On 4/10/2010 1:31 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 4/10/2010 1:05 PM, Morris Dovey wrote:
No insult was intended - I was attempting to point out a broad class of
design objects (which included the OP's immediate project) where I felt
SketchUp worked well for its users. If you interpret that as an insult,
perhaps you can explain why...
FWIW, when I /intend/ insult, there's no "thinly veiled" about it. 
If you maintain that SketchUp is a superior tool for easily producing
accurate mathematical curves/surfaces in three dimensions (as is the
case in the many of _my_ woodworking projects) adequate for precision
production, then I invite you to produce the evidence - or to expand
your woodworking horizons.
Come now, Morris ... you've proven yourself too smart a fellow to _not_
know exactly what you are about.
Whether I was too stupid to grasp SketchUp or SketchUp was
insufficiently capable or user friendly was/is a lot less important to
me than producing a result that met requirements. I did know what the
requirements were, and SketchUp didn't get me there.
I recall taking the time to cobble up and post a SU tutorial model
showing you how to do something with curves which you were unable to
accomplish.
You did - and it was appreciated. My next step in that progression was
to add a tapped hole using the same technique - which sorta worked but
required /way/ too much patchy cleanup. I got the job done, but wasn't
satisfied that something so simple required so much time and piddling.
Just because you haven't taken to the time to become proficient with the
program, don't insult the program and, by association, those who have,
with such ignorant remarks.
Sorry, but after spending more than a half-century developing software
(link in sig), and using CAD packages for more than half of that time, I
don't feel as ignorant as you portray. I have to admit, though, that I
only started producing actual 3D renderings in wood eight years ago,
when I installed my 'Bot. Sadly, the more I've learned the more ignorant
I've become.
Since you feel that noticing difficulties with software is an insult to
its user, please bypass any and all comments I may ever make about
Microsoft's software products (cough) and practices (cough, cough).
Nevertheless, I'll spot you the "insult", but the link posted proves
either one of my contentions to be correct, without necessity for
further words.
Tracing an image and skipping definition of contoured surfaces don't
work for me. Whatever you think you proved to me with the example went
whoosh - unless it was that a settee isn't a box (Well, duh! I never
said SketchUp was /limited/ to boxes.)
I hoped SketchUp would work for me, too - but it simply wasn't worth
more than 60 hours of my time when I already had a CAD tool doing what,
after all that time, I couldn't get SketchUp to do.
I glad you like it so well for the work you're doing.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/mrd/mrd_res1.html