@chris fullmer said: I foten take the best info I can get. In your case, that is the .shp files that are outdated. Then go through and identify all the areas that are innaccurate. Then see if Google Earth has image info for those blocks. If it does, then use G.E. to trace the footprints of all the buildings. Also update any city block outlines that need to be updated. And also any road centerlines that need to be updated. Just make sure to keep everything organized well. Keep the same layers that you got from the .shp files. They probably gave you a block outline, road centerline, and hopefully bldg footprint files. So when you add your data, just follow the same scheme so that it is all organized correctly. Then you can export your block layer (or component) out as a .shp file. And same for all the other layers you have changed. To recap: Take base .shp file info Determine the blocks, parcels, roads, buildings that need to be updated. Use Google Earth Images as a new base for those areas. Just trace what Google Earth shows Export everything as .shp files. And that is probably how I would approach it. If there are areas that Google Earth is not current on either, you will just have to go out and measure it by hand if possible. Thanks so much Chris, Used older version of SketchUp (version 5 with .shp plugin) to read the shapefile, and saved it to a skp file. It shows building foot prints, and that is all. They are like a component, and I can double click on them to open them, and then right click to edit, and pull up a building. The zip file I got from the city has other files besides the shapefile. How do I read those, and glean the information from them? Can I overlay a graphic pulled in from GE with the shapefile now turned .skp file, or the reverse so I can reference one with the other? The city says the GIS file I recieved is all they have, and would be more then happy to get updated information, and also mentioned getting that information of GE would be accurate enough for them. Is that true? And can I export a Sketchup model out as a shapefile? OK! The biggy Chris. Can I get you to create a plugin that could automate all of that? LOL! I heard you could! Chris

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=60107 Here you'll find the v6 Pro that'll resort to the free version once the trial period is over!! And here you'll find a discussion on this very subject http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=24045

Yeah, hidden line is the way to go. You'll also have to go into your style editor menu and turn off the sky/ground and change the background color to white though. -Brodie

Is this what u re looking for? [image: nknv_spring.jpg] [image: leaV_springs.jpg]

In complement of Jean's "Idea", Here is a Youtube video which shows how it is interesting to make your globe a component before adjust the pushpull shapes of doors and windows. This way, you enter the component before make an intersection with the model and then you have no cleaning job to do [flash=560,340:3vpqnq8y]http://www.youtube.com/v/SUYN_Uqzvec[/flash:3vpqnq8y] (re:I have found this video on a thread where TIG was explaining to someone how to weld two tubes together but I don't recover this trhead.) ...I have found it again: [Plugin] Extrude Edges by Rails v1.1 simon

@mynameismatt89 said: Thanks for the plugin in TIG, I'll have to check it out. Though the ExtrudeEdgesByRails plugin isn't what I am looking for. What I am trying to do is after using the simple loft plugin, or your plugin, I want to edit the hidden geometry of the shape. In all of the images attached to your thread, and in all the shapes that I have created, the hidden geometry is triangulated surfaces. What I am trying to find is a plugin that will allow me to change the hidden geometry from these triangulated surfaces into a different shape (a series of hexagons for example) so that when I convert the hidden geometry to a series of tubes (using a plugin like "convert arcs, circles, curves, lines to cylinders") I am left with a mesh that is made up of a series of hexagons, not triangles. The "Terrain Reshaper" plugin allows something like this, but you can only convert the mesh to a different size and shape triangle, no other shapes. Is something like this possible? I have I not worded what I am looking for properly? Thanks, Matt The 'hidden geometry' is typically smoothed edges. You can make a mesh with my tool that is not initially smoothed but you can 'un-smooth' surfaces by selecting then and using the right-click context-menu smooth and putting the slider to the left so nothing is then smoothed - you can also un-smooth specific edges by having hidden-geometry switched on and using the eraser tool with shift+ctrl held down - any smoothed edges you rub over are made un-smoothed [the eraser tool can also be used to smooth [eraser+ctrl] and hide [eraser+shift] edges - to unhide a hidden edge select it when hidden-geometry is on and right-click context-menu 'unhide']... Many meshes need triangular faces to work because a four [or more] sided shape might have 'coplanar' edges and therefore it cannot have a face - a three-edged shape will always take a face. There are tools to erase coplanar edges - it's an option in EEbyR - using them will take out any unneeded triangulation. You can see if an edge is vital to any faces by erasing it, if faces disappear it is forming a boundary edge and cannot be dispensed with - if all faces remain then it was simply dividing the face into two coplanar pieces and so that edge can be erased safely. My tip on converting smoothed edges back to solid ones then allows you to convert then to tubes with other tools as desired. If you have for example a sphere made of triangles and manually change the edges of hexagonal units you can select those only and make the other inner smoothed part a glazed bubble... If you delete internal edges that are vital to faces you will get a hole as faces cannot survive the amputation... However, if the remaining edges of the hexagon are coplanar you might force a new hexagonal 'flat' face to be created by drawing over some edges, or making one subdivision and smoothing it...[image: FvoG_TrangulatedDome.png]TrangulatedDome.skp

Fredo's Sacle Tools has Taper Tool that could do this - is this the type of thing ?[image: VpMg_FredosScaleTools-Taper.png]

Hi Whitney, Yes, the Mac way of handling toolbars is totally different from the Windows system. We can have several rows but they get screwed up many times. You have neatly fixed toolbars but cannot display them all at the same time.

To change a Component's name you can select an Instance of it and Get Entity Info [right-click, first item on context-menu to open the E'Info dialog which shows info for anything you select], and you simply change the name in the 'Definition-Name' pane - it will rename the Component with that new name - note that changing the 'Name' pane gives specific names to individual Instances of that Component and not the name of the base definition itself. This Entity Info method is probably easiest, as you have it picked in front of you and therefore know what it should be called. You can also change the name of a Component Definition within the Model-tab of the Component-Browser as suggested below - select the component and change it's Definition-Name, you can also edit the description there too: BUT, this method is OK as long as the components are clearly identifiable - but the E'Info method above avoids any guesswork, when you have perhaps lots of doors called Group#1, Group#2 etc that might look similar in the preview icon, picking one off the model itself is less prone to error...

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22161

Thanks Gaieus, I will play around with that. Yes that works. When you activate the "Measurement" Toolbar then you can put the VCB where you want it.

For a circle Don't very well understand : why not use copy Rotation by 15° then *23? (with a circle 24 segments by default) [image: VmHh_23.jpg]

Yep, that solved it Thank you very much

@mambo.harts.u said: @tig said: If you import a SKP as a massing element in Revit you can then go through and change walls to walls, floors to floors and curtain-walls etc - it does work... Really? the last time I tried, i did imported a massing element which is a cube with round edges... It's there but I can't edit it. as if it was "grouped" in sketchup terms. Do you know what to do? I'm using revit 2010 and sketchup pro 6. Thanks! Yes, it was part of the introduction course I did for Revit. I don't rememeber exactly what you did though. But I'm sure it'd in the Help files.

@joe wood said: Oh! is that it, my viewer is displaying the segments, but the CNC machine won't?! I'm using DWG TrueViewer 2010 as my viewer. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=6703438&siteID=123112 right on, I'll send that new dxf to my cnc guy and see what he says! Looks like you've saved me from a lot of sanding, all my joints thank you I also looked at the DXF with DWGTrueview201o and it does 'look' steppy BUT if you do a plot preview it's a pretty smooth Arc as far as your screen resolution will allow - that's how it should arrive at the CNC... Hopefully the CNC will take the DXF's Arcs as ice smooth Arcs - but I can't promise for someone else's bits of kit !

Chris, Thank you for a detailed solution and explanation of the way Sketchup perceives scenes. I tried toggling the hidden attributes but the model would keep on reverting to earlier versions. I was able to solve the problem by Select All > Make Component > Copy of my 'healthy' frame and opening a new file and pasting there. The scenes did not copy into the new file, and starting with a blank Scene list I was able to make the animation. Thank you for your help, it led me to some realizations about Sketchup!

http://tranz.it/load.php?id=xILh8DHUlEG4pnW2433431

I've added an example of using EEbyRails to make a simple OR complex ramp on a curve - see here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=206584#p206584 All you need is a curve for the cross-section [profile] and curves for the two side rails - rotated in 3D so that the landing is as you want [probably level?]...

ah, ok.. the move tool.. i thought you found some weirdness with push/pull. my entry in battle of the 'nother way to do it' (but this one wins ) select the face then choose the move tool... put the move tool cursor on an edge further up the rafter.. press and hold shift.. push the mouse button and extend..

I have a shortcut key assigned to make group and component from selection - even if one item [links to Edit Menu item not CM] - G=Group and B=Block[Component] - the 'standard' of G=Component is just illogical!!!. A key is quicker than the context-menu anyway...