I thought: what if we could add extra images for each model uploaded to 3D Warehouse, like on TurboSquid or other on-line libraries? Currently the only image is generated from SKP model. Some more images could show details of a model without need to enter 3D view (which often renders too long to wait), a rendered scene, raw wireframe or texture maps. Possibilities are endless.
Another nice feature (this one was already posted somewhere, I think), would be ability to follow a user or collection, so we would get notified via e-mail or SketchUp account about new models added to followed collection or by followed user.
Iâd like a way to search for models by measurement units (inch/feet vs mm/cm). Why? When I look for architectural, site/landscape, or building models, about 95% or more are created by modelers in Europe, Asia, and South America⊠Searches result in THOUSANDS, if not tens of thousands of post-modern buildings, based on metric/SI units. Thereâs far fewer models of North American-style buildings in comparison, but the ones that exist are based on inch/foot units. Theyâd stand out better if I could search by units. As it stands now, thereâs probably one new American- or Canadian-looking building for every 100 new âmetric modernâ building models in the Warehouse. If Iâm making a massing model or something similar that represents a community in the US or Canada, a landscape of boxy postmodern houses from Netherlands/Spain/Thailand/Denmark/etc doesnât look right.
I really liked the old 3D Warehouse that rendered views with a few degrees in between all the way around the model. Then you could get a very fast 3D-like preview without waiting for a heavy SketchUp instance to launch in the browser.
Hi Michal! Question for you. A model that is 100 - 200 MB in size would not be ideal for Architects and Designers when planning a space. Would you want models that large for use inside of SketchUp or for use with a different app?
Thanks!
Interesting, Dan⊠So itâs not so much the units that youâre looking for, but the architecture that is normally represented by those units. Is that right? If there was a way to filter by a âstyleâ would that be helpful?
Thanks!
Sure! Iâm an architect and both in SketchUp and other apps I used to create models far larger than 100 MB. I am aware of performance limitations but shall we impose unnecessary limitations ourselves? These days some people use very powerful machines that can easily handle very heavy-duty models.
Canât tell how many times I saw in 3D Warehouse models of size like 49 MB so itâs obvious to me that somebody wanted to post larger model but had to cut it down. Sad, isnât it?
This is a bit of an offtop but I think that SketchUp Team could find a way to render SKP files smaller. If you compare any mesh, textured or not, saved in SKP, to the same mesh saved in other app, like Blender, youâll see that SKP file will always be larger. Like, significantly larger, even a couple times. I think this is because SketchUp always saves colour of every single edge separately and codes it in 8-bit RGB space (correct me if Iâm wrong). Itâs cool feature but in 99% cases we donât need it. So my suggestion is to introduce a setting in Model Info like âSave edge colour (YES/NO)â. If set NO, it would reduce file size by all unnecessary edge colours and you wonât able to change it - graphic card will automatically impose black colour. Then only if you want to play with edge colours, which not that many people do (I do it sometimes), youâd have to set YES.
Great feedback! Thank you.
As for file size limitations, I will bring this up to the team. I wouldnât expect an immediate change, since any improvement must be prioritized and written into the product roadmap, but I will introduce the idea.
In regard to unnecessarily large file sizes. This is a bit outside of my area of focus but I think it warrents being added to the Feature Requests category. Our team DOES consider every request that is posted.
.