@alan fraser said:

I'm not sure about the least used function, but I can tell you what my most hated function is....the default template with Bryce in it.

I reckon at least 90% of all models submitted to the FormFonts Exchange have to be purged of Bryce and his materials before I can pass them onto the site. I've killed his effigy so many times it's a wonder the guy hasn't dropped stone dead by now.

I took him out last week when I decided to set up a custom office template. No more Bruce, no more Boulder CO, no more "Architectural Units", no more resource hogging 3px outline by default.

I think Fog is high up on the list of not used functions.

As oppose to many others I find FLip along very useful. It mirrors objects around itself without offsetting the object as oppose to what Scale -1 does. Two different methods of mirror for different purposes.

I think my most use feature, except the modelling tools them self is Purge. Purge is my religion.

@unknownuser said:

Unfortunately, the only thing you can do today is to 'UNDO' right after the operation.

But your idea is interesting, assuming the development of another macro, say, SharpEdges, where you would select the side faces and then asks for joining them (as plane intersection), removing any round junctions.

If I undo right after the operation it only undo each drawing operation the script did. I'd have to press undo many times to restore the mesh.

One feature request: Allow the operation to be undone.

@gaieus said:

John Bacus asked me at 3D BaseCamp whether I can name any 3D modeling software with pulti processor support.
Of course I could not - after all I1m not a 3D software specialist. Can you? (Note that I do know some that support multicore but only at the rendering end, not the modeling process).

I don't know of any. Doing that would be immensely difficult because you'd need so much data syncronised between the threads and cores. Possibilities for deadlocks etc.

However, Su could benefit from separating the UI from the modelling. Whenever Su or a plugin performs a heavy tasks, the whole UI becomes completely unresonsive. Some operations display an progressbar, but even that is useless because the window isn't redrawn so you don't actually see the progress animation.

64bit would be a great great improvement. I'm very disappointed that so many 3d and graphic applications still only uses 32bit, despite the length of which 64bit Window has been out. Photoshop is introducing it first this year, and that's the defacto standard graphic application.

@solo said:

I agree

I remember when I was at the point of making the decision, I had the option of getting Maxwell or DE, I chose DE as I get so many models and files from clients that come from so many different CAD and modeling apps that I do not use, getting DE proved a great choice as it opened my import possibilities without inconveniencing the client with having to try export to formats they were not comfortable with.

I tried the trial version. It did real all the geometry, but when I save the .3ds as .skp it creates all the 3ds instances as individual groups, not components unfortunately. But it looked like a very interesting app. Could be useful.

SU's import options are poor. Either .3ds, which is a really old format, with limitations such as textures have to follow the old DOS 8-3 character format. Or, DWG, which does not preserve materials at all.

@unknownuser said:

3DS MAX is your problem.....I have it and I have noticed even though autodesk designed the 3ds format it cant export 3ds at all. I always try to avoid 3ds through max as it always screws things up. I suggest looking for a format 3DS MAX exports that can be converted into 3ds and then import it into SU.

No, the problem is not 3DSMax. 3DSMax reloads the file properly with all the geometry, so does other applications. It is only SketchUp that doesn't import all the geometry correct.

I was sitting yesterday with a model where I wanted to bevel the edges, but follow me wasn't very practical due to to complex shape. Then I happen to come across this plugin today. It did the job great. Only had to clean up two vertexes. Now I got a nice edge which picks up the highlights when I render in V-Ray.

Love your work man.

I've seen that sometimes when models has been built up from AutoCAD drawings. Don't know what causes it, but I know how ot fix it. Rebuild the groups or components. Explode them then regroup. Not ideal, and some times allot of work.

This is one of my absolute favourite rubies. I just detailed a large terrain model with 4000 trees in no time. I would never have gotten such a rich detail to it manually.

@gaieus said:

Well,if 9+Mb,it cannot really be a very economical model. What's more, it then seems to be using only groups, not components,which is a kind of sign of a simple "import" from another application rather than a native SU model. If one is (already) a master of SU at this level,would definitely use components to keepfile size down for instance.

Can you at least post the URL of it in the WareHouse?

That would depend if it's using allot of textures.

@rickw said:

Okay, so what is the consensus - wait for the observer to be written/tested, or release now and update later?

I can wait for the observer to be written. It's not a rush thing for me, just a very convenient tool to have.

What graphic card models do you guys use? And what driver version?

I've been using Vista with nVidia 6800GT and 8800GT with no such issues. I keep my drivers fairly updated. At work I got a nVidia Quadro FX 3500 on XP. Also no issues.

You have to work out the length from the camera to the object you want in focus. Then enter that length into the Override Focal Dist. in the DOF section. Note that the value has to be in feet no matter what your actual scene units are.

I love this forum!
Thank you very much. The people here are awesome.

I just tried it, and it modifies the entire scene. That doesn't work too well for me.

The problem I'm having is that when exporting from Revit allot of the geometry is joined into one mesh, but various types are on different layers. But I also have a number of groups, such as windows and door which I want to keep as is. If that script worked on selection it's do the job perfectly.

I really should get into Ruby, then I could have modified it.

Does it work on selections, or does it take the entire model?

Not all applications can make use of multiple processes. Some have to work linear.

It's the limited import options that's the problem. We just started using Revit at the office and I'm trying to find a good way to get Revit models into SU. .3ds would be great as it retain materials and object separation. Unfortunately it doesn't load instances properly. Only one of each instance loads. The other option is via DWG, but then materials are lost and geometry is merged, pluss that sometimes faces are missing.

I found a plugin that would import IFC, but it was unstable and mangled the geometry. http://www.ohyeahcad.com/ifc2skp/

I tried Eval of Deep Explorer, it could write .skp files, but instances and blocks would not be converted into Components. Getting blocks and instances into components is big thing for me to improve workflow. Maintaining material assignments are a big plus.

Is there a ruby that will take a mesh and separate geometry by layer or material?