Sketchup, arrrgggg

I've had the program for a number of years, never took the time to actually learn to use it. Due primarily to various posts here, I've been spending some time with it.

They say it is "intuitive"; IMO, some of it is and some of it isn't. Let me give an example...

Suppose I draw a simple table: four legs, four aprons and a top. Each of those items is an "entity". I decide that I want my table 1" wider which means I need to make the top wider and both end aprons longer I can't scale the aprons, deforms the legs. I could move the legs, then scale the aprons and move the legs back. Not too bad on this but on more complex things it could be a PITA.

Is there some simple, fast way to do it.

Reply to
dadiOH
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components.

Reply to
Doug Winterburn

Yes

OK first off be certain you are using the latest version, you stating that you have had the program a number of years indicates you may be using one of the older versions which IMHO we more difficult to master.

By entity I suppose you mean that you made each separate item in to an actual component.

Don't scale, simply use the push pull tool to lengthen or shorten the end that you want to be longer or shorter, do the same for the apron and top. Start the push pull tool in the direction that you want it to go, don't worry about how far you drag it, just go in the direction you want to go, than type in the distance you want to add or subtract. then move you legs.

NOW if your legs are reshaping when you are trying to adjust other pieces that would indicate that your entities are not components.

Once you make a group of lines into a component they will no longer change unless you edit the component. To edit, select the component by clicking on it and then double click the selection or right click and select edit component. An outline of the defined area of the component will form around the component and you can then make changes, like using the push pull tool to change the thickness, width, or length of a component.

NOTE. sometimes components are difficult to edit where they are placed in a drawing. Simply select that component and copy it to an area that would make it more accessible, make your modifications and they will also show up on the original component. Complete the modification and delete the copy.

Reply to
Leon

Please don't mistake me for someone who knows what he's talking about; I'm just about exactly as experienced as you are.

I had drawn a very simple farmhouse-style table as a first sketchup project also. I justr tried doing exactly what you are attempting. Here's how I did it, shown in four exported images:\

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Use the right arrow to scroll through the set. Please ignore the white- shaded parts in the background.

First I selected the table top. The top is itself composed of four "sub-components" (my own term - I have no idea what the proper word is), four 1x6 boards. I discovered that you could group components into larger multi-piece assemblies at some point.

With the entire table top selected, I used Resize to stretch it. When I did it originally, I grabbed one of the handles on the top edge. This made the task harder, as I was then able to stretch the top in two dimensions at once: horizontal and vertical. I typed in scale numbers of "1.5,1" to enlarge the top by a factor of 1.5 in length while keeping the thickness the same. A better idea (which I just checked) would have been to grab the handle in the center (horizontally and vertically). Then I'd be changing one dimension only; the length.

Then I selected a pair of opposing apron pieces (see pictures) and stretched them simultaneously. I did this by eye. As the entry box just has a scale "factor", I think I'd have needed to draw a temporary line where I wanted the two apron pieces to stretch to in order to get them to be an exact length.

Lastly, I selected two of the legs and the apron piece that joins them. I used "move" to drag that assembly to meet the lengthened side apron pieces. This I was able to do exactly, making two mating corners meet.

Now all of this was made a little easier by the simplicity of the design; it has no mitered corners. (it's for a stage prop). I just confirmed a suspicion I had. I drew a "board" with corners mitered at some angle. I then made a component of it and tried to stretch it horizontally. Sure enough, the angle changed, as would be expected since the program is essentially stretching (or compacting) the lengths of the two faces by the same factor.

I share your view that calling Sketchup "intuitive" is only partly accurate, at least for me. At my current novice stage I expend a lot of brainpower trying to find clever ways to "trick" the program into doing what I want.

Reply to
Greg Guarino

I'd like you to flesh that out a bit. I tried it and found that sketchup would not allow me to push-pull faces of a component. To be sure, I drew a rectangle and "pulled" it into a box. At that point I was able to push or pull any surface. I then made the box a component, after which I could not use the push-pull tool on it.

 then

I found that out the hard way a week or two ago. Yes, anything you don't want to be deformed needs to be a component.

Aha. I'll try that. Perhaps then I'll find the way to add or subtract a certain amount.

Hmmm. I'll try that too.

Reply to
Greg Guarino

Actually evert part of the project should be made into a component.

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Reply to
Leon

So what do you do to lengthen a component that has "distinctive" ends? I just drew an oval, a rectangle with semicircular ends. Then I pulled it into a "solid" (yes I know it's not really modeled as a solid). When you lengthen it the semicircles become distorted.

So I drew a "cut line" around the middle of my "solid", exploded it, and used "move" to drag one of the resultant halves further away. I intended to then pull the other side to close the gap, but since they were touching to begin with, Sketchup stretched the other piece to keep them connected.

It worked, but it was still kind of a pain. If you draw a piece with box-joint ends, for instance, do you draw the ends and "component" them separately in case you decide to make the box smaller at a later time? The same would go for anything non-rectangular, like miters.

Reply to
Greg Guarino

OK, that is pretty easy, you have to think a little differently. Instead of pushing or pulling, start by editing the component, then left click and pull a selection box starting at the "TOP LEFT AND DRAG TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT". You know, so that only complete lines with in the selection box are selected, drag the selection box to capture the odd shaped end and then "Move" that selection of lines, curves, etc the distance you want to move it/them.

Be sure to use a straight line, a line on the componey, as your point of reference for showing direction of moving or your result might be more than just lengthening.

Reply to
Leon

OK, that is pretty easy, you have to think a little differently. Instead of pushing or pulling, start by editing the component, then left click and pull a selection box starting at the "TOP LEFT AND DRAG TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT" around the odd shaped end. You know, so that only complete lines with in the selection box are selected, drag the selection box to capture the odd shaped end and then "Move" that selection of lines, curves, etc the distance you want to move it/them.

Be sure to use a straight line, a line on the component that points in the direction that you want to move the selection, as your point of reference for showing direction of movement or your result might be more than just lengthening.

Reply to
Leon

Miss this second question.

No. Draw your board, and then copy the line that represents the corner of the board down the end of the board, these will be your yet to be pulled tails. Pull which ever one you want to pull first then while still in the push pull command skip the next rectangle and double click the next, Push/pull will assume the same distance, continue double clicking every other one.

Again if you want to lengthen or shorten the piece simply drag a selection box over the tails, top left to bottom right, and move the selected tail in the direction applicable to make the piece longer or shorter.

A hint here, when copying the corner line across the end of the board, copy it one time say 1/2" over and then type in 4x or 5x or 12x and it will repeat the copy that many times assuming the same spacing used for the first copy.

Reply to
Leon

Yeah, that works fine. However, if the legs and aprons had been butted it would have been a problem

The answer seems to be *COMPONENTS* :) _____________

Try this:

  1. Make the mitered board
  2. Make it a component
  3. Position it so you see end, top and an edge
  4. Select all
  5. Scale using the center "handle" at the acute intersection of end and edge. ________________

That and trying to again find the way to do something I did previously.

It is an amazing program, though; especially since it enables duffers such as us to actually draw things. So the basics I find intuitive; the niceties much less so; eg, which handle on a "scale" does what? True, it tells you which axes and what points but that means about as much to me - at the moment - as does a treatise on quantum physics. So *many* handles, so much to remember :(

Another occasional difficulty for me is getting a line to go where I want it. Fortunately, I found the arrow key restraints which help but sometimes Sketchup seems to want to stick the end point not quite where I want it; the result is that I wind up with something that is not quite a plane. Or a plane that is slightly (1/16) off from where I want it to be. I've been drawing fairly complex large rooms and my solution was to really zoom in so I can see where stuff is going. Of course, zoomed in like that, I sometimes get lost in s sea of blue or white, no idea where I am. The solution to that was to add the "Views" toolbar...clicking one gets me a view that enables me to orient myself to the axes.

Reply to
dadiOH

Thanks, people...components seems to be the answer.

Reply to
dadiOH

Sketchup should be renamed, Sketching with Components. ;~)

Think of they way you build things in the shop, draw the same way.

Reply to
Leon

I understood that concept, by the way. What I found out "the hard way" was that - to protect your mental health - you really need to convert each new thing into a component at the *very earliest* opportunity.

I imagine there must be a way to save components for future use. I haven't looked that up yet.

Reply to
Greg Guarino

I don't think so. In that case I might have made life easier for myself by selecting two legs and the horizontal piece between them and moving them before I stretched the other apron pieces to meet the moved assembly.

Yes, that it does.

Reply to
Greg Guarino

If this makes you feel any better, I very seldom any more use the scale tool. Most of what it can do can be done easier in another way. Don't get me wrong, I used to use the scale tool to create mirror images, now I use the flip along tool to create mirror images. with the flip along tool you only have to remember 3 things. ;~)

The line will deviate a little most often because you may be trying to attach it to a location that is close to another snap point, for example the end of another line or middle of a line. I find it helpful to zoom in to that point, so that the offending snap points which try to pull your line towards them, do not have so much influence. Another way is to extend your line well past that that point and end the line in the middle of nowhere so to speak. Then select the part of the line that you extended too far and it should highlight as another separate line, then Delete that section. Or if the line needs to be a certain length simply start the line in the correct direction, using the arrow keys to force it in the correct direction if necessary, and type in your length and hit return

Or a

If you get lost because you zoomed in too much, simply click on the "Previous Icon" this will restore you to the previous view. This icon looks like a magnifying glass with a blue arrow indicating a counter clockwise rotation. Think of it as going back in time.

Reply to
Leon

Yes, create the component and name if if you want to find it again. ;~)

After creating the component go to the menu bar and click Window and select Components.

A Component window should open up with a list of the components in your drawing. Right click the component and select Save AS. Keep an eye on where you save it also. IIRC the component is simply saves as a smaller Sketchup drawing file.

Reply to
Leon

Lessons might help.

There is a TON of stuff on youtube and other places including Sketchup.

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Reply to
Pat Barber

Uhhhhh..these might be better and cheaper:

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Reply to
Pat Barber

I don't know that it makes me feel better, does give me hope though :)

As far as "flip along", I haven't yet tried that, will soon. Been flipped off on occasion though. _____________

Then select the part of the line that you extended too far and it should

Yeah, been doing that, a real help, thanks. _______________

Very useful info. I'm going to be 80 in a few weeks, got something that will actually hurl me into the past? WAIT!!...not sure I want to go there.

Reply to
dadiOH

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