There is is one item that seems to be commented often. The quality of some model are much to be desired! I once downloaded a bunch of tutorials about the setting up of models to be posted on the 3d Warehouse, and have used it with the models I have uploaded. Without deflating anybodies (especially newbies) enthusiasm to contribute, would it not be an idea to ensure that anybody who wants to upload models, follows these tutorials first. Not sure how one would control it though.
Hi Kelly.
Glad to help. Have some sugstns in case u r interested.
I don’t think control is needed. Only self control or opting for submiting under guidelines.
If you’d want to publish it without guidelines you’d get it into the unsorted collection that is current Warehouse.
If you’d follow guidelines your work would get into a specific section, easily searchable and users could rate your quality modeling better, if they wanted.
If you’d submit it for 3D warehouse team certification, then it would get to a curated section, though it would take some time to be published.
If you’d pay for submitting then you’d get to the featured section.
Finally, it would all have to do with user searches. The more info you’d submit along the guidelines for modeling, the more hits you’d get on searches, the curated models and featured models could be optional filters for user searches.
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I would be happy to chat about all of this. We recently discovered Rockit3D rendering and it has changed our whole approach. Are there other companies like them? We use Sketchup live for interactive presentations and now we produce renderings that aren’t bad for what you pay for. The rockit3D components don’t look great in a live model so we are keeping our eyes open for options.
Kelly, I’m sure a lot of users have responded, but I thought I would add my name into the hat!. I teach SketchUp Basic and Advanced, at the Community College in Vancouver, Washington. I also have my own SketchUp Company doing Construction drawing sets for several companies. I also taught at the SketchUp Basecamp in 2018. Let me know what you I can help you with. Have a great Day.
Larry Zent
Does 3dwh Content Developer program still exist? tried to search but all links about it is broken. But I found one on Sketchup help page that could be useful
I’d add 2 things:
- Better properties/metadata for each upload. Those that know what they are doing will fill it in. This would make search results more predictable.
- Community promotion of good models - use tags or other metadata. Getting your model ‘sage-endorsed’ would be a great motivator for individuals to work harder at their models AND use metadata more completely.
Great initiative - 3DW has huge potential.
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I’ll add my voice to the echo chamber. It’s a sea of less-than-ideal models, regardless of what your preference is. Vetting could help, but that is resource intensive, and I’m not holding my breath. Better search and filtering functions would be helpful as well. If I could filter my results by file size, I would be giddy. I began modeling many common components and uploading them a few years back because I couldn’t find them myself. Closet hardware, sinks, whatever. I always keep a few things in mind:
- Maintain hardware and other critical locations. Even if its an ugly 4-sided hole, it’s there and in the right spot.
- Simplify geometry whenever possible. Lower segmented arcs, chamfers over fillets, etc.
- Run everything through Solid Inspector to make sure it won’t give me or anyone else a headache.
Those three steps would do wonders for the bulk of models people like me use (from comments it appears I’m not alone). I know that’s all basic modeling advice, but maybe they would be good uploading “checkboxes”? Wouldn’t have a great way to verify people were telling the truth, but it might be a useful filter device. I don’t know software well enough to give good advice or solutions, but those are my thoughts.
Filtering by file size and number of polygons is already an included feature. Under the properties tab on the left.
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Well, like a man in orthopedic shoes, I stand corrected. How long has that been a thing? Please say less than three years so I feel a little better.
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Less than three years, more than one? Doesn’t really matter. How great is it to wish for something and have it instantly appear? Have fun being giddy. 
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Would it be possible to set up some form of peer review for the models? Beyond a like or rating, more of an “I used this, and it works” option. It would have more appeal than a like because it would give all the people searching a solid metric to look for. If I could see peer-reviewed boxes that said “No holes in mesh” “Correct scale” “Properly grouped” or whatever with a number of real people who signed off on it, that might prove useful.
Moose, I didn’t see your post before I made mine. Completely agree with your idea of community promotion. I don’t care about likes on my models, but if it’s been downloaded 2k times, I’d hope it would get some form of endorsement as useful. If for no other reason than to make it easier for the next person to find.
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Hello Kelly, I use the Warehouse to have some of my Sketchup drawing files so that users who are interested can download them. I use Sketchup to design mechanical items, frequently small and complex. I never know who is interested in what I do, but I can imagine that some may say, “How does that mechanical item work, exactly?” I thought if they really wanted to know, they could download my 3D drawing file and look for themselves. I wonder if sometimes people may say, “I didn’t know you could do that with Sketchup” or “I didn’t know that technique of showing a mechanical item is a very cool way to do that.” So, they could look at my actual Sketchup files and “see” how I did that. I use Camtasia to create YouTube videos for my YouTube channel because Camtasia lets one make a video of what is being displayed on their computer screen, so I “wander around” inside my Sketchup drawings, and (if the drawing file is small enough), I send them to my Warehouse account, so that, once again, people who are intrigued, could download the actual drawing file and “see” that what I am doing with Sketchup in my videos is completely possible. Of note, I have been invited to submit one of my Camtasia-Sketchup-Robotics videos for presentation at what (I think) is a big Robotics Conference in Japan. Dr. Gray
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Hi there, I have windows 10 SU2021 pro and can only get the warehouse connection about 30% of the time? It tends to work more when opening a fresh SU file otherwise always get notices unable to connect.
Have discussed this on other forums but no answers so far? Can you suggest who to contact about this?
thank you, Billy
When searching for a specific thing, a number of suggested searches appear, many of which are very helpful. But when you click on one, it often says “It’s empty. There are no search results. Try adjusting your search parameters or reset your filters.”
Since Sketchup displays the suggested search terms, one naturally assumes that such a thing exists. My suggestion is NOT to display search suggestions when there are no models fitting the suggested search anyway.
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In the left filtermenu I see category. But who categorises? It seems it needs some TLC.
This is a flaw in the new system, they recently changed the ‘default category’ to Products, (not useful in my opinion) and while the suggested search does exist in ‘Models’ it may not in ‘Products’.
So if you get that message just click the ‘Models’ tab and the results should appear for you.
Or change to Models before you search, which the default should be.
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Hi, Kelly
Here’s a pet peeve
I have 2 extensions right now that I cannot use. Paid extensions. I have bought 2 new computers in the past 6 months and, while I have an active SU Pro 2020 license on both of them, transferred from other computers, I see no way to transfer the plug in license.
In particular, right this very moment, I would love to be able to use Christina Eneroth’s View Memory extension. I’ve used it for years on my old computers. But, I install it on my new laptop and “Trial Expired would you like to go to the warehouse” or something to that effect. I would gladly pay Christina another $20 USD for the plug in, I like supporting the work of developers. Nope, no way to do that. In fact, I see no way at all to regain my licensed copy without contacting you or Colin or another of your cohorts there at Trimble.
THIS needs to be fixed!
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Chief Cohort here…
There is something not ideal in the way paid extensions are handled, and we do have an open bug report to look into that. But, it’s off topic for talking about feedback about the 3D Warehouse.
Still, I did go ahead and fix things for View Memory, and several other extensions you were going to run into trouble on.
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