What’s up with SketchUp Make?

All the native modeling tools are there and then some.

Click on the file folder icon and then Export.
Screenshot - 12_15_2019 , 7_45_05 AM

Help exists for those users who want to learn how to use it.

Your profile indicates you are using SketchUp Make 2017. You can continue using it.

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In case you didn’t find it yet, here is the free extension that will let SketchUp Make 2017 export STL:

https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/412723d4-1f7a-4a5f-b866-281a3e223337/sketch-up-stl

Like what?

I do think the web based version of SketchUp has improved over time but my biggest issue with it is really not its performance or the fact that you need to have a decent internet connection.

The major problem is the lack of plugin support.

Is there any news on what possibilities will exist for plugin support in the future. SketchUp without extensions is like spaghetti without the sauce. For the web based version to ever become a viable option it needs to somehow allow for plugins.

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Unfortunately, in the years since this thread kicked off the technical challenges of supporting a full Ruby-compatible API in SketchUp Free remain significant. We have, however, implemented quite a few of the most popular features that folks needed extensions to provide natively in the base application. That is still the best strategy we have in place.

What extensions do you depend on for your work today? What features would you want us to build in next?

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I’m sorry but this is the opossite of a plugin API. It clutters the base version with features a lot of people don’t use but still only adds a fraction of a percent of the functionality plugins can give you.

Also, when you do add things, please don’t add them at the end of the tray as the beginning and the end are the two most prominent places. I’d much rather have Model Info stay at the end and more obscure functionality added just before it.

2019-12-26_10h04_17

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I would settle for making it actually work. I use a trackpad on an iMac and it sucks. Sure I could change the scrolling sensitivity but this is the only app that this is an issue. Barely touch and I’m in NowhereVille. My other biggest issue is the right-click context doesn’t seem to show unhide which I then have to search for. The other is switching between tools the icon doesn’t change to the new tool. I would say 70% of the time. The other is hiding things in the bars on the sides seems ridiculous and especially since with the search on the left you cannot search the right side. This is very confusing to me.

Sure we can leave a snarky comment about a lot of things like what I should have done to find the 3dWarehouse but it doesn’t negate the fact that it is hidden with a weird icon. I’ve given it some time and mentioned these things before but I guess it doesn’t matter. This doesn’t only happen on my iMac it also happens on my Macbook Pro.

I know this is a free tool but you would think the functionality that you do have available would work correctly and you would want it to be intuitive. Both of these things SketchUp for the Web is not.
Sorry, I have used this tool for at least 8 years and love it, that is until now. Now it"s “Damnit I have to use SketchUp until I find the time to get better in Fusion 360”.

I do too! I don’t think a trackpad is the best tool for the job, but I have been using one for years in SketchUp on my various macs. I guess I am just used to it now, and it works for me. Probably, a cheap three-button mouse is the better tool, though.

I wonder if there is something else going on with your computer, though, because it certainly doesn’t sound like you are having the experience we intended with SketchUp. Can you share anything more about your browser/os configuration? There isn’t much info in your profile.

Doubt that it’s just me. It is the same experience on my MacBook Pro as it is on my iMac. I use a trackpad exclusively and don’t have a mouse. I have also been using a trackpad with SketchUp for years. I would hope I would be able to tell the difference.
I am using Catalina with Safari, all on the latest versions. I checked in Firefox and it may be slightly better but it may be just wishful thinking. I don’t use Chrome.
As per my computer being the issue, I would find that hard to believe. As I stated I have tried on two different machines with the same result and I have no issues with any other programs. The only issue I have is with the older version of SketchUp Make not working since it is not compatible with Catalina, not Trimbles fault, and why I want to use the Browser version.
It is what it is I guess. I like that SU is so easy to use and why I started using it. I have been using it for a long time and was very comfortable with it but sometimes you just gotta stick and move I guess. Thanks for the help.

Chrome is what we typically suggest, and it is where our developers spend most of their time testing.

Safari is known to have some issues, as we have noted over the years since launch. I switched personally to Firefox a couple of months ago, but don’t see much of a difference between desktop and web implementations of Orbit, Pan or Zoom regardless. I’m curious to know why yours is functioning so differently? Technically, they are using the same core code and should be fairly similar to one another.

For what it’s worth, I only use trackpad with SketchUp, and when doing web stuff it’s mostly with Safari.

The big jumps into nowhereville can be caused by geometry that is a long way from the origin. If you were to select what you want in the scene (with a left to right drag, not right to left), Cut, select all, delete, paste in place, you might fix some issues that you can’t even see.

Thanks for the tip. I only use SU for furniture or stuff like that. I don’t do buildings or scenes so usually just one item pegged to the origin. My stuff is at most 8’ x 8’.
I guess it’s just a Safari thing. I don’t use Chrome. I’ll try using FF exclusively.

I doubt there would be a symptom that only shows in Safari. The issue I was describing could happen with some models from 3D Warehouse, do you use those at all?

Could you download one of your models that always shows the problem, and let me try it? If you’re saying the issue happens easily, all the time, in any model, can you screen record it happening? You can use QuickTime Player to screen record, if you don’t have your own preferred screen recorder.

It could also VERY easily be that he’s zooming while hovering his cursor over empty space. That usually screws up zooming big time and happens regardless of input device. The trick is to zoom deliberately on a focused spot.

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This is what I was thinking as well, but he says this is unique to SketchUp for Web. In my experience, this is a problem that could well occur in both desktop and browser implementations. It is, as @colin points out, be model related. Which would be great for @onecarwood because then it would mean that he would be OK working in SketchUp for Web. At least, it would remove one of the problems he was having that kept him from using it.

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Here are a few models I have: OneCar W. | 3D Warehouse
The podcast room is the only one I think that was made in the web version.

I also believe the most reasonable cause for the zoom issues, not the hardware or anything specific to the web version. While SketchUp’s camera control is at heart brilliantly designed, being scale-agnostic and not requiring any manual micro-management of pivot points, it could use some tweaking. I’ve seen new users being scared off because of how the camera “flies away” for them.

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I think one thing all the suggestions are not considering, or at least how I read it, is that we are not talking of new users. I know my models are not complex and do not look pretty. I am not what one would call a power user. I could probably not hold a candle to most of you in terms of using the program. I will say that I have been using it for almost ten years and I know what I need to know to get the modeling done that I need. I really don’t need any coloring or realistic viewing. Most are just for me and any colors or trying to make the models look realistic is just for fun.
All the models I do are for working out kinks before I make the thing. Most are things I end up not making because they do not look or work out like I would want. Exactly what this tool for woodworking is made for in my opinion.
If the tool gets in the way then it’s failed. I am only modeling very simple things. All these edge cases or scenarios we can come up with doesn’t negate that fact. I can use the tool and have been using the tool the same way for a long time and it has performed very well, until now. I didn’t change anything except use it on the web. My machine is fairly new and I use an up to date popular browser and OS. If we are not supporting those then what are we?
If the developers are just building this for use in Chrome that is totally fine and if so maybe there should be a statement about that and I wouldn’t have wasted all this time. I find it hard to believe that any developer would not test in all environments if the App docs stated it worked in all OS’s.

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Totally understand. It’s just that it sounds like you’re having a unique issue that most people can not replicate so we are looking for possible reasons besides software error because that isn’t the issue. If it were that it would be the same for everyone.

Have you tried zooming while hovering over the model and not the background? Does it change anything?

Have you tried chrome? It is a great browser and is 100% OS independent. SketchUp free is OS independent and works better with some browsers than others. That’s how it is with lots of things btw.

I’ve not had any issues zooming on your models with a Mac using a trackpad on the same browser and online software, so it might be something else. That’s all.

1k! Thanks, everyone, for contributing to the first 1000 post long thread in SketchUp’s history!

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