I am proficient in that I don't come across many obstacles doing what I need to do - draw buildings, but that is what you'd expect to be able to do with SU. I am not "good at SU" in that I don't push the software out of the box (it doesn't even come in a box, so that wouldn't be hard). I agree with Phil about bad modelling habits, I'm guilty of incoherent groupings and details that just make the model fat. I wouldn't know where to start on modelling a human with SU - and I've read the tutorials. If I could write ruby scripts for sketchup then I'd consider myself to be pretty damn good.

I don't know anything about Ruby but have had an idea that I think is worth mentioning. This might be the holy grail and currently totally unachievable, or straightforward, I don't know. I have thought for a long time it would be great if you could use SU for efficiently drawing basic 2d plans and surveys, therefore further removing CAD from the workflow. Would it be possible to write a script that allowed you to work in a plan view, drawing walls (some sort of double line tool maybe), and inserting intelligently placed parametric doors, windows and other components? Just the 2d set would be great, I have made my own components to do this at the moment, but what would be really brilliant if you could set wall, door, window z heights while working in a 2d view so that when you viewed in 3d, the basic geometry is drawn.

Please feel free to tell me if this is a daft idea.

Must be an expensive lift.

Mike

Thanks for this. Our house is victorian and has no concrete floor slabs, when you lift a floor board you see an air gap below he joists and then earth. It has never posed a problem but ideally I want to lay a damp proof membrane and lay a concrete slab over the top. I was dreading the thought of ripping up all the floors though, so I've been looking for a self levelling concrete product with chemical damp protection. That way I won't have to lift all the floor boards. I'm not sure if Hypercrete is self levelling but it is a step in the right direction.

It was in the UK edition of PC Format February 2006.I can't find the workshop on the net. I hadn't remembered the setup quite right. They actually used a small interactive whiteboard called a Smartpad Traveller, not corner sensors. They were also using XP, not CE.

They mounted the whiteboard onto a desk (about the size of an A0 drawing board) at an angle. Their whole rig cost £2000 not £1000 as I said.

Other than that my description was the same. I think actually using corner sensors rather than a board would A, be cheaper and B, be more practical.

I'll have to find the magazine, I've probably still got it, I think it was either Computer Shopper or PC format. I'll have a hunt and get back to you.

I read a tutorial in a computer magazine recently on how to effectively build an A0 touch screen. They used:

An A0 drawing board

4 clip on corner sensers and a stylus (the type that enables interactive white board displays in schools)

An overhead video projector.

A PC running Windows Tablet CE

About £1000 for the rig but the end result was pretty good, although they did say that as Win Tablet CE was not designed for use on such a big area calibration was a problem

Architectural Desktop 2005 but I'm thinking about buying Allplan by Nemetschek rather than AutoCAD 2008. Check Allplan out, I've seen it demonstrated, amazing

Well after much harrasment I've got SU and a few other programs working on Vista. ACAD is a non starter though. I have to say though there are a few useful tools in Vista but not many.

Hi all,

Sorry if I annoyed some people with my view of windows, all your views were valid and thanks for the advice, but the mac users will get the last laugh. On Friday I spent £1400 on a new Toshiba laptop running Vista. I know, I know, I could have bought a mac for the same price. You pc lot gave me cold feet so I stayed under the familiar wing of uncle Bill.

I wish I hadn't, SU doesn't run, I've tried all the workarounds, Photoshop CS2 doesn't run,3DS MAX 8 doesn't, Architectural Desktop 2005 doesn't, the list goes on. My trusty old version of Serif Page Plus 9 is about the only thing I've found that does. I will have to buy the latest versions of the lot.

My mac using mates think I'm a fool.
The biggest advantage Apple have ever had over PCs is surely the release of Vista. If anyone can help, please let me know.

I have been reading this thread with interest as my loyal five year old Sony Vaio laptop died running XP died last week. It cannot be upgraded as it is physically impossible to fit any more stuff inside. It has served me well, handling 3d apps, graphics, CAD etc. So I need a new machine.
I have always had PCs but I will probably buy a mac.

The reasons being;

Mac users never look stressed, PC users often look very ill.

Viruses are virtually unheard of for the mac. PC Virus protection is a license to print money for the likes of Norton, McAfee etc.

Vista is just pretty, underneath it is still basically the same operating system that gave us Windows 95. Also I have yet to meet anybody who likes it.

Virtual PC for the Mac will run virtually every windows app including AutoCAD.

Macs are more expensive but the main reason for this is a smaller market share and ethical manufacture. Bill Gates, IBM and the rest do very nicely out of third world low paid labour.

My main reason is Microsoft have too much money and I can't use Linux.

That said I may be a hypocrit and still buy a PC if I can't afford a Mac.

Have you looked at or used Particle Illusion? You can get a free version and its quite easy to use. Its basic but can create the same sort of stuff as Combustion. Particle Illusion works in a sort of 2 and a half d way, you can apply 3d effects to your avi files etc. I think the tools and finished results are better than After effects. Apologies if I am wrong about this though as I'm a modeller, never been much of a renderer - working on it though.

Amazing! SteamPunk should be selling that stuff, bespoke computers!

The first version of SU I tried was 2 or 3 I think. It was great for me, I was just about strictly AutoCAD and a bit of 3DS max and Rhino before SU. IMO 5 added good features but 6 was good too, layout could have been better. I see Google's intervention as positive as long as they continue to develop SU as a serious tool for architecture and design alongside its Google Earth and hobbyist uses.

I haven't upgraded yet, I read the release notes, I'm concerned by all the issues with Vista and Google Earth. If I don't upgrade now, can I wait for the next release and then still smoothly upgrade?

Juan

If you let the 8 hour trial run out, it does lock the pro features and become the free version, trust me it works. I've done this, but then immediately bought pro as I need it for work.

Version 6

Thanks mirjman, I was wondering what it did.

Try these

http://www.magiciso.com/download.htm
http://www.ntfs.com/iso-burning.htm
http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Tools/Data-CD-DVD-Burning/Active-ISO-Burner.shtml
http://www.petri.co.il/how_to_write_iso_files_to_cd.htm

Happy Birthday Tom. My present to you is a permit to break any laws you see fit for the next 24 hours.