something similar to sketchup

[Carlocki]

In my company (http://www.eurofiere.it) we are buying sketchup

but I'm not very happy about this product

without going on software as Lightwave or 3dstudio can you tell me about some softwares similar to sketchup?

thanks and best regards

[ihabkal]

I know that AUtodesk had a software that does the same thing but sketchup success caused it to be dropped off the market. couldn't compete. at our office here too they want to implement sketchup. I think it's a design assistance software and does not compare to the robustness and strengths of 3ds max. at this moment I think sketchup is the only available software of it's kind and purpose...

[The Trickster]

We have sketch-up in our office and its quite a useful tool for Architects to play around with and the models go nicely into max. I find it useful for massing more than anything. I think its more of a designers 3d program for those who do not want to get into the complexities of Max. I have seen some fantastic sketch visuals from sketch-up.

 

But give me max anyday!

[IC]

SketchUp is a fantastic piece of software. It's completely on it's own at what it does and once you get the hang of it, you'll love it.

 

It's not Max and it's not intended to be.

[chuck]

what aren't you happy about? what do you want that more intense programs offer? just trying to keep it simple?

 

i enjoy sketchup for the most part, but it can get pretty annoying too. the new ruby scripts for version 4 expands it's abilities, but it will never be max.

 

chuck

[angelo]

As stated above, SketchUp is an excellent piece of software. There is nothing out there that even comes close for ease of use. Even extremely high-end programs are now taking cues from SketchUp (i.e. 3D inference and snapping capabilities).

 

It's not great at highly detailed or material specific renderings, but that's not what it's built for.

 

If you like using high-end 3D modelers, ask for at least one copy of that particular program, and let the rest of the office play with SketchUp.

 

Look at some of the images in the galleries here:

 

http://www.pushpullbar.com/

 

http://www.sketchup.com/?sid=17

 

Angelo

[Ernest Burden III]

SketchUp is without equal. It is no longer without imitators, but that's something else.

 

I find it does not handle large models well, so that is a limitation. It is very much worth having in your toolset.

[Carlocki]

what aren't you happy about? what do you want that more intense programs offer? just trying to keep it simple?

 

i enjoy sketchup for the most part, but it can get pretty annoying too. the new ruby scripts for version 4 expands it's abilities, but it will never be max.

 

chuck

 

is very hardo to do a mirror

to move objects in scene

 

there are no weld point tools

 

zoom with mouse wheel is very hard

[Ernest Burden III]

there are no weld point tools

 

No, but you can select a line on a planar surface and delete it.

[One Eye King]

hi,

 

exporting DXF files into Max7 from Sketch/up 4 results in flipped normals. how to fix this?

 

Thanks

S

[AJLynn]

Keep things in the "default" material - the one that's beige on one side and purple on the other. Beige is the "out" side - if you can see purple, reverse it.

 

I LOVE Sketchup. I did a whole studio in it in the fall. (I was in Italy and didn't want to spend any more time than I had to doing things other than drinking coffee in cafes.) When we need a quick visual in the office, we use Sketchup. When I want to model something quickly for Max, I use Sketchup. A few things get annoying - like when the snaps don't do what you want them to, some surface doesn't end up being flat when you thought it should be, etc. - and doing the groups and layers to make it easiest in Max takes a little practice, but when you want to do a model in half a morning there's nothing else for it.

[ihabkal]

hi,

 

exporting DXF files into Max7 from Sketch/up 4 results in flipped normals. how to fix this?

 

Thanks

S

 

spent hours working on exported models. sometimes if layers ar enot defined in sketchup everything comes in one piece and you lose all material definition. and you spend hours selectiong faces to assign material IDs to or to flip their normals. I just assign a 2 sided material.

[AJLynn]

spent hours working on exported models. sometimes if layers ar enot defined in sketchup everything comes in one piece and you lose all material definition. and you spend hours selectiong faces to assign material IDs to or to flip their normals. I just assign a 2 sided material.

 

Yeah, it requires a very rigorous approach to Sketchup - which is not at all intuitive for Sketchup Groups, layers are your friends. I tend to have everything in groups anyway so my objects don't automatically weld, so it works out well for me.

[ihabkal]

Yeah, it requires a very rigorous approach to Sketchup - which is not at all intuitive for Sketchup Groups, layers are your friends. I tend to have everything in groups anyway so my objects don't automatically weld, so it works out well for me.

I don't do the model in sketchup, but some architects do it there and send it to me, and ask for a huge discount, and it's tough on me...

[One Eye King]

Hi,

 

I really shouting to the world this question and no one answer : WHY MAX/VIS DESNT HAVE INFERENCE ENGINE LIKE IN SKETHUP? If you ask me the only advantage of sketchup over max in this manner is the Inference engine, the rest is just playing with editable mesh. The fact that 20 bucks software has so clear advantage over Max makes me crazy.

 

What is the use of sketchup in interior Design work? Since all the interior walls are two layered I get really hard time to adjust them and more than that to continue working on them in Max.

 

Thanks

S

[mrcamper]

We use Sketchup on a very large scale to compliment our other 3d production and they work together very well.

 

Sketchup models do not import well into other 3d application without massive amount of cleanup work, but for quick layout of 3d geometry it is fine.

[One Eye King]

We use Sketchup on a very large scale to compliment our other 3d production and they work together very well.

 

Sketchup models do not import well into other 3d application without massive amount of cleanup work, but for quick layout of 3d geometry it is fine.

 

hi,

 

what is your input about Inference engine issue?

 

Thanks

S

[chuck]

is very hardo to do a mirror

to move objects in scene

 

there are no weld point tools

 

zoom with mouse wheel is very hard

 

mirroring things is tricky, i just scale with a factor of -1, then rotate it back to normal. i hope they fix this in 5.0.

 

i find that moving objects is pretty easy with the snap tools, but grouping and creating good components is essential.

 

zooming with the mouse wheel can get annoying, but it's usually good when your mouse is hovering over an object.

 

hope that helps

 

chuck

[Guest BOTS]

Sketchup models do not import well into other 3d application without massive amount of cleanup work, but for quick layout of 3d geometry it is fine.

 

Like any CAD you have to be robust in your process from the start. A lot of people have mentioned grouping objects. This is a good way of keeping control on the model in sketch up.

 

Unless you model with care in any 3D application then clean up work will always be required.

[AJLynn]

 

Sketchup to Max for interiors is working out pretty well for me. This is one I've been working on lately, modeling takes a couple of hours - but since I'm still learning mr 3.4, lighting takes forever

 

Walls are coming from Autocad - the cad file has the outlines of the walls, a few clicks are needed to make them come together as surfaces, then I make each wall or assembly of walls a group, go into the group, extrude and check for purple bits. Export to Autocad 2004 format with only faces turned on and liberal use of layers (make sure your group and everything inside it are on the same layer, or it will get wierd on you) and use Import in Max. Then if you want to add or change anything later, put it on a new layer, export a new cad file and import only the new layer in Max.

 

You need a rigorous system of working in Sketchup, which is counter to the way most people would use it (rigorous and sketchy don't mix well) - and then you get other ppl's Sketchup models, and you have the kind of problems Ihab was talking about.