What's your beginners tip?

Blastfurnace · 4 Aug 2013, 01:59

This may be hard to explain but a little known tip I use is what I call "move without selection" It works on cylinders to make cones...

Draw a circle.
Pull it up into a cylinder.
Rotate so you can see the top.
Now with nothing selected choose the MOVE tool

Now hover your tool around the top edge.
If the edge turns blue you are NOT on a cardinal point and if you move, the circle will move in the direction you move it.
BUT if your point is there as an endpoint and the circle is NOT blue you ARE on a cardinal point.
Moving from there causes the circle to get smaller or larger.

i use this method to make cones rapidly.

Dave R · 4 Aug 2013, 02:13

That's scaling with Cardinal Points and it is is both handy and it seems, little known. You won't get a perfect cone but it'll be close. It works for polygons, too.

Blastfurnace · 4 Aug 2013, 02:27

@dave r said:

That's scaling with Cardinal Points and it is is both handy and it seems, little known. You won't get a perfect cone but it'll be close. It works for polygons, too.

Scaling with cardinal points is certainly a more accurate term than mine. Wanna try something difficult? Try to find it explained without knowing what its called! Takes a bit of googling.

i didn't know about the polygon part. I'll have to play with that.

Thanks

M

dukejazz · 5 Aug 2013, 05:11

Tip_dj no 15
Plugins - InputBox type

The opening of a ruby plug-in with a InputBox usually opens in the center of SU window.

But if you open a sub window of SU like Outliner and select the top bar.

Then running a plug-in with a InputBox again, now center on the sub window of the outliner

Why is this important to know?

Some times a plug-in cover up what you need to see especially a large InputBox

-dj

jerrymich · 8 Aug 2013, 20:29

Best tip came from Dave R. (moderator). Change your styles to where the back face is a contrasting color, i.e. green or something similar to make it much easier to see when you have faces that are reversed. Thanks Dave.

mortenstorgaard · 21 Sept 2013, 09:28

@chris fullmer said:

Always use a 3 button mouse with SketchUp. None of those single button Mac mice....stupidest invention ever.

And use shortcut keys.

Chris

Thanks love my mac stuff, but guess youre right

local · 25 Sept 2013, 18:09

Hi!
How can I size an angle formed by two lines?
There is this video?

(Sorry, google translator)

Rafferty94 · 25 Sept 2013, 18:45

@local do you mean how to measure the angle between two lines?

local · 25 Sept 2013, 18:57

@rafferty94 said:

@local do you mean how to measure the angle between two lines?

Can be measured by the 'Protractor' tools, but is not scaled.

Rafferty94 · 25 Sept 2013, 19:02

Measure using the protractor and then using the rotate tool, rotate the line you wish to move around to match the construction line given by the protractor tool? :-S

local · 25 Sept 2013, 19:24

@rafferty94 said:

Measure using the protractor and then using the rotate tool, rotate the line you wish to move around to match the construction line given by the protractor tool? :-S

It's Okay.

How to scaled (Dimensions)?

local · 25 Sept 2013, 19:51

In AutoCAD:

Rafferty94 · 25 Sept 2013, 19:59

Anyone can jump in on this but I don't think there is a way to input angle dimensions in SU.

Chris Fullmer has created a free plugin called ShapeBender that seems quite good at shaping text to a curve or arc.

If whatever you need this for is just going to be used to see the dimension then I would suggest drawing and arc between the two points and then curving the text (The dimensions of the angle) to the curve.

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=18210&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=bender

local · 25 Sept 2013, 20:10

I understand. I think there is a faster way.

thanks

Box · 25 Sept 2013, 20:14

There is an Angular Dimension tool available.
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=376893#p376893

CL · 25 Sept 2013, 23:35

My tip would be to make sure you know what scale you are working in. If you start with something downloaded from the warehouse that is a random size, everything else can go pearshaped. You start adjusting things by eye to look right and then find there is nothing you can actually put a tapemeasure on, no known dimensions.

Gareth · 9 Oct 2013, 10:00

My tip is :

Be patient, or become one...!

dlscape · 20 Dec 2013, 01:16

I've tried reading through a lot of these "Beginners Tips" posts, but there are a LOT, so please excuse me if this has already been posted...

Imagine you want to delete a large number of small objects, like the segments to a curved line for example. If they are isolated from other parts of your model it's easy to group select and mass delete. If they are tucked away amongst other objects it can get pretty tedious clicking each one with the eraser tool or trying to select and hide the rest of your model.

My tip is; did you know you can click and hold the eraser tool to paint multiple objects, easily selecting lots of fiddly objects, then when you release the mouse button they all delete

This has saved me thousands of mouse clicks cleaning up models, I hope it does the same for you!

Merry Christmas!

James

billkeck · 12 May 2014, 19:25

After creating your first object learn the value of placing it within a container (group or component).

Daniel · 20 Oct 2014, 18:32

@cl said:

My tip would be to make sure you know what scale you are working in. If you start with something downloaded from the warehouse that is a random size, everything else can go pearshaped. You start adjusting things by eye to look right and then find there is nothing you can actually put a tapemeasure on, no known dimensions.

I would suggest always working at full scale. If you download something from the warehouse that is not sized properly (been there!), resize it the best you can to make it so (done that!).