Sketchup help

[Leon]

And coons! don't for get the coons.

[Mike M]

Understand what your saying & it was that way with Autocadd, I learned how to do what I needed for doing electrical plans and never was an expert. I'm still under the 30%. I'm just getting comfortable with the 3D aspect of drawing and use of the most common drawing tools. I'm slowly moving forward but at least the frustratiion is still very low.

Mike M

[Swingman]

Two most frustrating things in SU:

~ When things you draw stick together ... solution: make sure you make everything you draw either a "component" or "group" _before_ you draw something else that touches it.

~ Moving one component/group from a different part of the screen to place it against another component/group ... solution: when you find out, let me know too! ;)

Although the latter does often bite most of in the butt, even with a lot of experience, there is a feature in SU know as the "inference" engine, which can be a big help when trying to join components/groups drawn on a different plane/axis. Locking (constraint) this inference with a keystroke can often help when moving objects around:

[dpb]

On 1/8/2013 9:11 AM, Swingman wrote: ...

...

Oh, now that makes sense. My previous excursions into SU had been so frustrating had just punted even trying anything else w/ it.

Mayhaps I might try again w/ a different idea on how to approach it altho I'm still pretty much a "few sketches on a piece o' paper, then go work it out" kinda' guy...then again, I've quit doing big, complex stuff that has to fit a hundred thousand pieces together, too, in favor of smaller stuff can get done in a few days at the outside given that farming is now the prime activity that requires first dibs...

The time at which was doing so much of the architectural work in Lynchburg predated the PC time frame by a sizable number of years so it was a _lot_ of boardwork there. I don't know what the Colonial's used in Williamsburg, say...altho come to think of it I don't recall ever seeing any _original_ working drawings on any of the visits there. Lots of later-made from the existing work, but not original (at least that I've seen--maybe they're too rare to ever be on display, dunno...).

--

[Mike M]

having to zoom in to see where you actually are. I know me well enough to know that if I start jumping into far I'll get frustrated and stop. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Now if I could just find my cadd drawing of where to dig to pump the septic tank. I've got a backhoe but would prefer to hand dig as it's not more then a foot beneath grade, and well S*** happens if applying to big a tool.

Mike M

[krw]

OK, now I gotta ask...

I've been using SU for some time and am reasonably proficient (>30% mark). What is the difference between a component and a group? ISTM that they're two (different) ways of doing exactly the same thing. When would I use one over the other?

[Swingman]

Hard to beat this definition, so I'll post the link rather than trying to paraphrase it:

"Groups" are useful to logically group a single collection of individual geometry, like assembling six faces into a box, a brick, etc.

A "Component" is appropriate when you want to reuse the exact same component/collection of individual geometry, multiple times (studs, beams, stiles, rails, etc.)

Components can also attach themselves automatically to other geometry (faces, horizontal faces only, etc) and they can also be easily stored and reused in other files.

The difference can also be an important factor in file size and performance of the model and computer:

With "groups", each copy of a group added to the model is stored in the model, thus multiple copies of a "group" add to the file size.

With "components", there is only one of each unique component stored in the model, all copies of that component inserted in a model are simply an instance of that one stored component.

NOTE: as stated previously in another thread ... it is well to note that the use of multiple "nested" components in a model can indeed slow SketchUp's performance ... regardless of file size.

[krw]

But then if you cut a stud, it cuts them all. ;-/ That's the way I was using them, then found that I was "making separate" every one anyway.

That's an area that I'm totally lost; reuse. I just make "components" their own files and import them. There has to be a better way to make a "library" of components.

I see that. The same deal if components are made separate.

I see that, too. This brings up another point. Of what use is the "name" of the component? Can it be edited?

It sure makes work easier if one can hide them while working elsewhere, though. I always like to work in a hierarchy, if possible. Unfortunately, it looks like only about half of what's needed to make the hierarchy really work is in there. ...or at least tripped across, yet. ;-)

[Bill]

>>> Basically "Groups" are useful to logically group a single collection of

Do you mean "Make Unique"--that will allow you to change the properties of only a partticular instance of a component.

[Swingman]

Not necessarily, right click on the one component that you want to change differently than others, and select "Make Unique".

You can then change that one without changing the other like components.

3D warehouse is a vast library of millions of components:

> The difference can also be an important factor in file size and

Nope ... there is only one single instance of each unique component in SketchUp file ... all "copies" of that component are 'inserted instances' of that unique component, and as such, are not stored in the file as a copy, and therefore do not add to the file size.

Sure ... right click|Entity Info|Double click "Definition Name" and change away.

In a word, "Layers" ... learn to use layers effectively and you will find that everything that is needed is already there. :)

A word of caution with layers ... until you are absolutely proficient with all aspects of the program, and I do meant obtain 'expert' status, ONLY do your modeling on Layer0!!

This is extremely important because geometry hidden and/or geometry/ elements/artifacts/ assigned to unseen layers can cause you all kinds of grief when drawing and assembling models.

[Swingman]

+1

[krw]

>>>>> Basically "Groups" are useful to logically group a single collection of

Yeah, that's the one. I'm sorta out of practice (my shop is still packed).

[krw]

Right. Now you have two components. That takes more storage, no? No better than two groups?

Right, but once you make one "unique" doesn't that make it a new component? ....

....Hmm, after trying it again, perhaps not.

Cool. Now what good is it?

I've run into "Layers". It hurt.

Well, that's where I am. ;-) I'll soon be back at it, though.

Hmm, one day I'll understand what you just said. ;-) Are you saying that it's easy to get multiple objects living in the same space? ...or something more sinister?

[Leon]

Something else to play with. Often you need mirror images of a component, some times mirror images of the mirror images. Copy the component, scale it with a factor of "-1" and you get a mirror image without having to copy and rotate. Now if you edit the original all mirrored copies update as a mirror image also.

Foe example drawer sides. Draw one and copy then scale the opposite side. If you add a groove for a bottom or rabbet on the end the scale copy gets the changes where you want them also.

[krw]

Ok, but can you scale with a factor of -1 in one dimension only? If your groove doesn't go through, does it get it end up still in the "back", say. IOW, if your drawer slide stops 2" short of the drawer front, does the groove now stop 2" short of the drawer back, on the top instead of the bottom (after flipping)?

[Bill]

Maybe you should try it, and tell us? It would just be a 10 minutelearning-experiment, right? To be honest, some of my attempts at using this feature have not been successes(in those case, I've given-in and worked around it). Ithink I'm getting closer to "getting it", butI am not at a level to dispense advice. IIRC,I assessed my SU-Rating as 2 out of 10. : )

Cheers, Bill

[Leon]

w just said. ;-) Are you saying

Select the component and then click in the scale icon. You will see small cubes form around the edges and corners and middle ff the sides. Grab the cube in the middle of a side and drag it towards the center to indicate the direction that you want to reverse the component. Then enter "-1". Now everything changed on that component will show up as a mirror image on the other component, either one.

If your drawer side grove stops 2" short of the back the scaled component side will also have that grove stopped 2" Short. You literally get a mirror copy.

You can scale in any direction, you can do the same for the front and back of the drawer. It all depends on which cube you grab/ click on and drag. Experiment with it. I never draw opposite sided components, I copy and scale. Now if you need to add a little extra to the scaled copy or the original, right click, make unique, and make your modifications. The mirroring will not continue from that point.

[Leon]

Mike, let me tell you a secret.. I start every one of my drawings with the same drawing. The name of that drawing/file is 1Start.skp and it is write protected so that I don't accidentally delete it. This drawing is nothing more than hints and reminders of things that I don't use often and that I sometimes have trouble remembering. It may just be a short note or a simple illustration to serve as a reminder. I see the hints every time I start a new drawing by beginning with this file. Basically I can't misplace my hints and notes.

When I open that drawing/ file I select everything, hit delete, and begin my actual drawing and save as another unique file name.

[Swingman]

Alternately, you can save that file as a Template, with components and text, and you can either set it as default to open every time just by opening SU, or chose it from Window|Preference.

[Swingman]

Yes. Another handy scale feature is that you can hold down CTRL while scaling and just scale from the center of the geometry.