Depending on your model, Tig's Slicer5 will do that for you.

@box said: I believe it is related to how the faces are created and their orientation to the global axis. If you redraw the line you are erasing from the other direction you will get the other texture. I just tried... You are right on target. Not too useful tough

@chedda said: Your best chance is .3ds bring it in big m or km then scale down. I didn't think about scaling it down ill try that.

I downloaded it a few days ago - had no problem with download or installation. It looks interesting and it might provide a clue as to where Trimble is going with SketchUp. I'm in the process of splitting a SU model into several separate models which I'll import, perhaps intentionally creating a clash or two to learn how it handles this. Since this a collaboration application and doesn't have editing tools, I wonder if it will work as a SU viewer.

@solo said: Anyone have decent modeled ones? Or know where I can find some? You won't get anymore standard than these, Pete. In every home in Australia..... http://www.hpm.com.au/Products.aspx?pid=3

I've not had any issues with any of Fredo's tools causing SU to crash but then I don't have any of those plugins that are known to cause problems. Maybe the latest build of the Vray plugin is better but it has been known to cause problems for a lot of users. This has been widely reported here on SCF. Another thing to look at is the permissions for the Plugins folder. Make sure all users have full permissions established.

Don't worry, it's a common mistake. You can also click and move without being attached to the piece. For example, you want to move a vase along a cluttered mantlepiece, select the vase with the select tool, then using the move tool follow along the edgeline of the mantle and the vase will move relative to that.

@tig said: I'd split my DXF data for general CNC use 'by layer' - into welded curves forming 'outer-loops' and those forming 'inner-loops' [if there's a cutter bit and you need tolerances the bit goes on opposite sides of the cut for the two types], 'holes' [<~5mm diam for drilling rather than cutting], 'pockets' or 'engraving' or 'recesses', where the 'depth' is indicated in the layer-name itself - and finally 'reference tags' - where the ref can be engraved onto the top face if desired - which can be useful later on when you are trying to assemble complex similar looking multi-part... I didnt quite get that. In lasercam u simply recolour the lines you want, to be cut and the ones that you want to be engraved. However Engraving an area (1cm x 1cm) requires you texture this area (apparently this can be done in autocad. I could export a PDF as vector lines from sketchup, or I could save it as DWG. I havent thought about the idea of playing around with multiple layers as I don't know if lasercam reads layers as layers or if It just mashes everything into one (it would save a lot of time if it could read layers though)

As an Civil engineer, I have started to use Sketchup as a CIM tool. We are using it to present conceptual designs, along with cost from the site takeoff. We are now using Sketchup for site construction sequencing. I just did a site take off on a conceptual design from a PDF sketch. If I can be of any help, Please feel free to contact me. Mike

Well, it's good you have it working. The .rbz file doesn't need to be in the Plugins folder, though. It is only a ZIP file with the extension changed to .rbz. It probably doesn't matter if it is in the Plugins folder but the plugin itself doesn't do anything with it once the plugin is installed and loaded.

Thanks to all for the advice. For now, I've figured out a workaround solution. I started a new drawing, drew a rectangle for the material, and imported it with no problems...just like it should work. I did that to establish the new material in my materials library. Then I opened to old file (in which establishing a new material didn't work) and brought in the existing material with no problems. Something about that file just prevented new materials from being created. Thanks again for your help.

I have a model that is up to 12,053,494 edges; 5,279,186 faces; 2,987 groups; 182 component definitions; and 13,873 component instances. All SU, no proxies. The computer is starting to lag, however, and I have to turn layers off to do any editing.

Have you tried scaling your model up as suggested? Then reduce it back down once you have intersected?

Just installed it. Nice.

Haven't tried Artisan, but I like Vertex a lot. My trial ran out so I just bought it.

Hi RTD, I don't think a 'smoother' mouse is going to help, it seems the zoom thing is what it is. I will often copy components off a ways to work on them, then hide them, which causes the zoom prob. From now on, I will separate the model into different files and bring them together at the end. As for 'lost in space', I use the 'Previous' function (just below 'Zoom extents'), which will step you back five views. I use it so often I have a shortcut for it. Baz

Turn on hidden geometry and just reverse the blue faces. (RIght click reverse faces). Or click a white face (a normal) and then right click and Orient Faces.

it's about right here... [image: ZY8T_xxx-d03-cbs-tv-beverly-hillbillies-14-4_3.jpg]