There is no need to make changes to files if it just "works" (ie. SketchUp opens them). I just keep old files untouched so they can still be opened in older versions.

Oh wow ... so easy (once someone shows me) I was trying to set up guide lines that took forever. Thanks JL.

Groovy stuff...

Pilou are already group you i posted the 2 file 3ds to have a merge stl.zip

Right Side : Projection by Didier Bur Middle Bottom : Subdivide and Smooth by Dale Martens

Got ya! thanx

@way77 said: Discovered the trick... duplicate the list, delete first one and then the copy. Both color lists are gone.... finally. What worked for me: duplicate the EZdraw list, but remove the " copy" suffix that is automatically added to its name before clicking "OK." Then delete it & SketchUp will pop up a dialog box complaining that it can't delete "null" but both copies will be gone when you dismiss the dialog. EDIT: This method does not persist -- IOW, the EasyDraw color palettes lists will be gone, but they will reappear the next time you launch SketchUp. To get rid of them forever, check the ~/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Materials folder (the user Library folder, not the system or root level ones) for any folders with a corresponding name (like "EasyDraw") & trash that folder. Also check the ~/Library/Colors folder (again, the user Library folder) for any files with the extension ".clr" with names corresponding to the unwanted EasyDraw palettes (like "EZD_WebSafe.clr" or "Toolbar.ezdraw.clr") & trash those too. Note that Easy Draw creates these color list (.clr) files the first time the app needs to access something that uses them (like the Easy Draw toolbar) so if you run Easy Draw after removing the unwanted color list files it has already created, it is still possible that other ones will be created & show up in the SketchUp Materials lists (or that you will get unexpected results if it needs one you have removed). FWIW, page 14 of this Easy Draw version 3 manual lists all the color list files that version might install, & may be helpful in determining where some of the "mystery" color palettes came from.

BTW Tomaz's frontface.rb is great for this I use it a lot, you don't even have to open components or groups for editing just start front face and wave it over reversed faces.

Hi folks. To add to Dave's post, don't forget that you can orbit, pan and zoom even in the middle of an operation. For example, you can click to start a line, orbit to see the target where you want it and finally click on the target to finish the line. Another example: you want to add a circle whose center is on an endpoint located in a maze of complex geometry and then extend it on another endpoint that is hideen inside another complex geometry. The procedure could be like this: 1 - Pan, orbit and zoom in on the geometry to be used to attach the center of the circle. 2 - Select the Circle Tool. 3 - Click on the required endpoint to start the circle, making sure that its orientation is correct. 4 - Zoom out, pan and orbit in order to bring the target point in view. 5 - Switch to X-Ray Mode to actually see the target point inside its enclosing geometry. 6 - Zoom in on this target point. 7 - Click on the target point to complete the circle. 8 - Turn X-Ray mode off. Steps 1 and 2 can be reversed as can steps 4 and 5 or 5 and 6. The best is to experiment with these facilities. After a while, you will begin to appreciate the flexibility and power of SketchUp. Just ideas.

Can I suggest that first you ensure that you have the latest version of SketchUp 8 - Before v8M2 automatic installation was not an option... Now get Thomthom's 'Simple Plugins Installer' liked off the Ruby Index [see menu above]. Download that tool's RBZ archive to your PC. As explained in its download page instructions, use Preferences > Extensions > Install... button and find the file + OK. It automatically installs the file for you. [If you have insufficient 'security permissions' to write to your PLugins folder you will be told - to fix that issue highlight the ../SketchUp../Plugins folder icon and right-click context-menu to Properties > Security > Edit ans set permissions to FULL for everyone including yourself, you might need to have Admin privileges to do this change.] Assuming you have now got 'Simple Plugins Installer' installed then there'll be a new Plugins menu submenu, that has tools which will auto-install any of the four common toolset formats - single file RB/RBS and archives RBZ/ZIP. So now once you have downloaded a toolset you can install it 'stress-free'... However, please read each tool [or support library] download page carefully, and ensure you have any additional supporting files/libs downloaded and installed too... Then all you have to do is read [and understand] the new tool's usage notes so you know which menus/context-menus/toolbars items appear in, how the tool is actually used etc etc...

Hi CactusMatt, hi folks. I suggest that you take the time to view the video tutorials to get acquainted with SketchUp (SU). It is more capable than you think in making this very simple design. Believe me, the few hours taken in viewing these videos will save you a lot more hours of frustration when using SU. In the mean time, here is a reconstitution of your pannel, using some assumptions. Click on the scene tabs of this SU file for ideas. Panel-Loc extrusion profile - JL.skp If you save only the final extruded panel, you will see that the size of the resulting file is 20K. Best regards.

Wow! Yes, thank you very much. Jacques

Great! Thank you a lot!

Thanks. I got it now, you just have to follow the Fredo instructions and load the library first. Cheers, Jacques

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33310#p293698

I had some trouble with split tools too. After trying the split tools. I installed split sausage separately, and have both donut and sausage under "Tools / split tools" submenu. The thing about split sausage is somehow it does not break the curves. You can do the same thing as Cotty shows by drawing in the connecting top edges, softening those edges, then "recurve" (or "weld) the side curves with those plugins . I just thought of something that probably bears mentioning. This method is probably OK for what you want to do, but we find that moving a curve this way changes its path in plan view. If that matters, you would need another way. If you turn on edge style to "color by axis" and hidden geometry, you will see the vertical (blue) edges on the path become non-vertical (black)-- so to be picky, it's not exactly how the ramp would be built, or how one would imagine the model to be made. But it's handy. Another approach is not to start with the level ramp at all. For example "shape bender" plugin can fairly closely create the ramp you have with one curve and a small straight ramp with the width and the start and end elevations. P

Thanks, I started over doing it a different way and the poly count went way down. The first time I did a screen layout for the holes and then used radial bending to make the pipe shape. I thought it would be easier to use a grid pattern first. It was the bending that added the extras. This time I just made the pipe and took the time to punch the holes. More time less problems

I believe it would be easier to add the materials in SU then refine in PS.

Thanks, I will try this at once.

Ah well, all the others above suggested the same - I just thought a model can demonstrate it easier. Be very careful however to only assign groups or components to any other layer than Layer 0 (i.e. all "primitive" geometry either loose in the model or inside groups/components should remain on this layer) otherwise you end up like in that first video you linked to. Do not even change the active layer (with the round radio buttons) but stay on Layer 0 all the time. Life will be much easier. Also, examine the Scene manager. If you turn off the camera position, you can change scenes (and with those, different layers) without the camera moving. If you watch this video, during the first quarter, Chris (who posted above) explains how he uses scenes, layers and styles for easier modelling. Not exactly what you are after but very informative! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9_F-bSGrKs#!