Version 3.9.8 - 05.04.2025
Tutorial 69 - Connect Corner Tool (9:12 min.)
The updated toolbar now has six icons:
Always awesome!
I’m really leaning into Sketchup as a back up and maybe replacement to Chief Architect. Your pluggins / extensions make things great for the accurate level of detail I want.
Keep up the great work.
I think Chief still has me beat in a number of ways but when it comes down to the details, especially the “framing” details I think I am putting up a pretty good fight. In my mind Chief is too much of a “blackbox” and does not allow enough control to the users, both in the details and in just free form modeling. If Chief was smart they would open up their program with an API like SketchUp has done. However, I don’t think they will ever be able to compete when it comes to the sheer joy and ease of modeling in SketchUp.
Admittedly, the automation in the construction document creation arena is where Chief is quite powerful. SketchUp could compete better if Layout also had a real time API and was given a tune up (upgrade). When it comes to an architectural platform SketchUp just needs a slightly better Layout (more robust, more stable, more speed and a few more features) and it will then completely crush the competition.
Can you tell I’m a little biased. 
Hi Nathaniel, great new tool you have just added the connect corner tool.
This will be very useful for both internal and external wall layouts. Thank you
In conjunction with the chord angle parameter for arched openings I’m also introducing an Excel based spreadsheet that allows one to quickly explore the different configurations an arched opening can take:
Normally I require that you purchase a Medeek Toolbox key to gain access to these calculators and spreadsheets however if you are license holder of the Medeek Wall plugin and would like this simple spreadsheet for arched openings, just shoot me a quick email and I will send it to you.
I’ve had a number of requests for this type of window configuration:
I’ve had to give this one a lot of thought because it could have seriously over complicated the window module (notice the shared header over both windows and the lack of king studs between the windows).
After putting on my thinking cap for two days I think I may have come up with a fairly decent solution that does not over complicate the existing window menus for people who do not need to deal with this unique situation. However for those that do, this should offer a flexible enough solution (with some additional adjusting, a tutorial video will explain this further.)
Note that the model shown was not drawn manually, everything is parametric, as it should be.
Since this is such a significant change (in the code) I will need to spend a day or two testing it a bit more thoroughly, but I am quite pleased with what I have thus far.
On a completely different note, the corner connection tool added in Version 3.9.8 was initially unable to adjust the corner angles for non-orthogonal walls. However, this next update will resolve that issue.
Version 3.9.9 - 05.09.2025
Tutorial 70 - Advanced Framing Options for Windows (11:03 min.)
Version 3.9.9b - 05.09.2025
!!! CRITICAL BUG FIX !!!
When I rolled this out last night I forgot to add exactly one line of code which would have made sure that all previous windows were backward compatible with the recent inclusion of the advanced framing options. Please update your installation to this latest version if you have recently installed Version 3.9.9. My apologies for this major inconvenience and my somehow missing this with the initial release of this new feature.
