@olishea said: good tutorial dave, helpful for other things too Thank you Oli.

Thanks everyone for your help. I have downloaded TIG's Archiver.rb plugin and will give it a try. Walter

When I launch Thomas Thomassen's editable text tool, it pops up on the left monitor instead of the right one where I typically run SU. Can this be remedied? I have TT's library version 2.12.3. And can it be improved so we can immediately start typing into it without first having to deal with the default string of text that reads "Enter text"? (Or have said text pre-selected like the native tool does?) [image: h5rW_TTseditabletexttooldialogueboxonwrongscreen.JPG]

I suspect that you might have installed them in the wrong 'plugins' folder. Please post the full-path to the 'plugins' folder. It should be the one at the root 'HD' location: NOT the similar 'user' one. Copy/paste this line of code +<enter> into the Ruby Console and see the path it returns: Sketchup.find_support_file("plugins") and then Sketchup.find_support_file("Plugins") If the second version fails you might have a 'case-sensitive' system setup on your MAC which can cause all sorts of issues with Ruby because things like 'Sketchup.rb' and 'sketchup.rb' are seen as two different files ! Please also type this $LOAD_PATH - it should include the path to the HD 'plugins' folder you found above... Also note that SoapSkinBubble's installation-notes ill-advisedly tell you to install it and its subfolder etc into the 'Tools' folder. This is bad practice. I have it auto-loading from 'Plugins' and it loads just fine. Also check that you have FULL [read.write] security permissions [set for 'all'] to the main 'plugins' folder and also its contents, because having less will compromise installations and/or the running of some tools too... Thomthom has a Simple-Plugins-Installer [search Plugins Index via menu item above], once you have installed that from its RBZ file [via v8 Preferences > Extensions > Installer button] it appears in the Plugins menu and lets you install RBZ and ZIP archives for complex tools and also RB/RBS more simple one file scripts... I suggest you use it once you have confirmed your MAC settings etc...

There's no need to keep making new threads for the same topic. I've merged them. The solution to your problem is to not use Shape Bender on your decorative parts. Put them in separately. Basically, if you don't want them bent, don't bend them. If you want them bent to the radius of the rail but not skewed, bend them with a horizontally placed arc of the correct radius and length.

Down below the submit button there should be a link to "upload attachment". Click on that, then click on "Choose File" and find the file to add. Then click on "upload the file" to have the file uploaded. You can also then click on "Place in line" to add the file into your post where the cursor is currently at.

Have you tried to contact SketchUp Customer Service recently?

Try repainting the face with the 'default material' as an intermediate step, this should wipe the projection/uv-mapping and you can start again...

Nickchun: More comments: 1)The 400mm model stand alone skp file in your zip is a different size that the one in the kitcab file model; 2) If I open the 400 stand alone model it opens at the expected drawing axis origin, importing the 300 and 350m then into the same drawing will then come in as components even though they are not componets in the zip fileoffset some what and with out the move tool; 3) SU treats components differently for ones created within the specific skp file. Try scaling one with the tape tool and you will see that. I am coming to the conclusion what are you seeing is just an artifact of the work flow you have going. Especially since both Dave R and I am found no problem when opening from the kitcab file. Have you tried opening from the in model component browser and found same problem? 4) If all your cabinets are separate files suggest you create a collection or library and try again and see if the problem is still there.

if the DXF/DWG does not work for you or if you do not have access to the DWG-Editor of SWX, you can also export from SWX to STL and import the STL file in SU by installing the STL f. SU plugin. hth, Norbert

And the key problem he had was caused by having drawn one circle off axis which a plugin won't fix.

For vector PDF's, I've found Inkscape does a creditable job. It imports Ok and I can then clean up the vectors before export as a DXF or OBJ (for Blender).

Thanks for keeping the discussion alive guys. Interesting. As an update, I have forked out and got AutoCAD and Revit as a suite. Big bucks, but for a business that needs to work as seemlessly and efficiently as possible with other consultants that are using that combination, I think the cost will pay for itself over time. @jbacus said: Maybe it would help if you were to describe the data you want to exchange with Revit users. Here's where I show how green I am regarding BIM. I'm a structural engineer that started in an office that drafted on the drawing board. The office went to AutoCAD but the drafters I've found (even recently) just use ACAD to draw lines on an electronic drawing board. They don't seem to use some of (what I understand are available) the powerful features of ACAD to make their daily grind even more efficient and fast. eg Sheet Set Manager, Layer Managers etc. While I'm an engineer, I also have an interest (and Graduate Diploma) in IT. If I were using software like ACAD all day long, I'd spend some time learning and implementing every feature in there to make my daily use more efficient. But the drafters don't seem to have the same drive, and the company I work in wasn't big enough to have the knowledge/time/money/resources to get the standards to that level. An excuse maybe, but what's done is done. Now BIM and Revit are here and I've started my own company. From the ground up I want to use BIM mostly and ACAD only where the project would find it more applicable. I know a fraction of what BIM is capable of. Most consultants we work with (I believe) are just using Revit as a drafting tool. Not many use all features, 4D etc. I think most are modelling in it for plans and sections to 1:100, maybe 1:50 or 1:20 type outlines, then drawing the rest in 2D. I'm yet to decide how far I go with it. I'm meeting with a local Revit guru to assist setting up my new company standards and families, and I'll discuss with him a practical line to draw in the sand of what gets modelled.

Goodnight Dave.......Goodnight cotty

@dave r said: Download the current version of LibFredo6 it and replace the old version. Then it will work fine. Thanks for your quick response Dave. I'll do that. Had a hunch it was the thing to do but did not want to upset my settings!

FWIW, I'm going to download it and install it to see what happens for me. If it was working and then quit, I doubt it's a bug in Sketchup. I'll let you know what I get. Edit to add: I've downloaded and install the program. It seems to work just fine with no crashing. Have you recently installed any other programs (maybe not SU related) that might have monkeyed with the DLLs?

I'll move it into Newbies... I didn't notice the parent forum

And that fixed the problem?

I am sorry I didn't explain completely. Would you share with me how you were able to map this file? I have done uv mapping before but can't figure how to map this organic shape. Thank you very much for mapping that for me! John