Thanks for the fast reply! I have removed the rivets and this seemed to work. An entire side of the rivets was doubled up too no wonder google did not like it! Thanks for your advice. Next time I will start it with a bit more structure to my building work and think on when I ca reuse a component. Thanks again

Fwiw, you can enter fractional dimensions. Draw a line (of any length) then immediately enter 1 3/4 in the measurement box (just start typing the number. No need to highlight the measurement box with a mouse click) same for rectangles (as well as the other tools). Draw a rectangle then enter 1 1/2, 3 1/2 in the MB and the rectangle will be drawn to those dimensions.

I wouldnt worry too much about exporting and importing the .obj in sketchup, it is all handled by the script so it is simply a case of a couple of menu clicks.

@escapeartist said: Not something I've ever done. Could you make a large sphere and place the picture on the inside, literally a skydome? Cover your scene with it? It'd probably mess up shadows and the like, but if it's the imagery you're after it might be OK. Here is a thread about mapping a Panoramic Image to the interior of a sphere using Google O3D. You could do the same mapping to the triangles of a sphere in SketchUp. We just haven't tried it yet. Using O3D for Panoramas And by breaking an 8000 x 4000 panorama into 8 pieces before mapping it to 8 octants of the sphere, you should be able to use 2000 x 2000 images for good resolution. (Part of the O3D Panorama) [image: lF9w_o3d-panorama.jpg] (Click on this link to view the O3D panorama) http://www.renderplus.com/pano3d/pano_from_o3d.html?file=http://www.algarve-photo.com/contax/wp-content/gallery/07_07_panofaro/pano_catedral_do_faro_01.jpg

Also, have a look at our extensions index: http://www.sketchucation.com/extensions-index/ Far from being complete up-to-date (it does involve a lot of work none of us can assign to it at the moment) but at least a useful start.

See, Greg, this is why the actual example is needed. As for components cutting through thick walls - it is not possible at the moment. They can have only one axis system thus one gluing and cutting plane. There are workarounds however - you can intersect the inner face of the thick wall with the component or use some truicks. I have "compiled" the experiences and "tips&tricks" of "generations" of SU users in a little tutorial here. One will find out these techniques by him-/herself sooner or later anyway so it is just like re-inventing the wheel but a forum is just to learn from each other. Here is an example file I uploaded into the warehouse (read the description on how to enable double cutting "effect" - as it is not reall cutting double bey on its solo self). Another example without making a parent component - just placed two components mirrored on the two, opposite faces. Finally another "trick" in a video here - wonder if you figure out how I made it [flash=425,344:1l2eqnhi]http://www.youtube.com/v/ITO-oaowwrU&hl=en_US&fs=1&[/flash:1l2eqnhi]

@karinagm said: I'll g00gle the SU animate you mentioned, although the plugin I used worked perfectly for what I needed Just to tell you before hand, you have to pay. NOT FREE

@drewgandy said: For instance, if I have a "diagonal line" that I want to draw a rectangle against, how do I do it? Sometimes the Ruby Console (billed as a programmer's tool for writing plugins, but I like it for modeling) answers your need. Try diving into Chapter Two, Ruby Console. The first project there is the main and jib on a sloop. The main is orthogonal, the jib is not. Both are easy because any three points are always coplanar. Your four-point rectangles must be coplanar. The second project there adds a rectangle for the bottom of a banister: an example of a rectangle at an odd angle.

Writing scripts is not often discussed in the newbie forum. But if you are the sort who jumps into the deep end of the pool to learn to swim start at Chapter 11.

That could be an option but here it was not needed. As soon as I scaled the first "segment", the next PushPull was already not coplanar with it so left a series of edges (if you use Ctrl+PushPull, a face is also left there - then you need to get rid of these inner faces in order to be able to smooth the whole surface).

Thanks, Jean That makes perfect sense now.

The easiest (?) way is to fill an area in AutoCad or Revit with the pattern and export the result as a raster file, and then use a raster editor to crop or duplicate the file so that it creates a seamless texture. I don't know of non-Autodesk software that uses the same pattern files, although some of the available "clones" might. The pattern file structure is very simple, as the patterns consist of a series of (dashed) lines in various directions. I don't know of a viewer, but writing one should be a piece of cake for a programmer. Anssi

Spaces is pretty powerful. There is a similar type of function in Ubuntu as well, but you can have different windows from different apps open and fly between open windows and apps- much more powerful than the dock system in windows (xp). You could for example, if you were managing websites, have an open space for each site, photoshop open in one, illustrator in another- keep everything neat and tidy. Shortcuts can also be added in each window, allowing files to be moved around very fast. Also ther are spring loaded windows- something I really miss in XP- no need for copy and paste (although that is there too).

Mac got it dead on.

Nice Adam

I'll bet that clown used the Skin plugin to create the raising all the way around.

@unknownuser said: Tas, if you can send me the .3ds file, I may be able to convert it for you. Hey, Thanks for the offer - but it's 70mb! If I upload somewhere, will you be ok to download it? Tas*

Very cool, Adam.

I'm using the latest Podium download (I just bought it last week) and my computer is a PC, with Vista. I think it's real cool how they have a library of light fixtures ... any of you guys know where I can find some lights for the entertainment industry? Like space lights, kenos, 10k's, fischer lights etc ... I'm using sketchup/podium to build sets so it would be sweet if I could show the director how the sets gonna look once we have it all lit Anyone else out there in the set building business?? Cheers

No, don't think of it like that. Think of using the ppi to control how many pixels are in an inch of real space. So if the image is 100x100 pixels, set to 10 ppi, it would import at 10" x 10". I often set up my images this way in photoshop. I work on an image that is 24" x 36" at 150 dpi. When I import that to SU, it would be nice to have an option to keep current image size, so it actually comes in at 24" x 36" in the model. I wouldn't always want every image to do that, but the option to do it would be handy sometimes. Chris