I think it would be a huge plus if we could type math problems into the measurement window on the status bar. I work with some other design software that has this type of capability and I would love to have it in SketchUp. For example when drawing a line you could write in 6*2/4 and your line would come out at 3". Of course this is very helpful when doing something more complex but you get the point… What do you all think?
I’m glad this has already been suggested, it’s a very useful feature that most other design type software packages have used for a long as I can remember. Handy when extending/extruding lines/materials etc. by multiple known lengths/thicknesses.
Hope this eventually makes it in to SU.
Anthony
Could an = sign as the first typed character in the Measuements bar be used to tell SketchUp that what follows is an expression that needs evaluated?
Also glad to see this requested - I use SketchUp to draw accurately, and such a feature would be essential. I’m using spotlight as work-around on Mac (cmd-space, then just enter the arithmetic required), but since Yosemite the spotlight window hides the working-space, so I lost lots of my productivity. I’m also convinced that such a feature could work very well together with the suffix-codes that can be entered in the VCB (such as ‘s’ for sides of a circle or ‘x’ for array copies).
Jim’s suggestion has the advantage that = is used that way in spreadsheets, so it would be familiar and consistent.
Why couldn’t it just evaluate whatever is entered? It’s either able to reduce the expression further or not.
-Gully
Because in order to enter advanced formulas we need to inhibit tool selection and allow the use of any letters as well as numbers while entering a formula. Currently, hitting a shortcut while typing in the Measurements box could switch to a new tool.
The = sign as a first character could be used to signal SketchUp to not switch tools and put the characters in the Measurements box instead until ENTER is pressed.
At the very least allow Copy and Paste to be used in the Measurement window,