Sketchup orgin?
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"How do I locate or display the models real orgin? That is what I am struggling with."
go to view and make sure axes is turned on... then follow red, green and blue to where they merge. this is 0,0,0... make sure your model is at least close to this point.
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One way to skip past finding it is to open another instance of Sketchup and the cut or copy your entire geometry from one instance of sketchup to the other in to the new blank model. simply click paste at the origin.
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Kris has good methods there. the Copy and Paste into a new model is probably the easiest thing to do assuming your default template lines up showing the model axes. If you have moved the model axes in the current model, you can right click on the origin of them and choose Reset which will send them home. You might have to orbit around then to find the origin. If you do opt for moving the geometry in the model space, make sure all layers are turned on and no geometry is hidden so you can select everything and move it in one go. Then, don't try to go exactly to the origin in one swell foop. Move the selection along one axis direction at a time. It might be best to measure the distance between a point on the model and the red axis and then from the green. that way, once you start the move in the correct direction, you can just type the required distance and hit Enter.
I had to do this on a model sent to me by someone else the other day. In that case it was due to scaling the model up and down several times and not using the same handle for both up and down. It took me three or four move operations to get the model exactly to the origin but it finally got there.
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I copied and pasted entire model into new instance and it still clips.
I guess I may be confused about axis verses orgin. The model axis which is easily placed & moved and re oriented simply by clicking on the axis button is or is not the same as the orgin? So every time we move the axis we are moving the orgin?I may be just fighting a fairly large home on a pretty big lot which is causing a bit more clipping than I am used to experiencing.
Enough for today...
Thanks for your help.
oops just saw your post Dave,
I had reset the orgin as you described earlier and it was not all that far away....I think I am maybe a bit bigger model and site than I am giving credit....
Does the google earth image and terrain factor in if it is on a layer turned off?
Like I said, I am done for the day, but thanks for your guys help.
p
p
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Don't quit yet. We're almost there.
So first of all, the default location of the crossing point of the three axis lines is the model space origin. If you move the axes you move the axis origin (intersection) but you really don't move the model space origin. In the same way the ground plane (the "surface" on which shadows are cast) is fixed. Moving the axes up or down won't change that. Neither will turning the axes so the blue isn't pointing up. And changing the direction of the green axis does not change which way is north. You use the Solar North tool for that.
One thing that comes to mind now is to ask what camera mode you're working in. Is it Parallel Projection? If the camera is close to the model and you switch to Parallel Projection, you might be orbiting the camera into the model and thus get clipping. If you work in Perspective mode that's less likely to be an issue.
Another thing to check is hit Zoom Extents. Does the house and lot fill the window or is it rather small? If you have even a tiny little orphaned line segment somewhere out away from your model, this will have the effect of making your model space huge and be likely to induce clipping.
If you hit Zoom Extents and things get smaller instead of bigger, start hunting for the orphaned geometry. I do this by dragging a right to left selection window around what looks like empty space. then I hit delete and Zoom Extents to see if I've made any changes.
As a final alternative, since it is Friday afternoon, you could just go home and start your weekend.
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There may be something hidden that's off origin as well... make sure to turn on hidden geometry and do zoom extents.
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Thanks. I should have added the step of turning on Hidden Geometry.
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Couple of thoughts;
Hidden wire-frame is not selectable. I find it useful at times to select wire-frame, hide model, select all and delete, unhide model and that can delete snippets way off axis quickly;
To move model to the origin make an absolute move. Select model and move tool at target point on model and then enter in the vcb [0,0,0]. That moves the whole selected model to the origin. If you want to keep the x,y but move z then do [,,z] and the x y location remain the same but models moves to the z location. If you what to move axis just use the align axis tool;
Now the assertion. The world axis, that is the one you cannot move, is related to the WGS 84(85?) datum(x,y) you have set ,which Boulder Colorado is the default, unless you have changed that in your template. I have searched but could find no info on this. Anyone know for sure.? -
It's a good tip to check model extents (turn on hidden geometry under the View menu and all layers first).
Another thing may be that though now you have the geometry at the origin, when importing several cad files, SU imports them as groups (or components? - I cannot remember now). However the bounding box of these groups may sill be huge - because their component origin is far from the geometry (this is how it's inserted so far from the origin) - and that will also cause clipping. Try to select one and see if the bounding box exceeds the geometry too much.
If you explode such a group (and group the still selected geometry), it can fix it. OR: have a look at this plugin: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=30508
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Gaieus,Mac 1,Daver
Thanks for chiming in,
*I work in perspective
*I remembered the trick about zooming extents from an old post and had done that but not with hidden geometry on. I will do that.- I open each imported cad file by double clicking on it, then select what I want from it, make that selection a group, cut it, and then close the original imported cad group and delete it. I then paste the portion that I had cut back in to model space. I think that eliminates the possibility of an errand piece of geometry floating around out in the boonies.
Daver
@dave r said:
Don't quit yet. We're almost there.
*(I was already out the door when you wrote this )If you hit Zoom Extents and things get smaller instead of bigger, start hunting for the orphaned geometry. I do this by dragging a right to left selection window around what looks like empty space. then I hit delete and Zoom Extents to see if I've made any changes.
*Had already done this, but thanks just the sameAs a final alternative, since it is Friday afternoon, you could just go home and start your weekend.
- I work at home on Thursdays and Fridays so the weekend was already here for me.
Mac1
- I will try the hidden wire frame idea.
@mac1 said:
To move model to the origin make an absolute move. Select model and move tool at target point on model and then enter in the vcb [0,0,0].
**** This is exactly what I want to do!Now the assertion. The world axis, that is the one you cannot move, is related to the WGS 84(85?) datum(x,y) you have set ,which Boulder Colorado is the default, unless you have changed that in your template. I have searched but could find no info on this. Anyone know for sure.?
- The world axis does not effect clipping though...correct? Mine is set by template to my region, Minneapolis. When importing Google earth grab, that resets the world axis to the grab for that particular model if I am not mistaken.
I guess I should clarify just how much clipping I am experiencing to put things in perspective.
Normally in my years of modeling homes I have been able to zoom and orbit my self as if I was sticking my head up into a soffit from the back side of a fascia and fiddle with something as small as a screw or nail, seeing intersection of lines clearly. On these last couple models I am experiencing the clipping issue I would say out 2 feet from where I want to get.
So it is not as if it is clipping from a far distance, but it is interfering with my normal attention to detail.I will now go back to the drawing board and see what develops from all your alls input.
Thanks
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Ok, I have gone through all the suggestions and my model is located where it should be and there is no hidden or floating geometry. I thing this model may just be big enough that it is clipping just a bit more than normal.
It is by no means stopping me from functioning, just more of an annoyance.
Have a look at the overview shots of "zoom extents"
In your opinion is this model & site large enough to cause a little extra clipping?
Anyway, thank you all for your help & some very good info.to file away for future reference.
Paul
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Paul,
What happens if you hide the plan drawing and the elevation images? Can you then zoom in on details on the house without clipping?
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This is a long shot...
Can you Zoom to extents for both the perspective and parallel views.
If find that if you zoom in close in perspective and then change to paralell the clipping will occur.
Zoom out both to reset them can fix it.
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that site plan is big enough to cause clipping if you're working in 1/8 units and snapping. save the land as another sketchup file and put your house in that file as a component and work on the house component separately.
to be more clear...
make the whole house and elevations a component in this model.then right click on the component and hit save as.
save the house component in your project file folder... name it "house" or something.
now save the model that your working in as site.
now close the model and open the "house" model.
work on the house component alone and clipping should be minimal.
when you're ready to see the new house on the land, open the site plan model and right click on the component and chose reload and browse to the "house" component.
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@dave r said:
Paul,
What happens if you hide the plan drawing and the elevation images? Can you then zoom in on details on the house without clipping?
Dave, I work with the images turned off and use them mostly for reference and it matters not if they are turned on or off as for clipping.
(By the way, I have been trying to make it to a Minnesota users group meeting since it began and I am still planning on doing so. Hope to shake your hand & say hi in the not too distant future.)Krisidius,
I did try earlier isolating the building itself in a separate file and the clipping remains the same.
I do like your description of how to handle buildings separate from site though and will use that method on another project in which I have 10 buildings spread out on a very large site.Rich, no such luck.
p
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Really? damnit...
Ok I have one more solution...
some component in the model has an extremely small scale. like a lamp or a chair is extremely over detailed. do you have any furniture yet?
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I think (I have not completely verified this) but you might have a component whose axis is waaaay off the origin of the model, and that could also make the model act poorly. Maybe someone already suggested that, but I didn't see it as I skimmed through this thread.
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Yes... I like what Chris has there. make sure to turn on component axises...
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I just got done typing a very long winded, highly detailed and stunningly interesting response to your further input with results of testing each of your suggestions complete with photos...I took a quick preview..and crash! I lost the site and my post.
So shorter version.
I did find a distant axis related to three reference planes I had in the model (see image below)
Clipping improved maybe just a bit when I removed those planes. Not night & day though.
Component testing:
I do not have any furniture or other highly detailed components in the model, but decided to start testing by removing groups and components that I know I have not used before and that had been scaled.Test area image:
Clipping with site image in:
Clipping with site image removed:
That site image seems to be the culprit. It was originally an image when I first imported it and I exploded it, grouped it, and scaled it way down to match the model size.
Site image:
I will now get my site work done and get this problem maker out of my model. I don't know if it is just the size of the site image or the fact that I scaled it way down or...
You guys have been great to keep digging at this thing.
Thank you!
Paul
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Paul, we seem to be getting closer to solving this. I'd have loved to have read your "highly detailed and stunningly interesting response."
I would suggest that when you import your site image you either leave it as an image or, if there's a compelling reason to have it as a component/group in your model, that you correct its size prior to componentizing/grouping. This will help you avoid potential size issues. If you do group first, open the group and scale the geometry and the texture.
Out of curiosity, is there a reason for converting the image to a texture in a group?
Now, on to your trim example. Suppose you either turn off layers for or otherwise hide stuff that you don't need to see while you work on that detail? Can you then zoom in close to the detail and avoid the clipping?
I'd love to get to the meeting again and shake your hand, too, Paul. It would be nice to meet considering we aren't really that far apart.
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