Let's nor forget that we are modelling stuff here... The clue is in the word 'model' - it's an approximation of reality - we can't*** ever reproduce every screw in the fitments, every bug on the windshield, every scratch on the chrome fender, or even every molecule in the paint finish... 'sufficient is fit' to quote John Donne ? Make your models as detailed as is necessary to let them 'look right' when rendered as you want them... ***'can' = 'would be bonkers to try' !!!

@pibuz said: Hi guys! Sorry to bother I often encounter a very annoying problem: I download some really cute 3ds files, textures included, but it seems like I'm not able to re-texture them correctly inside SU. The textures are mapped on EACH face that makes up a whatsoever geometry (ie. the tons of triangles which make up a leaf) and so they're somehow fragmented all over the geometry if I substitute the texture to the proper plain colour SU detects. Is there any way to restore the previous mapping? thank you very much! I see your point and one way to fix this is to project the texture onto this bunch of small faces to be even.

@ajordan said: Exporting to 2007 while viewing the objects in 3d worked! That's so strange that viewing it in plan doesn't allow it to export the 3d properties.....thanks! Actually, it seems to be a standard practice with BIM modelling applications (like Archicad too, for instance)that the active view determines the nature of the export. IMO it's quite logical. Importing and exporting are just generally not the best documented topics in software manuals. Anssi

OK, I pretty much had to do it "old school", like the modeler in Pilou's video. Every time I tried to use some fancy tools like Blend.rb or RoundCorner, something either didn't work, crashed, or returned something unusable. So - it was basically "extrude" followed by "scale" and some minor fussing with the alignment of the resulting shapes, and lastly "soften edges". It's by no means precisely what I wanted, but it's pretty good. I guess I just have to remember, just because we've got all these fancy, fantastic scripts from the community it doesn't mean that the simple things should be forgotten. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and I appreciate the help!

I have tried many times now, but i have so much trouble converting 'advanced' sketchup models to formats suitable for 3d printing and/or moulding.. It is really frustrating... I'm beginning to think sketchup is a waste of my time and i should consider learning solidworks or something like that.

Dave, I over looked the obvious. Thanks, >_<

@unknownuser said: How i can to obtain a white floor with a mirror effect? In attach a simple jpg: a white floor with a mirror effect using only SketchUp. A good tutorial: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4721 or wonderful examples: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=17265&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=15 For other effects you must use a rendering software as explained in the previous reply posts. Eli [image: 2B1R_SketchUp.jpg]

THX for yours help

THX it was very helpful for me

I'm hanging back a few weeks I think before installing Snow Leopard. Give Apple chance to come up with a few fixes.

I cannot add too much to the practical ways of compression - every image editor has its own way to do it (mostly with some kind of a slider as Pete suggests). As for interlacing however; you won1t need it. It means that when it's displayed in a web browser, it first displays a "reduced resolution" version until the whole image is totally loaded into the cacje of the browser and gradually "refines" the resolution of the display. So basically that setting is for large file sizes (which would take a while to load) on one hand and for internet use on the other. Interlacing will add some Kb's to the file size but useless in SU otherwise.

Hi Paul, Nice video. Went to your site but did not find the class lessons that are directed to production drawings in Su, in order to "completely substitute SketchUp Pro for CAD". What would help are some links to pages illustrating the kind of technical drawings by Su that you teach.

thank you for yours answers

Oh yeah, SketchUp 8 - it says right here: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4a4f4be1da5795b9f5fc96890ba7d316

Another slick trick is to write-block only the autocad objects you want in SU to another (new, now pretty clean already) file...then proceed with the flatten, etc., fixit procedures there.

I have had images show up as all black in other applications if they are saved as CMYK.

Jim, That's precisely where it is BUT: always make sure that your "loose geometry" is "lying on it's back" i.e. on the red/green plane which is going to be the component's cutting plane with the blue axis "sticking out" of its front. The "future" insertion point will be the axis origin (and with face me components, this will be the axis of rotation).

Make sure you have the latest version of Select Toys. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=14975&hilit=select+toys

Nice workaround, Chris!

@hpw said: One thing I observed on my DWG Imports, is that Sketchup does make a diffence between front and backside of 3D-faces. So are the faces missing or does they look different, because you look on the default-color of a backside? I had to optimize my 3D-Face-Blocks in autocad to look good in SU. Not sure if a revit-export write a proper face-orieatation to the DWG format. That could be a reason. As I am not a Autocad user (I was always happy to use Vectorworks previously), could you point out where I can find the 3D-Face-Blocks optimise command(s) in Autocad? Thanks. And about Revit in general,I think the trouble with it is that the learning curve is just a bit too high. In our office, this results in people being unhappy using it as they need to focus 70% of their time on the tool, instead of being able to focus on the matter at hand, i.e the design. Only a few people in the office know how to edit families properly...all the rest just paddles around with half ass'ed files. Revit is supposed to make the Cad part of the design easier, but it actually makes the whole workflow chaotic and unproductive. I think Autodesk really needs to try to implement more 'direct editing' into the Revit software. More intuitiveness, the thing what is Sketchup's major strength.