and more the field. I'm wondering if is is another program that I should put some effort into learning. I've been using AC since 1990.

I'm getting tired of using the standard Transparent textures. I've tried using images I found but glass seems to be so problematic. Almost every photo has light source hotspots or reflections. My photo editing skills are lacking, and I have not been able to create a texture that works well. Answers, suggestions, a good texture to share?

This is what I have. But SU does not first look here for the components. I have since removed the sample components from the Google folder and it seems to be going to the D drive now.

I have all my components saved on a my second drive. However, when I open SU it looks first in the Sampler components. I've set my folder in preferences, but still I have to open it to access the components. How do I make that folder the default?

I'm a long time SU user and I'm trying to help a friend who is learning. I gave a her a few plugins that we put in the plugins folder. However, I'm not familiar with the MAC interface and I can't find how to access the plugins. There was no "Plugins" on the menu bar, and plugins that have icons are not visible. On my Win 7 machine plugin icons show up when the program opens. Where should I be looking.

I just upgraded to SU Pro8 from Pro 7. Any one know of a link to tutorials--preferably videos of the new tools? I'm still working with 7 as I get my plugins and workspace configured. Would like to get a handle on these before completely switching to 8.

Is there any way to set SU to always have the print to landscape? I almost never print in Portrait. Each document I create I always have to go into print setup and switch the default from portrait to Landscape. I've tried setting in the template but new files revert to portrait. I'd prefer not to set it in the printer as my other apps mostly need Portrait.

I am a longtime SU and autocad user. I model in SU and export elevations to AC for further work. I thought it might be better to import the SU model into AC and just work within that program. However, AC's 3d tools--specifically the Flatshot and sectionplane--do not work on the SU import. I think it is because SU's model is not a solid.
I just model with the program but I'm not really familiar with the inner workings and math terms. What kind of Modeler is SU? It seems there are Face, Mesh, Solid, Nurbs, etc. Can someone in the know give a brief description of these, and if it is possible to convert SU models to these formats.

Every time I start a new document the default print is portrait. How can I set SU to be in landscape. I almost never print in Portrait fro SU. I don't want to set it as default in the printer as I do use portrait in other programs. I tried setting in the template but it seems to revert to portrait.

@unknownuser said:

I use Shaderlight all the time and I really like it. I have been meaning to do a writeup of it on my blog...

Here are some renderings that I have done with it. I like it way better then Podium.

http://picasaweb.google.com/114037787353191392780/ShaderlightRenders02#

If you have any questions about it, ask here or email me, I'd be happy to help.

Thanks. I am leaning towards a purchase, and a resource for the tricks would be great. Nice work by the way. It would probably draw focus, but the cat would surely be looking out that window, lol.

@txapulin said:

The short answer is that you get a 14 days trial when you download Shaderlight. Just try it and see if it is what you need.

I'd much prefer a resolution limited. Or at least a 30 day trial. 14 days is just too short for me. I almost always have to travel or something come up that would prevent me from being able to fully test in as little as 14 days.

Anyone used Shaderlight and can give me real world opinions as to its' operation.(I'm hoping to hear from actual users.)

At present I have Podium, I bought it when it first became available, however, I never got a good handle on it. Trying to discover the correct light intensity and material reflection for my images was just too time consuming. Render, then tweak, render then tweak. Finding the correct distance to place lights, placing cover lights at a safe distance to fake the illumination, these just did not work for me. I often ended up with washout, or not enough light, and usually some artifacts. When I did get good renders I could never figure out why. Often the settings were the same used that previously gave me a bad render. I did visit the Podium forum and asked for suggestions but the tone of some responses just turned me off--off the forum, and Podium. (Nothing like the help I've gotten on the SU & AC forums) That said, in the recent past I have not needed to render for most of my work, but I am wanting to do more of it for myself.

I discovered Shaderlight on this forum. I visited their site and went through all their tutorials.(Still trying the place the region of the "Haich" sound LOL) Shaderlight really seems a lot easier. Still, I understand Podium has been improved, and the upgrade is about $30. Shaderlight is $199. However, if it is really as easy as it seems in the videos, it would warrant me paying for it. I was hoping to download the free version to try, but all the parts that matter Area lights, Spots, skylights etc., are withheld. I was hoping for a trial version to practice with that maybe limited the resolution export or something. Anyway, I'd appreciate any opinions of users on the actual usage.

Thanks

I've been helping a friend with SU, He has a curved wall with the arc being 44' long and 16' high that he wants to paint with an image/mural he created in PS. I took him through the working out the circle angle etc to get the 44' arc. However, when he imported the image it faceted. What would be the best method to achieve this.

He is working on a Mac and I work on a PC. I think he is using SU8 and I have SU 7.1 His materials browser looks nothing like mine.