If anyone could recommend a good hosting site (zero pop-ups and no pron links preferable) I would be grateful.

Update: British computer hacker Gary McKinnon has lost the latest round of his battle against extradition to the US.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7912538.stm

If you have access to Adobe Illustrator, you can use the customise brush tool to create the slat profiles along a curve, and then import the results into SU.

Very nice model indeed - take a look at http://www.military-meshes.com/ for some extra inspiration.

I'm still tidying up bordominc's version (thanks very much for that btw) - slow progress so far... so many reversed faces. Have tried to organise in C4D but with little success.

even more magnifique

I found this resource in the meantime:

http://www.3dcadbrowser.com/preview.aspx?ModelCode=1402

And this utility may help to remove double-faces (haven't tested):

http://www.deep-shadows.com/hax/3DRipperDX.htm (3d Studio Max and Maya only)

I wonder if somone in the sketchup team has access to one? I am working on a game project and wanted to use a model like Manhattan to compare relative sizes of very large objects. Hope it's not too much of a big ask if anyone is listening.

If not, I will have a bash at tidying this model - but don't hold your breath...

I have a Google tutorial which demonstrates a working weblink, try this from 3D Warehouse:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ce5eddf19a1cd04d4af4635b6ebb0145&prevstart=0

I don't have the file on me at the moment but I think this is the one.

Could an Okino converter or something similar strip out the double faces?

I'm planning to buy a new laptop at the weekend; let's see how 4Gb of RAM tackles this ...

What an amazing story - McKinnon should step up to the plate.

Interestingly, there is suddenly more progress in keeping his trial fixed in the UK (no pun intended ) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7831481.stm

I am not sure what you mean by 'messed things up' as the model looks good and is competently modeled.

I imagine you are not sure how to deal with the floor space between the upper and lower floors and the stairwell, correct? I would enclose each as a group or component and put them in a corresponding layer so you can switch them off and on while you work.

When complete, you can explode all and remove or hide unwanted edges to perfect the final render.

I also have a few suggestions for better practice:

You have quite a few reversed faces. Generally an 'outside' face should be white and the opposite side blue. Keeping to this rule will aid your modelling and simplify material placement later (right-click and select Reverse Faces to correct).

When push-pulling, you can press the Ctrl key to add additional layers separated by edges, which may help when you are building your storeys upwards.

You are on the right track, so do persevere.

What a breath of fresh air! 32-bit is no handicap for this dude.

Some images remind me of the worlds of Jean 'Moebius' Giraud - a great comic artist.

Magnifique!

The UK can certainly oscillate wildly from time to time:

Recorded UK epicentres from '74: http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/macroseismics/macroseismic_surveys.htm

@tobobo said:

I thought the recent one in Yorkshire was a washing machine next door.

That's so funny. My immediate thought was it must have been a tornado as there had been a few touchdowns in the UK the year before.

BBC NEWS | UK | Parts of UK struck by tornadoes

A series of tornadoes causes damage to buildings and vehicles across central and southern England.

(news.bbc.co.uk)

I experienced an earthquake in West Yorkshire, UK this year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gallery/2008/feb/27/1?picture=332720554

Sounded like a freight train, spooked the cats like chronic. Had no idea what happened until the morning news broke.

Apparently the shoes are a huge hit on Al-Jazeera E-Bay

This should be SkethUp 7.1 wishlist not 8 - harumph!

Does exactly what it says on the tin, plus it's free

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Screenshots.php

[flash=425,344:pq62f782]http://uk.youtube.com/v/PPvRsLWlDXw[/flash:pq62f782]