PLACING SECTION PLANES
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I need to precicely place section planes on an object. I do not have the ability to snap to points, intersections etc when placing section planes. Is the a way that I can precisely place section planes.
Walter
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Walter,
You can snap a section plane to geometry or a construction point, just like anything else.
Example:
Draw a rectangular block and place a section plane on the top surface.
Now place a construction point part way up the edge of the block.
Select the section plane and grab it by the edge with the Move Tool.
Move it vertically, either way, until you see the blue inference line then press and hold Shift to lock it in that direction.
Then place the ciursor on the construction point and the plane will snap to it.Note: You don't need to press Shift to keep the section plane moving on axis (because it won't move any other way than perpendicular to itself) The purpose of pressing Shift is so that you, in effect, divorce the cursor movement enough to enable you to get it to snap to the point.
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Thank you Alan for your very prompt and helpful advice.
Walter
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@seasdes said:
I do not have the ability to snap to points, intersections etc when placing section planes.
Walter - I don't understand why you say you don't have the ability. SketchUp's section plane will snap to inferences. If yours won't then you have something strange going on.
If what you are saying is the precise place you want it to be located doesn't offer you anything to snap to, then you still have some options. You can often create some temporary geometry where you want it and give the section plane something to snap to. The temporary geometry can be a line or construction line or point. After placing your section you can delete the temporary geometry.
Another approach does not need any temporary inference. When you initially select the section tool and click on a face, the section plane will be positioned on that face. Next select it and use the move tool. As you move it note that you can stop and enter a numeric distance to move it a particular amount just like moving anything else in SketchUp. So if you want it 18' from the face you initially clicked on, you can move it that amount - and inferencing wasn't even involved.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Ross
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Oh, Alan 'Fastguy' Fraser beat me to an answer. I must learn to type faster if I'm ever going to beat Alan!
Anyways, Perhaps my answer will also give some ideas about using the tool.
Regards, Ross
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Hello Ross
Snapping will not occur if I move the section plane by the outer blue line or the section plane arrows. I just found out that snapping does occur if I move it by the intersection point of the section plane and the model.Well thats what is happening on my PC.
Walter
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I can confirm my behaves the same way.
Regards, Ross
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Thank you both for your valuable help.
Regards
Walter
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Hi Walter,
An important thing in SU is that after making a selection (the section plane in this case) you don't have to "grab" that for moving it but you can snap to any geometry anywhere in your model and tehn start your movement using other inference points. Important thing in this case MAY be to temporarily disable (toggle off) the section cut in order that you can snap to points you could otherwise not even see.
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