Version 4.0.6 - 07.17.2025
Version 4.0.7 - 07.20.2025
Tutorial 72 - Wall Justification (7:16 min.)
I’ve wrestled with this issue since 2019 and up until now I have never been able to come up with a simple and satisfactory solution which allowed for the polyline draw mode. However, after giving it some additional thought this morning, and after responding to some suggestions by a power user I realized that I already had the solution in hand (from the recently released corner connection tool - Version 3.9.8). I only had to implement it and after a few more hours of testing and refining the logic I think we finally have a workable and robust solution for justified walls.
Thank-you guys for prodding me on certain issues. Sometimes it takes a while before the solution reveals itself to me but eventually it usually does, I just have to put my thinking cap on a few times. Again, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Per customer request I will add in an LSL option for the framing very shortly:
I’m using the updated LSL texture I created for the Floor plugin, but I still feel like it is a bit dull or dark compared to my previous texture (OSB). It could be a bit more vibrant or saturated. I will need to spend some more time on this.
Weyerhaeuser sells their Timberstrand line of LSL framing and studs:
However, I would always worry about water damage. What happens if the LSL gets wet? We all know what happens to OSB, and plywood is a much more robust product in comparison. Standard lumber seems like a much more resilient choice when it comes to potential water damage, but I could be wrong.
The LSL framing members are very different from OSB. The advantage is they are strait!! No Splits no knots. They dont get pulverized from hold downs with a ridiculous nailing pattern. More expensive!
Dimensionally they are more stable, at least that is what they claim (when they remain dry). Unlike standard lumber they don’t twist, split and warp and I suppose shrinkage is also minimal.
Version 4.0.8 - 07.25.2025
Version 4.0.9 - 07.27.2025
Tutorial 73 - Moving Openings (6:42 min.)
If I remember correctly @LinearGraphs was the one who suggested a vertical move tool for openings, it may have been a couple years ago.
Version 4.1.0 - 07.28.2025
I don’t want to bite the hand that feeds me but I have some intriguing questions that maybe someone can answer and then again maybe someone cannot. These are primarily directed at the powers that be at SketchUp and Trimble:
I’ve been developing these nine extensions (Medeek: Wall, Truss, Floor, Foundation, Project, Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing and Engineering) for some time now. I started back in Oct. 2015 so it has been almost 10 years since I began with the Truss plugin. Does SketchUp value my contributions to the SketchUp ecosystem or am I a “thorn” in their side?
This sounds like a rather strange question to ask, but I ask because it seems like the emphasis in the last few years has been to focus on modeling with “native tools only” with most of the online content that is produced by SketchUp. I’m not specifically against the SketchUp purist attitude and at some level I can respect it, but at the same time I wonder how does SketchUp view this attitude or outlook. Do they like developers like myself automating SketchUp to the nth degree?
Some purist would argue that extensions like mine take all of the fun out SketchUp and turn it into another Revit or Chief Architect clone. At some level this is correct I suppose, but the whole point is to automate certain tasks such that the tedious work of drawing and redrawing basic elements is eliminated. I figure why not automate the tedious tasks so more time can be spent on the “fun” tasks. This and the fact that automation can save a significant amount of working hours does lead me to believe that my extensions offer some serious utility for design professionals.
I prefer to be in the good graces of Sketchup and Trimble since my livelihood does depend directly on them. As such my goal is to further improve my extensions which in turn make SketchUp even that much more useful and efficient (at least in my opinion). I have hung up my engineering hat (back in 2018) and have been developing these extensions full time ever since, in other words I am fully committed.
I guess what I am asking is does my vision align with the objectives and long term strategy of SketchUp and Trimble? If it does not what can we do to make the necessary adjustments so that there is better alignment.
I did not see you in the developer meetup today. That is a great place to ask those sorts of questions.
Hi @medeek
Firstly thank you for reaching out and asking this. I’m sorry that you feel that perhaps we don’t value your contributions. This is very far from how we actually feel. Your contributions, and those of the entire developer community, are not only valued but are considered a vital part of the SketchUp ecosystem. It’s what helps drive innovation and diversity our users workflows.
The work you’ve done on your extensions are a prime example of the kind of innovation and utility that makes SketchUp so powerful. Far from being a “thorn,” you (and other developers) are a true ally in making SketchUp more efficient and useful for a wide range of users.
While we do showcase native tools in much of our content (I assume you refer to our YouTube channel primarily?), this is often to teach fundamental skills to new users and highlight the core versatility of SketchUp. This approach is not meant to diminish the value of extensions. In fact, we see native tools and extensions as complementary. On occasion our YouTube team do highlight some interesting or new extensions, but as you can imagine, there are a lot of extensions out there so they have to be selective.
If you’d like to chat about this more please do feel free to drop me a message directly and we can setup a meeting.
Thank you again for your efforts though Medeek. We do appreciate you.
Hi Nathaniel, this is a great feature. Love it, makes moving the windows and door so easy/intuitive and interactive. Keep up the great work enhancing Sketchup.
I sincerely appreciate your candid response to my question(s). Perhaps I am looking at things with too narrow of a lens and not seeing the much bigger picture.
I can fully understand SketchUp’s desire to put out content which reflects the immediate utility of the software even without the use of extensions, and as you suggest the number of extensions is prodigious which makes featuring or even mentioning them a bit onerous at best.
I hope that you and everyone else in the SketchUp/Trimble team know that my intent is not to minimize the amazing tool and environment that is SketchUp but only to further augment it and make it that much more powerful and useful to the design professional. I am certainly encouraged by your words and I will continue to push forward with the continued development of my extensions.
Currently the Wall plugin is my flagship extension but I am about to add engineering into the mix. Things are about to get even more interesting.
Version 4.1.2 - 08.18.2025
height = width x 0.8660254
So for example if window is 48" wide its height will be: 48" x 0.8660254 = 41.569219"
One can always enter in any size for example an elongated hexagon or squished hexagon but I suspect most manufacturers will typically only stock a “regular” hexagon shaped windows in various sizes.
The mathematical relationships within a hexagon are given here:
In the bar settings, can it be changed to cm units?
nice. tks u
I will be running a Thanksgiving promotion beginning Oct. 30th until Dec. 1st with 30% off of the regular mdkBIM bundle price (permanent license) using the coupon code GIVETHANKS25.
This will reduce the bundle price from $280.00 USD to $196.00 USD. This promo code does not apply to any of the extensions purchased separately. As part of this promotion a permanent license for the Electrical, HVAC and Engineering plugins will also be included upon request at no additional cost. The offer ends on Dec.1st and no rain checks will issued thereafter.
P.S.
The only plugin missing in this offering is the Plumbing plugin. The reason being is that I have not yet made significant headway on it yet and it probably won’t be released until mid 2026. If I give people a license now for that plugin they will start hounding me as to why it has not yet been released, I made this mistake with the Floor plugin,so I want to avoid that.
Version 4.1.4 - 11.26.2025
