Yes I think I'm getting a handle on my problems I extruded two surfaces of different colours out a long way right next to each other and than had a real close look and there was a noticeable difference but the measure tool couldn't pick it up, not until I increased the size of the entire model considerably and even then it was only 0.01. I'll have to keep my eye open to problems and correct them early I've obviously been covering problems rather than fixing them and the problem is manifesting elsewhere. Thanks heaps for your time.

Hi Cliff, Once I did something like this,too. Enlarge your screen resolution so that the toolbar gets on screen again > position it properly > then lower your resolution again.

Hi Ernest, I'm not sure what causes SU to stall or even crash but sometimes I also had problems when I imported DWG files "preserving drawing origin". Make sure to uncheck this in the Options dialog (open this from the Import window on nthe right) see attached image.. [image: jjZP_PreserveOrigin.jpg] If the original, CAD drawing origin is preserved, SU may import the drawing even some miles away from the SU origin which may cause OpenGL problems as well as you not seeing it in your viewport (press Shift+Z to zoom to extent and Edit > Select all to see if your drawing is somewhere "outer space"). Also, there are sometimes some small, stray lines very far from the origin or the drawing - zooming to extent and selecting all may let you see if there is such an issue again. Of course, I'm not sure if these are the problem but currently I cannot think of any other cause. It may be good if you could upload your file here.

thanks for this information

@unknownuser said: Couldn't get it into SketchUp, though Why not? Proper animation by Morisdov can do it! Or Sketchyphysics2

I am running vista and when I "save target as" the link for the plugin it when to a compatibilities file. I relocated to the plugins folder but the ruby doesn't load when SU is re-opened. Thomas

MY OS is set to list every folder "by details" not "list" so it shouldn't go back to list mode.

Antialiasing (or actually the lack of it) causes it. With these vector lines - that are supposed to be perfectly straight even shown diagonally - the problem is that the pixels on your monitor run in a vertical/horizontal network. Now when these diagonal lines displayed (and there's not enough antialiasing on), the line becomes jagged (like steps) and the back face bleeds through in between these steps. To make the "painting of back faces" simpler, after texturing your front faces (individully, as you need), group the whole thing and apply the same texture on the group as a whole. It will texture everything (including back faces) whose faces are not textured in the previous step (those will be kept intact). If your video card supports OpenGL (and Antialiasing) nicely, you can set it in Window (Sketchup on Mac) > Preferences > OpenGL > Harware acceleration; if you have it checked and select that option, in a list you will see antialiasing options like x2, x4 etc. The higher you set it, the smoother your lines will be (and the less the back faces will bleed through) although the higher it is set, the slower the performance of your SU can be. If it doesn't really bother you during modeling, you can keep it low. During export, you can set antialiasing separately if you wish and it won't be so striking in an exported image.

You might need to right click on the GE image and select Texture>Projected. If that doesn't do it, then it seems like sometimes there is some problems with groups. You might need to play with combinations of having your terrain grouped or not grouped and the image be grouped or not grouped. Some combination of both not grouped, or both grouped, or one grouped but not other should theoretically solve the problem. Hope that helps, Chris

Hi folks. If you triple click to select all gometries, the edges of the top and the bottom will also be smoothed which migth not be the final effect that is wanted. A quick way of selecting only the vertical edges to be softened is as follow: 1 - Use a view that shows the object mostly from its side (a front, back, left or right view is even better. 2 - Do a right to left window select and avoid selecting any of the top and bottom edges. Another one: 1 - Triple click to select all edges and faces (the softening engine will ignore the faces then, do not worry). 2 - Double click on the top while pressing the SHIFT key to Add/Subtract from the selection. The top will be deselected with its edges. 3 - Repeat step 2 for the bottom. Just ideas.

Hi Latte311, hi folks. See this SU file for ideas. Arc_extend.skp

@chhaya said: ......you can't rotate you model, there is a rotate button that has 2 arrows forming a circle, but that button is to rotate faces and edges only and not the whole model. i know you can pan around the model, but what if you need to re-orient your model?.... Hi chhaya, Your topic says orbit %(#FF0000)[but it seems you need to know more about rotating things, more than one edge or face at a time. You need to make your selection first. There are various different ways to do so. Only once you have your selection made (blue (or with some people yellow)) you next select the 'Rotate' tool.] %(#008000)[How to select: Ctrl+A will select the entire visible model. (not hidden geometry or geometry on unchecked layers); dragging (hold down left mouse button) left to right will select entities that are completely IN the selection box; dragging (hold down left mouse button) right to left will ALSO select all entities that are partly in the selection box; clicking on or dragging while holding down [Ctrl} will add to your selection; clicking on or dragging while holding down [Shift] will add/subtract to/from your selection; suggestions mentioned above combined with selecting geometry through the outliner.] Wo3Dan

Dear Gaieus , Thank you again. Patience , I learn very quickly.

There MIGHT be another solution in case of such a tremendous amount of data; the "Cities in 3D" program by Google. They accept 3D data "en mass" from local governments, agencies etc. If you follow the big, green "Get started" button at the top left, you get to a page where you can communicate with Google and eventually (I suppose) send in 3D data other than orthogonally set skp/kmz files.

Hi Ebesan (and welcome). Note that changing the axes is meant to be a temporary thing in SU and the original axis sytem will always prevail in certain situations (like keeping the ground plane - thus the plane the shadow are cast on - in place). You can even reset the (temporarily moved) axes to their original position by right clicking on one of them and selecting "Reset" from the context menu. It will then go back to its original position which we also call "World axes" in SU.

I was just glad to discover that it was not something I caused. I have an incredible talent for hitting the wrong button or putting an inappropriate check in a box related to something and causing bizzare things to happen which require hours of mental anguish to get fixed. I posted back so others like me(if there are any)who might experience the same would just move on without suffering.

Thank you.

Just to conclude this thread or my contribution to it, my problem appeared to be related somehow to using SU through a Linux machine that is remotely controlling a Windows PC where the instance of SU is installed and running. Not sure I said that right, but you probably understand. The system we use to provide Windows on a Linux desktop is Citrix, which I understand is not really a Windows emulator but actually a remote control of the distant Windows pc. However I also understand the same sort of problems with exporting animations happens with the Windows emulator Wine (I think it's an emulator), as reported in the link a few posts above. If this thread would fit better somewhere other than Newbie, then feel free to refile it.

Hi Rob, Could you give the pay-per-day in Euros instead?

Thanks for the welcom, could qoute u all but to what point, so; Yes good idea, updated. it is Netherlands. Great discovery, that sketchup.. to bad software knowledge on a workfloor kinda kills the designer. but ill prevail. Still working on pics to show. need to find and connect old HD