I want to suggest that Trimble offered a payed content warehouse where modelmakers can submit models of quality and get some small amount for each third party download. This could secure models of quality instead of sifting through thousands of horrible models to find a suitable one.
Another suggestion is to establish a like and dislike feature on the model site that works with a system of quality categories. Fro examle. If a model gets majority of dislikes it is moved down a quality category. Four categories, exellent, good, bad, terrible. Those categories could also be considered and chosen right of the bat in a ranking system.
A frequentlu disliked model in the āterribleā category gets automaticly thrown out.
Models saved for personal use can be saved within each account, so the owner has access to his models.
At least there is a dire need to sort out the 3D warehouse to make it usable for professionals. I would estimate that 65-70% of the content is terrible and unusable. Ranking these models would make the warehouse considered as a source again. As of now it is an insult to most users.
It would also solve this problems and many others in the 3D Warehouse to employ a good moderator for the site. I that would mean that users would have to pay a couple of dollars a year, it would not be an issue on my behalf.
3D Warehouse has already a likes system. If a model gets a majority of likes, it is moved up in the popularity category, which sounds logical.
Quality is not a one-dimensional metric. It is hard to automate (and when using humans it is subjective). However the new advanced search provides sliders for several categories. If you combine these sliders (not too low or too high polygon count, file size), popularity and meaningful keywords, you can already exclude theworst models.
It is true that 3D Warehouse needs to find more useful selection criteria or methods to either analyse quality from models or infer the āperceivedā quality from usage statistics.
Also, the collection and featured catalog toggle provides a great way to look for products of specific manufacturers.
Perhaps a simple like system is not sufficient. A dislike button would maybe give a more definitive ranking.
A moderator could be directed to use a few rules of thumb to help evaluate so the selection would not be entirely based on personal insight or taste.
What ever is being done now is obviously not holding up. The warehous is a clutter of pro quality models and preschool submissions.
I would be glad to see a payed content category. That would probably call for a more ambitious submissions plus trimble and the modelmaker could earn a little. A small annual amount of 5-10$ could make all the difference.
Podium rendering engine has a selection of fine models they charge for separately, for example. Why could Trimble not do the same?
āA dislike button would maybe give a more definitive ranking.ā
@prakkarinn ā Not so sure thatās a good idea:
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Social media is a perfect example of why the 3DWH doesnāt need a āthumbs downā icon
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In my wandering around the Warehouse, Iāve discovered there are a number of very childish/immature idiots that take delight in mocking, mimicking, stealing and just generally causing problems for other Warehousers.
All it would take is for some of these people to say, gang up on one Warehouser and cause models to drop unnecessarily and unfairly down the rankings.
And whoās to say there wouldnāt be a few annoyed āprofessionalsā that would start hitting the āthumbs downā icon just because a model is not commercial-ready, or doesnāt meet some commercial or professional standard that shows up in their search results?
I also like the moderated idea. I donāt have that many models in the warehouse. Iām not a professional, but I donāt believe the models Iāve uploaded should be shunted to the basement just because they donāt quite meet commercial standards. I donāt upload a bunch of cr*p. There are many hobbyists and artists who make very nice models and share/show-off/showcase their models for other hobbyists and artists. Some hobbyists and artist use each other models in their own models. Some of those models are excellent. Some look very nice but have issues. Iād much rather see NICE models that have a few issues (not purged, and all the other stuff the proās prefer) than some of the junk Iāve seen uploaded to the Warehouse.
This might be a tad off-topic, but something else I wish could be stopped are people who log in and begin uploading massive volumns of models. Iāve seen on many occasion where a Warehouser will upload upwards of 50, and sometime upwards of 80 or 100 models in one sitting. This isnāt fair to the Warehousers who are uploading one new model - their model scrolls off very quickly and has little exposure in the āRecent Modelsā row. Of course, I notice that row has been MIA from the 3DWH homepage the past few days - so perhaps that will no longer be an issue. If the āRecent Modelsā row does return, Trimble should consider a maximum number of uploads in a 24 hour period along with disallowing boxes, non-sense signs, and other such items that appear to exist for no other reason than the uploader could upload whatever s/he unloaded in SU.
Just my 2 centsā¦
Paid vs non-paid will have to be handled very carefully. I donāt mind paying for quality content, but the last thing I want is a model full of licensed components that I canāt send out to a client or colleague.
Iām also not keen on spending precious time on admin just to purchase a $5 component. Iād rather pay $100s for a good size collection or library, or a render-ready scene.
We can all agree that āLikeā is definitely too basic. As a pro user with 13 years experience in Skp, my ālikeā parameters are completely different to those of a 9 year-old who just downloaded Sketchup Free 10 minutes ago and started spamming the Like button.
A āPro Onlyā library of components would be ideal. We need tags such as:
āliked by pro usersā
āsubmitted by pro usersā
āsubmitted by commercial product supplierā
āvalidated as accurate by Trimbleā
ārender-quailtyā
etc
ādislikedā is a good concept, but again probably too simple.
I agree with limitations of uploads. Regarding the childish models, boxes etc, I think this is because there are teachers all over educating kids in SKetchup and a part of that process is to upload and download models. I also suspect that the massive uploading of these kinds of models are due to these schools too.
I can not believe that anyone is so insant as to upload trash 24/7 just out of malice.
Anyhow, I see that I am not the only one frustrated by the 3D Warehouse. It has definitive problems and no solutions to them. Maybe itās beyond repair. I think the subject deserves a discussion and trading of opinions. It is at least something Trimble should and must consider.
I hope that some individual sees the business in opening a seperate site with pro content. There is obviously a business opertunity there. Evaluated, cleaned and proper models for professional use. Something simular to the Podium browser. Really good models there.
I agree fully on your comment and embrace this level headed discussion on this.
The pro content payed category with tags, could be the way to go. It would probably have to have a report button too for those who think models are wrongly labelled or tagged. They would have to have a reasonable and rationalized explanation for the report. Maybe a moderator only evaluates those complained about, deletes them or sends the maker a request to improve the model or it will be deleted.
Some clicking of heels to restore order. 
āRegarding the childish models, boxes etc, I think this is because there are teachers all over educating kids in SKetchup and a part of that process is to upload and download models. I also suspect that the massive uploading of these kinds of models are due to these schools too. I can not believe that anyone is so insant as to upload trash 24/7 just out of malice.ā ā @prakkarinn
*the āchildish models:ā Some of the trash I was talking about is not coming from young studentsā¦ but immature people who are just simply dumping ā ā ā ā into the Warehouse. I have no problem with student learning. Perhaps in that regard, it is the teachers that require some lessons. They could take their students thru the motions. Once the students see their models up in lights, they then take them down. Or as @AK_SAM made the suggestion about tags, such uploads could be tagged as āclass project,ā āstudent project,ā etc. They could then be filtered out if a person did not want such models returned in their search results
*the āmassive uploads:ā These are not class projects, where a class of students is uploading assigned projects. No, instead, these are people uploading models of various items. As an example, they might upload a variety of models (size, colour with option and accessory variations) of a line of upholstered chairs. Iāve seen some cases where there might have been, sayā¦five models of a particular chair, and the chair comes in 10 colours and fabrics - thatās 50 chairs! And all at one time, one after the other after the other after the other. When I spotted one in action a couple weeks ago, I found that they had made massive uploads over the course of several days - each day the uploads numbered 100-plus.
āA āPro Onlyā library of components would be ideal. We need tags such as:
āliked by pro usersā
āsubmitted by pro usersā
āsubmitted by commercial product supplierā
āvalidated as accurate by Trimbleā
ārender-quailtyāā ā @AK_SAM
I would think that even with such a tagging system, there would still be Moderation required - what would stop some of the types of people Iāve described from tagging their models āproā in some manner. Sure they can be reported, but for the professional people who might be on schedules and pressed for time, the damage in the form of wasted time on poor search results/useless models has already been done.
Perhaps a combination of tags standards and Moderation is required so that models can be uploaded according to certain categories - verified by Moderators, and maybe then making most everyone happy: teachers and students, hobbyists and artists, professionals, etc. LOLā¦ maybe then, the immature problem children will find somewhere else to wreak their havok.
Whoās order?
The peaky blinders style is maybe a tad to drastic, but something in that direction thoug, if the going gets tough. 
Exactly, and āLikeā is about popularity, not quality.
We need different, more sophisticated tools to detect quality models. But also it should not require that users fine-tune ten sliders to very precise positions until they get acceptable models. It should be simpler.
AK_SAM
excellent post - good insight, sensible perspective.
I donāt support a paid category myself - why ?
One of the backdrop elements to SketchUp before Trimble purchased it, has been the enormous goodwill with User tutorials, forum support and help to questions and direction to related articles because everyone is at a different place on the learning curve.
The idea that there are some models that are far superior or otherwise to some models surely needs clarification and a weighting, however, avoiding paying for content is actually very important because it helps others learn how to do things, as much as it is a blanket of security and help to users who are using SU for commercial enterprise, or hobbyists, youth and teenagers at school/students, community groups and may others that cannot afford to pay for a 3D application but nonetheless enjoy modeling things, creating, sharing and exploring the sptial world around them, and their imaginations.
This was I believe, one of the largest and most important tenets behind SketchUp and we should not change that ethos. Paid content is the thin or not so thin edge of a wedge.
If you are that good that you use it for your job, you are probably already an experienced and knowledgeable User and have a shed load of your own models and have shared a few without being greedy, because that is how SU progressed, in a good spirit.
I have only had SU Pro a year learning from scratch, so as to be able to teach a friend from scratch.
I use Revit and Lumion for my work, and MODO for some work and mostly hobby stuff.
I donāt want to have to be concerned about copyright or paying for content that others might rate well, but which, I might end up finding unsuitable or poor quality at which point, it is largely impossible to get your money back and you have wasted more time as well.
I am 100% opposed to a paid category on 3D Warehouse.
If you want to make money off your models, go to Turbo Squid et al, and sell on the open marketplace.
If you donāt want to share your models here for free, you have the choice not to upload.
It is important for so many non commercial groups, students, retired people and others, to keep 3D Warehouse free.
Takns for your thougts on this. I just threw forth some ideas on how to make the 3d warehouse more efficient. Not advocating any solution, but thinking outloud.
Understand your views on paid content. It goes somewhat against the original open source idealogy.
Maybe they should have a separated warehouse for SU make. That is, a pro warehouse and non pro. Beginners with the free version could download from the 3D warehouse but only upload to a lesser one. One can question if it is fair for pro users to be forced to sift through stuff that non paying users and preschoolers upload.
I have not uploaded many models myself. Maybe three or four through the years. Models I would not be very proud of today. I have used Sketchup for 15 years as a production designer for films and tv. Do not consider me as a specialist, I just use the program to visualize designs and draw plans as needed. I have thoug also participated in renovating an entire town here in norhtern Iceland. Designed a hotel, resturants, houses and enviroment. Sketchup has served me well and is the basis for a large part of my income.
That does not mean that I am totally pleased with how things are organized. 3D warehous is a frustrating part and the way it is set up makes professionals give up on it and find their stuff elswhere. When so, it is largely a useless feature.
Another thing that I hate are the annual updates and the cumbersome process of migrating all my extensions to a new version. I would want to see this system simular to Adobe, where updates come automaticly when needed and big version launches few. All is done through one app and I never have to migrate or worry about my addons and extensions. Everything stays as it was.
I have now started to ignore the new versions and am running 2015. As long as I get my projects done I am ok.
a SketchUp Model & Materials warehouse predates the Google buyout and their SU v5 [free]ā¦
some of those models are quite naive, but were a great resource for learning SUā¦
I just grabbed one from the beta warehouse C:2004 via Wayback Machineā¦
john
Extension Warehouse already offers payed extensions. Some of the top developers have quite a few.
http://extensions.sketchup.com/
For 3D Warehouse I donāt see much point in implementing a store, given that TurboSquid and other stores already exists. Also there are enough bugs and problems with the EW store as it is, I donāt think the SketchUp team could handle one more. Lastly, the point of 3DWH is that you can modify, remix and share other peopleās work. If you payed a license to use a piece of furniture, but then couldnāt freely share the model containing that piece of furniture I donāt see much point in it.
Better filtering, better tutorials and more knowledge of what makes a good component is what is needed!
And Sketcucation is a great source for plugins and, as the name indicates, some education also.
I donāt see much point in paid for Skp models. Mainly because .skp is not a universal format and paying money to have a model locked into one format would be pointless. Itās much better for commercial work to get a solid mesh from somewhere like Turbosquid in .3ds or .obj and have the ability to use it in Sketchup or somewhere else (for animation or rendering).
Although a lot of the models on 3DWH are of poor quality, I find the 3D view invaluable to giving it a quick once over before I download anything. I know people complain about poor quality models but you can usually see how good/bad something is before you download it.
FormFonts has been providing professional SU $content for yearsā¦
Alan has been an active forum regular since āforeverāā¦
I have never bought or sold models through Alan, but many people haveā¦
john