Howdy

I'm currently running Pro V7.0.8657 and noticed the call for an Update this AM. We've been out of touch for the last month and didn't find any discussion or comments with problems discussing this update.

Just to check before I reinstall (why don't they use a patch? I thought I'd ask if anyone knows what might have changed or if there's a prob....? (Not that I'm googlenoided..;-)

Thanks

/Dennis

This thread is hilarious. Having just come up for air after 6 months modeling, writing and finally publishing another book, I was just checking to see what was happening in the SU community. Good to see all remains lively...

We could not stop laughing...thanks!!

/Dennis

Perhaps SketchUp doesn't fit in Google's 300 year plan to organize the world's knowledge..?

Randall Stross's new book, "Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan To Organize Everything We Know" doesn't even include the word "SketchUp" in the company's history of acquisitions or future plans. Kind of sad considering all the thgs that could be fixed, but good @Last got it as far as they did b4 the buyout...

/Dennis

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Just to tag onto this thread in case some genius comes up w/ a Ruby (great faith in Google here also..;-) and add my interest.

The seven step work around (select/section/create group from slice/explode/delete plane/delete edges and surfaces on one side of the plane/heal the open end) is OK when we trim a rafter or three, but we need to animate a wind blown "explosion" and it would be great to find a Ruby that could slice and dice a group/component and leave the pieces or sections of the orig object grouped and intact.
((If I understood how you all programmed these scripts, I'd probably know this is not easy, so my apologies in advance.))

/Dennis
http://insitebuilders.com
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Mike (Lucey et al...)

Sorry I didn't mean to ignore this thread, in fact I just stumbled on it while looking for somethg else. I usually fly on and off the forum after a quick search (and an answer)... I know I know its rude, but there's so many SkUp experts on the forum, there's rarely a Q&A I can add to...

But anythg abt our books, 3D construction modeling, preconstruction modeling or assembly or process models, I'd be happy to chime in on with a humble opinion -- just let me know via post.

And yes, I do publish my cell in our books, (we) construction types hate being stuck waiting on any question w/o an immediate answers ...;-)

/Dennis
http://insitebuilders.com
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Funny that we've been fooling w/ this for a long time and I just assumed it was another undocumented trick.

You'll notice tho as you use the Outliner for drag/drop nesting of the clones, that the results are unpredictable (and therefore not really a feature"..;-) Some of our object outlines are 5 or 6 nests deep, but the same behavour occurs even with a simple cluster.

Hope that helps, pls let me know when you know...thx again.

/Dennis

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When dragging a grouped object into another Group in the Outliner, SkUp "sometimes" adds that object to all clones of that Group, even when we want the object added to only that one Group. Interesting b/c SkUp acts as if the Group clones are Components, but the clones are Groups and not Components. There doesn't seem to be a pattern b/c sometimes it does not change or add the object to the other Groups.

We've been ignoring this for a few years now and work around by just regrouping for that one instance of the clone. But are groups supposed to act as Components when dragging in an object w/i the Outliner?

I searched to see if anyone else mentioned it on the forum (no joy), so I thought it was time to ask since we must have missed this somewhere...

Thx again for the help.

/D

I wonder too.

When one watches Google skillfully moving against its competition w/ MS and Yahoo, I'd think they'd be losing focus to even consider doing much more to SU than sitting on it -- but who knows what (if anythg) lurks in the shadows of the corporate mind...

For now there's certainly not an obvious push to broadly market the program or promote SU beyond the converted and the choir (that seems certain given the way Basecamp was "advertised" and now disseminated over U-Tube of all places (Mark Carvalho, where are you?;-)).

At the same time, I'm not sure an upgrade would be much better than what one can already patch together w/ Rubies (and find in sister programs). I sure can't find anythg better...maybe that's what also they see in the "pentagon."

/Dennis
http://insitebuilders.com

So...I may have missed this, but did anythg of real substance come out of 3D Basecamp abt SkUp and where Google may or may not be going w/ it in the future?

I've seen most of the forum comments (wish lists and user hopes) and it looks like a lot of fun tips/tricks/tutorials/food/etc at the basecamp, but I wonder if there was any open or frank discussion, philosophical or otherwise (ala Brad Schell) abt the future of this program and SkUp?

/Dennis

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Just wanted to subscribe to this post and the pending "release"...

/D

T

An added thought to Paul's comment is what we call a "certified model." IOW, we stamp the model file exactly like a set of dwgs for const. This means I guarantee its accuracy and assume full responsibility for its representation as a virtual construction (as a lic arch). Risky, but a lot less risky than a RW bldg and usually blows away the opposing counsel (client/commissioners/arch.. because of the sequential representation of a detail or complex assembly. BTW also very well compensated by our clients.

SkUp has the power to be as detailed as any other 3D modeler, but much faster on its feet in a presentation when carefully org'd. Our model files regularly exceed 300mb and must be able to open and operate serendipitously from a laptop/projector in an open public forum (usually a tense place to stutter...)

Import is to make sure you have good tech, solid info, and doc ea step of the virtual const w/ a solid paper trail.

/D

Sorry for not pickg up on this thread sooner, we’re in final edits on a new book and just able to come up for air. So to speak.

IMHO SkUp for “mitigation” is more clearly understd when you thk of it as sequential visualization or forensic animations. The purpose of these models is to visually simulate a sequence of actions or activities that lead to a conclusion that supports the scope and goals of a client. IOW “to prove a point.” Big bucks are usually at stake – which puts a lot of pressure on the precision of the model.

These models differ from arch or piece-based construction models and are not as comprehensive as an engineering model. Instead, the models are built to animate an action or activity.

This makes SkUp the ideal prog b/c the Outliner, Layers, and Scenes can be used to manage sets of nested components representg phases, steps, or the timing of action in a series of scenes that can play forward and backward or jump to any location in the model that may be relevant to an argument (lawsuit).

I say this because it’s difficult work (and not always a lot of fun) which may not make it very popular as a thread. If interested tho, you should "read" Scott McCloud’s book Understdg Comics or any of Tuft’s books on visualizing info. For both 2D and 3D examples of these models you might also want to chk out any of our books on our website.

Hope that helps,

/Dennis

R

Thx that will help a lot. We've been inching thru the saves in the backgrd on one computer and forget sometimes what was chgd by the time it saves a copy.

Not that I need more, but I guess 100 is the set limit. I can figure that out tho.

Thx again

/D

J

I can try to explain it.

The files are phases of the installation of MEP in a large construction model (aka the "mother" @ 331mb). The phases are both in layers and in Groups/subgroups in the Outliner (Grouped for scenes and various combinations of floors and systems).

I need to save various combinations of these groups (separate building systems) as diff model files (so that lay readers of our new book can open smaller files and nav the models in SkUp (w/ limited powerd computers/g-cards). Each of these files will have defined sets of scenes and match diff chapters of the book.

I can do it the old fashion way. Open the mother file, select combos of phases (groups) in the Outliner, delete the appropriate groups, do a SaveAs, etc. Doing the SaveAs is relatively straight forward and we also could export them as one of TIG's Xrefs, the prob is each SaveAs is abt 20minutes and it then takes another 20-25min to reopen the mother and do it again. (BTW exporting a large grouped category as an Xref takes a little longer per file than a straight SaveAs).

All pretty tedious. I was wonderg if there was a Ruby that would allow me to Export > 3DModel > SketchUp Model (.skp) from the mother file, and then let me reset the combos and Export again, w/o havg to repeat the cycle and reopen the mother.

Sorry, I'm writing a book abt the book here.... Hope that explains it...

Gracias

/Dennis

Rubiers

Is there a (way or) Ruby that will export a SU model from a SU model?? I'm trying to avoid the SaveAs command for a series of 15 saves that involve a very large orig file (hence it would save having to reopen the (23min/open) "mother" file).

Thx

/Dennis

Interestg to find this thread just as we were facing a similar prob w/ a large file. Followg Daniel's advice resetting virtual memory worked great to 3000 w/ AA for a 282mb file. Funny thg is that on a hunch I tested the idea on another prob we were havg.

Not sure if Brad is watchg this thread, but as he knows we were unable to save a very large proj file (275mb) w/o a crash, but were able to successfully save a larger file at 311mb all on the same computers. Our files are const models with hundreds of obj and multi layers and TIG Xrefs so it was tough to fig out what was going on. Especially since the crash was occurring at abt 22min into a 35min save, so we gave up. But I just tried the same save for the same file that wouldn't save but w/ virt mem reset at 20,000 and it worked.

Daniel you inadvertently solved a big prob for us, thx very much. And Brad, that might help whatever you all do there irong out that kink....

Thx again

/Dennis

TIG

Thx, I installed V4.2 and found out... Thx again, this is a really great tool...

/D

Didier

Thx for the link, I found V4.2, Do you know if it uses the same win32ole.so file as the V3 ???

/D

Does anyone know where I can download a copy of TIG's Xref Manager ruby script. I have V3, but it looks like there's a later version out there. Is that true? I can't find it in the threads but it looks like he was struggling with it in 2006...not sure if he gave up or he was googled out..

Appreciate a link if there is one.

Thx

/D

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Just to add to the mix, I should note that we are getting a consistent crash during SAVE of one of our large proj files (311,156KB). Many of our files take more than 30min to save and must be monitored accordgly. The crash blue screens the computer 20min into the save.

These are construction models w/ hundreds of pieces referenced across multiple "TIG Xrefs components." Could be somethg internal or w/ the refs, but we were NOT having this problem b4 the upgrade. The machine using the SkUp 6.4.112 upgrade is an Dell Precision M90, Intel Dual Core, 2gig, NVDIA Quad FX 2500M.

Mobility is import to our work so the plan now is to downgrade SkUp on the M90 and move the file to a standalone Precision workstation on Monday and test the upgrade further....(let me know if the results matter to anyone..

/Dennis
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