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    What's your beginners tip?

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    • Rafferty94R Offline
      Rafferty94
      last edited by

      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

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      • L Offline
        local
        last edited by

        @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)?

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        • L Offline
          local
          last edited by

          In AutoCAD:

          MWSnap246.jpg

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          • Rafferty94R Offline
            Rafferty94
            last edited by

            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

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            • L Offline
              local
              last edited by

              I understand. I think there is a faster way.

              thanks

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              • BoxB Offline
                Box
                last edited by

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

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                • C Offline
                  CL
                  last edited by

                  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.

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                  • GarethG Offline
                    Gareth
                    last edited by

                    My tip is :

                    Be patient, or become one...!

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                    • dlscapeD Offline
                      dlscape
                      last edited by

                      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

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                      • B Offline
                        billkeck
                        last edited by

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

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                        • DanielD Offline
                          Daniel
                          last edited by

                          @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!).

                          My avatar is an anachronism.

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                          • BoxB Offline
                            Box
                            last edited by

                            Full scale isn't always correct, for example if you are making parts for a watch or something very small it pays to work at a larger scale to avoid the tiny face issue and scale down when complete.

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                            • Phillip HP Offline
                              Phillip H
                              last edited by

                              To be filed under, "The blind leading the blind"; a beginner's advice to beginners.

                              Having started learning SU solo, a very trial and error approach (mostly error), I found I spent more time fixing mistakes than I did on modeling or learning 'best practices'. My tip is simply this: Learn from the people who have gone before you. Stick to the basics first. Actually DO the tip or exercise you read. Rinse and repeat as necessary. Knowing is doing and doing is knowing. Your skill level will advance much more quickly if you do. Mine certainly has.

                              As I post this, I am going back through my models and applying what I have learned here. My hat is off to you SketchUcation instructors and old hands. Lot of good stuff on these pages. Thank you for your contributions.

                              Phillip

                              HP EliteBook 8440p Intel® Dual Core™ i7 M620@ 2.67 4GB RAM
                              NVIDIA NVS 3100, 512 MB
                              Windows® 8.1 64 bit
                              SketchUp Pro 2015 version 15.3.331 64-bit

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                              • HornOxxH Offline
                                HornOxx
                                last edited by

                                next playing around and having fun:
                                if you make a model, never use Layer 0 !!!

                                never trust a skinny cook

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                                • david_hD Offline
                                  david_h
                                  last edited by

                                  So I have a question here that I hope someone can help me with.. . or maybe this should go in the "DOH" thread. .. but for now. . .

                                  How to import an ACAD 2015 drawing with "Smart 3D" walls into SU without dumbing it down first to an ACAD version 14 dwg or dxf. Can it be done? I've never been successful at this.

                                  Thx,

                                  David

                                  If I make it look easy...It is probably easy

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                                  • david_hD Offline
                                    david_h
                                    last edited by

                                    Well . ..I dunno. I use layer 0 exclusively for drawing and creating and use layers for groups and
                                    components. But.. .to each his own I guess.

                                    If I make it look easy...It is probably easy

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                                    • HornOxxH Offline
                                      HornOxx
                                      last edited by

                                      Hi David

                                      "...I dunno. I use layer 0 exclusively for drawing..."

                                      Why I recommend to avoid Layer 0? When I download (for example) a 3D-tree component from the warehouse, this is (mostly) drawn on Layer 0. Of course, I can assign this component to another layer "Tree". But the "content" of that component - often many subcomponents and subgroups - still remains on Layer 0. Within SketchUp that's usually not a problem, but if you often export to other CAD software, this layer-, component-, and group assignment often gets lost. So I'm always happy when a model avoids Layer 0 in principle - as well as in other CADs ...
                                      So my SketchUp-template even starts with the active layer 1, extended by the layers "010 Walls", "020 Windows" etc ... (some standards, which I always need) and Layer 0 is always inactive and never visible...

                                      never trust a skinny cook

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                                      • TIGT Online
                                        TIG Moderator
                                        last edited by

                                        This is contrary to received wisdom. 😮
                                        Most users always leave Layer0 as the active layer
                                        They make all of their geometry on that active layer.
                                        They then make a Group or Component from that selected geometry
                                        They then assign some other Layer to that 'container' using Entity Info.
                                        They use Layers to control visibility.
                                        Creating base level edges and faces [aka geometry] on a Layer other that Layer0 is a recipe for disaster, or at least confusion...

                                        TIG

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                                        • cottyC Offline
                                          cotty
                                          last edited by

                                          @Hornoxx
                                          If you know what you do this may be a good option for you. But please, do not suggest this as the general preferred solution where beginners will read it and will fail sooner or later...

                                          my SketchUp gallery

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                                          • HornOxxH Offline
                                            HornOxx
                                            last edited by

                                            Hi Tig, Cotty, David ...

                                            Sorry and thanks a lot for your Comments!
                                            I do not want to confuse anyone - certainly not beginners

                                            Obviously, my workflow is too much influenced by other less flexible CAD tools, which I've used for many years...

                                            Dear beginners, as you can see, there is always something to learn 😕

                                            never trust a skinny cook

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