Here's the original image I'm working from. [image: uXl4_ORN4.jpg]

Thanks guys! I'll try some of these out.

Thanks for the help! Dumb me, I was using the "get models" under the file menu. When you import models this way you get just the model. If you go to google warehouse with a web browser and then click "download model" and then click "open in sketchup" you get the scenes. I did not know that layers that are turned off could be a problem. I will check this out. thanks again! I think I need the "stupid" ruby mentioned earlier.... s

@gaieus said: Hi José, (and this is my answer to your original post which I don't know where disappeared) @unknownuser said: The solution has a couple of steps at this stage of modelling... Also, many depends on the purpose of your modelling; is it for Google Earth or just for other purposes? First of all, make sure that the geometry of the individual buildings are grouped (or made as a component). This way you can move them separately easily. As far as I can see from your screenshots, you have already imported the GE Snapshot 8and terrain also in this case). If you toggle the terrain layer, it will display the non-planar terrain as it can be seen in GE. Now comes your answer - whether it is going to be for GE or not as the strategy will differ. Could you please, attach your images straight to the post (there is an attachment tab below where you type) as ImageShack is very slow for many people here (and only gives a very small, embedded and resized image even if clicked on). Well, if you imported the GE snapshot (for geolocatin and to get some terrain), all you need to do is to edit the terrain to match your schools real terrain. If you activate the Google toolbar (View menu > toolbars), there is a "toggle terrain" button. it will turn the GE snapshot layer off and the GE Terrain layer on (and vice versa). You can do this manually in your Layers dialog, too (Window menu...) Now once you have the non-planar terrain active, you will notice that even that is not really following the actual terrain of your school (its resolution is most probably not as detailed as in real life). You can edit this terrain however with the sandbox tools (if you have not activated them under Window > preferences > extensions, do so now and activate the toolbar suggested above). When you first click on the terrain group, you will see that it has a red bounding box (by default). It means that it is locked to prevent unwanted changes. Right click and "Unlock" it. Now the bounding box is blue (by default) and if you double click on this group, you can edit the terrain with the sandbox tools. You can use the stamp tool to "stamp" the footprints of your buildings into it (which will always result in a flat, horizontal "platform" with some given, slanting "skirt" around - exactly what you seem to need). See what the help center is saying about the stamp tool: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=95061 Where you nee more details in your terrain, you can add detail as well to make it smoother: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=95042 Hello Csaba Pozsárkó, Thanks a lot for your reply once again. Somehow I find this tool very hard to work with, and it seems that the school model will stay the same, unfortunately. Anyway, thank's a lot for your help.

Can you eliminate some contours? Try using only the index contours (ie every 5'). If it absolutely has to be accurate to the 1' interval you might need to look at a different program like Simmuterra. You could also try using ThomThom's edge tools to simplify the contours and possibly eliminate some of the triangulated faces. Or use Cpoint Drape to retriangulate if the mesh is too dense. Or block out the detailed detention pond area, complete the rest of your modeling, and bring that area back into the model at the very end.

So that works? Nice example, Eric.

Yeah, I did almost the same thing before uploading...I drew a cube around 2 of the problem faces, intersected with model, then deleted the rest of the mesh and got a solid with out touching the red faces. When I tried to paste the now corrected face back in the original model, it reverted to 'not solid'

Yikes, I guess future generation reading this post on the waybackmachine might make some strange assumptions about this forum. I'll need to choose my expressions more carefully.

Thanks. I have searched for "Clay" but it didn't just pop up for me.

Under File > Insert (in LayOut), you can insert any "insertable" file type including skp files (other than the one you "started" your LO file with when sending it straight from SU). Here you can also insert rtf files - note that this seems to be more efficient than typing in text straight into LO as these files will be stored inside the *.layout file separately and if something goes wrong, it is always easier to recover. As for skp files (either "sent" to LO or "inserted" later), this is a very important advice: @cmd said: TIP - you may want to establish all the views you want to display in SketchUp first through Scenes. Once the model is in LO, you have access to all the scenes assigned to your SketchUp model. I.e. make sure that you create your scenes first, update them every time you make a change and also always update the assigned style in SU. These (scenes and styles) can be set in LO and unless you have previously set them up in SU, you will have issues. Think this way; what a scene in SU is, the same thing a page in LO is (in fact, before SU 6 came out with the first version of LO Beta, scenes in SU were called pages). Now a "scene" is mostly referred to a camera view (and a bunch of other settings of course) in 3D SU while a "page" is mostly referred to its 2D ("to be printed on pages/sheets") counterpart in LO.

I suggest you also post on the Twilight forums - they are move likely to be familiar with this issue ?

I started quite the debate. Thanks again for all the input. Some of these ideas I haven't even thought of. If you look at my second posting of the skp that is how the client imagined it to me - I haven't added the stem on the top like Solo did yet(at least I hope so - now I'm a little worried). If I'm wrong or my customer is wrong, I have a lot of ideas to work from. Unfortunately there's no second perspective image to look at. The coloring on it is more for effect than actual dimensioning. If you look at the coloring on the top lip, it suggests the same coloring on the back side - the blue on the left is just arbitrary coloring - festive, huh? I have another of the series that I could use some help with if you don't mind my picking the collective brain one more time. I'll post that one as a separate thread.

I'll look into these. I will eventually share the model - right now I want to try to reduce it myself as this is a useful skill for me to learn. It will also help me decide how to build better - for example I know there are some things that have more detail than is needed. Thanks Rich.

A lawn full of geometry is a no-go in Sketchup. Much better to use some transparent grass images like the ones I attached in this thread. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=25213&p=237473&

I have used Global Mapper quite a bit to generate contours for import to SU. The largest I have done was about 2000 acres. You may want to play with the contour interval to speed up SU. I generated a terrain model with 2' contours on 2000 ac. SU ran all night. When It was complete, I had to zoom WAY back (really far). Good Luck, sounds like a cool project.

I did some comparisons by generating terrain meshes using various other methods including the from scratch sandbox tool and the strange speckles were present in all of them. Thinking it might have something to do with my computer, I tried it on two other machines with different operating systems with the same result. I turned on hidden geometry and zoomed in as close as possible with the aid of the screen magnifier and was able to determine that it only occurs when two lines come into contact with each other on a parallel plane. As the model is rotated or moved and the lines come apart again, the "speckles" vanish again. It appears to be a Sketchup bug of some sort.

@driven said: @arcad-uk said: Just played with this and my findings don't match yours William. From what I see the results always end up on the current layer? your using SU's Solids Tool and he's using OSCoolean.rb http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=14773 Your both exactly right I went back to my Pro and it remains on the current level. In the free version 8.0 using OSCoolean.rb it uses FIFO layering .Your first interaction determines the layer and were it will reside. I didn't expect the two to be that way but there ya go. I'll check both sides before saying what is what again. william

Awesome dave, I ended up drawing the symbol, this will save me a lot of time thanks!

I will try - thank you.