I can see AI completely take over modelling altogether. I could imagine a time when you would have a pen and pad and you would do a rough sketch with scale and AI will come up with a model and show you the results in perhaps 10 seconds. Then you would perhaps talk to AI to or add and modify the architecture and AI would make refinements to the model. I think threw the sketches and dialogue the model could be rendered in short time. perhaps the whole process may take an hour from concept to final render. Then you could get construction drawings in another half an hour with two agents competing in a similar fashion to the deep fake process and checking each others work. so there you go from idea to construction drawings in half a day. I do not think that is to long a bow to draw pardon the pun.

I wish text to image did not exist but there is no doubt but grudgingly these images are very impressive. I feel the skills a lot of us have devoted our skills to learning how to model and render are almost redundant. But that felling will be felt by many. Doctors, lawyers, musicians and admin etc Jus saying. What others feel about AI

@Gus-R Nice work Gus These two shots are my faves

Hi Guys just came upon this, I have not used it yet but TM is now utilising a function that is in Unreal Engine called nanite a concept I was not aware of before. I wont go any further in explaining it uses a reduction in polygons on a as needed basis looks pretty cool and useful for rendering heavy polygon models

Looks like rayscaper is maturing well

@pixelcruncher said in My Architect ai.:

Thanks for sharing @Mike-Amos - It's a brave new world.

I wonder how many users are ditching rendering solutions and are going for AI rendering. The results they show are great; I only wonder if it can consistently produce such good results.

This tech is AI and constantly learning. As far as "consistency" we are just scratching the surface. Ai is in a learning phase what it will produce images of stunning quality. Pointless for me to hope that Ai design and rendering would disappear, but it wont. It will just get better and better and I do not think the "improvements in AI will not be linear

I fed what you said to gpt and it came back with this:

@majid said in Potential for SU type interface for Blender?:

I tried the script. It does create a rectangle, yet not intuitive enough. Rest did not work for me, but a good start.

I have no doubt what you said is true, but it makes me sad. I did my first play with a song creating AI program today the result was pretty amazing. Wild wild West ATM

Exactly Majid, have an Industrial design degree. And if I was to sum it up a lot of the course was deprogramming. In its most simple explanation would be that in day one of the course you would be asked to design a chair. In our young heads and 99.99% of us would see the a stereotypical break down of a chair and visualise a flat plane for your butt perhaps 4 legs to keep you off the ground and perhaps a vertical plane to support you back. Whereas a trained designer very deliberately undo the brief from "design a chair" and change it to "Develop a device to support the human frame in an "X" environment" then we might study the human anatomy.

@majid said in Urchin the Australian lunar village:

@L-i-am said in Urchin the Australian lunar village:

Biomimicry is such a cool device for inspiration from nature

Agreed if understood right. In many cases, it is just playing with forms, nothing more, while we might be inspired by the forces that shaped those natural innovations. By "forces", I mean all chemical, mechanical, logical... forces that shape a phenomenon.

This is a subject that holds a lot of interest for me. I find sharks beautiful not by deign but by evolution (although I don't fully endorse Darwinian theory in its entirety) the form of a shark is purely efficiency of hydrodynamics etc, etc. I also draw the analogy that I also find fighter jets beautiful almost in the extreme. There were no industrial designers or sculptors involved saying "I think if that was a little broader it would look more sleek and pretty" or "if we put the cockpit back a bit it would look more balanced. So every single part of the and the resultant jet is a beautiful at lease to me yet NO part of it was an aesthetic consideration. It was all based on pure logic based upon the skills of the design engineering and testing, even the additional considering the aircrafts radar foot print has added another function in balance with aerodynamic considerations turns out such a beautiful "sculptural" form.
Imagine when AI gets its hand on aircraft design, skies the limit Who knows what innovation will be the form of future aircraft design will take. It may also seem organic both in form/ function...............print me an aircraft

Ni Rich, is that car park model available anywhere or did you build it?

I asked Chat gpt to put together a python code to input into blender to make its functionality less of a challenge to migrate from SU to blender.

Here is the result. I could not test it because I know nothing of Blender so here is the file that chat produced This is the zip file

sketchup_mode_addon.zip

The instructions from chat were as follows

I can’t download or build Blender for you, but I created a ready-to-install package with the SketchUp-style add-on and clear instructions so you can add it to Blender or bundle it into a custom build locally.

Download the add-on ZIP here: Download the SketchUp-mode add-on

What I included:

sketchup_mode.py — single-file Blender add-on (prototype) — the same code I put into the canvas earlier.

README.txt — quick install + advanced notes (how to preinstall into a Blender build or portable distribution).

license.txt — short provenance note.

If you want next steps I can provide immediately (no waiting):

Exact CMake snippet and packager steps to include the file when building Blender from source on Windows, macOS, or Linux — tell me which OS/version and I’ll generate the exact commands and patch files.

A small installer script (PowerShell for Windows, Bash for macOS/Linux) that will place the add-on into the correct user or portable Blender addons folder on your machine — tell me which OS and whether you want it for a system-wide installation or a portable build.

Further feature work on the add-on (inference snaps, Offset/Follow-Me, wall primitives). If you pick features, I’ll extend the add-on code and give you an updated zip.

I hope somebody knows ebough to have an experiment for this.

Hi Guys, I am not a "computery" person. but I asked Chat GPT if AI could write code in Blender to give it similar UI simplicity and user experience as SU and this is the reply, some may find the AI response. Just giving food for thought

Ah, I see what you're getting at — you're asking if AI can write a script that makes Blender as easy to use as SketchUp, right? A more intuitive, user-friendly system with all the complexity of Blender but wrapped in the simple, accessible UI and interaction style of SketchUp.

That's a bigger challenge, but it's definitely doable with the right approach. The key is to streamline the workflow and UI design in a way that feels natural and accessible to people who are used to SketchUp's simplicity.

🧠 AI-Driven Strategy to Create a "SketchUp-Like" Blender Experience

To make Blender as easy to use as SketchUp, we'd need to:

Simplify the UI: Remove Blender's overwhelming menus and focus on a clean, minimal interface for basic modeling tasks.

Implement Intuitive Tools: Focus on a small set of easy-to-learn tools for architectural modeling (like push/pull, drawing, extrude, snapping).

Customizable Shortcuts/Toolbar: Have an interface where only the essential modeling tools are available.

Guided Workflow: Incorporate step-by-step visual cues or instructions to guide new users through modeling.

How Could AI Help Write This Script?

AI could assist in creating this SketchUp-like user experience in several ways:

Simplified Interaction: Use AI to generate simplified Python scripts that hide Blender's complexity. For example, a single-click tool could create walls, doors, and windows without requiring users to navigate through multiple menus.

Custom Toolbars: AI can dynamically generate toolbars that contain just the necessary tools for a user to start modeling, similar to SketchUp’s clean toolbar.

For instance, tools like Draw Line, Push/Pull, Extrude, and Rectangle could be grouped in a panel or dropdown.

These could be assigned intuitive keybinds and on-screen guidance for new users.

Guided Mode: AI can help create a step-by-step guided mode where users are prompted to take actions sequentially, minimizing confusion (similar to SketchUp’s automatic prompts).

A dialogue box might say, "Click to draw your first rectangle," and the user would click and draw directly in the viewport.

AI could anticipate the next logical step, making modeling seem smoother and more intuitive.

Preset Shapes: AI can write a script that provides preset architectural shapes, like walls, floors, roofs, and stairs, which could be added with a single click — just like SketchUp’s pre-made models.

Dynamic Snapping: A dynamic snapping system can be created that automatically snaps to edges, midpoints, and grid intersections, similar to SketchUp’s “inference” system. AI could script intelligent snapping based on context, so the user doesn’t have to think about it.

Example Workflow AI Script

Here’s an example of how an AI-driven script might work to make Blender feel like SketchUp:

Start Drawing a Floor Plan:

You hit Shift+Space (a custom shortcut), and a simple interface appears.

AI gives a prompt: “Draw the base rectangle for your floor plan.”

You click and drag to create a rectangle.

Extrude the Walls:

After drawing the rectangle, AI pops up a small toolbar: Push/Pull Tool and Extrude Height.

You drag the height or input a number, and the walls are instantly extruded to the correct height.

Add a Door/Window:

AI asks, “Do you want to insert a door or window?” You click on the wall where you want the door.

You get a simple, predefined door model that you can scale, move, and adjust.

Clean Up the Model:

A “Cleanup” button appears, and the AI automatically removes unused vertices and tidies up the geometry.

AI-Generated Code (Example)

Here’s a sample code snippet where AI could help create a push/pull tool for Blender that mimics the ease of SketchUp:

import bpy

class PushPullOperator(bpy.types.Operator):
bl_idname = "mesh.push_pull"
bl_label = "Push/Pull Tool"
bl_options = {'REGISTER', 'UNDO'}

# This function handles the basic Push/Pull operation
def execute(self, context):
    # Grab the selected object
    obj = context.active_object

    # Make sure it's a mesh
    if obj.type == 'MESH':
        bpy.ops.transform.extrude_region_move(TRANSFORM_OT_translate={"value": (0, 0, 1)})
        self.report({'INFO'}, "Push/Pull Applied")
    else:
        self.report({'ERROR'}, "Select a mesh object")
    return {'FINISHED'}

Register the operator

def register():
bpy.utils.register_class(PushPullOperator)

def unregister():
bpy.utils.unregister_class(PushPullOperator)

if name == "main":
register()

This simple example script would:

Apply extrusion (a push/pull operation).

Use the Shift+Space keybinding to activate the tool.

Work with user-friendly inputs: no complex menus, just a simple button interface that would be created through an easy-to-navigate toolbar.

What Else Could AI Do?

Intelligent UI Creation: AI could design an adaptive, context-sensitive UI based on what you’re doing in the scene. For example, when you select a wall, the toolbar could automatically show wall-specific tools like add window/door, cut, and move.

Simplified Viewport Controls: AI could enhance the viewport by showing context-sensitive guides or tooltips, making it easier for users to pick up. For example, showing “Click to add wall” when a wall tool is active.

Preset Construction Kits: AI could generate predefined models (like walls, windows, doors, etc.) that can be inserted quickly without navigating menus or requiring advanced Blender knowledge.

Conclusion: Making Blender as Easy as SketchUp

While Blender is a more complex tool overall, AI can streamline the modeling experience to feel as easy and intuitive as SketchUp for certain types of workflows. AI can:

Simplify interaction (single-click tools, guided prompts).

Design a user-friendly interface (with toolbars, icons, and step-by-step cues).

Build intuitive snapping, geometry management, and instant object creation.

Would you like to dive deeper into any of these features or discuss how to make one of these tools?

Hi Guys I just found out that raylectron render has a set of free plugins for SU

Interesting to know what you guys thing of them

Free Sketchup Plugins - Raylectron

Latest version is v1.2.7 (October 29, 2023) Click RaylectronTools.rbz to download. Once downloaded, install from the Sketchup Extension Manager. If you’ve found this plugin helpful, consider supporting its development. Every bit helps! Platonic Solids: SketchUp’s basic tools can’t help you craft an icosahedron or other Platonic solids. This tool fills that gap, offering all five … Read more "Free Sketchup Plugins"

Raylectron (raylectron.com)

Have not tried it yet but am sick of seeing way too much AI on Facebook wiich gets up on my nerves,
Found this AI detector Thought I would share it. I have not tried it yet myself but will soon

AI image Detection

AI image Detection

(online.hitpaw.com)

Biomimicry is such a cool device for inspiration from nature

@Rich-O-Brien said in Urchin the Australian lunar village:

I hope house prices on Mars are more affordable than here!

What are prices like where you are (I assume Ireland) Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for March 2025 indicates a national mean dwelling price of $1,002,500!!!!!!!!!

@Rich-O-Brien said in Underground Carpark:

Early tests using @pixelcruncher Rayscaper 0.9.6

Very nice work and render indeed. What is the source of material for the concrete floor?

@majid said in Urchin the Australian lunar village:

I spared some time to model and share my vision of the Australian Lunar Village. It would be much appreciated if share your feedback.
All (almost all) is done in Blender 3D, based on sketches and simple SketchUp models developed in Blender 3D.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7368947491309846530/

Beautiful sketches

Mi Majid, interesting what is the Australian link/