Hi
Why sketchup need plugin (extension) always to create something. Why its not in build like other software (maya or 3dmax) ready made tools. To make smooth or to create a geometry always need a plugin. To make a model i like the plugin and i have buy always. Why sketchup not made inside the software like a tool and a plugin reason?
The simple answer is that SketchUp doesn’t need extensions to build anything. The extensions simply make things easier or faster. Models like this were built in the early days of SketchUp before Ruby scripting (and hence extensions) were ever introduced.
Also, SketchUp costs only a fraction of the price of Max or Maya…even after you have bought a few extensions…so it would be unreasonable to expect it to have the same in-built functionality. It’s also used by a much broader spectrum of people. The philosophy has always been (after it grew from its original architectural sketch beginnings) to keep the basic program as lean and intuitive as possible, so that people can add only those extra features that are relevant to their workflow or interest.
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Another very important point is that not packing every thinkable feature into the software from the start makes it a lot easier to learn. I learned to use SU more or less on my own without tutorials, just testing what different buttons did and guessing where to press based on the tool icons. When opening other programs I’ve often been completely overwhelmed by the complexity of the UI and not bothered trying to learn it. I think it’s one of Sketchup’s biggest strength to keep the main program as simple as possible and let people install only the extra features they actually want.
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Yes I agree that the simplicity is the best. However whats wrong with having extend, trim and loft as inbuilt tools with ruby support so that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, Certain, proven tools should be part of the normal toolset.
A good example, would be medeek truss extension being stalled because he needs to build a trim, extend tool which is common to other software
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I don’t need truss.
Don’t overlook one of the big benefits of adding custom extension - they are independant, and many will work on older versions of SU. So people who don’t want to update their program version may still be able to update their beloved extensions.
One of the things @AlanF didn’t point out about the image he posted, was how skillfully that OP, Wellhorse, mastered and manipulated the properties of basic tools (the sidedness of faces [because of mathematical face normals] allowing different properties assigned to front and back faces and Shadow shading and fogging (this was a plugin back then but now integrated into the program.) The old Wellhorse posting manipulated the basic SU settings to have light in a nighttime setting. BTW, back in the day, the Fog feature in SU was a plugin. What he did with the native tools was a big hairy deal back then and result like his is one of the reason so many people in the forum harp on learning the basic SU tools.
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… there are hundreds or thousands of great plugins and the greatest part of them is free?
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Sorry, I think I did not make my point clear. Agreed Truss, belongs in the specialty area, however some of the basic tools like trim and extend need be common and fully supported in the ruby api, this would save a lot of rework (that others have done) that Medeek needs to do, and myself as I venture into this ruby coding world
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