The "Duh!" thread (aka the Doh! thread)
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@jim said:
Just learned the physical size of the SU window matters when trying to print to scale.
No matter what I did I could not get my unscaled print on a single page, even though it would have easily fit on a single page. After making the SU window narrower than the height, SketchUp decided it would fit a a single sheet after all.
Found that out the hard way, 100 prints to just get close...
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@ecuadorian said:
I changed the thread title in order to collect more "Duh!" moments here.
A couple of minutes ago, I just realized that the "Move" tool has a rotate function incorporated when you select a component. Just hover your mouse over any of the six faces of the bounding box and you'll see four red crosses. Select any of them to rotate your component around its center.
Another "Duh!" moment brought to you by a SketchUp newbie. I guess it's time to read the 887-page long manual from start to end.
Keep in mind the [move] tool rotate is a bit different from the [rotate] tool.
With move/rotate the 4 selection grab points (red +) are inset at mid point of the sides of the bounding box, BUT the actual axis of rotation is only perpendicular to the centroid of the bounding box selection face, regardless of the objects actual shape and mass center. The [move] tool can ONLY rotate groups and components, no other objects.
The rotate tools selection point is anywhere on any selected object(s) (anywhere in the drawing) and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the face at the selection point. If you need to rotate the object on an axis not perpendicular to the selection face, you need to place the protractor on a parallel face then [shift] move and then [click] the protractor to the selection point and complete the rotation. Otherwise you will need a temporary face to force the axis alignment for the rotate. The temp face need not be on any actual face of the object, but as a safeguard, group it first to avoid merging. To aid in placing the protractor center correctly, place a guide line in the desired axis of rotation, passing through the temp face. Place the protractor center on the intersection of the guide line through the temp face and complete the rotation.
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@unknownuser said:
@unknownuser said:
My Spacebar doesn't deselect - disappointed.
You right : I was no precise!
That deselect "tools" !
Deselect selected is of course clicked an empty space
[ctrl]T deselects all. Sometimes you cannot see empty space to click on.
That was my "Duh" moment after more than a year of using SU and frustration with deselections from inside my models.
Another "Duh" was using the [extrude] tool to quickly "select" (highlight actually) faces to reverse or delete. Just hover the tool over the face (NO clicking) and using shortcut keys "D" = delete, "R" = reverse face to either delete them or reverse them. Very fast that way for multiple faces. Gaieus gave me that one. There are other tools and functions you can use as well.
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@unknownuser said:
@paulside said:
Come on, Own up, how many of us have tried to orbit a jpg !
i try to orbit everything on my computer after a long SU session.. web pages etc...
it's like jumping on a trampoline for a while.. once you get back on solid ground, it takes a few minutes to readjust..
Like the famous Indian explorer, Binder Dundat, I have a 2D graphics app for GIF animation creation. [Orbit] does not work in that. Pity......
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@gaieus said:
@thomthom said:
...
Ever tried to undo a wrong stroke with the pen..?Or with a girlfriend?
English teacher remarks to young Johnny that his spelling and punctuation has improved considerably.
Johnny say "I had too. My older sister caught a major screaming session with Mom & Dad when she missed a period." -
My Duh! of today...
I just noticed you can use 'paste in place' for moving ungrouped geometry inside an already grouped geometry. It helps a lot when you are outlining something in a blueprint and then paste in place in a group, like a plane's wing for intersection.
ultimatez
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@jgb said:
English teacher remarks to young Johnny that his spelling and punctuation has improved considerably.
Johnny say "I had too. My older sister caught a major screaming session with Mom & Dad when she missed a period." -
This and the Offset tool keep their last measures even you use some other tools between them!
So the "Double Click" is some efficient! 
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@unknownuser said:
This and the Offset tool keep their last measures even you use some other tools between them! So the "Double Click" is some efficient!
Please clarify for the snail within. Double click to edit group/component with the preset distances?
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Several tools remember the last used value [during that session] - Offset and PushPull are the main ones.
Make an Offset on a Face - enter 100.
Later Choose the Offset Tool again and double-click on a Face - it will Offset 100...
Do a PushPull on a Face - enter 10.
Later Choose the PushPull Ttool again and double-click on a Face - it will PushPull 10...Type in new values if you desire...
SUp tries to be helpful in your working methods...
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OK, thanks. I am not used to the command first -> selection second mode, which I should practice.
Might it be nice if the VCB window showed the remembered value at first when the command is picked?
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Thx I can't say better or I c'ant better say!
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I would guess that most people when using the pushpull tool would select the push pull tool first, and then hover over the desired face to push pull it. Offset I often go either way. I generally use it without selecting anything first, unless I specfically need to make a selection. Move tool I find I make my selection forst almost always. Same thing with the scale tool. Just do whichever is faster for you.
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Since I'm used to archicad i find it tedious to reactivate selection tool, select item, move it and repeat. So when things are still simple, I keep the move tool activated and select objects right clicking on them
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don't forget the shortcut for selecting... it's spacebar, an extremely accessible key
and the "m" for move is just above it! -
Using shortcuts is the single most effective way of speeding up your workflow...
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@thomthom said:
Some Duh! moments I've had:
Realising the Taper tool could be used to scale a model.
Realising that I could change the radius of a circle that's been extruded.
The taper tool? Is this my duh moment? OK, where? A plugin?
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I meant the Tape Measure tool.
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However, FredoScale does have a taper tool: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=17948
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@unknownuser said:
One for me was when Gaieus was from Gaieus' talk at the Basecamp (I saw the video) and using the rotate tool.
When you click the rotate tool and click the rotation point, don't let go of the mouse button... drag it out to either red or green (or any other snap point you set up) then click to start. This relieves any need for a vertical plane to get your rotation set up.
See image for example.
[attachment=0:2b46kvl7]<!-- ia0 -->ClickHold.jpg<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:2b46kvl7]
I have been using SU since V2 and never knew that until last year.
Ooh, wow, that one hurts. In a good way.
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