Chapter 4
Using Plugins Effectively
In this chapter, we’ll explore the many plugins that are available to extend SketchUp and use them for tasks that can’t be done using SketchUp alone. Those plugins are often freely available, they are easy to install, they add a wide range of functionality, and you can use as many or as few as you need for a given task.
Some of the things that are possible with plugins are physics simulation, advanced creation/deformation of objects, organic modeling, fabrication preprocessing, building energy analysis, and—as we will see in Chapter 5—photorealistic rendering.
Key Topics:
- Where to find plugins and how to install them
- Plugins for general 3D modeling
- Plugins for architectural modeling
- Plugins for digital fabrication
- Plugins for data integration
- Plugins for animation
- Plugins for analysis
What Does a Plugin Do?
Arguably one of the most forward-looking and best features of SketchUp (and one that was implemented early in the software development) was the inclusion of a scripting language called Ruby. Having many functions available in this scripting language effectively made it possible to control every aspect in SketchUp using only a few lines of code. It was thereafter possible for any user to extend the functionality of SketchUp by writing some Ruby code, posting it on the Web, and letting other people use the tool they created, too. Any available plugin can be used with the free version of SketchUp, which is a tremendous benefit for users on ...
