Can't open a hole in the wall

[martindugard]

Hello,

I am building a very simple model of an underground carpark. Problem is: when I draw a rectangle in the wall and then push it to make a hole (to create an entrance), strangely enough sketchup creates a white cube on the other side. I'm clueless why (see attached pic). Even more strangely: I used to have the same problem on the other side of the same wall, until, magically, the white cube stopped appearing and instead I get the hole I need (see 2nd pic).

Would anyone knows what I am doing wrong?

Thank you very much!

---

---

[TIG]

First point - much of your geometry is 'inside-out' the front material is whitish and the back-face material bluish... [select right-click context-menu 'Reverse' and/or perhaps 'Orient' to fix that]

However, that shouldn't affect you punching a hole with PushPull unless the two sides of the wall aren't parallel.
If you have extruded some arbitrary lines up [e.g. from a CAD import] then that might be the case.
Walls etc made from extruded rectangles [where the opposite faces are guaranteed to be parallel] or where the two faces are sure to be parallel because you used offset or guide-lines etc will 'punch' correctly.
If you [push]pull the extrusion through a wall and snap to the opposite face it will leave a neat hole, but if you pull past it it makes the box you see. With non-parallel faces you'll always get the box. You can still make use of it by selecting its faces and using intersect-with-model to cut the box with the back-face, then erase the unwanted box parts - this is a useful method if you are punching through any 'wedge' shaped form as a normal pushpull couldn't be expected to work then

[martindugard]

Dear TIG,

Thanks for your kind answer.

The wall was made bu drawing a rectange and then pull it up, so lines should be parralel. Just to be sure, I destroyed my wall and made a new one... This time I do not get the white cube anymore but a tunnel! It s quite neat but I really have no clue why I get a tunnel and not a hole...

You said "If you [push]pull the extrusion through a wall and snap to the opposite face it will leave a neat hole, but if you pull past it it makes the box you see". Would you kindly tell me what you mean by "snap"as opposed as "pull past it". I am not sure I get it. I thought you meant push it exactly up to the end of the wall"s depth and not further, so I tried stopping right at this precise point but it did not really work out.

Now, everytime I try to hole this wall. I get a tunnel...Just when I thought I began to understand Sketchup...brrr..

Any advice more than welcome!

Best

martin

---

[mitcorb]

Hi, martin:
Let me see if I can help out.
Regarding the question about the snap: If you will activate the pushpull and hover over any visible part of the back edge of the wall, you will get a visual tooltip hint from the inference feature, which in this case will say something like "on edge". My habit is to hold down the left mouse button and hover for inference, then release. There is a short delay while the inference kicks in, so-- hover a moment and you will see it. Hints include on edge, endpoint, midpoint, on face, and then with groups and components in the background it will give the hints with "in group, or in component".

[ArCAD-UK]

If you slowly push through the wall you should get a tool tip that says "on face" when you get to the other side of the wall (if you can see into the opening), at which point release the mouse. Alternatively if you know the wall thickness (accurately) you can enter that in the VCB to create the opening.

Tip: To create more openings in the same wall, hovver the pushpull tool over the required opening area so it highlights then double click - instant hole