Maybe this might help?

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

(sketchup.google.com)

Ok, thanks...now, second question; if there aren't any problems with it, what's stopping a more widespread use as an easy to use CAD-drafter?

EDIT: Running into problems - I was hoping it would be easier to create the outline and then smooth it out, unfortunately Illustrator is having none of it and all the lines come out faceted...tips?

So I've been using Sketchup for a long time now, but I'm starting a new project that requires pretty precise measurements and use of CAD (creating an airplane). I would prefer to keep my workflow as artistic as possible (which means using art-centric programs like Modo and Sketchup)...I can learn a new program if necessary, but I would like to avoid doing it.
So, my workflow at the moment is 2D drawing in Sketchup -> Modo for 3D creation -> Back into Sketchup for placement and measurement of internal components -> Illustrator for vectorizing the resulting artwork (using SU5). My question is, how unsuitable is Sketchup for this? I figure that since I'm going to turn any lineart/construction drawings I make into vectors, I'll overcome the biggest flaw of Sketchup (IMO), which is it's lack of NURBs and high poly support.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

Wow, that's awesome! Mind if I ask how you placed the tire nubs so precisely and regularly all around the wheel?

Haha, I love that, it's very cool

Hehe, thanks

Small texture update:

If you have any questions about the tut, feel free to PM or post them here and I'll do my best to answer - I tried my best to explain it simply, hehe.

And unfortunately, no there's no way to UVW Unwrap in Sketchup with Ruby You can use the flatten.rb and unfold.rb to lay everything flat, so you can get a map, but then after that you still have to assign the map to the model in the proper locations.

Already did it awhile back

File sharing and storage made simple

(www.mediafire.com)

There's the .skp file.

With round surfaces I just mapped the whole thing like it was 2D. You get some stretching on the middle parts, but some clever texturing can mitigate that.

It's also semi-imprecise. You can get the general placement but if you want absolute exact UV mapping spaces you should use a UV mapping program. If, however, you're like me and hate UV mapping the normal way, I just edit the texture so that it corresponds to the way it's mapped on (i.e. if a bit on the model is off of it's actual placement, i just move that bit over on the texture).

Well this is more for a tounge-in-cheek, not so serious type project, that's why I'm using Freespace - If it was more realistic, I'd probably go with Orbiter (although you don't get guns in that game! haha).

Coen: Nope, this is one of my own projects I'm doing with a few other people (who are also from the BSG team though ).

Heh, and thanks rob - yea, when you go into monochrome mode SU looks so much better.

Texturing progress, still very WIP, I hate/suck at texturing

SU:

Max:

Just wanted to do a nicer render - it's all being textured in SU of course, hehe.

Bumping this with new progress Progress is far past my target (about 6k, this models at 9,200), but with LODing I can probably make it work

Those two big half circles in the front are the main landing gear - they deploy like the Wildcat fighter from WWII.

New progress! I just spent the last three or four hours reducing the polycount from 17,000 to 7,200. So I'm pretty happy with it. Still going to add more detail though, so I would have liked more overhead - oh well.

Here's a before:

And an after:

And some more progress:

Cheers!

EDIT: Cockpitize me, Cap'n!

After this it's the pilot and then texturing!

EDIT: Update - 622 polies (this is going to be my first organic ever

Haha, glad to be here guys, and thanks for all the replies (lol @ the image Boot).
Oh, and Krisidious - this would probably be for Freespace 2 actually (http://www.hard-light.net/forums).

When I get some free time I'll run it through 3DS Max, but at the moment I have been stricken with Steampunk fever, and I bring to you this This little guy flies mostly by repulsor (probably generated by that giant engine in the front), but as that technology require a large power sources, the fighter doesn't have enough room to house something that would be able to generate enough to keep itself afloat. Instead, it has to rely on wings as well as the repulsor lifts

Thought I'd finally post something here to signal that I've migrated from the Google forums.

I posted this model awhile back over there, but after I was done with it, I pretty much left it...

Now it's back, and in the process of being textured. Once I'm done with it I'm pretty sure I'm going to release it - anyway, cheers, glad to be back in the SU community

And yep, it's all being textured in Sketchup

EDIT: Hehe, got distracted with another project, this one's a little bit more useful, so I'm concentrating on it. It's a steampunk fighter - scroll down to my next post to see it

PLEASE give us animation and organic modeling support! Beveling edges would also be great. Also, optimization for handling high-poly models with large textures would be a great addition as well.

Also, for the "Follow Me" tool, could we have it where we can assign multiple lines on one face to multiple lines. So for instance, if I want to extrude a face along a curved line, I c an also set the bottom of that face to extrude along a straight line, so I can actually create the top and bottom of the shape. Does that make sense?

EDIT: You know what would be amazing as well? Being able to extrude lines. Let's say I create a complex 2D line and want to create a 3D object, but don't want to close the shape. I'd love to be able to pull the line out like I was push/pulling a face.

Hehe, admittedly SU isn't very good at it compared to, say, ZBrush., but it can do it.

You can use SU for organic modeling, I've done it, and if you take a look at http://www.giantmonster.tv/giant/ this guy's page, he's drop dead amazing with it I doubt it'll happen, but still, I can hope.

Still working

Looks good A little C&C though, about that X-Wing's nose; it's a tad bit innacurate, take a look at this picture:

Also, you have some holes in the wings when there should be panels underneath them, or at least a casing of some sort - I realize you did them on purpose, but in the real thing I think they have tubing and whatnot there

Other than that I really like it, R2-D2 especially

Sorry to bump this again, but I scrapped the texture and have started detailing work, how's this look?

EDIT:

Bottom of the wings done, doing the sides now:

I know this is kind of out there but I would really really like it if SU7 had bone animation support. I know the program is mostly for CAD use but there are quite a few of us out there who use it for other things, most notably video game development. It'd do wonders if we could use Sketchup to animate our objects, instead of having to go into another suite like 3DS Max.

Also, some better exporters would be great - for instance, being able to export with vertices welded and with texture positions in place would be amazing. Also, some more formats, especially some more standard ones like ASE (which there is a plugin for but I'd prefer it also be refined and included in the full version).