Wow Alan, I'm getting some amazing results using Artisan4sketchup. My first try looks like actual water ripples. Fantastic.
[image: wuAf_wavesurface.jpg]
Why do you think it is not coplanar? I find I can draw, push pull, face, etc.. on your model. First you say you can't draw but later you say the errors were the results of your drawing? Surely a good idea to keep your work distinct from the imported entities, as has been advised. I would do that immediately by grouping, and also through layers.
Thanks for your replies guys,
The 'make a component' resolution managed to do the trick although it was tricky getting the axes correct in order for the object to attach to the surface with the correct orientation.
Thanks again.
Ginger_Overlord
Then something of that plugin has remained there. Look again and make sure you have indeed removed it. Even remove (copy) all your plugins and start by adding the "know ones" back (and always restarting SU).
There's a collection of materials posted here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=157381#p157381
You can always create your own, custom materials however. These patterns are not hard at all- I sometimes use SketchUp only to create something simple like this.
Would something like this work?
[image: 6980761437_ff4849fb08_z.jpg]
Text is screen text inserted in SketchUp. Actually the Postit note paper was made in SketchUp, too. This was done using the image of the note as a watermark as TIG suggested. The downside to this is that to make the screen text display on the "note", the watermark has to be set as a background image. If the model covers that part of the screen, it'll mask the note. If the watermark was a foreground image, it would cover the screen text.
The file is the same, but the location is different. There is loads of threads with the same question.
Put the .rb files in Mac HD - Library - App Support - Google Sketch Up 8 - Sketch Up - Plugins
Or unzip the files in here to.
[image: QxAn_Screenshot2012-03-12at14.38.19.png]
Position/rotate, then intersect two or more suitable forms, and finally erase unwanted parts to leave the required 3d solid. Reverse/orient the object's faces so all of them look outwards consistently...
Use a group/component for these to avoid raw geometry clashes/sticking whilst positioning/rotating etc.
[Edit: Dave has now added an example to his earlier post...]
If you have v8-Pro there are native 'Solid' tools to simplify the adding/subtracting/trimming etc of forms.
There are also a couple of 'Boolean' scripts to do similar work for 'Free' - one is free [by Oscar?] the other is inexpensive [available via Smustard.com?]...
If you want to cut into nested geometry you have to press CTRL first, see original post:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=16038#p124862
I must say it doesn't work for me on Mac.