Regional Settings for units and languages

[Bep]

Please implement as soon as possible automatic regional Settings for units and languages in the starting template of Sketchup Free.
This would make it easier for non Cad users to try the software.

Bep

[jbacus]

Traditionally, we have separated language settings (set from the language menu at the bottom of the screen) from units settings (saved in a template, chosen from the template picker) and have made those settings something the user chooses manually.

Given that language and units choice are only loosely coupled to a user’s physical location (for example, there are people physically located in the United States who prefer to work in Spanish language using Metric units), what signal should we use to make the decision on which settings are best for the user?

[TIG]

In the ‘Settings’ why not have a simple ‘decimal-separator’ choice toggle , v , and , v ;
That seems quite simple ?

And undoubtedly more involved… a separate drop-down list of possible languages - probably replicating the languages available in the main SketchUp version…
Which defaults to ENglish etc…

[DanRathbun]

@jbacus, Think about this scenario …

A bilingual latino-american modeler located in the U.S. is producing a model for his 2nd cousin who is located in Spain. The model needs to use Spanish notes and callouts, metric units with the regional separator characters.

All these settings are meant in this scenario to apply to this one model. The modeler may actually use other units, language and regional settings for models in other design scenarios.

So, it makes sense that a model’s settings could override the “usual” user application settings.
Also it may make sense that a viewer could toggle back and forth between user and model settings.
(This implies that certain SketchUp model objects be expanded to allow for “closed caption” alternate text. Ie, dimension leader callouts, etc.)

[luishilariolj123]

i am currently living in the Dominican Republic,i am bilingual, i like to use the SI Units to measure 3d models

[jbacus]

@DanRathbun

A bilingual latino-american modeler located in the U.S. is producing a model for his 2nd cousin who is located in Spain. The model needs to use Spanish notes and callouts, metric units with the regional separator characters.

@luishilariolj123

i am currently living in the Dominican Republic,i am bilingual, i like to use the SI Units to measure 3d models

Exactly. Isn’t it preferable in both of these cases that the user can manually choose both language and unit preferences to meet their individual needs?

[jbacus]

@TIG

And undoubtedly more involved… a separate drop-down list of possible languages - probably replicating the languages available in the main SketchUp version…

SketchUp Free is currently available in these languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Chinese (traditional) and Chinese (Simplified)

[luishilariolj123]

this freaking thing doesn’t make any sense

[luishilariolj123]

but yes, you definetly right about that

[DanRathbun]

@jbacus

Isn’t it preferable in both of these cases that the user can manually choose both language and unit preferences to meet their individual needs?

… “can” is not correct at the present time. The current word is “must”.

You seem to miss the point deliberately.

At the present time “language” choice applies only to GUI text. I’m talking about the model text objects themselves, in a shared model scenario.

And we are also speaking here about the regional settings applied to model objects, which (for the Desktop editions) is set at a level higher than the model, either application or system.

In the scenario I’m thinking of, the modeler uses different settings when creating the model, and then changes them and saves the model in the configuration for the destination (because let us say that the cousin in Spain has no idea how to change these settings as they are a newb.)

I guess what we are proposing here, is that “suggested” settings be “logged” inside the SKP format so that the end user can accept or override with their own. Currently, there is no choice, and the settings are mixed, and in different places (model settings, application preferences, and system settings.)

[Aerilius]

@jbacus

Given that language and units choice are only loosely coupled to a user’s physical location

I think the original request was less about making the decision for a user but more about providing a most likely expected default to not alienate new users (without login) by confronting them with unusual units or a foreign language. Even if there are a few internationals here and there, most websites succeed to infer their users’ most likely language for probably more than 90% (this can be based on location, but also on the preferred language that the browser sends in the headers; for units it is indeed very speculative).
For example, the desktop SketchUp preselects a template/units based on the OS’s regional settings, for the case that the user forgets to choose.

In any case, it is important that the user can override a setting that was automatically initialized, and that the override persists.

I imagine for users who are logged in this is less of a problem, and one day SketchUp Free will store and automatically apply their personal preferences.

[Bep]

@Aerilius

I think the original request was less about making the decision for a user but more about providing a most likely expected default to not alienate new users (without login) by confronting them with unusual units or a foreign language. Even if there are a few internationals here and there, most websites succeed to infer their users’ most likely language for probably more than 90% (this can be based on location, but also on the preferred language that the browser sends in the headers;

Yes, that is what i meant.

@Aerilius

for units it is indeed very speculative).

For example, the desktop SketchUp preselects a template/units based on the OS’s regional settings, for the case that the user forgets to choose.

Yes again wright!

I can imagine that in the future, a user of SU-Free can also store there default template to start up with like in the desktop version.
Until then the first thing to do would be as i requested

To further explain my concern.
You have to imagine this user.

He/she is for example:

A first time user of a cad system, who normely makes pencil drawings and be sending them by fax.
Suppose I have asked him to try https://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-free , and see if he could send me his drawing as a SKP.
This user speaks German or Hispanic or France or whatever major language .
He at first had to log in, this would make him weary to give away some of his personal information.
Then wen logged in he would be presented with a UI in a language he dos not understand.
It is a fancy UI that he (on a desktop pc) is not used to “Hamburger menu” strange open and save options a.s.o.
He would, like the majority, skip the Tour, and wont read the manual.
He would find the pencil and start to try to draw.
The unit settings are in Imperial, and he don’t now how to change it.

Now he would close the program and go back to Pencil paper and Fax again.
His confidence would be low to try this again.(and he probably would feel stupid)
This is a probably a lost user/ customer for ever, he will never try a cad program again.

Bep

[eneroth3]

Please, whatever you do, do not force a Swedish translation upon people that just happens to be in Sweden. So many websites and software do this and it is awful becomes of how cryptic and downright shitty the translations tend to be. Experienced computer users in Sweden run software in English. Forcing a Swedish translation on us would be like forcing Pirate’s English onto people in the Caribbean, or cockney onto people in the London area. A translation should IMO be an opt-in, not an opt-out. If the language is automatically set it MUST be based on the users’ system language preference, not locale.

For units however it would be great if we didn’t have to switch away from local, semi-obsolete US units each time we want to draw something. The best solution IMO would be to simply have the international units as defaults for everyone, and let people using more obscure units manually change that setting.

Regarding how to save these settings I think the desktop version does a good job. Units belongs to each individual model as dimensions in that model are chosen to be nice even numbers in that unit. UI language is a software user preference, independent of individual models. Decimal separator could be both but I’d say it’s mostly a locale setting, belonging in the software preferences (or even better, the OS preferences) and not to the individual model.