It seems that the only decent solution remains the Space Cli 
is.
I like its design and the ergonomic concept, but its weight makes it not really portable. I know there is a portable version too, but too expensive for my taste. I also don't like the selling policy, because you have to pay an extra fee to use it as professional.
I'll test working in the open air with Sketchup if this device is worth buying or if I'll be able to manage everything with stylus and keyboard.
so far as I know, setting a 2x or 4x antialias in the opengl preference dialog (if supported by your graphic card) doesn't affect your texture, but only the edges of your model.
On my computer Sketchup doesn't apply any improvement to the texture antialiasing: many other programs, especially computer games, have this feature.
The best workaround I know, if you need a static image, is to render it bigger (2x, 4x) and resample it with an image editor with a good resampling algorythm (bicubic, spline, ecc) like The Gimp or Photoshop.
If you still want to avoid the moire effect inside Sketchup, another way is to edit your texture with an image editor and soften or soft blur it. If the texture is not so crisp, this will reduce the moire effect.
Here some snapshots:
never download the models of Max Grueter from the 3D warehouse! they kill your computer 
(I love the work of that guy and I'm wondering if he uses sketchup as modeller for his pieces)
On a serious way, I'm with Juju and plot-paris: simplify your models - elegance is the right balance, not a polygon more, not a polygon less.
Fred, this reminds me the architecture of Shigeru Ban. He makes astonishing structures with recycled cardboard tubes combined in a similar way as you do. I hope this can inspire you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Ban
http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/SBA_WORKS/SBA_PAPER/SBA_Paper_index.htm
http://www.designboom.com/history/ban.html
Hi digby dart,
I'm also a fan of Wacom tablets since I bought my first PC.
I agree with you: using a mouse becomes awkward with 2D graphic editors.
But I find it uncomfortable with Sketchup, because I haven't found how to simulate the mouse wheel input with a stylus.
I know there is a Wacom stylus with a wheel that simulates a real airbrush, but I don't know if the wheel works outstide specific painting programs like Painter, Photoshop or Artrage.
Up to me, the optimal solution were to buy a tablet pc, with Wacom input technology, and add the Wacom airbrush to model decently with Sketchup.
What I don't know is if this airbrush device works separated from an Intuos tablet.
If it works, I'll have no further need for a mouse.
Maybe you have tested it. Let me know
/matteo
I've just found this, after a quick google search. It's called 3D mouse and it seems to work really in 3D, not like the plethora of the fake 3D mice: they are called 3D, but are common 3 buttons + wheel devices.
You might find this interesting:
Up to you, apart from the well known Space Navigator, which alternative input device works well with Sketchup?
A gamepad seems to be the most effective tool to navigate and interact with a tridimensional space. I've read the thread about the Wiimote that looks promising as navigation tool, but less good as modelling tool.
A gamepad, with a reasonable number of programmable keys (min. 
could be an interesting device. While the joysticks on it (usually a couple) let you rotate, zoom, and pan your model, you could assign to each key the basic function like select, deselect, push/pull, offset, line, square, and so on. This means you could do the most work without mouse and keyboard.
So far I've not found a way to make a gamepad work with Sketchup: if anybody of you has figured it out, welcome here and please share it with us.
My dream is to be able to work with Sketchup with a tiny notebook, while standing freely outside.
A standard touchpad isn't surely the best input device, and a mouse requires a flat surface or mousepad.
Then, which is the best and most creative alternative you've found?
Very nice evolution of the scene. Put aside the old Fiat 500, one of my favourite cars, if not the favourite, the dosh people you set are a touch of class.
I love the undersaturated colors too.
Alex, that's amazing!
I was also wondering if anyone has tried with Sketchup a device like the Air Mouse by Logitech and how it works.
The terrain editor offers you the chance easily modify some part of the mesh by "repainting" it or by applying erosion filters.
It's useless to say that Bryce's Terrain Editor is a great organic modeler and you can create many more shapes than terrains. There is plenty of tutorials in the web.
now there comes the best part: you can export the terrain as .dxf or .3ds file. In the export panel there is a slider that will optimize the poly count of your terrain. This function is perfect for exporting to sketchup, since a low poly mesh will be handled much better. The algorithm to decimate the mesh is really fair and it offers you two ways to do it.
load this image into the terrain editor, and it will automatically converted to a 3D mesh: you can set the grid resolution of the mesh. In this case I've chosen a 640x640 units grid, and set a color gradient that helps me understand better the terrain morphology.
hi, according to me, if you can get a grayscale height map of your terrain, you'll do some magic with Bryce.
For those who don't know it, Bryce is s landscape renderer and you can download a legal copy of version 5.5 for free - just check the webpage of Daz, who now owns it. The render engine is a bit outdated, but the terrain editor still rocks.
Start with a grayscale map like this beneath (found at http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/)
Thank you. This may become one of the most used scripts in my daily work.
there is a little workaround you can do with Photoshop, or even with the Gimp.
Photoshop will save automatically each tile with progressive number in a desired directory.
Open Sketchup and with the ruby "massmaterialimport.rb" (available at http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDepot/Ruby/RUBY_Library_Depot.htm) create a new material set.
Now subdivide the face you want to texturize, keeping the some proportions of the Photoshop grid and apply each texture to the corresponding subface. Scale it correctly and you will have a seamless match.
This is longer to explain than to do, once you have practiced a bit.
Here are a couple of images of a work in progress. The facades are texturized joining several tiles. When I exported it to indigo it worked flawless.
The cons are, of course, that your poly number will increase, and all the thing is a bit tricky. But it works.
/matteo
Select similar faces or edges: this is a function of Wings 3D that I find great. It allows you to select all identical or quite identical faces of a model and it is very useful with complex, non planar geometries.
In Sketchup, when you can not select all the faces that you need with a single operation you have to select them manually by multiple ctrl/shift clicks.
For those who doesn't know it, Wings 3d is a free (even for commercial purposes) subdivision modeler that allows you to model nice organic shapes - http://www.wings3d.com/ - I use it combined with the astonishing Soap Skin & Bubble ruby of Josef Leibinger.
Since the release of Subdivide and Smooth ruby by Dale Martens I thought I can integrate in Sketchup most of the modeling process made with Wings 3D.
It would be great to port to Sketchup some of the selection options of Wings 3D too.
By selecting similiar faces, it lets me select all faces with the some shape and area (not really the some, but with a tolerance that tends to zero. That's why it's named select similar, instead of select identical - in rare cases with some complex models it selects unexpected faces, but I think this is the fee to pay for a fast operation). The selection cares about the bounding geometry too.
I hope that someone of you ruby gurus can figure out how it works and expand again SU features.
Here a couple of screenshots to explain better what I mean:
ciao,
ci sono anch'io. Un saluto da parte mia.
Speriamo di crescere.
Conoscete qualche altro forum su Sketchup in italiano? Che non sia piatto come contenuti?
/matteo
thank you for sharing these - your style looks very nice
A simple chill out set to place in your Sketchup garden or terrace.
It's manufactured by Gervasoni. The round things can be used as coffee table or just to seat (with a pillow if you want - not included).
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=d7d51dcbc71e34a069348172cc71c8bb&prevstart=0
/matteo
A set from my 3d Warehouse sets. The manufacturer is called Genesis and no, I'm not employed at Genesis and this is not a terraforming unit. You can use them together or individually as bath room items.
I personally love the "windowed" side of the bathtub.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=d507307abe112b47f540239839dd7bfc&prevstart=0
/matteo
