Question for sketchup gurus

[Brown Dog]

first up just wanna say... cool new forum:2tsup:

Second...the attached file is a jewellery box Im designing. The problem Im having is with the legs on the base...I tried to draw them with a curve from top to bottom instead of the straight taper that is in the drawing. I managed to get a wire frame but when I tried to render it went nuts.

Does anyone know what im doing wrong or is this just a limitation of sketchup ?

cheers

BD:2tsup:

[martrix]

Hi BD, first of all, you need to download version 6.0 as it is the latest. If I do something to your drawing in my V6 and save it, you cant open it in V5.

Did you want a curve on the 2 outer faces only?

Nice one Oz on the SU forum.:2tsup:

[Brown Dog]

Hi matrix....I will download V6 asap..

Yeah..I wanted the curves on the 2 outside faces....just like it is now only with a curved taper instead of straight.

cheers

BD:2tsup:

[ozwinner]

Here ya go all ya have to do is fill it in.

Al :)

[martrix]

I gotta say this is giving me some stick:~ ..

Oz, can you fill in those surfaces?

[ozwinner]

I think if you make a group or component then you should be able too, at the mo sketchup just sees it as separate line.

Ive only had the program for a coupla weeks so Im still learning how to drive it. :2tsup:

Al :q

[martrix]

I have had a few go's and my brain is twisted:~ :C ...I tried making the 2 curved faces and then joined them up, but cannot retain the face when I delete the overlaps...

Will have another crack later.

[TassieKiwi]

I had a 2min play, what a fabulous tool.

[Brown Dog]

thanks oz...but thats pretty much how I had it originally (wire frame) but I still cant fill it in. I tried making the leg a component but you still cant fill in those curved faces:?...its like SU dosent recognise it as a 3D face or something.

im with matrix its doing my head in too :youcrazy::frustrated: :U

cheers
BD:2tsup:

[martrix]

Damn! I think I got it.

Check it out BD, dimensions seem right?

[NewLou]

Is that what your After MAddog

keeps telling me skp is an invalid file format ???

What do I have to do to upload the file for dog?

Sorry looks like you worked it out Browndog well done!

SO can I upload in .skp format if so how?

[Brown Dog]

Damn! I think I got it.

Check it out BD, dimensions seem right?

:bravathat looks like what I had in mind....how did ya do it ?????


cheers:2tsup:

[ozwinner]

Looks good Martrix.

I had it using the follow me tool but then lost it.

This is fun.

Problems solved at the Australian Woodwork Forums....:U

Al :p

[martrix]

well I don't know if its the right way, but I will try and explain.
Basically made the curved face profile with a straight line and the curved line. Then push/pull it so the face is 40mm long.
Did that on both edges so they end up overlapped.
Then the prob was with deleting the overlap, and heres where it got weird.:C

I ended up selecting the curved face>bounded edges which then shows up all these horizontal lines. Traced around the appropriate lines and then erased them.

I think you have to connect all the lines if you want to delete certain sections. Clear as mud?:? :-

EDIT....I changed the attachment, for some reason it came out all massive.....should be right now.

[NewLou]

Upload test

I had a quick fiddle as per above. I suggest that initially you do all you dimensioning square then add curves etc last. It can be achieved as per MAtrix's solution Plus using the push pull feature

[martrix]

SO can I upload in .skp format if so how?

same as any other file, has to be under 100k and in V6.0.:wink:

[ozwinner]

Upload test

I had a quick fiddle as per above. I suggest that initially you do all you dimensioning square then add curves etc last. It can be achieved as per MAtrix's solution Plus using the push pull feature

Close but no cigar Lou, your model has gaps in it. :C

Al :2tsup:

[ozwinner]

same as any other file, has to be under 100k and in V6.0.:wink:

Ill have to ask Neil if we can up the upload size, I can see we are at the limits of the 100k already and with only simple plans too. :(

Al :cool:

[martrix]

he he, there ya go BD, heres a JPEG for you.:D

The rest you will have to work out yourself, its the only way.:rolleyes:

There are a few good draw as you go tutorials online, as well as lots of good video tutorials. Google is your friend.:wink:

[ozwinner]

he he, there ya go BD, heres a JPEG for you.:D



The rest you will have to work out yourself, its the only way.:rolleyes:

There are a few good draw as you go tutorials online, as well as lots of good video tutorials. Google is your friend.:wink:

No no no, jpgs are no good, we need the real deal. :;

Google is cheating, we could have done that. :U

Al :doh:

[Brown Dog]

well I don't know if its the right way, but I will try and explain.
Basically made the curved face profile with a straight line and the curved line. Then push/pull it so the face is 40mm long.
Did that on both edges so they end up overlapped.
Then the prob was with deleting the overlap, and heres where it got weird.:C

I ended up selecting the curved face>bounded edges which then shows up all these horizontal lines. Traced around the appropriate lines and then erased them.

I think you have to connect all the lines if you want to delete certain sections. Clear as mud?:? :-




Ahhhh.....its all so clear now.....not !!!!! :q:U

Very well done :yourock:.... that Jpeg is exactly what I was trying to achieve now I Just have to see if I can replicate it :C .




Close but no cigar Lou, your model has gaps in it


I think Oz is right Lou...but second :2nd is still good:;


cheers
BD:2tsup:

[martrix]

No no no, jpgs are no good, we need the real deal. :;

Google is cheating, we could have done that. :U

Al :doh:
To be honest and no offense to BD, but the rest of the box really should be re-drawn using components as there are lines etc that are skewif, and its hard to modify anything. If I manage some more procrastination time I will draw it up in components.

I cant stress enough how important it is being able to understand and work with components.
Here I am saying this like I'm an expert after roughly 20hrs on it.:rolleyes: I first did a few drawings using push/pull, lines, eraser etc but eventually found it limiting so I stopped altogether and forced myself to learn using the components on the advice of a guru on another forum.
Once you've had a play, do yourself a favour and learn the components.
What I know about SU is probably about 5% of its capabilities...Wait for Zenwood to drop in, I think he knows a bit.

Gooogle Silly. (http://sketchup.google.com/gsu5vtvideos.html)

[Brown Dog]

To be honest and no offense to BD, but the rest of the box really should be re-drawn using components as there are lines etc that are skewif, and its hard to modify anything. If I manage some more procrastination time I will draw it up in components.

Gooogle Silly. (http://sketchup.google.com/gsu5vtvideos.html)


No offense taken....this was probably the second thing I drew using sketchup and only did so to have an idea of what it would look like and to show the intended recipient (who approved :U ).

There is no need for you to draw it up in components...but thanks anyway. I only asked this question because it kinda annoys me when I cant figure a software thing out for myself. I managed to teach myself Autocad back in the days when it was on a DOS machine:o with no help from a boss who wouldnt use anthing but a pen for drawing:U . But now I know it can be done....it forces me of my ???? to figure it out for any future projects.

thanks again

Cheers

BD:2tsup:

[ivanavitch]

Select the line tool.

1. Move down one edge of your curved edge until a small green square appears with tool tip "endpoint" displayed.

2. Draw a horizontal line to the next curved edge.

3. A "surface" should be formed. A dark line indicates that the line is not part of a surface. See point 5 if a surface is not formed. For a surface to be formed all points must be co-planar (by definition 3 points define a plane so triangles will always for surfaces.

There are 10 segments in your line (right click and select "entity info").

4. Repeat 1 2 and 3 above until you have completely filled in all the surfaces.

5. Any that don't form a surface can be filled in by forming triangles.

Select erase.

Hold the CTRL key down and soften (sort of erase) your just drawn lines. This will form a curved surface

[martrix]

Select the line tool.

1. Move down one edge of your curved edge until a small green square appears with tool tip "endpoint" displayed.

2. Draw a horizontal line to the next curved edge.

3. A "surface" should be formed. A dark line indicates that the line is not part of a surface. See point 5 if a surface is not formed. For a surface to be formed all points must be co-planar (by definition 3 points define a plane so triangles will always for surfaces.

There are 10 segments in your line (right click and select "entity info").

4. Repeat 1 2 and 3 above until you have completely filled in all the surfaces.

5. Any that don't form a surface can be filled in by forming triangles.

Select erase.

Hold the CTRL key down and soften (sort of erase) your just drawn lines. This will form a curved surface
Thanks for the info IV, that sounds kind of like what I did except I was erasing the overlapping parts that were already filled in on the surface.

[ivanavitch]

Surface before smoothing.

First time I have attached an image. Hope it works.

John Scott

[martrix]

Thanks again IV, I now understand cheers.

OK OZ, I need a quote on this drawing, to be finished by end of April and exactly to spec!:D :p

[ozwinner]

Thanks again IV, I now understand cheers.

OK OZ, I need a quote on this drawing, to be finished by end of April and exactly to spec!:D :p

Mate all my piers end up looking like that, arent they supposed to.:?

Al :U

[martrix]

Been playing with the 'follow me' tool. Much quicker to do the curved surface.

Basically you draw one curve, and then the line or direction to follow and off you go.

This took me literally 5 minutes to do.:cool: Theres no way I could do it that neat and fast with a pencil and paper.

[ozwinner]

Apart from the gap on the left hand side :doh: it looks good.

Al :q

[martrix]

:doh: :shrug: dunno why, but its part of the shadow:? .........ksshht!...ahh, Jack 'n coke time.. :drink2::pipe1:

[Harry72]

".........ksshht!...ahh, Jack 'n coke time.. :drink2::pipe1:"

Yep I can feel one comin up right now... just yelling out to SWMBO now!