How about the Monolith from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey? I admit modeling the Monolith might be a challenge… 
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RE, “How about” … this or that ?
The scale or height of the “figure” needs to be both relatable to most everyone worldwide,
and about the size of an adult person.
So this eliminates the monolith, and certain “quant” designs of telephone booths (which are almost non-existent in the U.S. now.)
I personally don’t care what the figures are, as I delete them.
I don’t use them either, but I like them nevertheless, especially as they are members of the team.
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Once again, there currently is no feature to create custom templates in the web edition !
It is the boy templates that are purportedly annoying the girls.
once again…delete josh and save it. done.
Really? Does that save as a template in the web edition ?
I just wanted to say that I don’t understand how is it possible your students feel more positive or less positive towards sketchup if seeing a female or male.
I love those figures and they are a great statement. The fact that they repr3sent real humans, that work in delivering the software we use is enough. Who cares if they are female humans or male humans, I’m just glad they exist!
PS: a second thought about this as I’m not a native English-speaking human. Are middle school stud3nts around 12 years old? Then that might explain things a bit for me…
It doesn’t. I didn’t say it did. The only other alternative is not using the program until the templates have your desired elements.
Am I alone in thinking that folks shouldn’t look a gift exe in the mouth and not take things so seriously?
I’ll be the first to agree that things are still not on an even playing field, gender-wise, but must you look for things to take offense at?
I’ve always tried to see things from many different sides, but isn’t this going just a touch overboard??
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Speak only if it improves upon the silence.
Mahatma Gandhi
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expectation is the father of disappointment.
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People who want to be offended will find offense anywhere and everywhere. Now someone is going to be offended because the people-scale images are not of their race, or are not in a wheelchair, or are too old or too young. Maybe it is time to introduce these students to the real world. Sorry, but I am an old guy and I find their concerns offensive.
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Agreed - delete the figure immediately. And then have to go through the process of selecting the style to use every time a new model is created - even though I want the same style every time. Haven’t the team discovered things like cookies or the cloud yet?
And I can see a number of reasons for the schoolgirls being a bit put off by the figure - the stance is aggressive, and off balance; the clothing says that he is possibly someone of more style than substance - or at least someone who thinks that very casual dress could say something other than ‘I don’t care about my work’; and the ears are all but on his neck. He looks a bit like a few very short, and somewhat unlikable because of attitude, people I have met. Actually he gives no practical idea of scale at all.
So get rid of him - but I’m not sure that the designated dog walker in the team would send a different message. I mean any other message than that it is men who do all the important work, other than walking the dog.
Do not construe that I agree with any of your reasons or the OP’s conclusion.
I simply thing it’s a waste of time if it results in this kind of “fuss” …
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default-template.skp (16.5 KB)
Simply set up a file with as many or as few elements as you want or need, then assign it as your default template…
With your preferred file open, do the following:
- Click “File”, select “Save As Template…”.
- When the dialog opens, input an appropriate file name where it says “Name”.
- Left-click once in the “File Name” box.
- Verify that “Set as default template” IS checked, then click “Save”.
That file will now be automatically opened on application startup from then on.
The file I included here is a simple 17 kb, 4’ square 2d placemat file to use if you want.
That works great for SketchUp Pro and Make but not for SketchUp Free which is what the OP was referring to.
Ah, leaping before I look as always :-}
Apologies.
“something more neutral like a dog”
um…male or female?
I’m a cat person!
But seriously, I think the girls raised a valid questions, that has got a valid answer.
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I still can’t believe how having a sketchup developer in cartoon style can be viewed as sexist. It doesn’t fit my frame of mind that such a simple and humanizing idea can be regarded in such terms.
I also cannot conceive how a dog or a cat could replace someone from the sketchup team or someone considered special in the sketchup community.
The day I come to genuinely think that a human image should be replaced by a pet image so people don’t get offended is the day I get insane.
The world is getting strange and fighting for women’s freedom is not this.