Well, thanks to a user on the SketchUp Forum, I have found a way to download Box's YouTube videos and add them to my folder. Since they are mp4 videos they can then be played via Media Player (which launches in a separate window and allows you to pause them).

There is an extension for Microsoft Edge called Internet Download Manager. Here is a link to a video that will tell you how to install it in Microsoft Edge: How to install Internet Download Manager

OK guys, I have figured out a way to view tutorial videos while you are using SketchUp with the ability to pause them during the process:

• First, I went through several thread on both SketchUcation and SketchUp and saved the videos to a folder on my hard drive.

• For gif files: I installed GIF Viewer. That allows me to open one of the gif files with the ability to pause the video while I am trying to "imitate" the process in SketchUp

• For the mp4 files: I installed the Windows Media Player. That allows me to pause a mp4 movie video while I am trying to "imitate" the process in SketchUp.

• For the YouTube videos I could not download/save them so there is not similar process to allow you to pause one of them while you are trying "practice" the process in SketchUp.

Hope this is usable for those who want to watch one of the great videos and "practice" the process in SketchUp.

There are tons of great tutorials out there with great advice of how to do things in SketchUp. Many times, you must watch them multiple times in order to take advantage of them you must watch them multiple times. In this thread, I hope to share ideas of how to pause them so that you can take advantage them and apply the techniques provided by the creators.

In many cases, the creator of the tutorials have posted them as gif or mp4 videos. In this thread, I (and hopefully many of your) will share techniques for being able to view the tutorials while you are working in SketchUp by being able to pause them at various points so that you can use the techniques being presented.

This information from this post has been moved to this thread https://community.sketchucation.com/topic/164314/tutorials-how-to-take-advantage-of-them/2

@Gus-R How do you come up with models like this? It is great and I would like to be able to do something like this.

Is there some documentation or a tutorial for this plugin?

@Dave-R Very nice sir!

You said all SketchUp. Did you use any plugins? I wish I had the knowledge/skill to do something like this. I am not an artist or engineer and see many post from people like you and am very impressed.

@tuna1957 Thank you. I thank you for the reference to the FredoScale tool and its ability to twist. It helped me begin to visualize some things like you have been doing. I just need to practice/experiment more.

@tuna1957 OK, I just messed around with the FredoScale tool and some additional messing around with things in 2025 and here is my latest trial.

So, I think to your suggestion of the FredoScale tool and messing around I have made some more progress.

I would like to learn more about how to do stuff like this. Here is my most recent trial/practice.

I did not use anything like FredoScale. Can you share with me how to use a tool like that to twist something? Also, did you do this with SU 2025? If so, how do you get a glass/glossy look to the interior part of you model?

@ntxdave OK, certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but here is some progress.

Still need some more practice but I am moving in the right direction (I think).

@ntxdave said in Box Exercise Discussions:

Here are the types of models I eventually want to be able to create:

I really like these examples and am struggling a little trying to draw something like them. If I draw the pieces outlining the glass interior and rotate them so I can get them to overlap, how to I manage the size of the glass interior?

Good advice @Dave-R

@Dave-R said in SketchUcation Extension Manager Not Showing Updates Needed:

I copied them into 2025 from 2024. So, what is the best way to track updates?

@Dave-R Did you manually copy the extensions or did you use the new extension migrator?

Yes, that is what I did. 🤪

At this point I would just go into the Sketchucation Tool in SU2025 and go to your Bundle and install the 2024 bunudle with the most current versions of the extensions. That will generate a new bundle of extensions for SketchUp 2025 for the next time you need to

That is what I am going to do.

I wish I had the skill and knowledge to do things like this.

@Dave-R said in SketchUcation Extension Manager Not Showing Updates Needed:

Did you install those extensions using the Sketchucation Extension Store tool or did you download them directly and install them or did you copy them from a previous SketchUp installation? Unless you use the Extension Store to install them the Extension Store tool won't keep track of whether or not they need to be updated. I had originally installed the in 2024 via the bundles facility via SketchUcation.

I copied them into 2025 from 2024. So, what is the best way to track updates?

I am beginning to have some negative feelings about some these “new features” in 2025.

@Gus-R How do you model stuff like this?

Renders look great.

When I start SketchUp 2025, I see that there are 2 Fredo6 extensions that need to be updated but when I click on the SketchUcation Extension Store icon, it says that all of my extensions are up to date. Why am I not seeing that the 2 extensions need to be updated?

@Rich-O-Brien I wish some others, like SketchUp would use that tool (I could mention others).