Hi Amix, hi folks. If you have not done it yet, disable Enable length snapping in Windows --> Model info --> Units. Maybe you can also use larger units to avoid the problem that SU has with very small objects. Use meters while pretending thay are millimeters. When done, scale down by 1000. Notice that SU will not accept 0.001 as a scale factor. It will however accept 0.01 and then 0.1 or the reverse. You can also use the pae measure tool to rescale the whole model or only a group or only a component. Just ideas.

@xchange said: about how to "stay on the axis" so to speak? When I'm building something around the 'origin' axes like this, I find it can still be helpful to put in a guide line (co-linear with the axis). Just select the "Tape measure" tool, and double click when you get an inference to the axis you want to use. Guide lines seem to allow more varied kinds of inferencing than the axis alone - e.g. to find where the axis intersects a face. Follow me will usually work OK even on "circles" with only a handful of sides - I often use hexagonal "circles" (to model very small parts that won't be seen in detail) and find that it will usually still generate a smoothed surface. This makes me wonder, has your "top" been created by many small "follow me" actions (one for each segment)? This can sometimes create disjointed lines due to the way that Sketchup calculates the start and end when the path is not a closed loop - the individual bits don't always "heal" together well. You can use "Follow me" on multiple "segments" all in one go, so long as their ends all join together, by selecting them all together before "following". You might also want to search out a plugin called "weld", which lets you heal curves back into a single piece (very handy, as many operations in SU result in curves/circles being broken into sections) - that plugin is so useful, it's hard to understand why it's not a native SU function! If you do want more detail in your circles, then after selecting the circle tool, simply type a number followed by "s" into the VCB to set the number of sides. Alternatively, you can open the "Entity Info" dialogue, select the circle, and type a new number of sides - but this way can have unintended effects if the circle is already attached to other geometry, usually better to draw them how you want to begin with. Follow me will then use as many facets as there are sides to the "circle".

Your absolutely right Rich I've always been aware that my card is not up to par but it's the hole unit that needs upgrading I'm just not sure which way to go.I can make complicated models but I have to keep away from using textures. Thanks again for your help

You already posted once Two to go... Just show us you are a genuine hooman bean...

Can't say for sure without the model, but it seems like there was just a tiny gap, since tracing over made it close. There are occasions faces will not form and the cause is indiscernible. If you use a setting sometimes for modeling that shows dots at the endpoints, it can be helpful in finding and inspecting or using intersections. It looks like some of your canopy has hidden lines not smoothed, where you see a break in the shading. You should smooth those lines for a better effect. Good job. If you look at posts where wire frame (or hidden geometry) is shown for organic modeling (like cars) you will see examples of how the edges within the smooth forms are laid out (often by plugin, but also by "hand"). The Speed modeling competition always shows wire frames, also the "Artisan" examples.

You can also change the screen resolution to show more.

This has been discussed numerous times in the recent past. You might want to do a search on the topic rather than starting it all over again. Type in your search terms in the Search box on the upper right of the screen.

Try A new home for SketchUp thread here for a long discussion on its merits and concerns

Component stringer or rotate tool+alt if it's an arc or a circle http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=44140&start=0

How does your dog feel about that? Does he hate you? Welcome to SCF, by the way.

or simply use the fur pluguin or spray component

solved with one plug-in, thankyou!

I bet on Gai. Mr. ipsketchpi your multitudes of numbered scenes and layers hurt my brain. How do you handle all that? Peter

Thank you so much for your help! I don't know why I couldn't figure that out. I knew about making components but never thought about the order. Now that I know it seems so obvious. Much appreciated! Eric

My suspicion would be that Trimble...as the new owners of SU...will help manage (sarcasm there) the 3DW for as long as Google needs it for populating Google Earth with manually made content. After that, it's anybody's guess. We've already seen links on this forum to very impressive examples of scanned, auto-generated buildings and terrain. It's only a matter of time before Google Earth follows suit. As Pete (or was it Jeff?) suggests, SU is old technology for populating a globe...nether fish nor fowl...not fast enough to build an entire city, not accurate enough for professional purposes...and 3D buildings in general are nowhere near as practically useful as Street View. I can't think that Trimble are going to be overly impressed with the vast majority of the content available, which makes me doubt that the 3DW will continue long in its present form. Vetting content is a non starter...SU is now way too big; and the rate of upload is stratospheric. The 3DW is based on the model of Objective Networks, the free precursor to FormFonts. ON was vetted...and it took a small army of student volunteers at CalPoly in San Luis Obispo to do it...and that was when SU was Pro only, with a tiny userbase. We are way beyond that stage now; and the logistics of control are simply impossible. It may be OK limiting it to manufacturers etc, but the free exchange of models by casual users is utterly unmanageable on any kind of regulated basis.

Thanks guy. I think I got it!

When one updates a plugin, they usually update the "last update time" in the subject field, too. [image: en64_plugin-1.png] Also, most plugin authors keep a "Change log" in that particular post in the topic. [image: NbYR_plugin-2.png] Certainly there are no strict rules on this but most of them follow them anyway. Sure a dedicated Plugin index with all the necessary info would be nice.

I must admit I have had a similar difficulty. It's always on a large and complex file and it causes no end of frustration, usually resulting in misaligned edges or verticies early in the project that aren't found until later in the project. By then the damage is done and the work takes forever to repair or redo. I wish I could blame some SU glitch, but I'm afraid it's likely my fault for the reasons Jean says. I get around it by making the base geometry I'm working with a component. That way I can use it as a "work surface", and there is almost no risk that I will accidentally change the geometry while working on the rest of the project. Don't know if this helps, but I feel your frustration!

jacequay, Again, thank you. It is now working as I wished. Jeff Hammond, I had previously checked Logitech drivers. However, they do not allow modification of the primary mouse buttons. Thanks to all. Snead