Thanks!!!

columnrock.7z

Forgot to mention - to import the .obj file in Blender 2.5 first open it in LithUnwrap, then save it again as .obj. When I tried to open directly in Blender there is an error.

@newsposting said:

I upgraded the plugin, and now SketchUp automatically show the dimensions, without click menu item and hotkey, and this feature can be disabled if it interferes.

Download link:
[attachment=0:er7emh3n]<!-- ia0 -->DimensionsTool.zip<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:er7emh3n]

Menu:
Tools > Dimensions Tool > Get Dimensions - old functional
Tools > Dimensions Tool > Auto Display Dimensions - checked menu item, which switch auto get dimensions functionality after select object.

P.S. Let me know if you need to modify the algorithm and move plugin to another menu for the convenience.

I noticed that this version doesn't display correct dimensions when component/group is not aligned with the world axes - can You fix this?
Thanks.

Thanks!

I noticed when creating a named group and hit Cancel the group is still created.

I think "About me" videos should be free also

File > Export 2d graphic > PNG
Then print to pdf from the image viewer

transparency.pdf
It seems it is not a pdf issue, but how SketchUP exports to pdf - In Rhino I get transparency when printing to pdf with the same pdf printer

rhino_transparency.pdf

Could You post the .ai and .dwg here?

Very limited choices and nothing like SketchUP
http://www.bricsys.com/en_INTL/
http://www.varicad.com/en/home/

The info is somewhat misleading - see this comparison chart
http://www.bunkspeed.com/store/compare-shot.html
The price for the full featured Shot Pro is about 3500$ - that kills all the sweets for me! Better buy 3d Max
http://www.bunkspeed.com/store/shot-pro.html

On that picture there are not any meshes - only Rhino surfaces. And as far as I know Rhino doesn't support n-gons - just triangles and guads.
http://news2.mcneel.com/scripts/dnewsweb.exe?utag=&cmd=xsearch&group=rhino.plug-ins&group=rhino.plug-ins&key=ngon+mesh&action=Search

Rhino Still, the plugin is rough, but there is a lot a potential - good job! So far the best integrated render is Brazil - but too complicated for my taste.

Well, there are many reasons AutoCAD doesn't play well with others - monopoly, closed and proprietary dwg file format, lack of information and above all the SketchUP's nature - mesh modeler! You can't expect the same level of precision in SketchUP - there is no real geometry - splines, curves, circles, arcs and etc. There are only lines, vertices and faces. I have a friend who is developing a furniture plugins for AutoCAD and He is always complaining about the lack of information Autodesk gives him about the internal structure of the solids. He ported the same code to the BricsCAD and it was a breeze - completely opened system for building external applications. Move on to a more advanced software or just draw everything in SketchUP from scratch - I did the first.
Little example - the circles and the arc are tangent. Imported in SketchUP - they even don't touch anymore.

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=35366

@jrsly said:

@dedmin said:

I think He wants the same level of smoothest in AutoCAD as in SketchUP.

Right. Maybe this would help, as a point of reference this is a little cropped page of a random drawing I've made in AutoCAD.

So the drawing's are detailed, and without the segmentation and hidden geometry that a 3D export from SU has in AutoCAD. I tried some mesh-to-solid conversion, but it wasn't going very well and..as is becoming my catchphrase..it adds too much work to rationally attempt to continue working this way.

In good news though, I think I have ironed out a ton of the issues I was having and have been able to export nice, clean orthogonal views, which are most important. The issues I was having with isometric views aren't nearly as prevalent in ortho views. So if I forget about iso views, I might actually be able to make this work how I wanted, knowing what I know now and that I'll need to keep some things in mind as I continue modeling in SU.

Though, perhaps the wisest course of action would be to look more into Rhino and hop ship while I'm still relatively starting out.

Well, I know Your feelings - SketchUP is very addictive! I tried all to stay with it, but it is just not up to the task! As much as I work in Rhino I feel I made the right move. And Rhino started as a plugin to AutoCAD - it shares the same command line, the same way of work but much better and faster.
And if don't need to much fancy detailing tools You can make the 2d drawing inside Rhino - it has Layuots, Viewports, better Layers - You have nested layers, You can control layer's visibility per viewport and even object visibility per viewport, make 2D and I can go on and on.

I think He wants the same level of smoothest in AutoCAD as in SketchUP.

@jrsly said:

Gah, I'm afraid this just isn't going to work like I envisioned it might. I think what's so frustrating though is that it's soclose to doing what I need, and it's a few little silly things getting in the way. Like the issue with the outlining edges of objects disappearing in the isometric view. Basically every line shows up in the orthogonal views, but randomly blips out in isometric. For example as the base of this assembly, I have a frame made of I-beams. In the top view, they look perfect, But in the iso view, the top edge disappears entirely because(assumedly) it has a rounded corner. Again, I'm admittedly basically an idiot in this discipline, but it doesn't make sense that it can recognize the edge in one view and not in another. I guess it can find the flat side of the I-beam in the top view? There's no line drawn on it though, so in concept it doesn't seem that different.

Like I said earlier, I could go a long way towards correcting the issue by bringing back some of the edges I'd smoothed, but I won't be able to fix these edges.

I'm learning more and more I guess, even from just a couple of nights ago I've come along way towards figuring out how to make it work, so maybe I should stay positive. And I've loved learning SketchUp and was really excited about getting more experience with it. But it's to the point where I have to consider cutting my losses, know what I mean?

Yes, You have to face it - SketchUP is not a CAD, there are no real curves, splines, circles and etc. Just lines and faces. I had to make the same move - and went to Rhino and BricsCAD.

Because You don't get true solids in AutoCAD, but polyface meshes - SketchUP is a mesh modeler. And they are useless in AutCAD prior 2010 - can't do much with them. In AutCAD 2010 and 2011 You can convert them to meshes and then to solids. But all this are approximations - it is not true geometry that keeps its real size. Export a simple circle from SketchUp - You get a bunch of lines in AutoCAD.