I have found a solution to my problem and I've written it down in this topic: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=16015

@gaieus said: So they skip 2004 versions?! It must be pretty advanced then!

Very nice. I loved colored chalk. Thank you Dave.

In general the alignment will require a translation and two rotations. You have speciacl case with the way the two axies are aligned ( and their circular symmetry) and where the components axis are place . Slelect the short tube start move and type [0,0,0]. That will move it to the 0,0,0 global axis location installed as Dave shows shows above

Hi. I success Cyan pipe is group, I not create T part of pipe in that group (avoid some errors with slection etc) So I make this part separate on this group, make guide first, on that guide make circle, use push/pull tool to make cylinder, then with offset tool make another circle on top of cylinder, push/pull tool and make tube, triple click on what I make, go to Edit / and copy this object. Delete object, open grouped cyan tube and goto Edit / paste in place, right click on pasted part and select Intersect faces / with model, then delete parts that do not need. Maybe this will help some newbie like me Thank you again. [image: ZA3u_hole-done.png]

I went through the whole Vico Office 1/2 hour video the other day. I saw a real value to the first module where the various formats are share-able and view-able in 3D. The fourth module that had to do with collaboration and change management was also cool. The two modules that had to do with cost estimating are relevant and cool but very specific to a 'niche' group and do not have the same level of appeal to me, as they deal with a level of detail that I don't 'dig into'. The sliding cross-section viewer was awesome, as was the 'high light revised stuff' view. Still, Vico has too much of the Microsoft Project/Sharepoint look, that I have found folks in the western united states really don't like. The 'Google' style of button interface with a three-part (maximum) screen and 'zoom from space to neighborhood' really appeals, as does the 'rotate my model'. I hope that Trimble breaks the Vico modules down into 'bite-size' pieces with some of it being made 'free-ware' to SU users, like parts of render programs and materials/models/warehouses are currently. I think that is the way to 'win over customers'. As to the app for a Android phone...like you, I am still waiting

If you've found the Plugins Index [accessed through the SCF Resources > Plugins menu above] then you are all but there. Use your Browser's Search tool [Ctrl+F ?] and look for Curvi it WILL find it... It's by Fredo - so narrow your search to his plugins, if you are still challenged... Click on the link and it opens the tool's thread... go to the first post in that thread and there are extensive download and usage instructions... Do NOT overlook the requirement that you also need a FredoLib installation to use this tool... after getting the tool get the Lib, again carefully following the instructions on downloading and installing that too...

At work I use a Logitech TrackMan Wheel and I have a Space Navigator, but I'm not sure I'd equate the two. Are you wanting a new trackball only for SketchUp or for other programs too? I've never tried to use a 3D mouse for anything other than SU or Google Earth so I'm not sure if or how intuitively it will work in other programs. I could never get the hang of SketchUp with a the Navigator; maybe I don't use it properly. It seems that I couldn't do everything with the Nav that I could do with my trackball and it took my hand away from the keyboard so shortcuts became slower to use. The Navigator or one of 3dConnexion's higher-end products would probably be better for your carpal tunnel than a thumb-driven trackball though.

Welcome 'lurker' Installing Pro8 should retain any of your Free8 personalized additions to Plugins etc. However, if you were to go 'cross-version' then v7 stuff stays in the '7' path and you'd need to copy personal stuff over from any v7 folders into the equivalent v8 folders... Once you have finished your 8Pro trial you can choose to license it and what you had will be retained. Alternatively, if you revert to 8Free you will need to 'uninstall' 8Pro: however, once again any customized files in that installation's folders should be kept and then re-recognized by the new Free8 installation that reuses the existing folders...

Moving this to the general section as it's not related to V-Ray.

@ely862me said: Btw, there is a small plugin(I don't know its name right now) that will draw helix so you won't waste that much time. Yes, I think there are several plugins that would be helpful here, but... @gaieus said: I mean plugins are great but without learning the basis, one will never be as efficient as possible and once a problem arises, may be just stumped. @Cotty: this helix[sup:1mzq0s1l]helix[/sup:1mzq0s1l] (to finally test our superscript bbCode ) is something stunning! Thank you! @massimo said: Do you know Kito Raupp? Check on youtube, there are many great videos. Yes! I've bookmarked him already

No problem, glad you were able to get it done.

Thanks for the quick replies. I wasn't aware of the bounding box centers and now that I go back to the model I see that the center of the object that I'm using to position is also the center of the bounding box - thus the difficulty I was having. Now, being aware of that feature, I can easily avoid it. Thanks again.

Sorry. I should have provided more info. I have a large city model that I'm working on. I have layers, I'm purging unused, and I'm keeping texture sizes down. There is a lot of texture however, and the model is quite large. When SketchUp crashes, an error message comes up that says: "SketchUp has crashed unexpectedly. See report for more details." The reason the file is so large is probably geometry. Thanks, Avraham

Hi. I find that Khamsin plugin, it look little complicated But I wiil try anyway maybe is only look that, I design some kind of air nozzle for my hobby project. Thank you very much.

Indeed "Hide rest of model" may be what you are after. More exactly, SketchUp has thisfunction and not necessarily exactly what Max does. You have other options, too, in case you use components (nd only components have these features). Copy a component to somewhere on the side of your model where it is not covered by other elements and work on it - the original copy will "inherit" every modification. Right click on a component and "save as..." Now open the saved file as a separate entity and work on it. Save, go back to the original file and right click on the component again and now "Reload..." More on working with internal and external components can be read here: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/36-intermediate/115-internal-external-components

Thank you both - as ever, so very helpful. I spent ages yesterday serching the SU site for a list & didn't find anything! Many thanks.

well, errr. I solved myself. I simply went into the plugins folder of sketchup and deleted the LibFredo folder along with the rb file and and copied back again. And now is working. Thanks in any case

I'm no expert at rendering and those links will give you good info. I go into my studio photographer mode when I am setting up lights for Kerkythea. I also consider adding reflective surfaces to bounce light back in to the model and sometimes I add gobos as well.