Next week I'm going to give a couple design friends some beginning SU training. They both work on Macs, and I a PC. I'm hoping SU users who work on BOTH platforms might give me some suggestions on the differences between the two UIs and and/or procedures due to those differences. On a previous thread the Layer toolbar was addressed, (Thanks Jean et al)so I know how to deal with that. I'm hoping to put together a brief but useful instruction reference card for the procedures as we would uses them for our work.

This is not intended to be a MAC vs PC thread. I just want to know of any differences I might be unaware of, especially in setting up their work spaces. When I started out I got a lot of help and good advice from the original forum, and many of those people are now here. I'd like to pass on the good advice to these two.

Thanks in advance.
Nicholas

Thanks Guys. I was under the impression that the difference in the layer toolbar between the MAC and WIN had been rectified. Since my friend is starting new with SU, he won't know what is missing and will be able just have to learn the other method of assigning objects to layers.

I've been using SU since V4. I now use 7.1 A designer friend has decided it's time to put down his pencils and go digital. He works on a MAC with Snow Leopard and SU 7.1. He asked for some pointers and I was searching around for the Layer toolbar and could not find it. Where is it in the MAC version? I remember a discussion on older versions that it was not possible due to the MAC UI. However, I remember a later discussion where SU was supposed to have made the UI the same between platforms. So how do you switch on the layer toolbar? And if it is not available on the MAC, How do you move objects from one layer to another?

Thanks. It appears all her models have it turned on, and I have never used that feature.

I've been given a SU model to work on. It is poorly organized and I have to make some adjustments. However, I tried to hide an element and I get this grid remaining. Every piece seems to do it. I've never had it in any models I create. I suspect it is a feature that I don't use, but is being used incorrectly but the original model creator. Any help or suggestions?

@unknownuser said:

@viztecture said:

The reason im sticking with 7.1 is lazyness really, its not worth the effort of transfering my rubys and render engines across

that takes about 16 seconds really.

Then that is really a statement about V8. If 16 seconds is to much effort for the benefits of V8, then Viztecture may see the benefits as negligible.

Thanks Gaieus. I didn't know lock was applied only to Groups and components. I grouped the surface and Lock was available.

If I recall, if I select an object, then right click, the context menu had an option to lock the object. Somehow I can't find Lock. Directions please?

I came across a link to Bonzai on this forum in the discussion about the SU V8 update. Bonzai seemed very interesting. Anyone have real-world experience with both programs?

Yep, that was it. Loaded the V5 plugin into 7 and the cameras showed up. Thanks

But I did load film & stage in SU 7. I guess I'll have to do more research.

All I can say is WOW to the venom expressed on this thread. I've been using SU since V4 and I love the product. But the day it was purchased by Google it became, as someone else noted, "a Google Earth plugin", and that is the truth. In it's take over Google also destroyed the wonderful forum we had, and tried to force us to join their SU Google groups. (Thankfully so many moved to this great site) So, in case you all haven't realized, Google took a great program that a small segment of the professional population used, and then released it to the masses for their own purposes. Do you think for a minute if all of us moved on from SU it would kill the program? Have any of you used Google Earth? I doubt any of the professionals who frequent this site build models to upload to GE. So who are the people creating all those box models of New Orleans and Detroit? Well they are Google Sketchup's primary market, and unless we accept that, we will continue to be disappointed.

I remember having a choice of camera ratios 16:9, 4:3 etc., a while back. I only used them a few times. However, I may need it again soon and I can't remember where they came from. I recall it was not installed initially and I had to switch them on somewhere. Anyone?

I've found many sources for materials of all types. However, I've only been using the standard included SU transparent materials. Any sources for others, or instructions on how I can make my own?

When the animation has over 100 scenes, only 27 tabs show on screen. I you want to go back to 1 you have to go to the Scenes dock and scroll up. A rewind button on the animation control would be good. Ruby eh? Hmmmm? Nah, I haven't programed since the 80's and C+turbo. I'll leave it up to the mavens.

Is there repository of transparent materials, or a good tutorial on making them. I'm getting a little tired of the included transparent textures.

Am I missing something. Is there a quick way to rewind an animation? Play stop but no rewind?

I have this problem that shows up intermittently. I'm not sure if it is a bug or something I'm doing. It seems that sometimes when I print the image comes out very tiny on the page. However, this is not consistent with all scenes in the model. I recently made a model with 4 section views to each wall. I export each view and print. 3 of the images export and print to the maximum of the page size, but one keeps printing as a small image at the bottom of the page. I can find no way to cure this. It has reoccurred on different computers I've had and using different printers. Therefore, it must be my error, or a bug. Any suggestions

My current machines is:
Sager NP8760 4mb
WIN 7 Pro
nVidia geForce 285GTX 1mb

First time using this feature. Can't get the image to photo match. "Project texture" button grayed out. answers suggestions
Thanks?

@tig said:

I wouldn't suspect the drivers. Try again ensuring that the Outliner is not open or at least rolled up - that bug is known to cause splats...

I was unaware of this. I have been keeping the outliner open lately. I'll see how that works.