Thank you d12dozr and Ad Machine. I will check them all out.

@adrienandre said: ...don't forget also to active the toggle terrain icon... I thought you did: @adrienandre said: ...it gave me a flat terrain even when I actived the "toogle terrain" icon...

If you have the model grouped so the tower is separate from the fins, you can use the Tape Measure tool to scale each group. Please see this link for more info (scroll down to "Scaling an Entire Model") Note that you need to "enter" the group that you wish to scale before you use the Tape Measure tool on it.

Hi, Englanddesktop here. Thanks for your pep talk, I'm not the only person in the world with a SU problem. I had unfounded reason for doubting my ability. When this problem is solved by others or myself, there will be others. I will more than likely have other problems and mistakes but I have learnt a lot, maybe the hard way. It's nice to get help when you or I get an "unsolvable" problem. Thanks very much for your input. John

Hi Lee, There is a "Get nearby models" in the latest version however that will not nake any difference between recently uploaded models and the ones that have been there for ages: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=116820

It might be the very tiny scales you are working in. SU tends not to create faces that would have as small edges as about 1 mm. Try to scale your whole drawing up by 10 (or even 100), create these intersections and extrusions and when ready, scale everything back.

Like many display settings it is set in with current Style. Window > Styles click Model icon [small house] Current Style > Edit click Second Icon Button 'Face Settings' Front color and Back color icons show these current settings Click on each of them and choose new colors as desired There are several 'Picker' options available to you. When you are done Update Style with Changes [click circular-symbol button or main Style picture] You can save your Styles externally, for importation into other models, or set the Style[s] in your usual Template SKP, so it is then always set up as you like it in all new models...[image: IBEb_Capture.PNG]

Don't be too happy yet. This means that your graphic card does not support OpenGL and your machine will perform slower with bigger/more complex models. Hopefully a driver update can help but maybe you even need to get a better card eventually.

Hi HR, Here it is if you mean this one: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=13563

That is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks yet again man.

Hi TIG and MtnTrails, Thank's for your advices! The hint on changing the size of the colour thumbnails made me find out how to do: Firstly; chose medium size thumbnails, secondly; let the window get as small width as possible (it cant be smaller than a certain width). Now, all colours suddenly has a logic arrangement. Any other thumbnail size or window width make the colours show up in appearantly random order.

[flash=628,360:1k0badql]http://www.youtube.com/v/sf0LprZpe1A[/flash:1k0badql] Consider taking a great advantage of those two excellent (and highly recommended) tools: CenterPoint v.1.200 by Todd Burch & Construction Line Tool v1.0 by Jim *s

@cosycat said: Have a look at Google fusion tables http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-fusion-tables.html which does something similar for Gmaps Interesting link, thanks, but don't think you can customise the actual areas can you? They have to be single points as far as I can see?

Hi Richard, this seems to be the "Clipping issue". One reason for this is too large (kilometres or miles) geometry OR any geometry being this far from the origin. You can import cad files two ways; preserving the drawing origin or not preserving it. Before importing, check out the "Options" (in the file browser window) and uncheck this option so SU will place your model to the SU origin. BTW here you can also set the original drawing units so you may spare that scaling, too. Sometimes there are some stray edges or any geometry far away from the model (often drafters add this to the origin) which can still cause this effect. In this case, Zoom extents (Shift+Z) then select all (Ctrl+A) to see if anything suspicious is also selected somewhere far away from your model. Delete that bit of geometry and move everything to the origin.

thank you for the your help. I solved the problem with a bump map.

@unknownuser said: By "Both Managers" do you mean Scenes and Styles? Yes. @unknownuser said: The styles manager would be annoying if it warned you everytime a style was changed. I take that update arrow circle thingy as a warning, and then one might even be explicitly warned if that setting is in place.

@tridem said: @broomstick said: .. We are so few... ...and it's so difficult to know those few if they don't show their 'location' or use a recognizable nickname You're right! I thought I had set it

Rich & Mitcorb, thanks for taking the time to explain this to me. @unknownuser said: Does this help? Have i even made sense? Now that you guys mentioned the segment counts on the rails + the link, well doh! Seems pretty obvious. @Rich, what would you consider a reasonable poly count for something like this? I was thinking it seemed rather heavy at this point. Thanks again!

Thank you, Chris. While I read the main threads and hope to check cgScenes out with your model first, my more immediate needs could, I think, be met by something much simpler. I wish you good luck and will try to stay tuned.