Yes, I only need the exterior mold (shape) of the plane, with very few internal (structural) elements. It will be used (at 1/12th scale) for planning the manufacturing stations (sizes and locations) in the facility. Once that is firmed up, I have a partial full scale detailed version of the facility that I will modify and use. I went to a scaled version because it is easier to navigate and change than at full scale, even if the full scale planning model was low-poly. There is very little detail in the scaled version, and a full scale version would entice me to add details. I will try "polyreduce". As for the footprint, I cannot figure how to set my geo to the equator at noon (time I figured). But you got me thinking about scaling the airplane model down flat i.e: 100% scale down the blue axis. Then I'll intersect it on a flat plane (no pun intended ) and trace that outline. I'll get back to you on both. ======================================== Well, scaling on blue to "flat" did not quite work. First, "scale" only allows a "-.11" scale factor so I tried ".01". It was not flat enough, even doing it twice. Also my dwg was too complex. Scrap that. Still can't see how to set my Geo to the equator, so I can trace the shadow. However, since I used to draw boats and calculate the heeled waterline, I tried something like that. I made a flat plane group, and successively moved it up and intersected the plane at various "wide" points on the airplane to get a close approximation of the outermost footprint, plus a myriad of extra lines from the airplanes internal structures that I could not turn off. Spent a lot of time deleting those lines, then hit the old SU 6 problem of non-intersected crossing lines, coupled with Intersects' bad habit of not keeping lines on face as well as omitting a lot of intersecting lines. A LOT of cleanup to do before I can get a cohesive footprint. Back later.... ================================== Frustrated!!!!!! I cleaned up the outline, but it will not form a face within the outline. Many lines are just off the z=00000 level, so that the face won't form. Then as I was replacing 2 short lines with one, SU crashed. Fortunately, SU autosaved just a few minutes prior so I lost almost nothing. Back on this tomorrow, as I gotta pick up my "warden" at the subway.

thank you to everyone who has taken the time to answer my question. it is an issue that has been raised in the past & will be raised again many times in the future. i know that it must seem odd to those of you living outside of australia but, the simple fact is that this is unfortunately an overly politically correct culture filled with committee driven ideals & crap like 'target indicators', what ever the hell they are. i think it would be best if i just let this issue slide for now. cheers & all the best for the coming year. Glen

@unknownuser said: @unknownuser said: @unknownuser said: @unknownuser said: 11.5 tb :shock: :shock: :shock: 450 files = 1,19 gb(all my sketchup models,including sketchup examples, etc)

@thomthom said: @mikeewilly said: Any ideas or plugins out there? Chris to the rescue: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=19168 Thanks for the pointer. That's what I was looking for. Cheers, Mike

Well, this is also a plugin so everything that can be expected from plugins working slowly and poorly is valid here. An "own version" sound interesting! And no, I do not really work with much CAD geometry so I don't have particular examples but have seen (and experimented with) a bunch in the forums already.

@thomthom said: The real solution would be to update the drivers. Or even a new card - in case it is really that old computer (although sometimes you do not want to spend money on an old machine any more - and most of the modern cards may not even be compatible with your motherboard)

Hi Guy, Thank you for the welcome and the help, I am importing perfectly now. Devo

In hindsight I recommend using Offset rather than Scale - then you can fix it at 7"+ ?

Thanks Chris and Jim. I didn't realise that it was a bug. I will try your idea Jim, sounds like a workaround. Thanks, CB

Hi Thomthom, and thank you for your reply. I had completely forgot about the Model Info window (that was allready there in SU6) ! Shame on me ! Best regards.

If anyone is familiar with 3ds MAXSCRIPT, here's a Quadrulate script someone made. Granted it's not much use for SketchUp, but maybe some of the concepts in it will help someone find a ruby solution for SketchUp. http://www.scriptspot.com/scripts/web_upload/Gene%20Crucean/quadrangulate.mzp (*.mzp is just a zip file for Max)

Actually, Tom you could use http://www.screentoaster.com for video capture. It's free, but it had a slight glitch when I was creating that screen capture, so I had to fall back on SnapzPro.

Not textures, no. Only Face Me components. Though render engines like V-Ray has such features.

Thanks again Guys. I applied a texture to the back of a face in the component where it is never seen, saved the component with the rest of the faces using the default material and now when I import it the material comes with it. If I now change the colour using Component options it works (although the hidden face always stays as the texture I applied directly to it). However I am still confused, because when I import the component it comes in showing the default material until I drop it in the model when it changes to the texture specified in the component options. With the original models I did (second sample above) they come in showing the texture specified correctly and they work perfectly when using the component options - AND - there are no hidden textures in them. Also - with the original models, if I change the colour in component options then re-save the component, when I then import that into a new model it comes in the correct colour and brings that texture with it (the original texture is gone, as expected) - but I did not place any hidden textures in the component before saving it. Very strange - but at least for the time being I have a solution (until I can work out what I may have done differently the in the original models).

You mention PC but not mfg. My Dell XPS still does not have "updated driver" but settings in link below will resolve the scramble if you are on similar system. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18218 Best, C

I think I figured it out. When I imported my CAD drawing the file in CAD was extremely far from the origin. I did not take this into consideration when I imported the drawing into sketchup (didn't know I would have to). So in my component (that I did not explode after importing) had the CAD UCS extremely far away making my component HUGE. I fixed this issue and, thus, fixed the clipping bug. Thanks for your help!

There is a "Custom Toolbars" plugin by Jim Foltz: http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2008/06/custom-toolbars-release-08-06-01.html Read the instructions he provides on the plugin page. A bit of a hassle to set it up at first but then you don't have to worry about them any more.

Select more than one component at a time, and then right click and choose "Make Unique". It will make all selected become a new unique component. Of course this only works when you have selected only intances of the same component. Chris

Here is what I can see in GE [image: UZXe_Windfarm.png] and in SU - after importing, cleaning up a bit and softening edges [image: dme5_WindfarmSU.png] There is only one row of them however in SU - they are probably "multiplied" somehow in GE [image: DQTC_group.png]

Its ok guys, I started my PC today and SU worked fine. If I still got this problem I'll bump this thread.