Thanks Dave, you reminded me of the Transparency setting. I had my Transparency quality set to "nicer" instead of 'faster' and I've got the effect i want. Thanks for your help!!

That's what I wanted to see. Looks like you're all set now.

Use the triangulate function in Blender before exporting, this sometimes helps.

Thanks, Gai, for the advice. I'll definitely check out TIG's tool to snag the loose geometry, which I'm SURE I have (I just can't find it easily). Sounds like a good plug-in to run periodically for good model maintenance.

@unknownuser said: With that video card you should have hardware acceleration active. In fact, it would be a huge mistake not to. In SU - Window/preferences/open GL, you should have hardware acceleration checked. If you don't, SU will be painfully slow. Exactly. If HW acceleration does not work properly for these cards, you may wish to update your video drivers instead of turning it off.

Got some visual examples?

Yep, the sketchy styles/transparency bug. My work around is to create an opaque "bill board" object, placed closely behind the image (on a seperate layer) in the component. This way I can choose when I want transparency or not. This also comes in handy for conceptual work, when I only display the "billboard". See attached images. [image: 2zmI_1.JPG] [image: clOl_2.JPG]

@daredevil said: @unknownuser said: Anyone dare the challenge? DC challenge ? I'm here !! If I have some time to spend on it, I will try next days... Did you have more info about this kind of window ? I think there is a rail to connect the top end of the window to the fixed frame, but not in your model... Yes, -you are right Didier, I just did not model it Attached is an updated version with the track hinge The window should be correctly placed in the horizontal position now, -but out of place in the two other positions. See photo If you look close you can imagine the L-fitting and track marked on this photo. [image: FSLR_IMAG1074.jpg] Updated version

It may also be a misconfigured file association. Richt click on a skp file thumbnail, select Properties and there under the general tab, there is an "Opens with..." line. If not SketchUp is set there, change it to SketchUp.

@mitcorb said: I see a similarity in your question to this one: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51195. Within days of each other. I don't know if an answer is here or not. My problem is not with Hardware Acceleration, but is Sketchup that is not recognizing my modifications in NVIDIA Control Panel. I have been having this problem with two of my laptops. Thanks for the Reply

Yes, it's a known problem. See this sticky post in the plugins forum: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=47371

BEST RENDERER for SketchyPhysics

Only SketchUp can create images of SketchUp models (other software could use SketchUp's SDK to read .skp files, but the rendered images wouldn't have the exact SketchUp style). As far as I know the thumbnailing progras just extract the 128px embedded thumbnail, so no larger. There are plenty of scripts on SketchUcation that can export larger 2d images out of SketchUp.

Hi, Nice model Cotty, thanks Dear Gaieus and Pilou I'm so touched that you care about me and remind this so "epic and anthology thread " This had given me the occasion to re-read it with the so nice supervision of Taff Goch and the flashy talented youngness of Elisei (ely862me). It had been a really nice moment. @broomstick said: that image would make a great map with an opacity mask on it @gaieus said: True, I was also thinking about it. You can easily make it tilable horizontally, too - the only problem is that vertically it should be a bit higher so that you could apply it on more various (although of course, still limited) height. You have decided me to achieve these materials. they are available Here: [image: thminiParisianFence5White_small.png;original] [image: thminiParisianFence2Green_small.png;original] "Parisian Fence material: 3 sizes available in 2 colours." http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=51695 With my friendship, Simon

The newer versions are much better. Take the time to customize it a little in the user prefs and you can get it to act in a more familiar way, like SU. Nonetheless, it will still have a learning curve. I much prefer the newer versions, I've been able to accomplish a lot of work in them that would be painfully difficult in SU and then import that work into an SU project. I still consider myself a Blender beginner though. It's difficult to figure things out sometimes, like many free apps there is limited documentation on how to get it to do what you want and much of the information is for older versions. Very frustrating at times.

Dave, thanks for replying to my post. As I said, I need to listen closer to the podcasts.

@infinitekiff said: .......and you know of an easier and/or more logical quicker way please do tell........ You already applied the 'Scale' tool, snapping the green grid point(s) to guide(s). Try the same tool but after dragging to arbitrary size type in the new dimension(s) plus units and [Enter]. See third post in this thread.

@slbaumgartner said: I just exported a 10310x6650 jpeg (I set 12800x6650, but SketchUp seemingly overrode the larger dimension during export - perhaps due to the size of the screen?). I tried even larger, but got a popup saying "The export failed or was cancelled". This makes me think there is an undocumented upper limit, but I don't know what it is. Steve Hi Steve, Thanks for your answer. During exporting of multiple files I eventually also got the popup. So sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I have no idea why that is. Perhaps not enough memory. The export dimensions are indeed related to the size of your screen.

"Known about this for ages"?? . Makes you wonder what they have been doing. There must be a hundreds od little crappy simple fixes they never bother to fix. And yes I say simple. You're not talking hundreds of hours SW time for some of thes things. Steve Jobs was correct. Google is (was) a lazy company.