Friday SketchUp Tips (FSUT)

[SketchUp Guru]

FWIW, I wasn't thinking of a hand plane as the first challenge but if you want to go that way, go for it.

 

[Shady]

(deleted repeat post)

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I took one of the molding samples from the link Shady posted and created these. The near one with weld and the far one without. In case anyone needs more reason to use the script.

 

[Shady]

Or, to really bring it home, here's a newel post downloaded from the same site, and then 'lathed' using 'follow me' to create a solid - imagine getting rid of that mesh without using weld first...

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Excellent example, Shady.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Dave

Thank you so much for taking the time, it is much appreciated.

Cheers
Neil

 

[tim]

I know its not Friday and I'm also about to disappear until Sunday night but I have a real prob in SU that I can't seem to improve.

I find it very difficult to move objects to where I want them! If I try to move them manually then the object often moves on an axis I don't want it to or moves along straight axes rather than going where I want it to. Can anyone shed light on succesful ways to resolve this please.

Thanks

Tim

 

[Shady]

Tim - 3 tips that may help:

a) don't try to move in the '3d view' - the inference engine will keep trying to second guess you in 3 planes - as you've found out! Switch to plan/elevation views (the 'houses' on the toolbar), as appropriate, and it's easier to see what effect you're having.

b) use move 'offsets' for absolute precision: use the tape measure to work out how far something needs to move, select the object/component, move it in the appropriate direction a little way, and enter the desired value in the vcb - this gives whatever precision you want.

c) Use 'construction points' (made by clicking with the tape measure on an existing object) to snap things to precisely.

I agree, it's about the least intuitive 'bit' of the program - anyone else got any good hints?

 

[Nick W]

Yes, don't forget that once you've got something moving in the right direction, you can 'lock' it into that direction by holding down the shift key, and then concentrate on getting the location correct, and that extends to inferring a position from something (e.g. a midpoint) that is quite some distance away from the actual desired position.

 

[Jake]

Or make it a component, and then the "grab handle" things can be snapped to any point you choose.

 

[andrewm]

Dave,

To come back to the original tip about welding - I have just tried this and when I push-pull the curves really are smooth as expected. However If I then use the welded shape as a basis for a follow me command - I was trying to create a cornice from one of the downloaded cross-sections - the segments return. Is this to be expected or am I doing something wrong?

Andrew

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Andrew, could you post a jpg or gif of what you're getting?

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I'm not sure if this is what you were seeing, Andrew. I took one of the profiles from the Wood Moulding Index and made this drawing. First I welded the curved parts of the profile. Then I drew the path for the moulding with the curve. It is just a line and a half-circle arc. I selected the path, then the Follow Me tool and clicked on the profile.

To create the shorter profile, I copied the end profile of the moulding on the left. I actually copied the orignal profile. then I drew a path and used Follow Me to create that short segment of moulding. I could have used P/P for that, too.

Notice the curves are no longer welded and we get all those lines. I don't know why the curves are exploded during the Follow Me process but they are. The proper thing to do would be to run Weld again on the curves of the new profile before extruding again.

An even better option because it would reduce the work is to copy the original welded profile and run Follow Me on the copies. You could keep that profile off to the side until you're finished using it.

Save that welded profile as a component for future use, too.

 

[NeilO]

Glad to see your back at it, Dave....

gives me a chance to start using this SU.
would gratefully appreciate it if you would make it a regular spot, as would some others probably , but to embarrased to say :lol:

i have tried it, and am quite adapt at drawing non descript sized cubes

so, if you have the time and the inclination, please, please help the ungifted few at solving this program.....

Many thanks,
a grateful SU abuser

 

[andrewm]

Dave,

Have managed to get a jpeg, so here it is:

I started with importing one of the downloaded profiles
Exploded the group (or was it a component?)
erased the surplus straight lines
Selected all and ran Weld
Rotated in all three planes to get it into the correct orientation
Created a 'box' and copied the profile to one corner.
Used push-pull to extrude the original (no lines)
Used follow-me to extrude the copy around the box (lines)
I also get the lines if I used push-pull to extrude along on edge of the box

I notice also that I cannot seem to be able to 'follow-me' along an edge of a grouped object. I have to explode it first. Is this to be expected?

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Andrew, I think your problem comes from Not welding the copy of the profile. The same thing occurred in my example with the curved chunk of molding. I copied the end off the curved one and P/P'ed the copy which ended up with all those lines.

Again, weld the profile, make copies of the profile and use those as needed.

Your experience of not being able to use FM around a group is normal. The easiest thing to do is simply trace the edge of the group with the pencil tool to make a path. If you explode the group so the profile will follow the edge, the molding becomes part of the geometry of the group. By tracing the edge to create a path, the molding remains separate from the group.