[Plugin][EVAL] TIG-CutNfill
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@tig said:
I think your problem is as you suspect...
The two surfaces are incredibly detailed, so the chances are that you'll get tiny differences in the subtraction results, where tiny edges get auto-omitted and no face forms - rendering the result non-solid with 0 volume...
Since cut-and-fill is in reality an inaccurate science on site, can I suggest you try with a less subdivided mesh to start with...
The rogue out-liner might also suggest that the two forms' skirts are not coincident, which can have awkward results...You will get the equivalent result [non-solid 0] if you use the basic 'solid' subtraction on the two forms...
Great feedback thank you! I got it working now! The most important things were:
taking down the detail of the mesh. I got it working with approx. 4' grid which is a good accuracy range for earthwork I think.
closely analyzing and repairing topo line connections with TopoShaper
I also found that it's okay to grade the edges of the mesh with the artisan brush as long as you hold shift to lock the vertex adjustments vertically, so that you don't mess up the mesh boundary.Awesome plugin, thank you so much!
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Hi TIG
I purchased the license for CutNFill for $20 but I only have Sketchup Pro 2015 and and Sketchup Make 2017.
Can I get a legacy copy that will run on SKP 2015 Pro?
Cheers
John -
I've PMd you about legacy versions...
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Hello,
I am trying to work on the cut and fill tool but it shows fill not solid?
All the group are identify solid then.
How to solve this?
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Hi TIG,
I used the cut and fill tool and also use the solid inspector to make sure it is solid but it still shows fill not solid? How to solve this issue?
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To do any cut and fill operation - either with this tool or manually using the solid tools - the two solids which are to be used can be contrived in such a manner that when one is subtracted from the other the resultant form fails to be a solid.
To be a solid an object needs to have only faces and edges, and every edge must have exactly two faces - no more no less.
SketchUp has a tolerance of 1/1000" built-in and unchangeable.
If two points are within that tolerance SketchUp assumes they are coincident and merges them.
This can result in the tiny edge that they defined not being made, and as a consequence the related face is not supported either. With that face missing the form is no longer a solid and reports 0 volume.To avoid this I suggest that you make sure that any proposed and existing surfaces are clearly different in their surface's heights/planes, almost coincident point or facets can lead to tiny edges and the related failures to report a volume other than 0.
Another way involves some scaling and editing of the reported forms' text...
This method involves making a group containing the proposed and existing solid forms.
Scale group that up by say 10 [or more - see below] from a diagonal corner.
Edit that group and run CutNfill on its contents.
Because the once tiny edges created might now be big enough to survive the solid-tools operations, a real volume might be made and reported as text [although it'll be reported as 10x10x10 too big!]
Exit the group-edit mode.
Re-scale the containing group down by 1/10 [0.1].
Explode the containing group unless you want to keep it...
It should keep the two solid forms, even though there are now some tiny edges - such tiny edges can exist but can be created !
Now edit the text part and adjust the reported volumes by the appropriate factor of 1/1000 [0.001]
Entity Info might also be used to give these volumes and avoid calculators.
If the 10 scaling up still fails try scaling up the containing group by 100 etc and 1/1000000 [0.000001] for the text reported volumes... etc... -
I got the same problem: Cut = 0 Fill = 0 Cut not solid, fill not solid. It generates the cut / fill solids, but states they are not solid and 0 volumes.
Have tried scaling it up 1,000 times but still no joy.
In reality this is not practical as you state below:
"make sure that any proposed and existing surfaces are clearly different in their surface's heights/planes,"Most people need to compare two contour terrain models, you can't change the contours just to make the volume plugin work as the design is set...
So for me I have paid $20 and can't get any useful results from it with using contour created terrain mesh solids
cheers
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If you try to do this manually using the native solid-tools you will get the same result.
If your surfaces are within 1/1000" vertically then SketchUp assumes they are coincident and so edges/faces get omitted and 'solidity' is lost.
So then no proper volume is formed.
So, by any means available you cannot get a volume by subtraction if the two objects are not reasonably different...
Sorry, but it's a simple SketchUp limitation - and it's not this tool's fault... -
I'm doing everything correct but the plugin fails to calculate the two solid groups.
I've attached the model, if anyone can please help.
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You have NOT named the two groups as explained in the usage guidance...
You have given the two groups separate Tags, but they are both named 'Group' !I renamed them EXTG and PROP [although the second name is unimportant]
I ran the tool and in 3 seconds here's the result !Cut: 31965.8
Fill: 15770.7
Total: -16195.1 cu.m
Try doing what I just explained and try again...
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I have been following the guides for the cutNFill instructions on the Sketchup Forum as well as Sketucation. I am facing the same issue as @podanyc (Cut N Fill Plugin - Mesh / Solid Errors & Best Practices)
I tried scaling the group and using the plugin. However I could not achieve the result and it still shows 0.00 cu.ft.I understand that the mesh needs to be simplified.
Hoping you would be able to take a quick look at the file attached and give any guidance on how to avoid these issues.
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Unfortunately your EXTG and PROP groups are very very complex, and have many faces and edges that are almost coincident.
The native Solids Subtract tool will let you take one from the other, BUT the results are made non-solid, with 0.0 volume.
Because CutNfill relies on these tools, that is why you can't get meaningful results.SketchUp's built-in tolerance is 1/1000" and any edges that would be shorter that that are ignored, as if their end/start points are coincidental, but the tiny gap is not 'healed'. Consequently, any faces relying on such missing tiny edges will fail to form, and the result is a non-solid group with 0.0 volume.
So you need to make your modeling much simpler and ensure that this tiny geometry issue is sidestepped.
In real life cut and fill is not an exact science on site, so any approximation does not need to be perfect.
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