If the object is a solid, then "Solid Inspector" should show you where the problems lie. Then, if not too complex, "Solid Solver" might clean up much of it (and by the same token, could make it worse!!) However, I have learned that the object need not be a "solid" for SI to help. If you ignore the obvious "errors" such as an open face which is correct, SI will point out the other excess lines and faces where you should be able to determine what is error and what is not.

123D Catch ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aU2s85Zw3A

@davidboulder said: So our interest in a 64bit SketchUp would be for smaller installers. i think that's what they (maybe barry from google iirc) said was a big reason for dropping powerPC support on mac (su only runs on intel macs now)... it was that the installer was doubled in size. so smaller installers is a fair argument

Those tools may well add 'observers' onto your Model's Materials collection, which in turn might well mess you up as you add materials... However, they are mainly encrypted, and I don't have a 'live' copy of them either, so I can't be certain... If you narrow it down to the one culprit, or you decide its an interaction of say the two, then it would be helpful to the wider community if you advise the author[s] directly - they might be able to make their tool less 'aggressive' with some simple recoding...

@orthogon said: @dave r said: Did you get the Tube Along Path plugin? It didn't work for me. It seems that it only works with a single path, and I have many. However, thanks to your pointing me in the right direction, I found lines2tubes, which does do multiple paths and did what I wanted. I guess I was expecting that you would make single wires as components and copy them as I did in my example. In my example there are only two different components. File size can be kept under control and it is dead simple to modify. I could make the shelf any desired depth or length in seconds. Welding seems like a fundamental thing to me. You should have the Weld plugin in stalled. I set up a keyboard shortcut for it because I use it so much. [image: lZaz_wireshelffinalrender.png]

@cotty said: @pbacot said: I don't know why the topic is locked. There is a discussion topic linked at the top, perhaps you can suggest new entries there (?) @pbacot said: when you feel "there must be way..." A quick way for searching would be the browser search function within the plugin list... I use the page "find" function in FF on that page. Sometimes though it might not be clear what the name would be for the plugin that you are imagining.

Also i've been trying to import .kml and .kmz files with no luck! I get to 75% then get an import failed dialog?? any suggestions?

[off:2me34y7u]@thomthom your icons and ui styling etc always stand out.. they're pretty [image: zoC2_tt.png][/off:2me34y7u]

fwiw, there's a thread similar to this from last year http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=43950 in it, i attempt to offer an explanation as to why this stuff happens.. (point being, it's not a random occurrence and has actual reasoning behind it)

i opened a thread here with screenshots: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=50169

Edited first post, they are up in the shop now! I hope these help some users out with their landscaped scenes!

UPDATE: After the usual purging, check for un-needed hidden geometry, removal of lurking layers, etc the file size is basically unaffected by removal of half the geometry... ...but if one copies the remaining (that is, desired)geometry into a fresh, empty iteration of sketchup and saves -that-, one winds up with a properly-sized file interms of what's been cut (that is, a 64MB file rather than a 128MB file containing the identical geometry. Still, given that the fbx original was only 23MB to start with, the resulting 64MB file still seems excessively large (though at least it's now useful for something). Does anyone know if skp files are just always inherently larger than fbx files describing the same object?

@unknownuser said: so PLEASE do install over the old software. That I made by chance @unknownuser said: Sorry... no openings in floor Good to know because I made ton of any try possible with no result! Have cool coding!

Thanks guys I watched that video. Just to save face here I didn't model the can light it's from KT's component lights to use in with KT and the walls in the .skp was just a fast way of showing my predicament with the can light but thanks TIG for your explanation. I think instead of using there's I'll model my own.

If you still can't master it with the native tools and views... try '2dTools', and also 'WorkPlane'...

@chris fullmer said: In SketchUp you'll see that those faces that are extra dark are in a shadow from the sun. Try this, turn off shadows and turn on "Use Sun for Shading". You see you get a smooth shading, but no hard shadow lines. I know that doesn't help with V-Ray though. Maybe in v-ray do something to help diffuse your sunlight. I'm not sure how V-Ray works, but can you make you sun physically larger? I think it would help if you didn't have a small point of light casting the shadows, but if you had instead a large light that would create softer shadows. That might be something to try. Thank you very much for bringing me to a couple of ideas! 1.Increase the size of the sun (1 to 24): [image: JFhr_sunlight.jpg] Do not use the sunlight at all. I tried a rectalgular light instead: [image: 4oRj_rectlight.jpg] I think I shall not use sunlight with this model. And thanks to all for suggestions!

thanks, i knew it had to be something ridiculously simple like that, but it had me stumped.

Thanks for the replies. I just did a reinstall, and I don't think I have anything abnormal. Just a couple dozen plugins.