Posts made by OG1

Sorry I had this in the wrong Forum. Would have been nice to know it was moved though.

Anyways, I (sort of) fixed the problem for anyone else who has this same issue.

First I went through all my plugins and compared the numbers beside them. I did this by going right in my C > Programs ...> Sketchup folders. Then I compared those numbers to the numbers of the updated plugins posted in these forums.
Example:

Since none of those numbers matched, I decided to go through each of those plugin folders to see if what they had inside matched. Since they did, I removed all the lower numbered folders, and decided to remove ALL of the plugins by Fredo and start over fresh, with the latest ones.

However, that still wouldn't let me open Sketchup without it crashing. So, I removed all the folders I needed (Plugins, Components...etc) and placed those on my desktop.(Drag and drop)

I then uninstalled Sketchup and did a fresh install. I put all the plugins that I use from the plugins folder on my desktop into the new plugins folder I just installed. (Copy / Paste) and did the same with all the components I made and had in the (desktop) components folder.
I also checked all the other folders that I had to make sure nothing was missing.

Whoola! It worked! I was finally able to open Sketchup without a bugsplat. Only issue I have now is, I can't seem to find my toolbars that go to some of the plugins. I also don't see some of them listed under Plugins, tools, Window and View Toolbars menu.

I am wondering if, when I moved them to my desktop, if the .rs and other .r files that I now see in their respective folders, need to be taken out of the folder and just listed under the folders? I also can't load some of them, that I know are in there. So, I missed something somewhere.

Without having to reinstall all those plugins,(that actually still exist in my plugins folder) is there a step I missed? I don't want to mess things up any more than they are, and since I'm not a coder, I don't know what belongs inside the folder, and what should be outside of the folder. I know I copied my original folder contents exactly like they were, so I'm stumped. If I have to, I'll reinstall them, but I'm afraid I might not remove all of what needs to be removed properly.

Thanks for any help!

Hi there! This evening I updated the latest Fredo plugins that needed updating via the Sketchucation Plugin Store plugin within SU. Ever since then, whenever I open SU, I get a bugsplat.
This was the first time I updated anything using the plugin store. I always did it manually.

At first, just the toolbars were all wonky and wouldn't stay in the location that I put them, and saved. When I restored them,(using the "restore toolbar location" selection thing, the SU window restored down, (not minimized, but went to half size...you know, like if you click on that second button on the top right hand corner of a window. The double box icon) and when I restored it to full window mode, the toolbars went screwy again, so I restarted my PC. After I restarted my PC, is when it started crashing on startup.

I'm using SU 8 the free version, on Windows 7. (Not sure what all info you need.) My drivers are all updated.

This is the first time I've had a problem with SU that I couldn't resolve myself. I have sent the bug reports but sure would like to know what else I can do to fix this, if anyone has any ideas. I have a lot of projects I'm working on!

As far as permissions go, I am the only one who uses this PC so I turned that (UAC) off.

Not sure what other info you need from me to help figure this out, but if you let me know, I'd be more than happy to provide the info.

Thanks for any help!

EDIT to add: I also tried to restore SU to an earlier version: one week ago, and that didn't work either.

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@thomthom said:

?

Didn't you download the file? I didn't want to keep it up as public as it is a WIP for a VW. Content creators will snatch any chance they can get to swipe a working mesh!

If you still wanted to see it, I can PM it to you?

Ok, here it is! Thanks thomthom!

Edit: removed the file now since it has been d/led. OG

@thomthom said:

Got a sample model of that #1 issue there?

Sure. How do I put it in here?

My wishlist is:

1). Preventing my textures from exploding along with the group (which happens to me on many occasions!) Not sure if it does this just on smoothed surfaces, but if that's the case, then I want it to stop! lol

2). To be able to export the animation scenes along with the mesh in collada (dae) data! Why is that not possible anyways? Is there a plugin for that? I've sampled RegularPolygons Keyframe Animation Plugin, and it works like a charm, but without being able to export that animation data to collada, it's pretty much useless to me. If we did have the ability to export that data, I'd buy this plugin in a heart beat!

http://youtu.be/APfttvJzSVk

3). I also agree that Sketchup needs some sort of UV mapping. I do use Dales SketchUV. It's a brilliant plugin and I love it, but it's not perfect. I still, sometimes, get some stretching / warping with it, and each and every face gets exported instead of just one unified "map", so instead of one map, I get a gazillion different "pieces" of the one texture. (did I explain that right? O.o)

4). For Trimble to realize that Sketchup isn't just for architects anymore!
(No offense intended to all you brilliant architects)
I have been using Sketchup since @last owned it for creating content for Virtual Worlds.
Ok, so maybe they don't have to do this one. I'll settle for the other 3!

If I could just see those 3 little, teeny weeny things implemented, I'd be one happy camper AND buy the latest version of Sketchup!

Jason, this must be a bit difficult for you to change on to another program. I feel for you. I think your boss is right though, to take that direction. Trimble bought Sketchup for a reason. I'm sure they wouldn't invest in a product and not apply its use to their product. But then again, I could be wrong. Logic tells me that they will use it for their purposes (whatever they may be as I don't know). My heart wishes they will just improve it and keep it alive for all of us.

I have a friend who is in the process of taking exams to be a Google Certified Sketchup Instructor. Does this have any merit anymore? Or did he just waste his time and money? I sure hope he didn't. That would be sad.

@michaelv said:

As for creating plugin for the VW crowd, I think it's a matter of use. It is hard to create a plugin for something one either doesn't need or doesn't understand(see the simplicity issue above). Some can create plugin on demand, and it happens. But I think each group of user has to organically refine its own set of tools.
Granted ruby is not as "simple" to use as one may wish. I wish there was a simplicity rule applied to programming languages too, it has been tried many times too (and there are scripting languages too), but it is just a very very complex task. Ruby is very much going in the right direction, and is already quite an achievement, that is why I'd wish that in SU it didn't become replaced by C (C++, Java, etc..) or other more "technical" languages, even if arguably they are more powerful (or more widely used by programmers). Now they still could be a secondary option for the most advanced programmers, to do the most powerful features. Again a design issue.

Sorry, I forgot to respond to this. You're right Michaelv. It is, and I didn't really expect the architectural programmers to make them. It was more a "wish" for me. Also why I wished those who had made plugins for the VW area would share them in here as I'm sure there are other VW creators in here besides me and Opal. Thanks for the excellent read!

@alan fraser said:

@unknownuser said:

@last had a free version. That was my first introduction to Sketchup.

Sorry to contradict, but @Last never had a free version. What they did have was an unlimited trial of the retail version that worked for 8 hours actual modelling time...same as the Pro version now. Susan ought to know...she'd been using SU for years by the time it was sold in 2006. In fact, like some others of us, she'd already started marketing content for SU a year or two prior to that date.

Don't be sorry. Thank you for the correction. It seemed free to me, since I was able to use it for so long. I got it before @last sold to Google. (obviously?) But I mostly tried to learn AutoCad, and was using an architectural program while I dabbled with getting to know Sketchup. I only know what I myself experience. And my apologies to Susan. Had I actually known her, I might have known that she (and you others) "ought" to know. It was just a simple comment I made with what little knowledge I had.

Anyone else?

@michaliszissiou said:

@unknownuser said:

Yes, I can use Blender, but Sketchup is much more user friendly.

From the point of a blender user, blender is the friendlier.
For instance, SU isn't that friendly to me, especially when having to deal with snapping options.
How can anyone compares these two apps? Blender is a huge application, containing almost any function you may like. Not just a modeler.
SU lacks of very important tools, like a decent UV editor. Neither some addons in SU are comparable with blender (artisan, UV editing etc)
On the other hand, blender does huge steps on the SU direction these days. It's the bmesh new builds. Learn about them.
To my good friends that develop these SU excellent addons: Learn python scripting.

And... we can still use SU and export to blender via TIG's excellent obj exporter. I'll keep saying it because it was a great help to me.

People are biased to what they like most.

I can say Sketchup is more user friendlier to me then Blender, because I tried them both.
For all the things you listed for Blender that makes it GREAT, doesn't make it easier, for me, to learn.

I have this same learning curve with the SU plugins I get free and buy. Which is why I take my time to learn each one, at a time.
This, in turn, makes learning Blender all that much more easy for me.

I didn't say I didn't LIKE Blender. I do. I use it when I need to. When there are no plugins made for Sketchup that will do the job I need done.

It doesn't help that my IQ went from a 136 to about a 72 due to a disability.

So, yes, Sketchup is much more user friendly. For me.

Edit to add: [from my prior post] I was hoping that more VW creators would join this forum because they have made plugins for SU that might be useful to some people here.

I use Sketchup for 3D Virtual World Content creation mostly, but I also it for designing floor plans for my new house I want to build. I also use it for tutorials, but again, those are just for the VW creating community.

I would use it for animations, but in its current state, animations can't be created or exported into the VW's I create for.

The poll mostly covers things I do not use it for, but I did choose the 5 that I thought related to me.

First, let me apologize for not reading all 48 pages, so I may have missed something I am touching on.

@thomthom said:

@marian said:

That's wouldn't be a bad idea if that means that it would make more stuff compatible with SU and SU remains intact.

That pinpointed my concern - I hope I can still do the same with Trimble SketchUp as I can with @Last/Google SketchUp without it becoming filled with features for disciplines I don't use.

I like the basic and generic design of SketchUp - with plugins being the method of adapting the core platform to my needs. My fear are big-features applications like 3D Studio Max, AutoCAD and Revit.

I hope SketchUp remains simple at core - and this acquisition will enhance it's powers as a platform where Trimble offer their solutions (as customer options). As long as it remains as a lean simple platform other developers, like myself, can use it to develop our own solutions custom fit for any particular need.

I can appreciate this thought for the most part, and I do support you plugin creators. However, I was hoping that one day Sketchup would be also include 3D Virtual World modellers and animators into their program design.

With that said, I see your point of view ThomThom. It would be great to either have 2 seperate versions, OR, have some of you talented people make scripts for those of us who do use Sketchup for a totally different platform than architecture. (although, architecture is also important to us who use this for Virtual World product creation.)

I'm going to stay optomistic, and hope for the best for all of us. It would be a sad day indeed if Sketchup were to be turned into something useless for the massive amount of people who do use this program for VW creations.

Yes, I can use Blender, but Sketchup is much more user friendly.

@sorgesu said:

snip
Since it was Google that introduced the idea of a free version of SketchUp snip

@last had a free version. That was my first introduction to Sketchup.

I have been using Sketchup for Virtual World product creation since 2006. I know thousands of others who do as well. Folks from the sites we create on make their own plugins to suit the needs we need to produce compatible meshes. I don't know why more of these people do not sign up and be part of this forum, and show that Sketchup is indeed used for things other than architectural purposes.

In any case, I hope my wishlist will still be valid, and I hope Sketchup stays productive for all of us, and maybe one day, some of you script writers will make more plugins that I can use! So far, those of you that have, have made my life so much easier, so thank you!

waits to see what happens with the rest of you

Wow! Amazing models! Sorry if this has been asked already, but how on earth do you guys get those textures on your models to look so realistic like that? Just on page one alone of this thread...the car by urgen and the guitar pic posted by dale.

Amazing!

Holy canoli! Nice work! I wanna be able to do that when I grow up!

@unknownuser said:

I* have my own little wish list for sketchup.. which involves things I really don't understand but would learn. Skinning and rigging of avatar like models*. Currently, sketchup is the red-headed step child for virtual world clothing and animation creation without those abilities. Now if there are plugins that do this, I have not found them.

+1 I might even be able to teach you these things as I have plugins (and have used them!) that enables such things for using at the other place!
(they were made specifically for the other place. Won't work for Nvo. )

I know there is a plugin for this somewhere, and I can't find it, and really don't think Sketchup should be a 'plugins operated program', especially for simple things as my next wish: I want "In Model" to be MY default Materials window thingy! So, maybe give us that option in our preferences?

wonders why Google doesn't look at some of these plugins made for simple tasks and just implement them into the program. I'm pretty sure the developers make them for us who want ease of use, and probably wouldn't be offended if Google helped us get rid of plugin bloat by adding these simple tools. Hint hint.

Hi Gaieus! Thanks for the reply. I didn't know someone replied to this. I thought I had my settings set to be emailed if a reply was made.

In response to your reply:

1. NuveraOnline, which I export the mesh from Sketchup as a .dae and IMVU, which I export the mesh as an .xmf. I mainly create for NuveraOnline now though.

2. I am not sure I have seen all the texturing plugins in here to be honest. That is one of the things I look for too. There are two plugins I do use a lot though (when dropper based projection doesn't quite work) and those are: UVTool kit, and UVProjection. I apologize for not remembering the developers names who made them. (fibro fog!>< )

The distortion happens in Sketchup after texture application. Not on export.
The orbs get the textures pretty much all the way, except the sides are distorted. (or top and bottom, depending on which direction (or axis) the texture is applied.)

3 & 4 are basically the same thing. After reading my original post, I just realized I repeated myself. Just described the issue in #3, and the wish in #4.

@unknownuser said:

If you group first and the group origin (or better; component origin, which you can see and manipulate) is in the corner of the face, SU will start the tiling from there.

I have never tried this, so thanks for mentioning it. I'll see if I can figure out how to do that and give it a try!

6. I understand the triangulation on export. One would think a simple square would turn into 2 triangles. I wish I still had the screenshot to show you (I deleted it, I think) but I had sent one of my exported .dae's to a friend to look at the mesh in MAX as I couldn't find an issue with what I thought was a low poly mesh. It then caused lag (acted as high poly) in the editor tool and client of the VW (NuveraOnline).
   When she looked at the mesh in MAX, she took a screenshot of what she saw and emailed it to me. There were many, many diagonal lines on one face that I thought, didn't make sense to be there. Half of this rectangular face had many lines triangulating it, and none were on the other half. Strange thing indeed. Not sure I explained it well. I'll have to see if I have a copy of the screenshot hidden somewhere on my PC! If I find it, I will post it.

Thanks again for your response Gaieus!

Forgive me if I repeat anything else already posted. I know this is only my second post (I think) since joining this site, but I read almost everything in here! I'm kind of shy! Please don't diss me for this post! I apologize if I post anything that might be confusing too. I have a comprehension disability and sometimes don't explain myself well. ><

I have been using Sketchup since 2006 to create content for Virtual Worlds. I have learned that Sketchup was not made for this type of modelling, and am extremely grateful for all the developers (and people outside of this forum) who create plugins and other sources to make the use of Sketchup go beyond what its original intention was for. I started with Sketchup 5 when it was owned by @Last Software. I was hoping that when Google bought it, it would be advanced more and have more opportunity for its use.

I was hoping Google would make Sketchup compete with the likes of Blender, Gmax (at the time) and 3DS Max. I own AutoCad (old one & yuk) and saw Sketchup to be more user user friendly. In my growth from making floor plans to 3D content for virtual worlds, I had hopes that Sketchup would add more to this product to reflect what the future use of its program would be used for.

So far, it seems to me that Google has ignored an opportunity it could compete in. (Just my opinion folks)
This is the only modelling program I am comfortable with, but without Google making efforts to enhance Sketchup, I feel like they are ignoring an ever growing market. If they took me (and other 3D VW content creators) seriously, then how can I take them seriously? I would buy the Pro version in a heart beat if they finally decided to take the market I am (and others) in seriously. By the time I am done buying plugins for Sketchup, I might have been able to afford Bonsai3D or put away for 3DS Max. (OK, that was just a rant!)

Sorry for my venting, I just want Google to know how important Sketchup is to us faithful users. I know I could "go somewhere else" but I really do love Sketchup for its unique and user friendly ways. Not to mention that I am stubborn and don't want to learn anything else! lol!

I've been told to learn Blender, but I just plain don't want to! I love Sketchup.

My wishlist for Sketchup:

1. Expand the entire program to be Virtual World friendly, not just for architects and engineers.

2. PLEASE enable a new manner of applying textures to non flat faces. For example, apply a texture to a sphere or orb with no distortion. Something in the program can be told we are apply a texture to a round surface, and not a flat one.

3. Know what the texture perimeters are. Clarification: No matter what size a texture is, it is usually square, and in most occasions, Sketchup knows the 4 points of that square texture and has the pins on them in the correct position when clicking on a face to position said texture. However, I have come across instances where the pins are not aligned with the borders of the texture. Never have figured out why. Just asked myself "why does Sketchup do that? Why isn't it recognizing the perimeter of this texture?"

4. Corner to corner application of a texture. For example, I create a wall. I apply a brick texture to it. As it works right now, the texture is applied in a manner that does not follow the lines of the face being applied to. A texture is applied with no regard to the face. The texture, if right clicked on, shows up halfway through the face, instead of aligned with it. So, for instance, If I apply a brick texture to a face, the texture itself should apply itself from the bottom left corner of the face, matching the bottom left corner of said texture. Whether it tiles or not is not important, as we can fix that to the size we want. (Did I just confuse you all?)

5. UV mapping.

6. Poly statistics. I understand that the model info shows faces, edges and such, but I need a REAL computation of what the file size of my mesh is when I export it to say, .dae. If a 3DS Max user puts my dae model from Sketchup into MAX, they see more polys than I do in SU. (not sure why. I'm not savvy on that type of thing.) Sketchup is perfect for making low poly meshes, which is needed for VW environments, but what I see in Sketchup compared to what actually gets exported, are 2 different things.

7. No more double faces. Unfortunately, Sketchup makes decisions for me that I don't know about. I would like to be warned when a face will be created upon a face that already exists. I'm not even sure how this happens. As I said before, I am not a noob at using Sketchup, but still find this happening for reasons I cannot figure out.

There are probably more wishes I have but can't think of them at the moment, and I hope no one is offended by my post in any way. This is just my own opinion and wishes. Yes, I could go to some other program that fits my needs, but I really do love Sketchup and just want to see it, or even a separate, new version of it for these needs, to be a part of the market and area that I use it for. I'll even volunteer to do product testing!

If I have missed anything that Sketchup has to offer, please let me know! Right now I am using free version 8.0.4811. I spoke to a SU rep about the Pro version about a year ago, but could not see where the Pro version would benefit me in what I do. (compared to the free version) I'd love to hear from Pro users if there is anything it has to offer that I didn't see!

Don't throw tomatoes! I can make sauce with them!

I know it's been a while since this topic was started and posted in, but I just had to say THANK YOU!!! This plugin has saved me from going more mental! The meshes I make need to be low poly, so using both sides of a face is mandatory! It usually has a different texture on each side. After I export my mesh, the editor I work in reports if I have unpainted faces and prevents me from continuing with my submission. I sometimes go bonkers trying to find the unpainted faces. They are usually small faces, faces that shouldn't even be on the mesh, or like the post in the other thread, "couldn't see the forest through the trees"!

The one thing I couldn't do, was to unhide the faces I hid, without doing the 'Undo'. (unless I missed something?) Anyways, not a problem doing that, since this plugin has just saved me hours, if not days, trying to find those little buggers.

Sorry for the long reply, but I am extremely grateful and thankful for this plugin, as with all the others in here that make my life easier. This one just made me saner! Thank you!!!