The tutorial video for 3D claddings does not include this latest cladding type but the principles are the same.  The "metal" cladding type is very similar to the board and batten with one extra parameter (rib angle).

Just a reminder that these claddings are described in more detail here:



The only feature that is missing is the ability to offset the vertical cladding types in the lateral (horizontal) direction.  For people that are trying to align their board or rib placement to specific dimensions within a wall panel, this could be an important feature.  Specifically if you have stacked walls and you want the cladding to align and the wall start positions don't align due to the layout of the design.  I will give it some further thought.

I've been also considering how to apply this same technique to roof claddings, in particular the commonly used metal roofs with seams.  At first glance it would see to be more complicated since the roof planes are at various angles from the horizontal but in principle is a very similar problem and the code is already 90% there, it just needs some minor tweaks.

Version 2.2.3 - 07.11.2021
- Added the ability to create custom "Metal" wall cladding materials within the Material Library.
- Enabled "3D" Metal wall cladding for all wall types: Rectangular, Gable, Shed and Hip.







The "metal" 3D cladding requires four numeric parameters:

metal_9.0_1.0_0.75_45

The first number is the rib spacing, the second number is the rib width, the third number is the rib depth and the fourth number is the angle of the rib bend.  45 and 60 degrees are probably the most typical here.

You can also now append further descriptive text on the end of the string, for example:

metal_9.0_1.0_0.75_45_ascblue

This also applies for all other 3D cladding names/types.

The base thickness of the metal cladding is controlled by the cladding thickness parameter for the wall.

The new licensing and pricing structure is now live.

*Note: Licenses or serial numbers are independent and cannot be converted from permanent to subscription or vice versa.

Only permanent licenses can be renewed.  Subscription licenses simply expire at the end of their term and a new (1 year) subscription can be purchased.

A subscription does not mean you are auto-enrolled into purchasing a new subscription at the end of your subscription term, it is up to the user to purchase a new license at the end of the subscription term or simply discontinue the use of the plugin and not purchase a new subscription.

Version 1.3.2 - 07.11.2021
- Enabled subscription and permanent licensing.
- The License tab of the Global Settings now displays the license type.

Version 1.7.4 - 07.10.2021
- Enabled subscription and permanent licensing.
- The License tab of the Global Settings now displays the license type.

Version 2.9.2 - 07.10.2021
- Enabled subscription and permanent licensing.
- The License tab of the Global Settings now displays the license type.

Version 2.9.1 - 07.08.2021
- Added a "Regen" context menu item for valley truss sets.
- Enabled subtractive and custom geometry for valley truss set assemblies.
- Enabled HTML draw and edit menus for valley truss sets.
- Labels and callouts added to valley truss sets.
- Enabled the ridge cap option for valley truss sets.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/675e163e-597b-4f5e-b385-2ff1d2eb41fe/Valley-Set-Example

First look at the subtraction feature applied to a valley truss set:



Note that ridge caps will now be available for valley truss sets.

First look at the HTML edit menu for valley truss sets:



Feels like I'm driving a new car.  I've just got to finish adding in the ridge cap module and I'll make this update live.

After some discussion with various stakeholders (ie. super users) and considering the competition (ie. Revit LT) here is a more competitively priced version 2 of the new pricing schedule:


1.) Subscription License:

Medeek Wall $50.00/year
Medeek Truss $50.00/year
Medeek Foundation $40.00/year
Medeek Electrical $30.00/year

mdkBIM $120.00/year (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2a.) Permanent License: (NEW with free renewals for one year)

Medeek Wall $150.00
Medeek Truss $150.00
Medeek Foundation $120.00
Medeek Electrical $90.00

mdkBIM $320.00 (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2b.) Permanent License: (RENEW for one year)

Medeek Wall $75.00
Medeek Truss $75.00
Medeek Foundation $60.00
Medeek Electrical $45.00

New Pricing and Licensing Model

After reviewing the number of recent plugin license renewals and the number of active licenses I've decided I will need to change up my licensing system to ensure enough revenue for further development of the plugins.

What this means is that I will offer a dual option licensing system.  You can continue with the current permanent license and renewals if you prefer or you can go with a subscription license.  My proposed pricing (USD) for each licensing option is:

1. Subscription License:

Medeek Wall        $75.00/year
Medeek Truss       $75.00/year
Medeek Foundation  $50.00/year
Medeek Electrical  $40.00/year

mdkBIM             $150.00/year  (Wall, Truss, Foundation)


2a. Permanent License: (NEW with free renewals for one year)

Medeek Wall        $190.00
Medeek Truss       $190.00
Medeek Foundation  $130.00
Medeek Electrical  $110.00

mdkBIM             $340.00  (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2b. Permanent License: (RENEW for one year)

Medeek Wall        $95.00
Medeek Truss       $95.00
Medeek Foundation  $65.00
Medeek Electrical  $55.00

Obviously this pricing is trying to encourage people to migrate to the subscription licensing system, but the upside to the permanent license is that it will never stop working in the future if an active license is not maintained.

This is only a proposed license and price change, nothing is in stone yet.  Please feel free to email me with your thoughts and/or any suggestions. 

The thinking with this change is that I will have more licenses being renewed/subscribed and then have the ability and resources to bring on extra personnel and further accelerate the development.

**P.S.**
All of these numbers may be a bit confusing, even I admit it is a lot of numbers to throw out there at once.  The main thing to grasp from all of this is that there will be two types of licenses "Permanent" and "Subscription".  With subscription you just pay as you go and an active subscription gives you access to the latest releases of the plugins.

With the permanent license you always have the option to renew the license for another year which adds another year to the exp. update date.  However what people sometimes don't understand is the situation in which you let the license lapse for a number of years.  If this happens and then you decide to renew the license you still can and the additional year is not added to the date the license lapsed but to the date when you renew the license.  So basically once you purchase a permanent license it holds its value significantly even if you let it lapse and don't renew it immediately.

**P.P.S.**
All licenses issued to date are permanent licenses.  The downside for the permanent  (current) license holders is not that the new pricing is increasing by double but that the renewal pricing is also increasing.  I understand that this is not exciting news for existing users, but my plans to expand my operation and the plugin development will require additional employees and hence my pricing structure needs to be able to support that additional overhead.  Existing users have four options:

1.)  Don't upgrade their plugins and continue to use the most up-to-date versions that their license allows (this is determined by their license expiration update date).  This option will work for many but as I continue to upgrade and release new versions with new features the newest versions of the plugin will become increasingly more attractive.

2.)  Upgrade when their license expires as they deem necessary at the updated pricing level for permanent licenses.

3.)  Switch to a subscription license when their exp. update date has passed and their permanent license is no longer active.

4.)  Future proof themselves by renewing their licenses now and adding a number of years to their exp. update date at the current lower pricing (at a significant savings, approx. 50% discount from the new pricing).

** P.P.P.S. **
The subscription pricing is also lower than the current NEW pricing so it lowers the entry bar slightly for non-professional and casual users who many only need to use the plugins for a few weeks or months.

The cost for the permanent or professional users is going up, but in my mind that is where the burden should be shouldered. If you are a professional and actually making money with these plugins is a yearly cost of $150.00 too much to ask? is it still good value for the money? That is the question I really need to answer, and any feedback in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

The valley truss set was one of the first features I programmed when I created this plugin about 5 years ago, however it has been sorely neglected and in its current state is a crude and ineffectual tool.



The current tool/assembly is not parametric and needs to take care of additional integration details with regards to blending with the main roof and the sub-roof.  I will be spending a few days working out some of these details which will also help me better formulate my game plane for the upcoming complex truss roof module.

It also needs some additional options/features such as:

1.) Ridge cap
2.) SUBTRACT and CUSTOM geometry
3.) Non-orthogonal algorithm (not a high priority but I will be considering it)
4.) Full HTML menus

Version 2.9.0 - 07.02.2021
- Added a "Regen" context menu item for hip truss sets.
- Enabled subtractive and custom geometry for hip truss set assemblies.
- Enabled the edit function for hip truss sets.
- Labels and callouts added to hip truss sets.
- Added an "inset" parameter for hurricane ties into the global settings.

Version 2.2.1 - 06.28.2021
- Fixed a bug with right handed shed walls and blocking.
- Mid-span blocking is now notched out for "California Corner" studs.

There have been over 189 revisions or releases of the plugin since it all started so be sure to check the changelog to make sure I haven't already enabled a feature you might be considering. I often refer to this page myself in order to keep track of what has been done and what hasn't, the number of updates and revisions is simply too large now to keep track of in one's head:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/pluginchangelog.html