Dotted lines in GSU.

[garywayne]

Does anybody know how to draw dotted lines? I don't mean construction lines.

I have looked in the help forum, but no mention of it.

 

[Nick W]

Apart from doing it the hard way (individually drawn line segments) I'm afraid it can't be done - in either version. You've hit the SU/CAD boundary. 8)

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Actually, there are a couple of ways to do it.

First. Draw a line of the desired length and in the desired location. Select the line, right click and choose Divide. Then divide the line segment into an odd number of segments. Delete every other segment.

the second way would be to draw a short line segment, copy it the desired distance and in the desired direction. leave a gap between segments. After copying the first segment, hit Enter and then *n where n is the desired number of copies of the segment. You can play with the number until you get a line you like.

You could also copy the segment to the opposite end, hit Enter and then /n where n is the desired number of copies.

And finally, there is a Ruby script available from smustard.com that will draw broken lines. It costs a little money but would save time.

Here's an illustration of the first two methods I described. they look the same but were done differently. I turned on Profile edges to make it easier to see the lines.

 

[Nick W]

Sorry Dave, I count those methods as the hard way. SU does not support line styles - dots, dashes, thickness (apart from the profiling over which the user has no control other than on/off) etc. etc. etc..

 

[SketchUp Guru]

You're right Nick. But considering it's only a sketching application, that's not too bad. I think the script would make quick work of the broken lines thing but I haven't tried it myself.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Well, in the interest of science, I bought the dashed line script from Smustard. Here's an example of some of the line styles you can make. It couldn't be much simpler. You select the lines you want to make into dashed lines, select Dashed Lines from the Draw menu, choose the segment length and style and click OK.

 

[Nick W]

Does SU still treat them as lines?

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Well, it doesn't treat the collection of short segments as a single line but you can mae the line into a component before or after so it is kept separate from other geometry (as you should for any geometry anyway).

It is easy enough to do and gets the job done so I figure that's alright.

I'm waiting to see but perhaps in the next release of SU there will be selectable line styles. I know it has been on the wish list for awhile.

It seems to me that many users of SU are pushing for it to become more CAD-like than the originator had intended. It already has become more CAD-like than when it first started.

there's also supposed to be some new companion application coming for the output end but I don't know enough about it to even talk smart.

There was a cool Ruby beta released the other day that allows some very basic rendering right in SU using the Kerkyhtea rendering engine. I guess the final version will have much more capability although it won't be free. With what little I've played with it, it looks pretty handy for those who want a bit of rendering ability without having to learn a whole new application.

 

[garywayne]

Thanks guys.

Dave.

I followed your instructions, but nothing happened. Then I realised that all I was doing was copying.
You forgot to mention the "move" tool, and to press the "Ctrl" button.

I have it sorted now, thanks.

Regarding the ability of SkatchUp and it being a sketch program. I think the more ones ability grows the more one expects from a program. Gradually forgetting the programs basic ability. You would have thought that dotted lines where pretty basic though.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I followed your instructions, but nothing happened. Then I realised that all I was doing was copying.
You forgot to mention the "move" tool, and to press the "Ctrl" button.

Sorry about that. Almost every time I say to copy something in SU, I am referring to Ctrl+Move and not the Copy/Paste functions. I guess I should have made that clear.

I have it sorted now, thanks.

Oh good. And it's a workable solution?

Regarding the ability of SkatchUp and it being a sketch program. I think the more ones ability grows the more one expects from a program. Gradually forgetting the programs basic ability. You would have thought that dotted lines where pretty basic though.

I agree. I think that it what drives continued development which we all like to see.