I guess this answers my question http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/

Layout is an extension of sketchup that allows you to arrange production sheets with views of your model. As for drafting in sketchup, you can set your view to orthographic in Camera>Parallel Projection. You can activate the toolbar Views for iso, top, left, right, front in View>Toolbars>Views. Click on this and a toolbar with little house icons will pop up. Does this help?

Thanks very much for your replies guys. Will have a go and let you know how I get on. Much appreciated. Sven

Thanks a lot for the help, I stopped working on the model for a while but now I continued. I tried various approaches to the problem, including the ones suggested here, but soon discovered that there was more to my problem than I initially thought. I made a new thread about it here. Thanks again for your help .

Thanks. Center finder plug is perfect! Dave, sorry did not mean to be unfair, I just realised these during discussion that circle is actually welded lines. Just learning

Layout does have continued dimensions...

Thanks

The best renderer for SU is Thea and second vray. I too started of with kerk. And like you its my hobby. I am an attorney by trade, SU is heaven for someone like me. And hi shooks

Illustration/Artist -- I use it to generate 1, 2 and 3 point perspective reference imagery (for drawings and paintings)... often in conjunction with Maxwell (for photographic-type lighting reference). Best, Jason.

@eccowboy said: I trioed downloading the software, but the plugin doesn't show on my tool bar. Presently, I'm working in Pro7, does that make a difference? Help!!!!!! Hi, Please follow the instructions under 1(c) of the appended blog: http://sketchupbim.blogspot.in/ hope this helps, Dex

@tig said: But v8M3 fixed the 'grayed-out menus', as well as some other issues ??? You seem to have got yourself into a terrible tangle... hehe.. yep.. that's why I went ahead and downloaded it and installed it. I read the release notes and thought.. oh good - update time. shame on me

Google Section images / SketchUcation 33 800 results

It's a building that love Jeff Hammond as wood carpenter! In theory if you give the wavy perimeter, some horizontal sections of the columns the sand box "from contour" can build a surface in one move : alas this one is not very fluid in any case [image: 2fol_sandbox.jpg] Maybe Cuvyloft by Fredo6 can make something but its a "big program" itself so must be learnt in deepth !

Thank you.

ha ha ha very good thx a lottttttttttttt Dave

Since layers in sketchUp are a different animal than in Illustrator or ACad and they aren't used to provide separation, there wouldn't be much point in retaining those layers from SketchUp. Perhaps you could create scenes that show different layers and make exports one at a time for each scene. Associate different layers with different groups/component ans use the layers in SketchUp to control which groups/components are visible for each scene.

I also use Sketchup mostly for creating laser cutting files. My own experience is that AutoCAD (dxf,dwg) files rarely work well - for example, the segments making up a curve will often all be exported as many small 'closed' curves, such that every small segment is cut individually from one end to the other and back again, and often in seemingly nonsensical order. For this reason, I tend to use the SVG export plugin that Jim suggested (together with CorelDraw or InkScape if I need to tweak the SVGs) - sounds like a hassle, but I find it can actually be far less labour intensive than trying to 'clean up' an AutoCAD file. Of course, this will depend on what cutter/laser software you are using - so let us know what your spec's are; if they are the same as what I use here, I'd be happy to share what I've learned over the last year or two.

@tig said: Looks like the text was exploded into lines that would then be importable [although the file size gets very big!]. It's good idea to edit the CAD file to remove unwanted/unused detail that won't get imported [like hatching], then purge/audit before trying the import. If you save the DWG as a DXF [say r2004] then you can import that DXF's raw geometry [keeping the CAD origin], then use my 'importDXFtext' script to import the CAD text part only, it comes in as 'flat' 3d-text, using the equivalent size/font/style/location/layer/color etc wherever possible. The two imports should then overlay properly; so that then grouping them as one you can move them back to a sensible SKP origin... TIG, I've managed to import my text using 'importDXFtext', but only once. I tried to import the text once again and it didn't work and I looked for other solution. The problem with the text is that you don't have any common origin point between imported lines and imported text - sometimes it is crucial to have the same reference point to align drawings. Dear All, As TIG said it is a bunch of vectors – approx. 15,500 of them, but it works ! I don’t have enough time to do the ‘proper’ tutorial, but I have listed the software and steps taken. You need the following: • AutoCAD (LT is fine) • PDF Creator • Any PDF to DWG Converter • SketchUP PRO Step 1 – Open DWG, explode all objects, change all fonts to simplex.shx Step 2 – Draw rectangle around the drawing – would be used to scale the drawing in SU Step 3 – Print to PDF – I used PDF Creator Step 4 – Save the drawing as exploded DWG – we will use the drawing as ‘Scale Reference’ in SU Step 5 – Download ‘Any PDF to DWG Converter’ Step 6 – Open the PDF with 'Any PDF to DWG Converter', set in ‘Options - Centreline’ and ‘Convert Now’ – it could be converted to DWG or DXF – I used AutoCAD 13 • I didn’t manage to have the right scale but, the rectangle from Step 2 would come to the rescue later (see Step 10) Step 7 – Open SU PRO, import ‘exploded DWG from Step 4’ and make group Step 8 – Open 2nd session of SU PRO and import ‘converted DWG from Step 6’ and make group Step 9 – You could copy one of the drawings (Select and Ctrl+C) and paste to the other (Ctrl+V) Step 10 – Scale using ‘anchors’ – simply drag ‘edge to edge’ of previously drawn rectangle to match the converted drawing size Regards

@deanlegg said: Hi all Anyone recommend a good chair while designing , mine makes me hunch my back I seem to try and get in the screen Are blow up gym balls any good? Thanks dean Hand to elbow straight. Arm at 90 degrees. Top 3/4 of the LCd should be at the eye level. Memorize shortcuts without looking at keyboard. Get a good mouse with many buttons on it so you can assign it for shortcuts. Chair should have good back support and legs should not be dangling from chair. 90 degrees is best. If you are getting lower back pain, then ball is good. upper back then the tips above will help. Never tried that chair , looks interesting but his position is all wrong. You shouldnt be looking that down. Oh, and pls for the love of good try to refrain from using a laptop for drawing ,etc. Get an adjustable height CAD LCD screen.

@3ddetailer said: Maybe I'm missing something, but I never get any "notification" emails that tell me someone has replied to my thread. Hm. That's weird. Are they not trashed by your email system? Make sure to add @sketchucation.com to your trusted domains or whatever they are called (I promise we won't spam you more than once a month with those CatchUp Newsletters). Just FYI: you can usually expect an answer here in minutes but in a couple of hours, almost certainly.