Ultimate control for your SketchUp drawing!!!!

Powerful Layer Control so that you can dictate instantly:

1. what you want to see, and
2. what you don't want to see

at the touch of a button and return to these settings instantly with this free plugin: (Click image for link)




Only shortcoming: I have to keep clicking View> Toolbar> Layer Manager every time I open SketchUp in order to see the toolbar. Hopefully this will be fixed- or maybe I'm doing something wrong! Anyway this is a massive plugin so our grateful thanks to Didier Bur.

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Fredoscale 2.0- Exploiting awesome open source SketchUp

To find out more about these tools and how to download them, visit cad addict

Note to Mac users: To install the wonderful Fredo plugins, place the main rb file and the associated folder directly into the plugins folder. (i.e. take them out of the enclosing folder. Email info@viewsion.ie if you have any problems

Contractors using SketchUp to make the building process more efficient and enjoyable

We came across a blog called "Insitebuilders" which is a superb reportage on how 3d drawing software is helping to change the way buildings are constructed. This (exciting, but lets face it, fairly obvious) extension to the way SketchUp is being used, is going to be a godsend to builders who are bogged down with more and more tedious paperwork as expanding legal requirements demand more and more piles of paper to fulfil legal criteria.

It will not be long before tender documentation will be based on 3d models, and anyone who wishes to keep up with the posse needs to start thinking 3d software. The question for architects/ engineers/ designers today is not "will I change to 3d software?" because the answer to that question is fairly obvious. The real question for any drawing office is "What 3d package will I use?"

Standard Steel and Construction Components plugin!

Calling all engineers and architects- Engineering Toolbox has created a fantastic plugin that allows users to select from a standard array of steel and pipework components- and whats really brilliant is the ability to input bespoke lengths, colours etc. 

The plugin works a treat even on my Mac! Needs SketchUp 7 to work properly.

 Download the plugin here (Right-click and save file if it doesn't download properly) Check out how to install plugins on our previous blog post (below).

Viewsion's List of Essential Plugins

Viewsion's Top 5 SketchUp Plugins

How to install plugins: SU Wiki

1. Pluginloader 

2. Mirror Selection
This is a context click (i.e. right-click on an object) command. Input the plane (3 points) in which you want to    perform the mirror operation and hit enter.

3. Construction Line Tool

This command should have been included in SketchUp. Anyway, here it is. Once installed, you can find this command under the Draw menu or in the list of available tool buttons

4. Volume Calculator 

This is a context click (i.e. right-click on a Group) command. A popup window allows you to input parameters for level of accuracy. (Object must be grouped and group closed)

5. Drop 

This context click (i.e. right-click on an object) command is a must have for landscape design:

It literally drops multiple trees down onto your 3d landscape. Superb time saver.

Thanks to Gary McGinty

Thanks to Gary McGinty of ion.ie for telling us about hellotxt.com

Cork School of Music now on Google Earth 3d layer!

At last we have a model of a premier Cork building up on GE. Thanks to all who nominated it for the Best of 3d Warehouse prize! Also many thanks to José Manuel (blue ribbon modeller) and Josh Reilly of Google for their assistance. Here's to more of the same in the future...

Viewsion will be looking to encourage more people to produce models for Cork City and get Cork City Council involved.

We'll keep you posted...

Find the model on 3d Warehouse here:

From viewsion aspire architecture portfolio drawings