CatchUp: Your just released script, Subdivide and Smooth, allows subdivision modelling with SketchUp. Why did you decide to make this script and - because it boasts such a robust interface - what were your motivations to make it this way?

Dale Martens: The main reason I decided to make this script was because of the overwhelming need for it! Up 'till now, there was no easy way to model organic geometry with SketchUp. Another reason was because of my experience rendering with SketchUp. Photoreaslitic renders made using SketchUp as a modeller are usually easy to spot because they are typically very low-poly and blocky. I wanted to give SketchUp users the ability to make models and renderings that are on par with any other high-end modeling package.

The interface is nothing new. Most other modelling packages have a similar interface and features. It was a very big challenge to make this interface work within SketchUp and was partly motivated by feedback and comments on the SketchUcation forums.

CatchUp: Last question for this interview and probably the one on most peoples minds reading this: What plug-ins do you see yourself making in the future?

Dale Martens: I really enjoy writing scripts that give the user the ability to model in such a way that is not practical with the current SketchUp toolset. So, you can expect my future scripts to be more modelling tools. I'm not short on ideas...just time!

Be sure to check out our SketchUp 6.9 article where we show Dale Martin's Subdivide and Smooth in action!

Subdivide and Smooth is distributed by our friends at Smustard and located here.

 

 

Support for Subdivide and Smooth is hosted by the SCF in its own designated Subdivide and Smooth forum which is located here.