It is absolutely faster once you have it created…double click and open opposed to double click to open the program, then click again to choose a template….2X as fast by click count. That’s half the chance of carpel tunnel in your index finger!
But seriously, I understand your concern as a trainer, but to me, that is the first thing one should learn. It not only ends up creating the template they can use and improve moving forward, but also let’s them look at and understand the UI. It should be the first step before they start modeling…or should be IMHO. This goes for both SU and LO.
Nick, you don’t need to choose a template every time you open SketchUp. You can deactivate the welcome window, so that once you have chosen your preferred default Drawing Template, you go straight into the SketchUp workspace and start modelling.
I don’t necessarily agree with you! I would rather get new users straight into the interface and creating geometry than having to discuss creating templates. I consider this a bonus tutorial. I already show them how to create templates in LayOut because this is slightly different in terms of specific title blocks and branding.
Thanks for this. So now I have to start advising women, who are already feeling intimidated and nervous, how to create templates using specific filepaths in their computer?! Some of my students don’t know how to attach a SketchUp file to an email. You need to consider your audience when teaching. I don’t consider all of this a productive approach in the early stages of learning SketchUp. I want to remove as many barriers as possible especially for new users in my demographic. This stuff is very important when you’re onboarding females. I know my target audience!
The world is changing. The program is changing, evolving (or otherwise different than you used to … maybe will be worse in some cases).
If you can’t explain this to students — whether they are women or men or whatever — then there is something else wrong, but not necessarily the white or non-white background.
It’s not rocket science from the perspective of SketchUp ensuring they provide a suitable template from the outset, to make the initial setup by new users as relatively straight forward as possible.
I was joking about the speed as obviously you won’t get carpel tunnel in your index finger.
As to understanding a file path on computer…that should happen before learning any software. The very basics of finding your files has to happen before you can successfully use any software. Otherwise you run into exactly what you are facing now.
Choosing a template is the very first thing you have to do when you open SU. The why you do that self explains its importance. If you solely rely on SU’s preset templates, every time there is an update in the software you risk accepting changes unless you have saved it as a custom template.
Im fine with you not agreeing with me, but I think the simple task of setting up a template and saving out of the program folder will save a lot of time and frustration, and really sets the tone for speed and efficiency.
Nick, I would understand your perspective if SketchUp didn’t already go to the hassle of providing Drawing Templates! They’re already there! As soon as you open SketchUp for the first time, you’re asked to choose a Drawing Template! If you’re asking a user to choose a Drawing Template then make it relevant! That’s all I’m asking!
It’s not my responsibility to teach students the basics of computing. That’s not the learning objectives of my course. It’s my responsibility to teach them how to choose the right settings and how to create accurate and professional floor plans & elevations.
Interior designer and SketchUp instructor hopping in here.
I think a few points have been established:
The templates are so that beginners have somewhere to start. That professional users should create their own template, because we all work so differently.
Previously, the Interiors template and the Plan View template both had the Ground unchecked in the Styles panel, resulting in a white “backdrop”. However, with a somewhat recent change to have faces drawn “butter up” (white/front up, blue/back down,) many beginners were confused as to whether or not what they had drawn was creating a face because of the white-on-white lack of contrast in top view. Now (v. 2022), an interior designer who is learning SketchUp can work on a 2D drawing in top view and recognize that the face was created. Then we can change the Style(s) as needed for presentation and documentation. Interior designers often need to turn on Profiles once they are ready to present because of all the upholstered goods that have details that may not show without Profiles turned on, so they are already working in the Styles panel anyway before heading over to LayOut.
Users of any software have to endure the interface looking a bit differently than training material. @Sonder has a whole dang book that probably has a few things that are quite different now. But it’s still a standard for architects learning SketchUp.
FWIW, I feel your pain when something changes in SketchUp that causes me to re-record content. However, I’m always glad for that extra push because it gives me a kick in the pants to make even better content than before. For example, when the faces changed to butter side up, I thought, “Oof… now I need to re-record 2 classes”. But I knew for users, that was the right move.
I know some updates may seem odd, but I’m certain the SketchUp team has carefully considered each change.
As I told you before, they are all relevant to someone!
I’m a hobby user and don’t use any of the shipped templates…
I use a few for different uses, so there isn’t even one “perfect” template for me. There are more than one and I made them myself. Once you understand how it works it is a matter of minutes… It is not difficult at all and I profit from them with every model I make.
I consider making a template for your needs a part of SketchUp fundamentals!
It is your task as an educator to teach your students how to make one. In fact I would suggest you make it your first lesson as this is wat every SketchUp model begins with…
It’s totally fine for two people to have opposing views. I don’t have to accept anyone’s suggestions and you don’t have to agree with me. Although, I would still like SketchUp to take my feedback on board as a user and trainer.
Thank you for your input and taking the time to offer your point of view. It is still very much appreciated.
Since you originally addressed this to the SketchUp Team and I haven’t seen a response from our team yet (it is the weekend, eh?), I’ll throw some thoughts out there that are my own… but not an official SketchUp response. (I consider myself a SketchUp instructor before a SketchUp employee.)
I agree with there being many ways to approach training. I’ve taught SketchUp for a long time, and I love hearing about various approaches to teaching students how to get their ideas out there in 3D form.
Some of the thoughts tossed around in this thread are quite relevant to what I’m working on right now. I’m currently preparing for a 1-day/8-hr SketchUp Training happening next week, and one of the important things I’ll be teaching this particular crew is how to create their own custom template. Not because I dislike the default options, but because so many people start SketchUp projects spending unnecessary time setting things up that they could already have by leveraging a custom template where they define ‘default’ parameters. I always get positive feedback as people realize this is a massive shortcut when firing up a new SketchUp window. When you start thinking about all of the ways you can customize an .SKP file, templates are also an opportunity to showcase a designer’s personal Style… pun intended : )
*Of course, I begin instruction with the selection of a default template (depending on the industry/audience)… so we can have some ‘quick wins’ before digging into the nuances of what a custom template is, or can be. I don’t assume my approach is the best, but it seems to work well for the students I teach. SketchUp Templates hang out in that gray area between objective and subjective, and with all the industries that SketchUp serves, it’s kind of hard to say exactly what attribute combinations are best or must-haves. For example, I (personally) hate Profiles being on… but many people disagree with me on that one! I think they look too chunky and have a surprisingly negative impact on model performance… but you kinda need ‘em in certain visualization scenarios. ¯ \ _ (ツ) _/¯ I’d like beginners to start SketchUpping in a Fast Style… and you can’t currently have that with Profiles turned on.
In the case of the aforementioned default template that spawned this discussion, I can confirm that our team carefully considers the pros and cons of these seemingly minor changes. I focus on live in-person trainings, so I don’t have to worry about re-recording content due to software updates… but I definitely understand the work involved when that’s required. Keeping your content in-sync with SketchUp’s current iteration is a chance to show your audience that you’ve got their back when it comes to updates they may not be savvy to. I still think (as others suggested) you can create/provide a simple custom template (maybe the exact one you used to like) as the starting point for your classes (regardless of how SketchUp changes what’s available as an included template), but I don’t know the details of your process of delivering content to your customers. I’d be happy to chat with you further about ideas of getting beginners started with a particular template… as I think about these things way too much!
Perhaps we can do a better job of educating/onboarding new users about what a template really is, after all… they’re just a collection of custom templates anyway.
Thanks for this. I appreciate the time you’ve taken to give me a full considered reply.
I agree, profiles bug me and I also agree that there needs to be a starting point for discussion when training in terms of templates, and that’s where the default Drawing Templates come into play.
I’ve decided in my new 2D course, I mean it’s technically an update but with the sheer number of changes I need to make due to SketchUp updates (huge pro and also equally huge con for obvious reasons!) it’ll literally be a brand new course. Anyway, I’ll be going straight to custom templates.
I would have preferred to have had a default Drawing Template already in situ, just like the one prior to the current update, but hey, I’m not winning this particular debate on this occasion.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Anita
P.S. Definitely up for a chat to talk all things Templates
My apologies, I should have thanked you for taking the time to respond. As a long-time user and fellow trainer, I understand everything you’ve said but have a different approach when it comes to Drawing Templates, although the changing Style settings in the pre-configured Drawing Templates of each SketchUp release, is forcing me to adapt.
The templates are so that beginners have somewhere to start.