I downloaded the latest SketchUp Viewer for Windows and it has great features to give my clients for viewing models. I would like to suggest adding the Tape Measure Tool and a feature where area sizes are displayed (maybe a part of the Entity Info dialog box).
Both have been requested for years, but the Desktop Viewer gets “no love” (perhaps because it’s competes with the Mobile Viewer ?)
Hear, hear. I totally agree. When I first downloaded SU Viewer, I was a little shocked that the tape measure tool was not available. It hampers it’s usefulness for my clients and contractors.
Not exactly, rather the features you are looking for are now better and more completely developed as parts of Trimble Connect. If you haven’t had a look at Connect (with its web, mobile, desktop and xR Viewer applications all including in-model measuring tools), you might find what you’re looking for there.
Ah okay, sorry I mentioned the wrong product that “gets the love”.
I looked an Trimble Connect has come a long way and it seems nice for engineering professionals with large teams on complex building projects.
It is way overkill for simple non-engineering customers on very small projects such as residential renovations. Said many times is the fact that contractors do not want to force these kind of small customers to create a Trimble account and learn something as complex as Trimble Connect (either Mobile, Desktop or Web.) All 3 are just too complex for the simple interactions such small projects need.
So think about the Desktop Viewer with a few more bells and whistles, that can integrate to the TC API, and view a model given (by the contractor) an ID and (time limited) password by the contractor. With the callout, dimension and tape measure tools that operate in read-only mode (or save to a local TC reference model.) Also object inspection tool (areas for surfaces, lengths for edges, etc.)
Basically, a simplified TC that does not require a web account for the contractor’s customers, and can only open and view models that they’ve been “invited” to view (via an ID and password sent to them via email.)
Call it “Trimble Reno”, “Trimble Connect Lite”, or whatever.
I agree, Connect has really found itself in the last two years. Simple model sharing, with notes, todos and other annotations available right in the model… really handy! I’m gratified as well to see just how many people are really using it.
Well, we certainly didn’t design it to be overkill, and in my experience folks prefer a simple interface to a complex one regardless the scale or complexity of their projects.