Double post - go on posting/reading here: http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=16337&p=128178#p128178

What Chris says... [image: 85en_CRPB.jpg]

There is amassmaterialimporter.rb plugin in the Ruby Library Depot. I don't know how (well) it exactly works -note that it was written for version % first and since version 6, SU handles materials differently. Yet it says 5+ so itmight work. Maybe you still have to scale your materials properly?

Then I guess that's inches > Millimetres... Sometimes I have the same problem - when I don't even know what the units of the original file were. Then this can be nothing else than trial and error; importing the stuff a couple of times until you are okay.

Also, if in SU 7 you go to File> Save as... you can save it in SU 6 format to make it sure that you (or any colleague / client still using SU 6) can open it. Apart fom dynamic components (which degrade gracefully into "normal" components in SU 6), everything will work properly.

Welcome Shane. There is no image attached but I know what you mean. It has happened a few times with me as well. I have no idea what causes it or an actual fix. However I have found if I zoom out or orbit it sometimes goes away. Other times I have just saved and exited. Then restarted and there is no problem. I am assuming it is a graphic bug or an error with a video card but I am not certain. It is annoying yes.

Sorry to keep posting. One question does normal maps get used by VRay at all?

Thank you both very much. I now feel like a total dipstick, lol. Never thought to change the file type, smacks self in forhead. My day will now go better. Great tutorial on the picture maker, loving that.

I believe that you can use also the real boolan Booltools 10$ Perfect for mechanical piece

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@solo said: Try this: [attachment=1:sezucy51]<!-- ia1 -->d-pad[smoothed].skp<!-- ia1 -->[/attachment:sezucy51] I succeeded only with "display edges OFF "test 3 with "display edges ON "I have some noise in the corners !! What to do ??[attachment=0:sezucy51]<!-- ia0 -->d-pad test 3.skp<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:sezucy51] d-pad test 3.skp

Here's some very preliminary coding for a single cycle just to see if this kind of animation would suit your purpose. Here is a video clip in case anyone else is interested in this type of thing ...[flash=400,300:1x2no254]http://www.youtube.com/v/5Y4RFyNm5Vo[/flash:1x2no254] and screenshots of web dialog at different stages. [image: bKiK_sheetCuts6.jpg] Please note: The coding is for PCs only. Unzip the .rb file and folder to Sketchup plugins subdirectory and open sheetCuts from plugin menu. This is not a traditional rectangle optimisation tool (although it could have one) but a device to produce: ... instructions for automated or attended machines ... animation for checking handling, sequence, timing and so on ... various preferences, details, analyses and other options (nothing compiled yet) Click on underlined words to select offset percentage or dimension, trim or cut, and to set rotate and settings. The number of cuts is calculated automatically. The final offcut is shown. Inputting a new number of cuts overwrites the automated calculation. I think this satisfies your PM request? Prev and Next will later be available to review and edit. I think this will be useful as a device for designing plywood or MDF furniture and sheet metal panels and so on. If you can find a use for it for your paper cutting problem, all well and good, but it will take a little time before it is really functional. Chris sheetCuts.zip

Another tip about model organization and performance: Avoid overorganizing your model. By overorganising I mean too deep nesting of groups or components. It may help to keep file size down, but it has been demonstrated to slow down the program. For instance, in addition to a large polycount, some 3D plants have their contents organized as nested components like leaf>twig>branch>trunk etc. It is better to let the filesize grow somewhat by decreasing the levels of nested objects. Anssi

Hi 5thT, This is the Guide to the FollowMe tool: http://download.sketchup.com/sketchuphelp/gsu6_win/Content/D-Modification_Tools/ModTool-Follow-Me.htm Where exactly do you have the problem with the use of it? Can you upload a simple example skp file here?

Or you may not even have a Flash plugin installed in your IE? Though it should let you know with some warning. Could you se any of the embeded movies Simon linked in his topic you also replied to?

Welcome "Doug the Tale Gunner" I'm sure that if you have such a background, SU won't be hard to learn

One way to approach it is to change the export filetype to .png and then set the export size as 2 to 3 times what you want. So if you are going for 800 x 600, then export at maybe around 1600 x 1200. This will export each frame as a .png. Then you open those in photoshop and resize them all down to the size you desire in photoshop. Learn how to set up and action that resizes them, then set up a batch in photoshop that runs the resize action on all your photos. This nicely automates the resizing process over the hundreds or thousands of images. Then you need a program like premoere or moviemaker or something to then take all the images and compile them into a single movie file. That is how I like to get good resolution results. There are tutorials around that go into depth. Paul Russam has a great one using Adobe Premiere. Maybe search for that if you will be using Premiere. Hope that helps, feel free to ask for more specific help on any portion of the process. Chris

Thank you Gaieus, Remus and Anssi, It's surely the co-planar surface problem (Z fighting) since I remember re-drawing the same surfaces somewhere. Will re-examine the drawing and find out. Thanks a lot Bye Mario

This is a commercial script, but it seems to be just what you're looking for: http://www.smustard.com/script/ExplodeImplode

Dear Doug, @doug said: I have search for a Bill of materials plugin for skecthup 7 basic. May be the free CutList 4.0 plugin can help you too? best regards, deerwood