Help with intersecting (drawing I beams)

[Greg9504]

Hi,

I seem to be spending a lot of time trying to line things up and have a hard time when not working with simple parallel or perpendicular surfaces.

Here is one example where I tried to use the follow me tool to create an I-beam (on an incline) between two vertical beams. I first sketched an I beam shape on one upright. Then drew a line from the center of the shape to the where I wanted it to end. Then used the follow me tool. But the resulting shaping was not closed and it doesn't intersect all that well with the vertical. Is there something I can do to get this type of joining to work better?

Thanks.

---

---

---

---

---

steelframe.skp

[Alan Fraser]

If the Follow Me face is not perpendicular to the path, then the Follow Me process will make it so prior to extrusion. This explains why the joints look the way they do.

You have two choices:-
The real world choice of constructing a dimensionally correct beam along the horizontal access, then rotating it into place and trimming the ends.

OR effectively doing the same thing (with one end correctly located) then selecting the other end and moving it vertically until it too is correctly located. Obviously, this will skew the beam and distort the cross section, but not by much at such a slight angle. It depends how accurate you need to be.

[pbacot]

You will get a better follow-me result if you align the face perpendicular to the path. Group the face you draw on the column (if that is how you are generating it) and rotate it perpendicular to a path line at the top or bottom. Move the line directly out sideways clear of everything. The beam will only follow-me the length of the line. You could make the line longer each end. I find it easier to: group the resulting beam, enter the group and push pull it out long enough so that intersect with model is possible, then erase the ends after intersecting.

[EDIT Yes, as Alan implies, follow-me doesn't really give you anything special here. Adds work. Just pushpull your beam over-long, rotate it, and intersect with model. Late here. ]

[Greg9504]

I will give your plugin a try. I did get a beam drawn without the follow me tool. It took a lot of steps, but having done it I can see better how Sketchup wants me to work. I used the line tool to draw a rectangle (as the rectangle tool was too hard to get to draw when the end points weren't on the same plane), then push/pulled it, they used the move tool to align the ends so the new part didn't cut into the existing one, or to take up the gap.

But your tool sounds easier

---

[pbacot]

@sdmitch said:

Greg, Do just as you discribed in your post. Select the face and the line then run the attached plugin. No extending, intersecting and deleting required.

Whoa! Works as advertised. Makes a nice solid group too!

[Greg9504]

@pbacot said:

Whoa! Works as advertised. Makes a nice solid group too!

Yes I gave it a try and it works great! Saves a lot of steps!

Thanks!

[watkins]

Dear Sam,

So as not to have the plugin buried in a thread, could you possibly re-publish your plugin under Plugins and reference the application?

Kind regards,
Bob

[TIG]

Sam

Also could you also wrap you new method[s] in 'your own' module?
So then your methods don't clash with others sharing the same [simple] names.

` ###...
module Sdmitch

your menu bits can go here

usage: self.my_method()

...

def self.my_method()
###...
end#def

end#module :nerd_face: Console usage: Sdmitch.my_method`
You can reuse 'your' module for your other 'tools' too...

[sdmitch]

Greg, Do just as you discribed in your post. Select the face and the line then run the attached plugin. No extending, intersecting and deleting required.

---

create beam from face and edge