NIN--"Happiness in Slavery." I'd post a link to the video, but it would probably get me banned.

Actually, I had the same thing happen, and I narrowed the cause down to a new version of VRay for SU's Ruby. Oddly enough, it would only happen on one of the two computers for which I bought the plugin.

@kwistenbiebel said:

But anyway, wasn't this thread about the Nine Inch Nails? (for a good reader it is)

*...I used to do some design/build, and because I was the boss I chose the "music to build by."

It turned out that Trent Reznor was dating the niece of one furniture maker working for me. My employee's sister remarked to him, "He seems like a really nice young man, but have you heard the lyrics to his songs?" My employee said that he replied, "All the time. All the time."

Incidentally, I'm told the niece in question went on to start her own rock band, "PEN15." (Think about it.)*

Loving these scripts, Dale.

Thanks, Zach. I was actually thinking about a script like this, fond as I am of the similar "Setpt" command in Rhino.

@remus said:

That does look like pretty interesting stuff. I wonder what 3D printing method he uses? (sterolithiography, FDM etc.)

He has a Zcorp 310, I believe, that prints in a plaster-like material which they hand-finish and color. The model must first be converted to STL and made water-tight; I wasn't familiar with the software he used for that process. I don't believe it's the item provided by Zcorp itself,

I'm not sure if he was responsible for that door prize. I asked him to contribute some images of his prints to this thread.

While at the 3DBC, I met Jake Cook, who spoke during the "SketchUp Cool Stuff" presentation. His firm produces 3D prints from SU models for architects and designers:

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I just received a note from Jake asking if there was a particular forum, group, or venue at SCF for discussing SketchUp and digital fabrication. Any thoughts, guys?

Jake passed several interesting printed models around, including one of the Disney Concert Hall model from the Google 3D Warehouse.

Igloo Studios has placed info from their presentation (Promoting Your Work Using Google Resources) at

http://igloostudiosinc.blogspot.com/2008/06/google-sketchup-basecamp-2008.html

Pay particular attention to the instructions for high-quality Youtube video linking. This was quite impressive, although you need some bandwidth.

http://igloostudiosinc.blogspot.com/2008/06/blog-post_3645.html

Why, thanks ccsing. I just noticed this...but the original post was a long time ago, and in the end I settled on using a modeler (Rhino 4) for the project that opens SU files natively.

@greyhead said:

It seems to be OK now with the current releases of both FF RC3 (I think) and Gears 0.3.24.0

Bob

Thanks, Bob. I'll go ahead and upgrade then.

@unknownuser said:

Thanks for the info Lewis. It is short notice for me to enter this at the moment but I will watch out for the next brief being released.

I feel much the same way. Unfortunately, I think this is probably the most interesting of the three briefs.

At one point in time I had the email of the fellow who started this Line of Site business (an executive in a company that makes roofing components, I seem to recall), and he was pretty clear in our conversations that he was trying to provoke flash-of-genius "napkin sketches" as opposed to deliberated responses.

I actually left the camp with almost no greater insight into any future releases' capabilities...but I did leave with a much greater appreciation of the current possibilities of SU.

I think Asustek owes me a commission: at least a hundred people had to ask me about the little computer: "You can run SketchUp on that? I've got to get one!"

I demo-ed this script in the SketchUp Lab at 3DBC to quite a growing crowd, Dale. The guys from Boulder were very impressed. This is what I made, in the first few seconds after downloading it: the cylinders are mapped with some NIN album covers I happened to have on my eeepc.

I had the release candidate and it broke Google Gears, which I use to edit offline Google Docs. Has anyone found out if this is still a problem?

That's a good photo (by Eric/"Grahama", I take it). I have a few I'll post, along with some other items, once I finish traveling for a bit.

Brad, as this photo was taken, was talking about his original "vision" for SketchUp: he said he conceived of it as a basic "3D engine" that others could extend as they need. I would say that has worked out!

The date is the British notation: day/month/year.

Speaking for myself, I've been really tired at the end of each "3DBC" day and I won't actually be home until next week (I'm writing this from a hotel in San Francisco). And Gaieus, who set up the blog about the meeting, was unable to access the 'net from the Googleplex or his hotel.

Give us all a bit of time and we'll spill the beans, such as they are. Now if you'll excuse me, it's been an exhausting day and I'm going to bed.

No, I'm not talking about the morally obligatory competition launched at 3DBC (which I will let those participating in it describe).

Nope...coincidentally, today another Line of Site architectural competition, with Google UK as a sponsor, went live with their "Northern Lights Observatory" brief:

(www.lineofsite.info)

I showed this to Aidan in Mountain View and he had no idea that this was in the works. I promised I would post it.

Anyway, these things are open and free to all entrants; have very short deadlines; and there's a small cash prize ($5K)...they are more like charrettes than real projects, and it is impossible to become too worked up over them. Two years ago, with their first contest, I made it to the semifinals in their Thames Tideway Opera House brief, and it was a lot of fun despite lacking saintly imperatives.

More news: they want us to design a portable sports facility sponsored by some rappers in a favela...this is the 3DBC design competition, just announced, and it's been made to sound morally obligatory.

Nick, this is a topic that deserves a well-considered reply, and I'm unfortunately too busy getting ready for 3D Basecamp to carefully give you my thoughts on the matter. As someone who both went through an M.Arch. program in my late thirties and who currently teaches M.Arch. students, I like to hope I have a perspective on this that might be valuable to you.

I promise to get back to you at first opportunity.