Hello, I might be a year or so late, but just was browsing around in posts, and ended up at your post. In case you are still interrested in different ways to draw a hull, I attached my way of drawing. It is certainly not the best way, but it's A way. Using the original linesplan of a ship. Each line at different levels have a x,y coordinate, which put together gives the lines of the hull. All these lines stacked on top of each other give then the complete linesplan, which you can then close on the outside to create your hull. Basically the system works as how Delfship uses their program, but there I always turned up to set the coordinates wrong, which resulted in very strange shapes suddenly. Hope this helps, enjoy

Great! Thank you a lot!

Actually this check did find errors! I had run the test earlier just after opening the file and it didn't find anything but if I reproduce the error and then run the test then this is found: [image: 8p60_FixProblems.png] If I now try and reproduce the error it is gone so this fix did the trick. Wonder why it happened and what it means?? Thanks!

Wow! Yes, thank you very much. Jacques

It could be argued that they are already supported because they can be exported as true arcs and circles.

Thanks, I started over doing it a different way and the poly count went way down. The first time I did a screen layout for the holes and then used radial bending to make the pipe shape. I thought it would be easier to use a grid pattern first. It was the bending that added the extras. This time I just made the pipe and took the time to punch the holes. More time less problems

Thanks. I got it now, you just have to follow the Fredo instructions and load the library first. Cheers, Jacques

I believe it would be easier to add the materials in SU then refine in PS.

{shameless plug} You could give BuildEdge PLAN a try! It automatically figures all of the geometry for you. You can take a look at everything that it does at http://www.BuildEdge.com. {/shameless plug} Feel free to PM me if you have any questions! Thanks! Aaron

Ah yes, geolocated models, surely.

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33310#p293698

I had some trouble with split tools too. After trying the split tools. I installed split sausage separately, and have both donut and sausage under "Tools / split tools" submenu. The thing about split sausage is somehow it does not break the curves. You can do the same thing as Cotty shows by drawing in the connecting top edges, softening those edges, then "recurve" (or "weld) the side curves with those plugins . I just thought of something that probably bears mentioning. This method is probably OK for what you want to do, but we find that moving a curve this way changes its path in plan view. If that matters, you would need another way. If you turn on edge style to "color by axis" and hidden geometry, you will see the vertical (blue) edges on the path become non-vertical (black)-- so to be picky, it's not exactly how the ramp would be built, or how one would imagine the model to be made. But it's handy. Another approach is not to start with the level ramp at all. For example "shape bender" plugin can fairly closely create the ramp you have with one curve and a small straight ramp with the width and the start and end elevations. P

I haven't tried that direction yet, but looking at the list here I can see there's 3D DXF and VRML which both should export textures, although I wouldn't count too much on DXF's ability to transfer textures. Hope it works and please post the outcomes of your trials, I'd love to document if there's a way to do that. cheers

Ah well, all the others above suggested the same - I just thought a model can demonstrate it easier. Be very careful however to only assign groups or components to any other layer than Layer 0 (i.e. all "primitive" geometry either loose in the model or inside groups/components should remain on this layer) otherwise you end up like in that first video you linked to. Do not even change the active layer (with the round radio buttons) but stay on Layer 0 all the time. Life will be much easier. Also, examine the Scene manager. If you turn off the camera position, you can change scenes (and with those, different layers) without the camera moving. If you watch this video, during the first quarter, Chris (who posted above) explains how he uses scenes, layers and styles for easier modelling. Not exactly what you are after but very informative! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9_F-bSGrKs#!

On some models, I like to turn the "Use Sun for Shading" on, and turn the light slider down to like 15% and shadow slider up to 75%. Sometimes I feel like that lightens the entire model up nicely.

Thanks Arail, Yes the CNC machine was doing the whole thing including groove on the outside rim. on top of that the dimensions for the wheel were requested to be changed a couple of times so it was a really difficult first model to do for CNC!! The spokes were separate to the rim. What I've learnt is as you say: Keep things as clean and simple as possible I was advised to increase the facets of any curves, segments or circles as high as possible It might be an idea to draw in parallel projection as far as possible I'm also thinking of upgrading to SU Pro8 from my current Pro7 as I was reading about creating outer shells. Maybe this would help?! Thanks again for the advice!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XjUFYxSxDk Nuff said.

@cotty said: @gaieus said: Duh. I did not even know that! Thanks, Gerrit! Me too, Thanks! and me....

@rich o brien said: no worries, can i have the can to do the can can?

I've begin to implement a check for TT_Lib2 in my plugins, so when it's not there a message will appear explaining it's needed and a direct link to download. New releases and updates will feature this.