sketch up on tablet

[eugene thomas]

I want to start to draw my project up with sketch up but not really have time when home to sit in front of computer. Wondering if can use it on I pad or such device with out need of traditional computer. Am going to build all doors, cabinets, trim for my house next year. Time for old method of drafting board to be rested.
thanks eugene

[Sam Murdoch]

I wouldn't even try SU without a 3 button mouse - at least 2 buttons and a scroll wheel. Maybe I'm limiting myself :confused:.

[eugene thomas]

I think can add keyboard to note. A plug in mouse not option?

[Art Mann]

I seriously doubt you will find a Sketchup app for your iPad. I could not find one for Android tablets. Apple and Google are arch rivals and Google wouldn't create such an app for a an Apple product before doing one for their own platform. I have used Sketchup extensively and I agree with Sam. It would be next to impossible to do any serious design work without a bigger screen, a keyboard and a mouse.

[Larry Browning]

I also am having trouble seeing the need for a sketchup app for a tablet, but I did find an article on the subject.
http://www.sketchup-ur-space.com/2012/sept/sketchup-for-tablet-application.html

I know nothing about this website, I found it using a google search "sketchup for tablets".

Looks like I found a utube video of a guy using Sketchup on a Windows 7 tablet PC. Is this what you are looking for?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR7BidovF_g&feature=player_embedded

Plus, if you have no experience with Sketchup, and try to learn it on a tablet, all I can say is, "Good luck with that!"
Learning Sketchup is a time intensive activity that requires dedication to the task even on a full blown computer. I cannot imagine even trying on a tablet.

[Matt Meiser]

Sketchup was the one thing holding me back from buying a Win8 Tablet instead of a laptop. It could technically run on the tablet, but there's not enough RAM in any tablet I could find (or processor power in most) to suit my tastes. I'm sure in tablet mode it would be frustrating to run, but you can plug a mouse right into the USB port most have. The one I have sitting on my desk has an HDMI port too. Plug in a couple cables and my web surfing while watching TV tablet could also be my Sketchup machine.

Of course I could also RDP into a Win 7 Pro machine and run it that way....Hmm.

[Greg R Bradley]

There are still lots of drafting projects that work well with paper and pencil, even when you have high end computers and CAD programs available. I would stick to paper for your mobile use and then use a real computer to use Sketchup.

I agree with Sam about 2 buttons and a scroll wheel minimum.

Tablets work well for some things. Sketchup is NOT one of them. I have a Samsung Slate, a full Windows tablet with additional software to help emulate computer functions on a tablet. This is FAR beyond an iPad but I would consider trying to learn Sketchup on that to be silly. Even my full function laptop is limiting without adding a real mouse and preferably an external monitor. The Windows tablet would be fine for viewing SU files and maybe making a small change. The laptop would be reasonable to make more changes without pulling your hair out in frustration.

Best use for a tablet and Sketchup would be to use the tablet to run a Sketchup tutorial while you run SU on a computer, preferable with a good sized monitor, a scrolling mouse with center button, and a full size keyboard with numeric keypad.

[eugene thomas]

I think will try out on my old laptop and see how goes. Boy, xp seems so ...,..

[William Adams]

On a decent Windows Tablet PC it should be fine --- might want to use an older version of SU.

Unfortunately, daylight-viewable displays fell out-of-favour --- that's why I'm still using my Fujitsu Stylistic ST-4121.

[Harry Hagan]

SketchUp works great on XP.

Whenever I have a SketchUp project, I crank up the old IBM XP X41 laptop tablet. It runs XP and utilizes a TrackPoint pointing stick.

A TrackPoint is far superior to a traditional mouse when drawing in SketchUp.

[Dave Richards]

I agree with Sam.

Harry, how do you navigate in the SketchUp model space when you use your TrackPoint device?

[Larry Browning]

It runs XP and utilizes a TrackPoint pointing stick.

A TrackPoint is far superior to a traditional mouse when drawing in SketchUp.

What exactly is a TrackPoint? Is it that pencil eraser head thing in between the keys on a laptop?

[eugene thomas]

Well ruled out tablet type device. Old laptop is slow and other issues. Going to get new laptop with 17" display. I only really am buying for sketch up use so what would be a must as to getting most out of the program. Ram and all that.

[Dave Richards]

Ideally an nVidia GPU with a bunch of graphics RAM. You want to make sure the graphics card is 100% OpenGL compliant. See this (http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/114278) and this (http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/36252) for reference.No need to worry about a whole bunch of cores since SU will only use one anyway.

[Harry Hagan]

The TrackPoint system locates traditional mouse functions in the middle of a keyboard—right where they should be on a laptop.

The red button (TrackPoint) acts like a joystick that is manipulated by the tip of the index finger and moves the curser the same as shoving a mouse or rolling a roller ball, but with a lot less effort.

The left, right, and middle click buttons are controlled by the thumb: line drawing, push/pull, orbiting, etc.

Also, having BOTH hands on the keyboard is a big advantage when drawing with SketchUp—especially when activating keyboard shortcuts.

270284 270285

[Dave Richards]

So are you using keyboard shortcuts to activate Orbit, Zoom and Pan?

[Harry Hagan]

Yes. If you go to: Preferences/Shortcuts you can create dozens of shortcuts to suite your drawing style and save time.

If I was paying an employee to use SketchUp, I’d make sure they were using a TrackPoint and knew how to use keyboard shortcuts.

[Dave Richards]

Yes, I know all about making shortcuts in SketchUp. As an authorized SketchUp trainer, I ought to. I have a number of my own shortcuts for various things but I don't have any need for keyboard shortcuts, or even toolbar buttons, for Orbit, Zoom and Pan. I've removed the buttons for Obit and Pan from the toolbar, too. As long as it works for you, though, that's great.

[Larry Browning]

Yep, that what I thought it was. Let me just say that the eraser head being superior to a traditional mouse is a matter of opinion. That's great if it works for you, but it is just a major source of frustration for me. I can't even imagine trying to use it with Sketchup! I will avoid it at all costs! I removed it on my last laptop.

[Greg R Bradley]

Yep, that what I thought it was. Let me just say that the eraser head being superior to a traditional mouse is a matter of opinion. That's great if it works for you, but it is just a major source of frustration for me. I can't even imagine trying to use it with Sketchup! I will avoid it at all costs! I removed it on my last laptop.
I have had several laptops with both a trackpoint and a touchpad. The trackpoint is quite useful for many items but Sketchup? There are better ways to torture and possibly cripple yourself.

[William Adams]

There are very few vector graphics programs esp. designed for tablets:

- Flash (started as Futurewave Smartsketch for Go Corp.'s PenPoint)
- Saltire's Sketchright

Freehand is fairly usable on a tablet, and there are inking/note-taking programs as well. Some new software being developed:

- http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/android-tablet-apps/47486-spacedraw-first-full-featured-3d-modeling-software-designed-tablets.html

I was very interested in Sketchbook Designer, but was put off by the reviews.