Win 8.1 and sketchup

[David Nelson1]

I'm having trouble with the display drivers it keeps locking up during use. Sometimes it's momentary other time it's hours. I'm considering rolling back to XP and a earlier version of SU if I can't find a cause and cure.

Any help would be great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave

[Dave Richards]

Help sent.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Help sent doesn't do the rest of us any good... What is the solution to the problem?

[Larry Browning]

I can tell you that su runs fine on my win 8.1 computer. So I would say that your problem is not intirely due to win 8.1. I keep all my drivers up to date with a program called slim driver. You might want to try that.

[Alan Caro]

Dave Nelson,

If you are still having the problem with Sketchup in Win 8.1 may I ask >

1. Did you ever have the same or similar problem in XP or Win 7?

2. Is the problem, the program locking up with a white "veil" over the drawing? Does the white veil get "thicker" if you try more controls?

3. What is the file size when the problem occurs?

4. What is the general specification of the computer you're using? That is, what is the processor type and speed, the amount of RAM, and the model of video card.

Of course, if the mysterious help sent by Dave Richards solved the problem, as Andy Kertesz inquires, perhaps that could be shared?

I ask, in case the problems your experiencing is the same one I- and apparently about everybody else- have, of the program locking up when trying to navigate large models having a lot of polygons. The only way out in the past has been to exit Sketchup and hope not too much work is lost.

While I have a computer system optimized for CAD, Sketchup is not forgiving when the files are large. You might try copying only a small portion of a Sketchup model into a new, disposable test drawing and see if it locks up in the same way and to the same degree. If the small model doesn't lock up, it may be that you need to let the system process the image for a longer period before applying controls- let it sit before zooming or orbiting. Another tactic is to break models into components and place them on layers that can be turned off- so as to work on only a small part. Also work as much work as possible with the view in monochrome rather than "shaded with textures".

I've used CAD for twenty years- including > AutoCad, Revit, 3Ds Max, ArchiCad, Solidworks, Inventor, and of all these, Sketchup has been the most frustrating. Easiest to learn, fun and intuitive -until I really need it, and the closer I am to finishing something, the more it fails until the model is unusable. Sketchup should really be redesigned to work on multiple processor cores. There are some very complex programs such as Autodesk Inventor that are single-threaded and still function smoothly. Of course, Sketchup costs $6,000 less than Inventor, so some latitude is expected.

Alan Caro

HP z420 (2014) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB ECC 1600 RAM > Quadro 4000 (2GB)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi > HP 2711X, 27" 1920 X 1080 > Windows 7 Ultimate 64

[Jim Underwood]

Are you guys using the free version? Or the paid for version?

Suppose that makes any difference? Except for support, I mean...

[Alan Caro]

Jim Underwood,

I'm using Sketchup 2013 Pro. For me, the most important difference with the paid version is the ability to import and export via CAD formats *.DWG and *.DXF. This is extremely useful as accurate 2D, line drafting of details is fussy in Sketchup -everything is oriented into planes.

Alan Caro

[Jim Underwood]

Yeah.. I've noticed that it's very difficult to draft something curved with any accuracy.

As for the import export ability... that's why I kept a copy of Version 7.0.

But my question had to do with the stability of the pro version as opposed to the free version.

[Dave Richards]

Jim, I don't find any problem drawing curved things in SketchUp. Where do you find accuracy problems?

As for stability of SketchUp, what are you asking? I've never had any real notable issues with SketchUp crashing. It has crashed on me, sure, but I certainly wouldn't consider it unstable. There have been some plugins that caused issues but there aren't many. There's good documentation identifying problematic plugins.

[Alan Caro]

Jim Underwood,

Here is a concise comparison of Sketchup Make and Pro >

https://web.archive.org/web/20120502.../whygopro.html

As to a comparison of stability, I have been using the Pro version for some time, mostly because of the CAD format options. I had hoped that the Pro version would have enhancements that would lead to less WVoD's -White Veils of Death, but still, every time I start to try and move the work along, I freeze it up, even when tiptoeing around in monochrome and with layers of 90% of the drawing turned off. This is using a 3.8GHz Xeon with 24GB RAM and a Quadro 4000. With large models, this has turned into a kind of WVoD dread- my confidence is broken. I was up until 6:30 AM this morning, spending 7 hours trying to correct accumulated drawing "errors"- rebuilding large sections of the drawing that worked but fall apart when small changes are made. Yes, these were my fault for being casual about setting up certain components early on, but that the ability to work quickly and progress organically- was the attraction. The idea of "sketching" is that you begin casually and end accurately, but my experience has been that I begin casually and have to practically start again when 90% complete. It's maddening- so much fun and so easy- at first- and then you pay, pay, pay for enjoying it. This concept though is done wonderfully well by Solidworks- it's more like sketching towards increasing accuracy than Sketchup and can accommodate any scale and complexity.

At the very end of the process, I am focused only on nursing something seemingly very fragile- the program- long enough to finish. I'm thinking more about the performance and failure of the software (at least the way I use it) than the work, such that when I am finished with my current large project- a nearly unusable 59MB model, I am hoping to learn and migrate this kind of modeling to 3ds Max or Rhino. Sketchup as convenient for small projects- and wonderfully inexpensive, but I don't feel it has a strong professional foundation as it reaches a scalar performance limit too soon- up to 8-10MB yes. I've seen numerous videos and references who use Sketchup for large projects so it mus be my fault for making assumptions about an inexpensive software, but I was thrown off the scent of trouble by the "Pro" label.