Sketch up won't work with SpaceNavigator, why?

[kenrinc]

It works fine with a blank document. But my entire folder of SketchUp docs that I've created over the past year cannot be used with the SN. It doesn't not work. I get the 1hz or slower jerky motion. When I use the mouse, no problem at all. Spin around and orbit like it's a pro workstation. I know it's a Mac drive problem because it works fine on my Windows box using the same documents. Simplifying the drawing doesn't help.

I know about the preferences but the axis are not configurable. They are able to be turned on or off and reversed but you cannot map roll (turn SE left right) to be something else, for instance. They are fixed.

ken-

[ettore]

hi kubat,
I'll try to reproduce that tomorrow on Leopard. (I assume you're on Leopard, right?)

[ettore]

It works fine with a blank document. But my entire folder of SketchUp docs that I've created over the past year cannot be used with the SN. It doesn't not work. I get the 1hz or slower jerky motion. When I use the mouse, no problem at all. Spin around and orbit like it's a pro workstation. I know it's a Mac drive problem because it works fine on my Windows box using the same documents. Simplifying the drawing doesn't help.

I know about the preferences but the axis are not configurable. They are able to be turned on or off and reversed but you cannot map roll (turn SE left right) to be something else, for instance. They are fixed.

ken-

This is really really weird. Just checking the obvious:
- which OS are you using?
- did you try creating a brand new config for SkethUp?
- about roll: be sure the "Disable Roll" menu option is not enabled.

[kenrinc]

Leopard 10.5.2
Sketchup 6.4.245

It works fine in a blank document any other document I have it doesn't work.

Ken-

[kenrinc]

Looking at this again today it is deffinetly the documents that I'm using but all the documents are clean. They have been purged of all extraneous data and in some cases if certain items that are complex are removed it does speed up the use of SN but not enough to make it usable.

Besides, I can twirl this thing upside down and backward in the blink of an eye using the mouse!!

Ken-

[ettore]

Looking at this again today it is deffinetly the documents that I'm using but all the documents are clean. They have been purged of all extraneous data and in some cases if certain items that are complex are removed it does speed up the use of SN but not enough to make it usable.

Besides, I can twirl this thing upside down and backward in the blink of an eye using the mouse!!

Ken-

Do you have a sample document to share that manifests your problems? I am not able to reproduce your issues.

[ettore]

Leopard 10.5.2
Sketchup 6.4.245

It works fine in a blank document any other document I have it doesn't work.

Ken-

hi Ken:
question, do you see the jerky motion on Mac OS X 10.4 as well?

From my tests I see no differences on our plugin performance between 10.4 and 10.5, however I am not able to reproduce the jerky motion.

I DO see slowness on very large documents (thanks Ken for providing the 12 MB house), and these are my thoughts. The SketchUp plugin APIs don't provide a way to degrade the level of detail as it's done internally by the app when you move the object with the mouse. We have already mentioned this problem to Google, as we'll need that kind of control from them.

Note: You don't see this annoying issue on Windows probably because of the way the OpenGL routines used by SketchUp are implemented on different platforms. (The plugin is a direct port using the same code.)

I did see some minor improvement with large documents cranking up the speed on the 3Dconnexion preference pane for SketchUp: it's still not fluid but at least it moves faster.

[ablock]

I'm having the same problem. SN works fine on an empty brand new Sketchup model but on my existing models it's uselessly jerky, often moving just a blip before stopping altogether. Increasing the speed to maximum gets the model moving reliably, if jerkily, when I move the SN, but it continues to register inputs for about a second after I left go, causing massive overshooting. Hiding layers in the model does not improve the function.

This is not usable.

Google Earth works fine.

I'm on Leopard 10.5.2 on a Santa Rosa MBP with 4GB RAM. Sketchup 6.4.245.

Thanks

/afb

[ablock]

Please note that I can now confirm that this same model causes similar problems in Windows (running under VMWare Fusion, anyway). I can upload/email a copy of the model if you wish.

Thanks

/afb

[flamejob]

I'll third that running a SN on Sketchup on my girlfriend's MacBook on Leopard.

With a simple cube in the model it jerks about once a second.

I just checked the Activity Monitor and the machine is barely breaking a sweat.

[jeremy]

I thought I would dust off the 3Dconnexion to see if it might work now, after sitting on a shelf for over a year.

A year and a half later and not only does it have the SAME EXACT PROBLEM, but now with Sketchup 7 it does not work AT ALL!!!!!!! This is with the latest driver from you, and the latest Sketchup. And Vectorworks 2008 is still acting weird (works, but iratically jumps around and randomly makes objects disappear briefly.

What have you been doing all this time!!!!????

[jeremy]

O.K., maybe I was a little hasty in my remarks, but I can't edit them.
I read the other thread about the plugins, and 7 is now working. Vectorworks is still a bit dodgey though, and I think updating the driver, should have also updated the plugins...that would make sense to me..... but at least 7 is working, and very smoothly - thanks for fixing it. Better late than never..

I would still like to see more functionality with the prefs though...

[szumlanski]

I have the same exact problem with Sketchup. I think it has something to do with textures. If you have any textured surfaces, it slows down unbelievably. I did a simple cube and added standard textures to a couple of surfaces and the animation slowed down terribly. I hid textures in the View menu, and it started working smoothly again. If you notice, the Orbit tool with the mouse will disable textures temporarily to avoid this issue. Unfortunately, it looks like the SpaceNavigator does not disable textures when orbiting if required to keep things smooth.

Even with complex model, I do not have this issue with my Dell XPS at home. I have a capable computer at work with maximum RAM, but I guess it is not enough. I am really disappointed - bought the product for this computer for Sketchup only.

[UtaSH]

Hi szumlanski,

do you have the same Sketchup versions at work and at home?

Did you open the same files?

[mwm5053]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I tried that and Sketchup now works - sort off. It works very smoothly for about 30 seconds then gets 'jumpy' or jerky for the rest of the session. at the rate of about two thirds of a second. This is in any movement. smooth then stop smooth stop and so on. This jumpy behavior will last indefinitely, however if I change directions like up-down-up-down five or six times quickly it seems to reset it so it is again smooth. The smoothness of control lasts about 30 seconds, and than the jerkiness starts up again. This behavior is consistent with all versions of Sketchup I have. Open app's, or lack thereof have no effect.

I have tried fiddiling with stuff like I did for vectorworks, but I can't seem to get it stop 'jerking'

So... there is still some kind of issue going on....

Google Earth, and vectorworks do not have this issue. They are all smooth as silk. I have 2GB of memory and dual 2.66 intel (mac).

So thanks for sort of solving that issue. If you have any ideas I would appreciate it.

*****Any luck finding the 'picture viewer'?*****

Thanks again

I got SN today and having the same problem in SU 8.0.11751 newest to date I'm on a Mac Pro 2.66 newest GUI drivers an Lion 10.7.2.

Like the problems before mentioned works great in Google Earth and a blank SU screen even with a simple box I tried 2 differant files one was 143 KB the other 1.1 MB still very jerky and no resolution changing speed

Please help I bought SN specifically for SU

PS SNav. driver 1.7 downloaded today