Join shapes - newbie question!

Phoenix5

Hi guys,

This is my first post here so please bear with me.

I recently downloaded the free version of Google Sketchup 7. I work as a project manager in IT and we are trialling different 3D software to give our clients a better understanding of layouts for servers, networks etc. etc.

I've been playing with Sketchup for a few days, and if it works as well as we hope we will purchase the Pro version. In the meantime I'm having a problem that is really bugging me! Quite simply, how do you join 2 shapes together to form one that can then be manipulated with other tools like the push/pull command?

For example, if I create 2 simple cubes and move them together I would like an option to join them as one to form a rectangle. The Google help site has a join option with a glue pot as an icon, but I cannot find it anywhere. Here's their link: http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=95550

I've tried the Intersect options but it still leaves me with 2 independent objects. The same would be with 2 flat surface squares, or freehand shapes. How is this done?

Cheers guys!
Px5

Rich O Brien

That 'Join' tool is only in Layout not SketchUp. To achieve what you suggest would require you to delete the intersecting geometry to be able to manipulate the face.

If you create a cube and then make it a component. Make a copy of that component and move it next to original. Now any change you make to either cube will occur on the copy.

You could even hide geometry where the cubes meet to make it look like one piece

does this make sense?

[edit] must have post same time as massimo...

Phoenix5

Thanks for the quick replies guys!

I'll give it a go now and see how I get on.

I did wonder if the join was a feature of the Pro or other version...

Cheers!
Px5

Edit: Rich, I do like your signature!

massimo

Hi Phoenix, that glue tool is a Layout's tool, a program that comes with SU pro. About your question, if you have two simple shapes like in your example, move them together and then delete the touching lines between coplanar faces. You can also have a look at BoolTools for more complex union operations.