When you position the subcomponents, don't include the containing block's X, Y, or Z attributes in the formulas (firepit!X + the rest of the position formula). If you do, everything displaces the amount that you move plus the additional distance. Try the component in the attached file. BLAH-rev.skp

Yes, thank you so much. That is exactly what I wanted. I was trying to make it harder than it is. I will get the extension for .skp --> .stl.

Many thanks I had not spotted footnotes at the bottom. I am united with my lady again

@hellnbak said: Just for the record, I did mean 0.skp, as in... Dredging up old stuff. There are two different messages that seem to pop up. One is related to creating backup files that get named 0.skb and the other like Paul and I had. Yours seems to make it three.

Alternatively - if you don't want to color everything by layer [i.e. only some objects to get their layer's color], then you can use Ruby to get the layer of the selected object[s] and then get the layer.color, from that you can make a new material [named after the layer] using that color's RGB specification, and apply that new material onto the selected object[s]. By naming the material after the layer you can test if that material has been made previously, and reuse the existing material, rather than make a new material every time... I that's the requirement then I can easily post a code-snippet to do this...

mmm.. not sure what you are trying to achieve.. that's very bad topology.. @cotty said: Why don't you use the good geometry (drop vertices) and apply the texture to it (e.g. thrupaint)? +1 on this.. i also would run quadface tools on it to mark out the diagonals of the pseudo-quads

@ssmily32 said: But how do you get jpg files from an ase or aco files plz ???? A Google search turns up plenty of possibilities. Maybe this will help.

@cuttingedge said: I have 3 cylinders , a cube and a 2 spheres which i want to perfectly align along the blue axis. I know the best way to do it is put the axis of each in the center then align them. Is there a plug in that does that in one click. I just cant snap to the axes to align manually. You don't need a plugin to place the axes at the center of components. Use Change axes from the Context menu. If you are going to use these shapes in future models, it makes sense to put the origin in a logical place to make insertion easy. Sam's plugin is handy but you really ought to know how to set up components so they'll be easy to align in models.

Cheers Dave

Yes (must of had a cruise in mind)

Thanks all! Both solutions worked but the drop vertices was very speedy. Thanks!

machine specs before and after component change would be helpful

[image: winter-solstice-2015-northern-hemisphere-6198071570464768-hp.gif]

I believe that the maintenance release of SU8 was from Trimble and has a very different licensing agreement as does the original release from Google. I myself decided not to go with Trimble's update.

Hi Julia Christina Eneroth has a bunch of great plugins. One of them is "Eneroth Camera Memory" with which you can copy a scene´s camera settings and paste these on an other scene. This procedure works within a file itself but olso between different files. There are no icons, the plugin´s two options are added into the Camera´s menu. Since I work with SkUp 2013 I do not know if it works with later SU versions so just try it out. (unfortunately this principle does not work at two-point perspectives) http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/user/5736/store http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/eneroth-camera-memory [image: B6dJ_EnerothCameraMemory.jpg]

or this one! (with other suggar candy : it's Christmas! By Kyrill2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNfEG5PGLM Minutes 5.02 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nv0lV94O5Y And you can use after the fabulous Exploded view By CPlassais & Me, Myself & I! [image: hStk_eclate.jpg]

Nice help, guys!

thanks yeah I kept cleaning it up to no avail I was making the lines and edges look cleaner but I was shooting myself in the foot because I kept giving edges more than 3 faces, but all is well now thanks for the reply. moral of the story ..... Only an Edge can make you make a face....