Unfortunately Sketchup does not handle large models very well so switching between apps will require SU to 'reload' the scene which will take a while especially with shadows on. I cannot respond much about importing your CAD plans (assume ,dwg) as I do not know if you imprted it in the beginning or after you already had a large model, which would explain it if indeed it was the latter.

@remus said: Check the openGL settings as well. i think SU defaults to no hardware acceleration, so this could slow it down quite a lot. After I started this thread I remembered that Hardware Acceleration causes Bug Splats on my machine. Every now and then SketchUp seems to switch back to it. (I remote login to my machine sometimes, and I think SketchUp sometimes changes its video settings when it notices this). Last week, SketchUp started Bug Splatting, and I uninstalled it, re-installed it and was ready to cancel by demo the next day when nothing helped (I also deleted all the .rb files in the plugins folder). Then I remembered about the problems I sometimes have with Hardware Acceleration settings.

tried it. it just jumps back to the position im dragging it from

As for "keeping copying them", scroll down to where it talks about Linear arrays here.

If I may ask, will there be a part 3 showing how you did the ice and other details of that small glass? Thanks.

The kml is simply the placemark (co-ordinates and such) for the GE model. There should be some further folders inside for the model file (*.dae) and the texture images.

I make the tut here http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=18811

Ugh, nodes. I have yet to be able to make anything at all with nodes, I can't get my head around the logic.

Well okay, Alan...if that's the way you want to be I suppose I can cope :`) Hope you enjoy!

Seems all works fine! See same thread above

Hi folks. I would simply draw a line that goes from one end of the object to the opposite end and centered on the two ends. To avoid messing with the model, I would group it if not done already. Then, after going in X-Ray Mode, I would select both the object and the line and I would grab the selection by the midpoint of the line and move it in order to snap the grabbed midpoint to the origin. Finally I would delete the added line and deactivate X-Ray mode. Just ideas.

seems like working for me now (hopefully). just arranged my icons where i wanted them- an just saved the blank file as template- working fine!!

Thank You. - Scotty

And it slows the model down quickly if you star making circles that detailed. This is not a SU problem, but something that many 3d modelers do the same way. You'll find that even 3dmax and Maya work the same way. Chris

Hmm, yes I can see how nesting them could throw it off. But it looks like you say it works as expected Jean, so thats good. I suppose an example is needed. I'll sure keep my eyes open for one. Chris PS I've had some great kite flying days already this year Jean, the weather is wonderful here in the San Francisco Bay area!

OK, I see. I thought I was missing something (obviously there are 2D "top view" trees, too) since TIG generally doesn't say... Ehm... Whatever...

It reminds me a lot of the real world construction technique of using a Monolithic Dome. Check it out. http://www.monolithic.com -Mark McCoy http://www.8-perf.com

One subtle and frustrating anomaly of Sketchup that applies to textures, is the behavior of custom axes. If you build a rafter on a roof plane and then group it or make a component, its axes will align with the default axes, which means the axes will not follow the "length" of the rafter. However, if you use the axes tool to change the axes to follow the roof plane BEFORE grouping or making the component, then that component or group will inherit the new custom axes when it is created. This is good. HOWEVER, textures do not seem to honor the custom axes. You would expect that if you changed the axes and then applied a texture, that the texture would be aligned to the new axes. IT WILL NOT. It will still align to the default axes. This makes for a very confusing behavior. Components honor custom axes when being created, but textures do not. However, textures will honor the COMPONENT's axes, but only if applied after the component (or group) is created. This can lead to some maddening behavior when editing, applying, and anchoring textures on components that have been rotated. It's hard to explain in a post, but I will try to build a sketchup file that demonstrates this weird behavior and post it later.

Thanks guys, We really appreciate your positive feedback.