@richard said:

I certainly hope that the "Trembles" look closely at these forums and realise it's a resource they haven't even paid for that by default comes with the purchase deal and in that way see the "TRUE" value of the asset they have acquired and plan a line of least disturbance!

The PushPullBar started in some way similar to the SCF - as a breakaway from the original @last forums way back to develop on the "design aspects" not so much on the techniques and process of modeling with SU. Yet the emphisis is still much on SU as the tool of choice for deriving concept! If in the unfortunate case of change a similar morphing may be a consideration I guess!

I certainly wouldn't at this stage have any vision for this but I'm certain the community has the strength to support change should it become necessary!

My gut feeling though is SU will survive and all the hoo har is just venting!

Well said

I haven't made much progress on this, but here goes:

I've added displacement to the planking, but I'm still not sure whether to model the gaps. I need to try modifying the displacement map first.

In order to achieve the displacement I had to subdivide the decking. In this case I created a nice even grid using Divide by Material and then used Artisan's subdivide tool.

The only other main addition is the hard landscaping for the view beyond the hole in the wall. I'm not sure why it still looks like a background image, but I'll figure it out in due course.

Any suggestions?

A while back I downloaded the 3DSMax demo to convert some files and had a go at a few simple tutorials. As you say, it's a real pain and the idea of including it in my work-flow isn't something I relish.

Maybe I should just be awkward, forget about industry standards, and go with what works for me?

What's the workflow like between SU and Rhino?

Good luck with the HDRIs. When you get the processing right you'll have some really good commercial quality HDRIs to share/sell.

Thanks guys - that makes things a little clearer.

I was just thinking about whether these things could be addressed without a need for SU to go 64bit. The devs have probably already got a better handle on this than me

@jbacus said:

Not only is this possible today, but it is frequently done. Most rendering engines utilize multicore processing— even those that work as "plugins" for SketchUp.

Many calls for 64bit SU come from Twilight and VR4SU users who complain about the limitations of working inside SU. Other than the issue of handling high-poly models, I thought there was a problem with the performance of these apps being throttled by the limitation of SU being 32bit?

I could be wrong as I use an external render engine and I'm therefore unfamiliar with the exact nature of the concerns raised by these users.

Thanks Dbalex.

The problem with Rhino and Modo (other than the price) is that whilst they both seem to be very good all-round modelling apps, there is this issue with 3DS Max being an industry standard for archivis. So if I had to invest a lot of money and time with another app, 3DS would be the way to go (even if it isn't as good as Rhino or Modo) - plus there is supposedly a good workflow from SU to Max.

The advantage of MoI is that it's relatively cheap, I should be able to work back and forth with SU and I would only need to dip into it when I have the occasional challenging model.

I could be wrong, but that's my impression of the situation.

PS - Got any good HDRIs in the works; I'm struggling to find something suitable for this scene?

@ishboo said:

For the folks who think this is our big chance to write a 64-bit, mutithreaded Linux client build, see previous answers on our user forums. The core technological principles haven't changed either.

Considering what the devs have said about 64 bit in the past, I'm happy to accept this. I do think that 64 bit can help with performance, but it clearly isn't a magic bullet (just look to Adobe). The message so far is that better use of resources will deliver better performance and I'm happy to go along with that.

My only reservation is the issue of 3rd party apps that would benefit from multi-core processing (e.g.Twighight). Would it be possible to allow 3rd party plugins to utilise multicore processing without having to re-engineer SU?

I think you are right Rich and I must admit that there was a point mid-build where I thought 'I bet this would be a lot easier and quicker using MoI or Modo'.

The only problem is that 90% of my modelling consists of stuff that SU can create quickly and easily. For now I can't justify learning to use an additional programme, but I know that it's something I need to seriously consider in the future. I keep meaning to set aside a weekend to try out MoI, but never get around to it.

Having said all of that, these models would be a lot quicker to produce second time around and working at this level really helps me to improve my skills and become more efficient at SU modelling across the board (not just organic forms). Sometimes it's hard to believe the results I'm getting compared to only a few months ago.

@unknownuser said:

One of the Left / Right handed is jaleous

Not sure what you mean - I think something might have been lost in translation . Thanks, I think.

I can think of so many different applications for this kind of tool. For tiles, bricks, wooden flooring etc, etc, it'll be a great time saver.

I don't often share my WIP, so I thought I'd post some images from a small personal project as it develops from the early stages of putting a scene together.

This first rendered image - using Thea - is just a very rough sketch of the scene I have in mind for a couple of models I created this week (I didn't want to simply knock out an easy white studio shot).

The stool and table are based on the new Wing range designed by A-Cero for Vondom.

I haven't really done anything with the materials or lighting and the background image is only a placeholder for elements that I will create in SU.

The next stage is to model the landscaping seen through the hole in the wall. I'll then subdivide the wooden floor to try out some displacement; if that doesn't produce the results I want I'll model the grooves in the decking. Finally I'll subdivide the wall with the oval hole and add some imperfections to the surface and edges of the opening.

Any suggestions or C&C are more than welcome.

A smart move would be to tidy up what work has already been done on SU9 and release it ASAP in order to dispell the fears of the user-base and show that Trimble has a progressive attitude to the development of SU.

They can then take their time and leave any major changes and Trimble integration until SU10.

@solo said:

Found this on Time online....
@unknownuser said:

......It’s nice to see Google moving on without leaving anyone in the lurch.

Anyone else really annoyed about this comment from Time?

Edit: I might have misread that. I assumed they were saying that 'real' modellers wouldn't use SU in the first place. Putting my paranoid tendencies in check, they could be saying that SU looks to be moving on without neglecting its user base.

I suppose we will just have to wait until the handover has been finalised.

Doh!

Thanks Rich

Really loving this plugin and what I can now do inside SU with UVs.

I do however have a small problem when it comes to exporting UVs for more complex shapes. I accidentally chose a project specific location for the exported OBJ file. Is there a way to reset this?

@unknownuser said:

If the guys that develope your favourite software are genuinely excited about a new direction then I'm really stoked about this.

That's the way I see things as well.

If they had announced an SU buy-out that involved telling the devs to sling their hook, then I'd be worried and start looking at Blender or selling a kidney in order to buy 3DS Max.

For now I'm excited about what the future will bring......although it is something of a nervous excitement.

@tig said:

My theory...
The iPad is linked to the desktop computer.........Something allows the SKP to be viewed and controlled by the iPad 'remotely'...

Well, you could do it via something like LogMeIn. I've tried it, but proper modelling is so laborious, it isn't worth bothering with. Ideally you need an app that uses multi-touch to allow for proper navigation.

Are you using a remote desktop app or is this some kind of jailbreak jiggery pokery?

There is a wider shot showing what looks like oxyacetylene equipment nearby.

It's dirty tricks like this - and harassing members who don't toe the party line - that makes a mockery of AE911. Worse still it gets in the way of learning anything valuable from this tragedy.

The only part of the water that is separate is the top surface. That surface has one water material applied to it and the part of the bottle below the top surface has another material applied, which you have to assign a container material (in this case the plastic used for the rest of the bottle).

There's a really useful diagram over on the Thea forum, but I can't find it at the moment.