Thanks thomthom - it turns out that you get this message if auto-check for updates is turned off....
"This error message can appear if SketchUp isn't checking for updates automatically. To fix it, click Window > Preferences > General and click Automatically check for updates."
so I did that, and all is good..
cheers
rabbit
When I try to upgrade i get this message:
"The update service has been disabled. Please contact your administrator."
...which sounds like its english, but there is no administrator to contact - this is a standalone laptop.
Never seen this message before - anyone know how to fix this?
Windows 7 x64
Thanks
rabbit
OK - cheers TIG
That works, but it seems to me it would be much cleaner if the incoming file would either just drop at the origin automatically, or you could type in 0,0,0 or even just 0 - don't see what the advantage is really of having it default to following the cursor around...
rabbit
Lets say i start a model in sketchup (model_01), then import that model into another 3D program. In this program I add other items, then save out those items as a sketchup file (model_02)
Back in the original sketchup model, if I import model_02, it is attached to the cursor, so will not automatically line up.
To get round this, i have to open model_02 in a 2nd instance of sketchup, then copy it to the clipboard, and then back in the original file, use paste-in-place, at which point model_02 drops into the file all lined up.
So my question is: Surely there a way to import a sketchup model into an existing one, and have it just drop in place, without having to go thru that above cumbersome procedure...?
thanks
rabbit
Hmmm... Tom, what are you smoking in that pipe...?
mac, Mac, MAC....whatever, never thought about it, no doubt you are right.
I think really that , when you say your macbbook pro has been chugging it out for the last four years 24/7 then that just supports my case. you say a sony would still be working also, - who knows? maybe it would.
Between us my partner and I currently have four laptops - two acers, one hp, and one mac.
The oldest is a acer travelmate, that finally stopped working after about about 8 years.
The other acer is still going after about four years, the macbook is great after about 2.5 years, and the hp, which was the most expensive and highest spec, has ongoing problems after less than two years - the power supply died, now the screen has died (a known problem apparantly, and not worth the money to repair)
So now i need a new laptop that can run windows 7 64 bit, and really only Dell and the mac are in the running (sony has nothing with the same spec) - the mac has no numeric keypad, but is $200 cheaper than the dell, and about 1 kilo lighter (plus it also comes with the mac os). The dell has a faster processor, a slightly better video card, and all the other stuff is the same spec.
So it is a no-brainer really to go with the mac - it is just so much better in terms of build and design, and i fully expect it to be around in another 4,6 years...
And when rhino for the mac is up to speed, then maybe i will switch to the mac os for good...
I couldn't give a toss about the apple logo, or apple posey stuff - I just want to do my job, without the hassle and downtime of the hardware dropping the ball...
cheers
rabbit
Well, all this shows is that lots of people use lots of different CAD programs....
But, i think you should have a look at rhino - not only is it an amazing 3D nurbs modeller, but its 2D toolset is very very good - you can download V4 and use it as long as you like - it just stops saving after 25 saves.
McNeel is a great company (similar in some ways to the @last company that developed sketchup) - their rhino forum is extremely helpful, and the developers are always on there. Its autocad translation is extremely good, and always up to date, and it is a lot easier to use than autocad.
it also compliments Sketchup very well, reads and writes sketchup files, and can do all sorts of curvy stuff that sktchup is hopeless at - the two programs together are all i need for sure, and i think you could do a lot worse (like vectorworks & doublecad for example, which in my opinion are horrible programs)
Rhino 4 and the beta V5 (which you can download and use once you have purchased V4) are PC only, but also in beta, which you can download and use for free, is a mac version. this will be due for release sometime after V5 for the PC is released, which will likely be towards the latter part of 2010.
Also, at $995.00 it is a bargain...no subscriptions etc..
Finally, it is not a silly idea to use bootcamp on a MAC at all; in fact a lot of people use MAC's without ever using the mac os at all - this is because the Mac hardware and build quality is very good compared to many other, espically laptop, companies.
cheers
rabbit
At the moment, LayOut can import PDF and mainstream bitmap files.
Uhh.. How?
As far as I can see, layout (2.1) (on windows) won't import pdf...
It certainly should, along with dwg, dxf - in fact it should support the exact same file formats that sketchup itself does...
Likewise, it surely it should have as many of the same tools as sketchup as is practicable, (given that it is designed for a different but complimentary purpose) and it surely it should as far as possible behave the same way as sketchup itslf.
For example, it really needs the zoom window tool, and why can't those useless scroll bars be turned off...
layout is such a good idea, it promises so much, its just taking a little longer than one would like to get there.....
rabbit
http://www.autodesk.com/sketchbookmobile.
This is fantastic! and costs only three dollars! - even if you dont have an iphone, just watch the video!
Chris - thanks, thats perfect!
I note you have a custom attribute "on_click_hider" - but this appears to do nothing ie the thing works without it. Is this something you left in when you were experimenting with it?
There really needs to be some better documentation on these things...especially for people who are not coders.
How did you learn to do this...?
cheers
rabbit
Could someone help with the following?
Say i have a component that is a torch and its light beam. I would like this to be a dynamic component that:
a: changes the colour of the beam when the beam is clicked interactively (which I have managed to do)
b: turns on and off (ie a toggle that hides/unhides) the beam when the torch is clicked interactively.
Shouldn't be too hard, but I can't get it to work...!
thanks
rabbit
I think this is really good sound advice. Pretty much any competent vector system is ok, but some are better (All beer is good, but some beer is better!)
Back in the day I used to use generic cadd 6, which for 2D drafting was amazing (so amazing that autodesk bought it and killed it) and 3D Studio release 2
Eventually I had to move from these dos systems, and for 2D drafting used Visual Cadd (still available from http://www.tritools.com) which was kind of cadd6 for windows. I looked at heaps of 2 and 3D software (I hate vectorworks 
)
and never really found anything 3D I was happy with until rhino, which I have used now since its pre-release beta days, and now in its V5 beta cycle. Since V4 this program has had great 2D drafting tools (so much so that it has been years now since I have used visual cadd), and its 3D toolset is just incredible.
For me, rhino is the all in one program, and it goes from strength to strength. The user group are fantastic, Mcneel is an amazing company and all in all I have never been happier with a piece of software - which is good, since I use it to make my living, and as noted below, it is very hard to change systems...
I would definetly give it a shot, even if you start by just using it for 2D drafting and documentation of your sketchup models.
Rhino is very affordable, will import and export sketchup (v6) models; you can customise it with keyboard shortcuts you are familiar with, and it has an excellent dwg import / export, which is continuously being updated - something that is really important if you have to exchange data with autocad.
Download an evaluation from http://www.rhino3D.com - (it never expires, just stops saving after 25 saves) and run through a couple of the tutorials...
If you are on a mac, there is a mac beta of rhino, which you can download and use for free while they go through the beta process; likewise, if you buy V4 for windows, you can download and use V5 as it goes through the beta cycle - both mac and windows V5 betas are currently more stable than a lot of other companies final release software...
cheers
rabbit
@honoluludesktop said:
I suspect that what really matters is which software you first commit to. Once having done so, everything thereafter accommodates your work flow. I began with a 3d vector CAD system, and still begin the design with it. The functional diagram is more easily (for me) to be laid out as a 2d drawing. I loft, and block the plan, then port to SU for visualization. Revisions are done to blocks in the CAD system, and imported to SU as components facilitating design revision. Only portions of the model that are more easier done in SU are ported to CAD as blocks. Because the construction documents are done by the CAD system, I am able to maintain the work flow best in this manner.
For those who began their CAD experiences with a modeler like SU, I suspect another work flow will be preferred. Any competent vector system is OK for that. If there were anything I would look for, it is the ability to customize your CAD platform. Like SU any CAD system will benefit from this flexibility. If you don't program, then a wide user base is useful to belong to. Another concern is the ability of the software to "stay in business", since it is your intention to be around for a reasonable time. Its very, very hard to change systems. Been there, done that, and is one of the reasons I stick with MS:-) (how do you draw a X fingers smiley?-)
After using rhino, or moi, or sketchup, modo has an arcane, frustrating view manipulation toolset, (inherited from lightwave). It just drives me crazy. It crashes a lot also, so you need to save your work often.
On the other hand, its render engine is very very fast, and has a (depending on the model complexity and your processor speed) a real-time preview, so you can see what you are getting as you work up the scene.
I read somewhere that they are going to release the renderer as a stand-alone app, which would be a good move i think.
cheers
rabbit
@arail1 said:
rabbit -
Could you expand a bit on your comment about not wanting to ever model in Modo?
Thanks
Alex
Well, i own rhino, modo, moi and sketchup - they all have different strengths, but as a team they are a great combination.
Most of my work is done in rhino, and i am using modo only for rendering (i doubt i would ever want to model anything in it).
Moi is coded by the same guy who originally created rhino, so they have a number of similarities (for example, you can cut and paste models between them) - I just think of moi as a rhino plug-in.
Moi (the V2 beta which you can download free if you purchase V1) has a fantastic sketchup exporter, models come in so clean and smooth.
As a group these four programs are a real bargain if you are making a living drawing / designing stuff with a computer...and the companies / support behind them are, strangely enough, also amazing.
cheers
rabbit
Rhino's native sketchup export is not at all good, and will hopefully get a tune up before too long - it is likely it will be posted on the rhino labs page when they get around to it.
In the meantime, try using these settings for a dwg export out of rhino, which i have had pretty good results from:
I model in rhino in mm with a tolerance of .1
Autocad version - 2000
save curves as - splines
save surfaces as - polygon meshes
save polygon meshes as - polyface meshes
curve options - use simple entities
simplify tolerance .05
polygon mesh detailed options:
as per model settings, which should be everything set to zero except max distance, edge to surface = 2
check refine mesh
check simple planes
in sketchup import dwg settings : millimeters, merge co-planer faces, but uncheck orient faces consistently as seems to come from rhino fine.
The other way around this is to buy moi, and then immediately download the v2 beta, which has an absolutely fantastic sketchup exporter. Moi will open rhino files natively, and you can actually cut and paste between rhino and moi. - in fact, moi is coded by the same guy who originally created rhino; i just consider it a rhino plugin - it will pay for itself on the first job or two....
cheers
rabbit
If you are getting dwgs after all that process you describe below then why are you trying to bring them into sketchup to create "shop drawings", which i would assume would be 2D anyway, and which you would be better off working with in autocad or some other CAD program...but perhaps i misunderstand what it is you are doing.
Anyway, to answer your question, rhino will import dwgs with all curves as curves or polylines, depending on what they are in the autocad drawing.
Modo has no dwg import option, but it will import dxf curves without faceting them.
Import / export among programs is a continual hassle, and best avoided if at all possible...but of course it rarely works out like that.
cheers
rabbit
ok....so, does anyone know if Rhino or Modo will import DWG's and NOT facet curves? Where I work, it seems everyone uses a different modeling program. The Design starts in Vectorworks(Toronto office uses C4D), then is rendered in C4D, then once approved the design goes to the CAD guy who uses AutoCad. Then I get drawings in DWG's so I can do my shop drawings. Pretty crazy. I won't get into the never ending issue of Shetchup not being taken seriously. Anyway, I got off topic so back to the original question above...
Thanks
Layout is just a dead weight; i am sorry to have to say this, because i think the idea has great potential, but it is just too clumsy, slow and frustrating to use in any real world situation, even just as a presentation tool with no 3D links to sketchup.
I have found nothing that in theory matches it, or at least the idea behind it, but it sadly just does not do the business.
I use the page layout tools in another app, and import any sketchup stuff i need as 2D dwg exports.
i think layout needs to incorporate good dimensioning, and also needs to import dwg as vectors. That way it could be used as a cd tool for any app that could export dwg, and mix and match su models with it all.
Sadly this is not the way google seems to want to take it...
Anyway, i'm done with it.
cheers
rabbit
This in SU 6, haven't seen it in 7, or anything else before...
It just popped up, there was nothing special going on...
On an only slightly related topic, a mate of mine has a computer that sits in the corner of the office and all it does is dial up the bank every day at a certain time and download statements. A few days ago a guy opened it up to put in a network card, and he grabbed a screen shot of a windows 95 message saying it had been running for 3760 days!!
I have asked him to send me the message screenshot, but that must be a record for a win95 machine...?
cheers
rabbit
i am looking for either a ruby or something that will add real cameras to a sketchup model.
I seem to recall that the film and tv plugin for V4 added a menu of views that you could implement based on different aspect ratios etc, but this doesn't seem to be present in the latest film and tv plugin i can find (for V6)
I also have a v4 ruby called camera.rb that seems to have been written by someone at sketchup back in V4 or earlier; - it is the kind of thing I want, but it is a bit clunky.
in apps like modo or lightwave or max one can set multiple cameras with adjustments that are true to real world cameras - anyone any idea if i can do this in sketchup?
cheers
rabbit
