Your rule about not changing the camera location JQL is exactly what I have issues with. A small difference in screen size can force the model to move in LO viewport without if you're not very conscious of it. I just think a set camera location that is linked to a scale in LO seems logical.

I do exactly what you do regarding templates. I know we can set up our templates with scenes from the SU template but my work differs from job to job so I'd prefer to duplicate, re-name and edit / add viewports as necessary...

Solo's right, Garry. talk to the boardroom suits here and get some tips on making it worth your while. I'll certainly be buying it every if it is not for reporting but just modeling... you've really put a lot of time and effort in!

@oceanembers said:

Modulus operator in Dynamic Components. Please. It would make some of my formulae infinitely less complicated.

What's a modular operator?

What I would also like to see [and I know this is getting off topic a little but still related] is to be able to set a scale to your viewport in SU. Its done in many CAD programs.

How can you do this? Simply scaled to what the user sees on their screen based on size and resolution.

For instance, zoom into my floor plan and set the zoom scale to 1:100. Save that scene. Now zoom into my kitchen plan set a zoom scale to 1:50 then save another scene.

This way when the SU reference is updated in LO the scales are set for each scene.

Don't know about you guys but I use two screens [different models, same 27" size though] and depending on which screen I zoom extent and update a scene on, when I update the reference the model moves to suit. This throws out dimensions, text leaders, etc and is a killer!!!!

Not sure how many of you have seen this pop up in the last week but IMO has the potential to be very powerful!!

It's a plugin that creates a LO files and pages of all your scenes in you SU model.

What needs to be introduced is this:

1. give the user the option of which custom template to use.
2. give the user the option of which pages to send. [not all scenes necessarily will go to one layout file....]
3. link the scene names to a selected Auto-text macro defined by the user. [like this]

So really there is no reason why not to name your scenes what you want your pages to be named..

I hope there's a Trimbler here lurking.

Thanks guys, you rock!

Its just ugly and its bloody sad..... Stay safe to those who are close.

it sure is a move in the right direction....

I prefer not to think about it, JQL.

It's like working with blunt tools at times!!!

You bloody legends....! Seriously, did you just model that, Rich / Pete???

Damn, don't need it that bad though...

Edit: ah, thanks Massimo!!!

Thanks guys, found what it is but now need a model of it.

A Replica Dondoli / Pocci Viento Chair.
http://www.mattblatt.com.au/Replica-Dining-Chairs/Replica-Dondoli-and-Pocci-Viento-Chair.aspx?p4112c4

Be buggered if I could model this thing!!!

Hey guys, anyone seen a model [or have one] of this green chair that they could kindly share? Doing a small fit-out for a cousin and this is what his seating looks like. Not sure who the designer is but they're pretty cool and heaps comfy!!

Rich,
On the MOVE tool - As with just about every other program I can think of you have the ability to activate a 'move' tool. Not being about to dymanically move is a real pain when having to continually go find where the damn snap / rotate symbol is, move it to where you want to snap to on the elements you're moving then execute the move.

Not to mention functioning as SU does with automatic snap modes!

EYEDROPPER tool - yes, I was thinking the same. Simple 'Shift+paint' would inherit world properties when simple paint only inherits graphic properties....

ROTATE tool - its currently complex, Richard! Unless of course you just want to rotate it around it's centre. If not, as with the MOVE tool you have to move that damn snap/rotate thingy around the screen [and go forbid if the destination is outside your screen space.... ]
Simplifying it to work [as most other programs on the market], especially to be able to rotate something to a specific angle.

Silly, silly....

Chris Fullmer's 'Color by Z' is the simplest way to do this.....

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=16660

Although so does Gradientator which offers an additiona color change.

Anyway got what I needed. Once again. thanks guys.!

Does anyone know if Sketchy FFD work on 2016? I've tried loading it and can't get it to work.

I'm wanting to deform a sphere; FFC would be the best way to do that, yeah?

@kaas said:

You should be able to drag the tray to the second monitor though.

You can actually. I do just that.

Certainly a good move, Marc!!

Here we go again...

• MOVE Tool - I was a big advocate for the move tool in previous releases and would still like to see some advancement on it. Rather than it be part of the SELECT tool, giving it its own identity would allow for much more freedom and hence workability.

• LINE Tool; its options for line thicknesses have been in points rather than units. Can we have the option for units as well [in my case, millimeters?]

Give users the ability to set thicknesses of lines by mm rather than points. [Not sure if many know what it actually converts to but we should have to convert it. Points mean nothing to us when thinking about producing documentation as we’ve always known it…..[/list]

• Text Baseline - The ‘baseline’ for text should be the baseline of lettering rather than a corner of the text box IMO. When I want to snap to a grid or object to inference to the text is not lined up but rather the textbox.

Here's some examples of how the textbox affects text fills:

[Also, when using text filling in leader text; the fill cuts out half of end of the line if using a dot for instance]

• The STYLE eye dropper - it should work so that when it inherits the selected style of line, text, etc it alsy inherits the objects layer property....

I believe so given that if I’m sampling say a dashed line that represents a ceiling or roof above I will want to put it on the 'Linework' layer. Same with TEXT: if I want to sample TEXT chances are I want that on the same layer as all the other text... The same goes for site boundary lines, elevation height lines, etc. The only thing missing is the ability to sample Layer info which saves me the step [and quite a lot of times a little forgetfulness!!]

I just think that this makes sense.

• ROTATE Tool - as with the MOVE tool, we should be able to rotate precisely. Here’s a good example of once something has been rotated, it is impossible to rotate to a specific angle:

As you can see if I want to rotate a north point to a specific angle I can’t pick and align the north line to where I want it to be. Maybe a ‘3-way rotate is the way to go and this is how it should be done IMO.

1. Activating the ROTATE tool allows selection of one or more entities. As with the MOVE tool the standard snap functions of SU are available to pick from.
2. Pick and place where desired.
3. Once placed pick again the origin of yoru rotate [while everything is still selected] then the target rotate point then simply ROTATE!!!

• DIM leaders - we need to be able to set our extension above and extension below the DIM line. It has long been a user setting in CAD and should be in LO also. Gives the user the ability to customize his / her own style….

I can't tell you how time consuming it is having to edit each dimension string to an appropriate length. I generally grab the end of the DIM line and inference it down the DIM text; seems to loo right.

Ok, gets get started on the next version:

• LineTools
  Custom linetypes [dashed, centre, dotted, etc]

As with CAD programs in general, I really think that SketchUp users would benefit from being about to create and use custom linetypes.

• Layers
  SU10 - Ability to nest Layers

IMO, this is one of the main focuses of future releases should productivity be a priority.

I posted a while ago about how Layers and the Outliner could be brought closer together. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15%26amp;t=40338
I know there are users that might use Outliner and love it however it's only really useful in 'working' not setting out your presentation with scenes, export to Layout, etc..

Firstly, I use SU and LO for Architectural presentation so manipulation of geometry is paramount. For a long time now, I’ve tried many different ways of setting up my layer structure to try and facilitate the different ways of modeling / output for each project. It was only recently that I realized that this is the answer!!!!
Let’s consider this:
Leave Outliner as it is for those whose use it. Hiding a group in Outliner and then saving the currently scene means it is hidden, period. Try going to any other scene and it is not visible. This has no use for saving to and exporting scenes to layer.

Re-work the Layer Manager UI to be similar to Outliner in that groups and components that are assigned a layer have the ability to be ‘nested’ to a parent layer.
See adjacent example:

This allows the user to at least have some control over his / her layer/geometry structure visually as well as being a lot quicker to alter visually. Not to mention if I'm in a group, create another group and want to assign it to a new layer that I should be able to click in the Layer drop down and do so. This automatically creates a new layered named as required and 'nested' within the parent layer group. You would even have the ability to move layers from group to group as required to be included in grouped visibility control.

Maybe as with Outliner double click on a nested layer and you’re taken straight to the group/component on that layer and start working.

I’m sure you’ll agree; this would change the way we work in SU significantly.

Now let’s put it into workflow:

Say I have modeled a project on a site and want to export a ground floor plan. I cut sections where required and create a new scene called same and save. Now I want to create a first floor layout. If I don't want my site to show beneath in the first floor layout I can turn off the parent 'SITE' layer....BAM! No scrolling through the layer dialogue clicking here and clicking there to isolate geometry. The fact that the nested layer function avoids a global alphabetical search of the layers list it is much easier to see how your model is layered as well as a much quicker way to manipulate visibility.

I would love to hear from any of the Googlers’ about their thoughts on this.

BTW, obviously I have used the Outliner Manager to communicate this idea so no toggles for visibility, current active, color [never used it], etc are shown. These would be as they are I assume.

• Linetypes

Really need to be able to create custom linetypes [dashed, centre, etc...]
Relying on exporting to LO and exploding is just laborious.

There'll be more but these are what comes to my mind...