Stunning.

I just tried this on SU6 - same bug.

It's difficult to UV map textures like that - why not paint alternate stripes red/white like this [switch hidden geometry 'on' first - then 'off' afterwards][image: jLY9_Capture.PNG]

Yea - I put it on hold to see what SU8 brings. If it brings a better Material Browser. If not, I hope it provides a better API - in which case I will pick up the project again: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=26149

Weld seems to create the same situation.

Thank you for your answers, @unknownuser said: The contents of a group [raw geometry] stay on the layer they have be made on [or put on] - typically that should be Layer0. Changing a group's [or component-instance's] layer doesn't affect the contents' layer[s]. It really is the best way of working - there are several guides around here if you search... Ill take a look for those guides then. @unknownuser said: You have to adapt to the software you use. I would say the software has got to adapt to the users optimal workflow, not the other way. But maybe this is the better way and i´ve not understood the intension behind this. thx...

Hi TIG, thank you for your detailed analysis and the effort you made to you. I will try to trace your steps described. I don't Know Profile-Maker. And I see again how important it is to have people like you in the forum. Charly

Hi ThomThom, Yes I did turn on hardware acceleration in preferences, and I'm downloading the drivers now. ultimatez

@thomthom said: What threes is that in the background? From Google Warehouse? Yes . By Darrell Smith, I believe, 2.5D as you can probably tell. I think it was called big oak tree. Will check when I get back to the computer next week and let you know if wrong .

@tig said: make a component of the smaller one, giving it gluing and 'hole cutting' properties. The easiest and most fool proof way is to draw the smaller rectangle on a face (it can be this final face or any temporary face). Now when you drew the rectangle, double click on it (to select the face and its bounding perimeter), right click on the selection > "Make component" and SU (by default) will already assign the gluing and cutting properties to this new component. As TIG says, since it will "cut" a hole into the face it is placed on (but at the same time fills that cut with its own face/colour), this Z-fighting will not happen.

You should work full-size in Sketchup. It doesn't "draw to scale". Set you empty SKP model - Model Info > Units - to say 'meters'. Import the site-plan image and place it down flat. Use the Tapemeasure tool and pick two points on this image that you know to be a given distance a part - perhaps a road width or a building-frontage width - let's say it's 30m. The VCB will show a dimension [it won't be 30m unless you are the luckiest guy in the world! but that's not important], immediately type in the correct dimension as 30m and press <enter>, a dialog asks if you want to rescale the model, say 'yes'. Group it and lock the group so you don't accidentally change it. The image is now scaled to the right size, so drawing things over it at their true size will be in the correct relationships/proportions. Now you can draw over it to add new roads and block-building forms, entering the sizes in meters as you want... Group or make components of these parts so they don't 'stick-together' when moving/rotating... You can set some scene tabs of 3d perpsectives or 2d plan [no-perspective] etc with shadows on as desired. Export these as images - you can scale a plan later - once your model is more complete...

@thomthom said: And the flutes could be made into CutOut components for easy reuse and quick editing. Another good idea

Well for green machine washers: at a farm where I used to live, we had a gas powered wringer machine--but we took the gas motor off, added a starter engine and ran it all on solar collectors. The drying was also solar / wind, on a clothes line. McGyver, I suspect some of the problem with the competitions is not the green element, but the fact that people are trying to invent such things all the time and if it worked, it would soon be on the market. Probably there are examples of some such competitions that actually created a result by proposing new threads of thought--but probably best suited for "appropriate technology" solutions for rural or undeveloped areas.

I re-imported it in inches and it worked. I figured since it was a german manufacturer plus the spec sheet I had was metric that the cad drawing would be as well. My bad.

Thanks Tig, that helps a lot. now i got it. ...What can i say... thx guys Cookieschredder

@philippelemay said: Anyway, I got this: Acer Aspire AX3400-E3202 AMD X2 Dual-Core processor 2,8GHz 3GB DD3 RAM ... Nvidia GeForce 9200 integrated graphics unit ...asking for possible causes on why it's been so laggy. Because I can't accept the fact that it would be insufficient hardware on my part. a cheap soho system with a shared video solution is surely not the system dedicated to 3D cad modeling (aka number crunching) with OpenGL graphics output... why not asking before buying? If screen transformations (zooming, rotating, panning) is the lagging issue, you may want improve it by inputing a dedicated mid-range graphics accelerator as e.g. a nVidia GeForce GTS450 or an ATI Radeon HD5770 etc. hth, Norbert

TIG just wanted to say thanks so much for the great info. Fixed the problem.

@alestenos said: So, when I click on the zip icon my computer download a file called file.php I have no idea what to do and I need to use the shape bender ASAP as I am working on a signage for a curved brick wall. Try a 'right-click' on the link and pick 'download...'

never mind.. my new friend the "search" tool answered http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=29056&p=252770&hilit=align+two+faces#p252770

Welcome Gordon. Nice sheets and an interesting method. I agree with Rich about Layout and the latest version has dimensioning. Certainly got to be worth getting to grips with.