If you export it to AUTOCAD, cant you print it to PDF in order to have an editable output for Photoshop?

Hey friends,

I am looking to develop a plug-in but am a total noob at Ruby. I'm not sure how to begin, but I figured Id reach out to the experts in the community. This is a first attempt at a plug-in development project and being a total noob, I don't know the time or the rate for this so all input would be appreciated. If you are pretty proficient at creating plug-ins and would like to collaborate, please feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks!

@jason_maranto said:

At some point in the future anybody (as in layman) will be able to tell a computer exactly what type of buildings, rooms, furnishings, etc. they envision -- the computer will just adapt the design in realtime, and most likely be able to run complex simulations from this data that we can only dream of. Manual modeling will be redundant (for the most part).

@unknownuser said:

so i believe you're right.. many,many designers/architects/engineers etc may find themselves out of a job unless they step up their game..

I doubt that will ever happen. The average "lay-person" is just that...they lack the specialized knowledge that a designer/architect brings to the table. No computer program will ever replace that. Sure a software can facilitate in making thing and informing design decisions, but inputting parameters into a software and getting out a building or object will result in an ugly environment without the trained eye of a designer.

As it is, a "layman" can probably input parameters for a stair and get this:
http://www.cn-granite.com/upfiles/images/Construction%20Stone/Granite%20Stairs/Stair13-Indoor%20Granite%20Step%20&%20stair.jpg

But a designer can input parameters for a stair and get this:
http://www.contemporist.com/2011/11/21/cantilevered-stairs-by-nastasi-architects/

Really Nice Job! I hadnt heard of Keyshot, but it looks pretty straight forward. Do you use the SU Plugin?

Here is one of my favorites:

1. My Measures
2. Productivity
3. Lite Version is Free / Pro Version is $5 (I think, can't remember)
4. The app allows you to take an image and add dimension annotations to it. Handy for anyone in the AEC field when they go on site or want to make annotations of things.

Hi all, this is my first post on this forum. (I have read all 31 pages of this thread btw)

I am really excited about this acquisition. I mean we've read from both John Bacus on this forum as well as from Trimble that the free version will remain and as many of you have pointed out... you can still use SU8 in a worst case scenario.

The reason I am excited is because of the tech that Trimble has and what the possibilities can mean for SU's future development. I am an architect by training, a techie enthusiast and am currently own a business where we do VDC, CAFM, and Surveying work. Before the announcement I had not heard about Trimble, although I am starting to appreciate the stuff they do and if I read that recent article correctly from Sparpoint... it seems that they will focus on creating a more robust application in the AEC field in order to get a smoother understanding of data from the screen to the field. Coming from the AEC field.. that is just awesome.

If you are not from that vertical, it still seems like the API will remain open and all the awesome developers will still crank out cool plugins to customize the workflow for specific needs.

Thanks JB for taking the time to comment on the thread. (Not sure if you remember but you and Mark spoke to my meetup group in NYC a few months ago... you guys rock!)