@matt.gordon320 said: ...and is there any way to get it back? you can remove the whole OGL key of SU v2014 from the Windows registry by executing the attached REG file (see archive). Exit SU before doing this, launching SU then the OGL defaults should be restored. hth, Norbert SU v2014 only

Thanks Dave! all good

Two ways for the case with three different curves... (Curviloft und Extrude tools) [screenr:3tahe3ec]QvgN[/screenr:3tahe3ec]

I had been using Version 8 with no issues on this machine but had some time at work to play with a design so I installed Version 2014. Got home and couldn't open it so needed to upgrade to 2014 on the desktop. Every time I click on MainMenu>Edit the program freezes for several seconds, sometimes crashes completely, but it never opens the Edit menu. Very frustrating. Hate to have to start the design from scratch. I eventually deleted all imported object and just saved the basic wireframe. File is under 18mb. Still have the same issue. Tried reparing the installation, no luck. Tried downloading and reinstalling twice, no luck. Anyone have any suggestions to fix this? My computer is new, I have no issues with any other program (Adobe, etc) and am at a loss. Best - Kevin

@jiminy-billy-bob said: I think you missed something. In a layer-based workflow, the layers are only used to manage the geometry visibility. That's what you do with hidden geometry and scenes. But navigating in the group/comps hierachy is still done the same way: Using outliner if you like it, or double-clicking if you don't. Layers have nothing to do with navigating in the geometry and how it is nested. They're just a matter of controling its visibility. I understand your point. At the moment I only have to name all my groups and components (everything is on layer 0) and drag them into the right 'tree'. You're suggesting to use layers for controlling the visibility and, if I would like to avoid more double-clicking, use naming as well for quick picking in the outliner. That could get messy when re-arranging objects etc. I rather wish if the original problem could be fixed somehow: being able to control the visibility of nested groupsin scenes.

I'veused VW since 2005 (currently on v2012). Due to it's odd way of handling 3D I've only used it in plan view (except for cut & fill ops) - compared with Acad it's a step backwards, whereas SU is yards ahead of both in 3D. In a nutshell VW is like having a dog and barking yourself. I do everything in 3D in SU and then export to VW for say plant counting or area calcs as VW has a good internal spreadsheet (but it's NOT excel and VERY poorly documented). VW does NOT work with Excel despite what you may be told about ODBC linking. I also send images out of SU for layup in VW. I've found SU LO to be too slow but it's probably my machine. I also show my clients live 3D models and plans over the web from SU - I've tried screencasting VW but client screen output is black(screenleap works but not join.me). ASFAIK VW was written (in Pascal) for macs, and appearsto have been ported to Windows - it is also absolutely dependent on the version of Quicktime current @ time of release (this is not well-documented and can cause genuine stress). BEWARE of auto Quicktime updates. My work is landscape architecture and planning (from courtyards to coalmines - mine reinstatement surfaces), so I work at both very small, and very large scales - VW in my experience doesn't perform very well when a site gets very large (>3km across) or very complex. When I have more money I'll switch to Rhino3D plus a few of it's plugins - which will still make it only 1/2 the price of VW. Also Grasshopper is going to push my planting plans to new levels. Some things: can be very hard to achieve small email-size pdfs, due to inefficient data handling, and putting bitmap info outside the viewport into the file - the only solution is to tile and class each tile separately! That said I've just finished a complex planting joband seven sheets come to 6Mb and the client can zoom right in to small groups of plants, which I'm happy with. VW has plugins but they are scarce with poor backward/forward compatibility). There are some great plugin writers. But the support https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm site is looking tired and visits seem to be falling off. There are occasional scaling issues where metric/inch conversion seems to be going on seem to be the core problem - The layer class idea is good in concept; but poorly implemented - Rhino has sub-layers, whereas VWs layers and classes are separate. Each layer can have it's own scale too and when you make a layer it can default to anything - be aware (lack of validation is almost a theme with VW) Depending on your field there can be very few people using it seriously. In a word I'm still ambivalent - with landscape architecture and software you often have to take what comes.

Everything s working fine for me, too. I am not seeing any of the issues you are see in,g Jean. Of your four plugins, I have Engineering Toolbox installed

@twdant said: ... What am I doing wrong? After the change of the material you do Redraw ?

It would be easy if you did it right. But it is a computer program and GIGO applies.

I always have this question in my head: If I have a very good video card, will the GPU calculate the geometry instead the CPU? I currently have a note with a i7 3632QM, and a intel HD4000, no dedicated video card. When dealing with very large models the GPU are using very little power while the CPU is full. I understand that the CPU is dealing with all the geometry and the GPU with texture etc. In this case i no longer need a better GPU. But if the GPU deals with geometry in very good cards its great news.

@pbacot said: Each situation is going to require more intelligence than a plugin IMO. Unfortunately Seriously, I can solve it manually. I just ran into some situations and thought maybe there was something available to ease my pain. thanks again for all your inputs.

Well Dave gave you an alternate solution above. Having a plugin that specific does not seem very practical. Either take the time to model the gap between cabinet doors or fake it. Either Dave's way or after the rendering just strike a line in your photo editor of choice. Personally I would just take the extra time to model the details I want to see in the rendering. It makes for a more realistic result. My 2 cents.

Select the edge Activate Move + Ctrl Pick a start point Move the edge in the desired direction Type the distance desired + <enter> [say 6] The copy of the edge is made moved 6 units in that direction Immediately typing another distance changes the moved amount Next immediately type the number of copies you want, followed by x and <enter> So for 10 copies that'd be 10x The moved edge is replicated 10 times in the direction you chose, beyond the first copy, using the same distance each time... To copy a number of edges between the original and the first copy's position use /10 instead... then the space between the original edge and the first copy is subdivided with new duplicates, evenly spaced to fit in...

Good catch, Carsten.

Have a look at Fredo6's Curvizard, it wont make them squares but you can certainly get some good results/clean lines over multiple shapes using simplify contour or cleanup contour, have a go and see if it helps.

This sounds to me like an application for a Dynamic Component instead of a plugin. You could make a dynamic component that would do all of that. You need the pro version of SketchUp to make Dynamic Components or you might be able to hire someone to do it.

I'm on mac as well , I can only guess what they might do, but would experiment instead... I'll PM you a plugin that helps set the screen to A series... then select Full Scale 1:1 and Match Screen Display try it on a simple model, first... john

Share the obj and mtl or other files and I will try converting it for you

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I decided to create layers for the section planes that can be turned on and off. FYI, the model I'm working has many rotated angles and the section planes seem to obscure things because they are not parallel or perpendicular to other section planes. Doug

You may want to explode the dwg first. Just take the necessary geometry from the import and delete the rest. You may also want to check the scale is 1 to before you get started. I think Dave hit the nail on the head for the rest.