@jim said: I could make a little plugin that uses VisualBasic Script to open the Save As dialog and select version 7. It would at least take some of the tedium out of it. (I'm already testing it. Windows-only, I'm afraid.) Is this possible with 2013? I'm getting a 2013 version, but my co workers use v.8.0 pro. I'm afraid they won't be able to open it. I hope the developers will consider this option.. like in AutoCAD, you can set what default version to save as.

Carlsen See this link for concept of what I think you want but need to hear from you http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=24a74ef603a753e19f30f02514717f00. The cone is like a stack of pancakes with decreasing dias. It was drawn using a story stick divided using the line tool divide option 1/10 the height for each step . Each face of the stack was created by staring a new face when the staring circle was extruded up to next step( hit ctrl), the edge at each step was scaled based on the radius at that level on the story stick ( used the entity info box for that to make the cone. The surface png in your original OP was the used to create the texture, see this link for that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVYYdWYRqrg&feature=channel ( watch the video all the way the part you want occurs late). This is just a concept and once you decided on a final geometry then it can be refined Hope this maybe remotely close to what you are looking for

the second one has a nice fresh look.. i think the other two suffer from the black ground plane... maybe lighten it up a bit?