I was also learning Sketchup coming from heavy Rhino use and the program just seemed, well, retarded. That stickiness thing killed me, so annoying. And I had no luck getting it to import simple polylines from Acad. I was trying to do a site plan and it seemed to be totally hit or miss as to which pl's it could create a surface from.

I do like the advanced walk through features in sketchup 5, and the way you can cut an view sections...but...everytime I try to import a model I have created in rhino, exported as a dwg, it shows up in sketchup like a drunk spider on speed cast thousands of extra diagonal lines all over my surfaces...annoying as hell...not worth the time it would take to delete them all.

anyone know how to import without the slew of unnecessary lines?

It's been awhile since I've done any computer work but am trying to throw together a terrain model right now. I've got all the topos in acad and have used both Arch Desktop's drape tool and 3d viz's terrain tool but haven't been pleased at all with the results of either (which is frustrating, I used to be pretty damn swish with viz. my how 2 years makes you forget).

Anyway, how is sketchup for terrain?

superheavy, sketch up also has a tools for terrain(sk5-late version), u can actiivate it on the window/system preferences/extensions/click the sandbox tools(menus for creating and editing organic shapes such as terrain)....very easy..!!!!!
actually,i think sketch up softwares isn't that bad, coz its superfast, and we also can create whole 2d-drawing, 3d rendering at once, of course the result wont be as cool as 3d max/viz, rhino etc. but it will be usefull for a fast track project.
have u guys hear the news about SOM Standardizes on SketchUp.
@Last Software, makers of SketchUp, announced today that Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) purchased SketchUp for firm-wide deployment. Under the terms of the agreement, more than 900 SOM professionals worldwide will take advantage of the powerful yet easy-to-use conceptual modeling features of SketchUp both in the office and at home.
check it on www.cgarchitect.com

Turn off the computer and learn how to use a real pencil.

yeah, those damn fake pencils get everywhere!

impalajunkie- i`ve been using sketch UP for quite some time, but never have i used it for presentation of complex structures. i don`t think you can compare sketchUP in anyway to 3d studio max or rhino. its nowhere near these softwares. i would rather take the sketch UP file to 3ds max to render. for working out quick study models- i would use what sabbo suggested.

I don't think you guys understand the program very well. If you want to avoid objects sticking together, then you have to make them a group. I think the program is great.

as forthe question about terrains, you have to go to preferences, click on extensions and activate the sandbox tools.

by the way there is a v-ray plugin beign developed for sketch up. This should improve the rendering options somewhat.

SketchUp's for sketching not modeling. It's ridiculously over-simplified for true model/construction/fabrication. The creators originally intended users to create quick models from the ground up each time to "think" out spacial problems not import/export/import. Or use as a real modeler.

Every software has its pros and cons, and so does SketchUp. No matter which sofwares you guys talk about, I believe it's pretty much up to its user; stick to the ones that you know how to use it, and don't complain about other programs that you don't really know how to use. I've seen some fantastic drawing set with nice 3d renderings from some program that I've never heard of, or program that some of you guys said dumb and retarded. Hey, I've also seen pretty bad renderings from the top of the line software, too.
If you know how to use Rhino, then you should not have any problem using SketchUp. If you find something that SketchUp can't do(which is very common), then use Rhino, or import it to AutoCAD.

I've been using Sketchup for a few years now and I love it. I've used quite a few other 3d modelling programs and I've found Sketchup to be the fastest and easiest to use out of all of them. I do agree with everyone who has said that you should definately use the software for its strengths. Sketchup is not for creating photorealistic models. However it is a great tool for doing very quick model studies. Its also great for extremely fast sun studies.
It imports dwg's very easily which I find invaluable for starting a project. You can also export the model into other programs if you do want to take it to the photorealistic level. Exporting to raster images is also a great way to do quick presentation drawings, which can be post processed in photoshop or any raster image editor.
The forum on Sketchup's websiteis a great resource for techniques and to see how others are using the application.

I LOVE IT, I USE NOTHING OTHER THAN SKETCHUP!

In conjunction with the other comments on knowing how to use the program, I feel that everyprogram has its flaws, but once you understand how the program works and the steps involved in creating your design there is nothing stupid about it.

I was a hardcore 3D CAD user for about 4 years. I started using sketchup about 6 months ago at my job and I love it. What is most wonderful about the program is its interoperability with other programs no matter what software it is.

I model with Sketchup and export the model into Viz and do the renderings that way. I also cut plans and sections and export them to AutoCAD as 2d drawings. From there I can clean up the lineweights and make nice drawings. Then in to Photoshop they go to undergo whatever I want. The final output is amazing. The point to this long-winded reply is this:

It is all about how you use the tools you have. If you think a program is stupid keep it to yourself because if someone else can use the program then it is not stupid...you are.

everyone here is right. saturn, that's how i think about the software too.

mmhh... agreed

Rhino rules! Sketchup blows.

simple yet stupid, you win, sketchup blows.

sketchup files can be imported to archicad

quoting saturn:.....It is all about how you use the tools you have. If you think a program is stupid keep it to yourself because if someone else can use the program then it is not stupid...you are.

Comment: I use a number of 2d/3d programs (including sketchup, maya, rhino, 3dviz, acad), and find that for an efficient user other programs can do more than sketchup, with the same speed or faster and it is easier to be accurate in those programs. I'm not saying sketchup is bad, its not good enough for a lot of things..I don't think that makes me stupid.

The thread asked for opinions on sketchup, not people! Just thought i'd clarify.

rigor how do you import files into archicad?

My thoughts exactly, ret. I do however get irritated with ignorant people. I believe that it is fine to give opinions based on experience with such programs however I also feel that we have a lot of unqualified users of these programs as well and it is usually those people who discredit them blaming the programs for their incompetence. I have taught many people digital media and the people who understand how to work the programs have no problem using them and the people who do not understand the programs are the ones who blame them for some reason.

I did not mean to call anyone stupid. I apologize for that.

Regards.

Sketchup is a waste of memory space. FYI you can get the same "sketchy" effect on your drawings in 3d max and maya. learn a real modeling program. any other program mentioned above is better than sketchup.

sketch-up is a pain when you're doing anything detailed, but is a great tool for 3d-"model sketching"....

i have no problem using sketch-up for simple massing on cheap jobs.
nicer jobs, competitions, proposals require an artistic rendering over the sketch-up wire frame (or other frame), or a nice rhino/max model.

tag-a-long: when you import a complex surfact like that...make sure it's its own group, then select and go to tools, soften edges.

my big beef is what you get out of sketch-up, if you create a simple model for schem design in sketch-up, and then want to move on to a better rhino/max model, forget about using anything you drew in sketch-up, it just causes problems...

plus the geometry is upsettingly limitted. anyone have a curve, extruded and then that surface explodes somehow into 12 surfaces....argh

sketchup is fine; it's intuitive and accessible. i love viz and plan on learning rhino. those that say you can't do x,y or z clearly haven't done their homework.

Alfalfa - why bring this back from history with your banal comment.

This is you

I use both rhino and sketchup for all of my projects. There are some things that are much easier to do in each program respectively. If there was a way to import and export between the two programs seamlessly, that would be really helpful. I know rhino has plug-ins to export/import sketchup files. Is there anything for sketchup to export/import rhino files ?

one thing that rhino has but has not given to it's users that is the only thing sketchup has on it is Real Time shadows....

i agree sketchup is retarded too meshing clunky and inaccurate but if somebody uses it i can help them transfer their files around, for all they aren't worth too much.

it's great for doing a certain range of things easily, but the maddening thing about sketchup is that in their effort to keep the interface simple, they shackle user control. all the chips are stacked on the geometry inference engine, which I regularly find is not so intelligent. how many times have I been inside a group, hovering my cursor over a point shared with a different group, and the only snap return the engine gives me is "endpoint outside active". and unless I get the endpoint inside the group, it won't close the face I am drawing, which would indicate that the points are actually slightly offset, but when I positioned those groups the inference engine assured me it was snapping endpoint-inside-group to endpoint-inside-group. maddening, because the sum total control we get over the inference engine is to "lock" it with the shift key. thanks.

I often find that snaps are inaccurate enough for it to count four points non-planar and therefore won't close a face. But the inaccuracy is on such a fine level that sketchup can't show it to you, it's below its limit, and openGL starts breaking up as you try to zoom in.

I was just fighting with the following: I create a guide line. I duplicate it at a distance. I start a line snapping to one of the guide lines, then snap to the other, move down the same line and snap to it, snap back to the first guide, then snap to the endpoint where I started. it doesn't close as a face. somehow the result is nonplanar.

maddening. and it doesn't let you under the hood far enough to deal with it. the inference engine creates problems that the interface doesn't give you the control to fix. it only works well with models that are as simple as the software...

i find these boxed solutions, that take away the intelligence from the user are very unhelpful in the design process for people not simpletons.

simplicity does not mean you have to sacrifice power.

but as we have seen many corporations intend to do just that: dis-empower and keep their users contained. once you are in their box it is not so easy to get out, nobody likes being limited or denied choice.