I replied in a post earlier but decided to create one-
How about SketchUp create a character generator (like in some video games).
It could introduce a whole new demographic to SketchUp and future loyal customer base.
Here’s a couple photoshopped images I quickly did. I’m sure the experts at SketchUp can do a lot more but it’s just a few rough ideas
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yes! A 3D default character! Even better
Since this isn’t a computer game and since you don’t use the character as your avatar, just as a quick scale reference, I think it would be extremely intrusive to the workflow to have to go through this each time you start SketchUp. There is already a low but constant stream of users asking how to permanently get rid of the scale figure so they don’t have to select it and press Delete every time they start a new file, and that takes less than a full second. Even having to pick a template on each startup, starting from 2019, rather than starting SketchUp with your default template is a questionable choice.
Character creation would be a side track that both sets the wrong expectations of what SketchUp is (it’s not an RPG) and distracts people from getting to the point where they can start drawing. Also I don’t know how it would increase representation if you had to manually create an image of yourself. You still wouldn’t see yourself in the scale figure unless you actively made such a scale figure, which you can already do using the drawing tools.
If anything SketchUp could post (yet another) blog post about how to make your own scale figure.
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But I love the idea of a randomised person - very creative - It’s not just one peson, it’s Every person (of a fairly average height)!
And…Yeah - why is the SKP character 2d when SKP is one of the native/dedicated 3d programs around?
Filesize isnt such an issue these days, so why not a 3d asset?
And make it a unicorn. Everyone knows how large a unicorn is.
(Even attempting to create those 2d characters in SKP would probably result in Z fighting faces and annoying edge loops and snapping issues - they must take some time to get right 
)
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While I agree it shouldn’t distract (in regards to user interaction, but also focus on modelling; for scale a simple edge would be the minimal sufficient solution), I think it’s an awesome idea to have a prototype/demo to illustrate and accompagny the discussions we have in the forum.
After all SketchUp’s visual identity are its scale figures.
Traditionally these are SketchUp team members and change only with a major release (and under Google there were years without release).
- Why not evolve this scheme and randomly pick another one every time at startup (only if the user initially chose a template with scale figure)?
- Why not change the theme from team members to also highlight every day another exceptional person of interest, like Google’s doodles?
While it takes users quite some effort and skill to draw a scale figure themselves, and it’s quite a feat for developers to create a full-blown generator (extension), I could imagine a character randomizer extension is somewhat feasible. I’d start with a set of components (in standard poses so one can swap heads/haircuts). Faces would be labelled with attributes for “skin”/“clothes”. Then the extension would randomly pick from a palette of skin/hair colors and clothes colors.
Also there are also dynamic components…
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In the desktop version the scale figure is a symbol for each major version and very useful to easier remember that version and all bugs/features associated with it. In the web version where there is no visible release cycle, changing for special days like a doodle could be really nice.
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+100!
Yes. I don’t think I was saying SketchUp is a video game, BUT it would allow the user to customize it to their preference.
I didn’t mean for it to pop up each time you start SketchUp- that was a mistake on my explanation.
I meant it would be the first thing the user would do once download has completed at the initial start up of SketchUp (first time opening after the installation).
Now even Bandaids are coming in multi tones 
It’s just one of those things that have been overlooked, despite their good intentions.
Companies evolve and change- this could be fun and get more users hooked on SketchUp- new users are always a good thing!
Also, if it truly was just for scale, then the team wouldn’t pick one different employee every new version to showcase. It would just use a transparent non definable figure.
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The majority of new hires at SketchUp don’t know how to use the program. One of the ‘onboarding’ tasks is to create your own scale figure. Even having used SketchUp for about 16 years, Josh had to do some repairs on my attempt! Making your own 3D scale figure would be challenging.
