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What's your beginners tip?

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  • D Offline
    david_h
    last edited by 29 Apr 2015, 17:27

    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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    • D Offline
      david_h
      last edited by 29 Apr 2015, 17:34

      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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      • H Offline
        HornOxx
        last edited by 5 May 2015, 20:14

        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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        • T Offline
          TIG Moderator
          last edited by 5 May 2015, 20:21

          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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          • C Offline
            cotty
            last edited by 5 May 2015, 20:23

            @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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            • H Offline
              HornOxx
              last edited by 5 May 2015, 21:05

              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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              • G Offline
                Gaieus
                last edited by 21 May 2015, 17:00

                @tig said:

                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...

                Yes, we know, TIG - however what if you have finally managed to put a certain complex geometry (say a gorup / coponent) on a certain layer other than Layer 0 and then decide to explode it.

                What happens? Where will the more primitive elements get?

                Gai...

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                • T Offline
                  TIG Moderator
                  last edited by 21 May 2015, 17:23

                  @Gaieus

                  [Long time no see!]

                  Yes, it is unfortunate that the default exploding of a 'container' - i.e. a Group/Component-Instance/Image - will results in anything within it that was on Layer0 being reassigned to the layer which had been assigned to the 'container'.

                  There are several approaches to this:

                  1. Remember to use 'Entity Info' to reassign the container's layer to Layer0, BEFORE you Explode it.

                  2. Use a plugin like my http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=explodegroup2layers to do the same thing...

                  3. Use this snippet in the Ruby Console + <enter>, to reassign all Selected Groups/Instances to Layer0, and only then Explode them - so then all layers remain unchanged.

                  s=Sketchup.active_model.selection;a=s.grep(Sketchup;;Group)+s.grep(Sketchup;;ComponentInstance);a.each{|e|e.layer=nil;e.explode}
                  

                  It's easiy made into a script...

                  1. I think Jim also wrote a similar script... but I can't find it immediately, and I do have to go to the pub 😉

                  TIG

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                  • H Offline
                    HornOxx
                    last edited by 22 May 2015, 18:41

                    Hi Tig and Hi Gaieus,
                    meanwhile I try to switch my SkUp-working style to the "Layer 0" method 😄 and yes, absolute beginners will certainly use this method.
                    Other users (like me and certainly all of you) who have a long-standing CAD background will understand why I have given this (wrong) advice above. For example, not only for AutoCAD or Revit the "Layer 0" discussions fill hundreds of webpages as you can imagine

                    Luckily the layer visibility per scene worked well so far over years and luckily there was no disaster or confusion so far. I still do not know why but fortune favors fools! Anyway, I am now getting used to the here recommended method. I have already even changed my origin template 😉

                    I would like to follow and learn your "Explode Group to Layers" advice (thanks for that), but unfortunately I do not understand how to do it - I do not have any experience working with the Console - unfortunately. Maybe you or another member here might post a screenshot on this method? Or maybe someone can recommend any YouTube video tutorial on this topic or maybe there is already a thread on this topic here? Any help to learn that would be great!

                    Finally I have a very stupid question: how do you (all) do these screenshots here to show content of any other posts on which you refer in your own answer, as Gaieus has done it above? - I am really embarrassed to ask that 😳

                    never trust a skinny cook

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                    • JQLJ Offline
                      JQL
                      last edited by 22 May 2015, 19:38

                      I hadn't had the patience to read all tips so this one may be out there:

                      Forget about hitting ESC a thousand times when you want to cancel the mess you're in, as you used to do in AutoCAD. Try using the SPACE key instead.

                      SPACE key is the one to use as it cancels the command by switching to SELECT tool.

                      Hitting ESC key will probably get you in a bigger mess because:
                      1 - Your command isn't cancelled, just reset to it's initial action.
                      2 - Any active dialog box (like the Paint dialog, components, or entity info, etc) will close...
                      3 - If you're in editing a group/component context (double click to edit) ESC cancels editing and returns to the context you were before. When you know what you're doing it's very useful but for beginners, sometimes this means jumping out of multiple nested groups/components and getting lost in the model.

                      Now that you know, use ESC key and double click to speed up your navigation.

                      www.casca.pt
                      Visit us on facebook!

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                      • JQLJ Offline
                        JQL
                        last edited by 22 May 2015, 19:41

                        To be sure you are selecting some basic geometry for edition and not the group/component wich is nesting it, click a thousand times on it until all connected edges and faces get selected (visually this is usually blue or orange edges and blue or orange dotted faces).

                        Then you can select the single face/edge and move it, pushpull it, offset it, paint it directly or do whatever you want with it.

                        www.casca.pt
                        Visit us on facebook!

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                        • pbacotP Offline
                          pbacot
                          last edited by 23 May 2015, 03:48

                          Hornoxx to quote another post, hit the " " " quotation mark icon in the upper right of that post. It will place the post text and pictures in that format into your reply window.

                          MacOSX MojaveSketchUp Pro v19 Twilight v2 Thea v3 PowerCADD

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                          • H Offline
                            HornOxx
                            last edited by 23 May 2015, 06:58

                            @pbacot said:

                            Hornoxx to quote another post, hit the " " " quotation mark icon in the upper right of that post. It will place the post text and pictures in that format into your reply window.

                            pbacot - thank you !
                            (please don´t tell it anyone) 😆

                            never trust a skinny cook

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                            • I Offline
                              IntelCoreDuo
                              last edited by 8 Dec 2015, 22:09

                              My tip:

                              If you ever find yourself not being able to do a certain task in an efficient manner, there is a very good chance someone else has been there before. If they have, they may have created a plugin to solve it. Or a clever workaround. Never settle for a "adequate" solution, always try to find a better way. It will turn you into the office guru in no time. This is about making a short-term investment that will often pay out in the short term, and always in the long term.

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                              • S Offline
                                ScottchUp
                                last edited by 17 Mar 2017, 22:09

                                Create and use an easily readable layering system

                                Double/triple check working layer OFTEN

                                learn to group & use components

                                Learn shortcuts (print them & keep at workstation until they become muscle memory)

                                Buy Nick Sonders book "Sketchup and Layout for Architecture"

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                                • Dave RD Offline
                                  Dave R
                                  last edited by 18 Mar 2017, 16:30

                                  @scottchup said:

                                  Create and use an easily readable layering system

                                  Double/triple check working layer OFTEN

                                  learn to group & use components

                                  Learn shortcuts (print them & keep at workstation until they become muscle memory)

                                  Buy Nick Sonders book "Sketchup and Layout for Architecture"

                                  Good list. As for the working layer. You might write that as, "Double/triple check that Layer 0 is always the active layer."

                                  Etaoin Shrdlu

                                  %

                                  (THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE)

                                  G28 X0.0 Y0.0 Z0.0

                                  M30

                                  %

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                                  • D Offline
                                    drafter
                                    last edited by 16 May 2017, 18:27

                                    I discovered, by accident, that dimensions can be rotated any number of degrees and their value is automatically recalculated.

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                                    • JQLJ Offline
                                      JQL
                                      last edited by 16 May 2017, 18:49

                                      Brute leftclick yourself into context until your faces are hatched blue as selected. Then you can edit them.

                                      If what you want is to select the group/component nesting those faces, hit ESC once and click the mouse once.

                                      By doing that you'll be able easily tell the difference between transforming a component (move, scale, rotate, etc) or editing the entities inside it.

                                      www.casca.pt
                                      Visit us on facebook!

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                                      • pbacotP Offline
                                        pbacot
                                        last edited by 16 May 2017, 19:31

                                        @jql said:

                                        Brute leftclick yourself into context until your faces are hatched blue as selected. Then you can edit them.

                                        If what you want is to select the group/component nesting those faces, hit ESC once and click the mouse once.

                                        By doing that you'll be able easily tell the difference between transforming a component (move, scale, rotate, etc) or editing the entities inside it.

                                        Brute-leftclick until you are blue in the face? What?

                                        MacOSX MojaveSketchUp Pro v19 Twilight v2 Thea v3 PowerCADD

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                                        • JQLJ Offline
                                          JQL
                                          last edited by 16 May 2017, 19:38

                                          @pbacot said:

                                          @jql said:

                                          Brute leftclick yourself into context until your faces are hatched blue as selected. Then you can edit them.

                                          If what you want is to select the group/component nesting those faces, hit ESC once and click the mouse once.

                                          By doing that you'll be able easily tell the difference between transforming a component (move, scale, rotate, etc) or editing the entities inside it.

                                          Brute-leftclick until you are blue in the face? What?

                                          LOL...

                                          Use select tool and click 3.000.000 times in a component or group until you select all it's faces. Then you know you're inside it.

                                          It's good for nested groups and components that eventually make up a complex model.

                                          Most people I teach SU to, have a hard time figuring out if they are inside or outside of the group. This way they are sure they are inside as suddenly all the faces are selected with a triple click.

                                          It sounds strange, but it's the best advice I have for beginners.

                                          www.casca.pt
                                          Visit us on facebook!

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