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    Fold objects together or snap faces?

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    • Rich O BrienR Offline
      Rich O Brien Moderator
      last edited by

      Did you try SketchUp's native Snap points?

      Just a moment...

      favicon

      (help.sketchup.com)

      SketchUp_1J4rWTkNEz.gif

      Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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      • B Offline
        BarrySumpter
        last edited by BarrySumpter

        Hi Rich,
        Thanks heaps for taking the time to post that.
        Regrettably, Sketchup 2021 pro does not have the snap faces.

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        • B Offline
          BarrySumpter
          last edited by BarrySumpter

          Hi Rich,
          Any chance you could use that snap for the other 4 points like this:
          Star Result.jpg
          No insult intended.
          I'm trying to see how off the finished star is.
          You can see that last snap (Labeled Right) is off.
          Lets say my 2mm if perfectly joined with the other 4 points.
          But I can't get the points left and right in Sketchup.
          So if they are already off on the first snap then multiplied by 10 to get the total discrepency.

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          • Rich O BrienR Offline
            Rich O Brien Moderator
            last edited by

            No insult taken. I can understand the frustration. The smallest error in modelling will compound over time as you array objects.

            It might be better to adjust the modelling approach if you are struggling to align objects.

            I did use Snaps and I get a misalignment at the end too.

            image.png

            πŸ”» Download star-point[rich].skp

            So it would seem there is a small flaw in the modelling.

            Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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            • Rich O BrienR Offline
              Rich O Brien Moderator
              last edited by

              Edit the group and right click and choose Make Snaps

              Here's a SKP file with Snaps at each corner.

              star-point[rich-snaps].skp

              To fully understand you would need to review the help docs I linked to earlier.

              Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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              • B Offline
                BarrySumpter @Rich O Brien
                last edited by BarrySumpter

                @Rich-O-Brien
                Thanks again Rich.
                Those docs are out of date for 2025.
                Having a look now at your example.
                After click on the point where I want the snap.
                It shifts to something similar to Axis tool.
                Then it shifts to something similar to the protractor tool.

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                • Rich O BrienR Offline
                  Rich O Brien Moderator
                  last edited by

                  Yeah, so the CTRL key toggle from place to edit to erase. The behaviour itself is a little flaky because you need to move mouse off of a Snap to get the toggle to work.

                  It won't toggle for me if I hover a Snap and hit CTRL

                  But the basics is to place your Snap, orientate it appropiately and then place a Snap on the other object orientated in the same manner.

                  image.png

                  That way when you use the Move tool to grab the objects Snap it will snap to the other object's Snap orientation.

                  Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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                  • Rich O BrienR Offline
                    Rich O Brien Moderator
                    last edited by

                    The initial Snap placement requires a double left click. So make sure your Snap is perpendicular to the face then double click to place it.

                    If you single click you then get it placed but it expects you to then orientate it. That can cause you to get disturbed by SketchUp's inferencing engine.

                    It's a little tricky to get the workflow but with practice it becomes relatively easy.

                    Personally, I'd tackle this Star Shape differently. Especially if you have exact dimensions. But everyone does things differently.

                    SketchUp_NpqckseDMv.gif

                    Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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                    • B Offline
                      BarrySumpter
                      last edited by BarrySumpter

                      the snap cursor needs the shift key to maintain its orientation.

                      I just clicked the first time to set the spot.
                      Then click twice more to set whatever it was asking for.

                      Then it would let me move the snap over to the other and orient correctly.

                      I'm sure it was just lucky.

                      Yep, just lucky. Can't reproduce.

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                      • B Offline
                        BarrySumpter
                        last edited by BarrySumpter

                        When you first started on my original skp file,
                        did you change the Axes before assigning Snaps?
                        I can only get the cubes to snap if they are on one of the axes.

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                        • Rich O BrienR Offline
                          Rich O Brien Moderator
                          last edited by

                          I didn't change anything in the model other than use a single piece.

                          Download the free D'oh Book for SketchUp πŸ“–

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                          • B Offline
                            BarrySumpter
                            last edited by

                            Ah! so you didn't use both.

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                            • B Offline
                              BarrySumpter
                              last edited by BarrySumpter

                              Desperate to get this sorted.
                              Any chance you'd let me pay you to vid exactly how you did it.
                              With every detail to put the full star bowel together?

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                              • BoxB Offline
                                Box
                                last edited by

                                I don't really get why you don't just make the shape you want and take the shapes from it.
                                Here's a quick version where all points are the same and although I have used two components, the second is just a mirror of the first.
                                GIF 8-09-2025 12-14-18 PM.gif

                                B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • B Offline
                                  BarrySumpter
                                  last edited by

                                  ok thanks heaps.
                                  I'll have another go.
                                  I still want to figure out how to use snaps after doing this.

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                                  • BoxB Offline
                                    Box
                                    last edited by

                                    Without bothering with snaps.
                                    GIF 8-09-2025 2-06-37 PM.gif

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                                    • B Offline
                                      BarrySumpter
                                      last edited by

                                      ok thanks again

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                                      • B Offline
                                        BarrySumpter @Box
                                        last edited by BarrySumpter

                                        Thanks for this one, Rich (corrected-with apologies).

                                        Absolute champion.

                                        I get what you are telling me now.

                                        I got caught up in learning how to use the snaps.

                                        Any reason why you don't want to tell me how to use the snaps?

                                        Again, no insult intended.

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                                        • B Offline
                                          BarrySumpter
                                          last edited by BarrySumpter

                                          Ok, now I'm back to where I was designing my table saw sleds.
                                          This design has me cutting 4 intricate cuts. Mitre and bevel on all 4 sides.
                                          My original design has me cutting just 3 intricate cuts.
                                          Leaving the 4th side (top) at right angle.
                                          But leaning/angling over to accomplish the same look.

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                                          • B Offline
                                            BarrySumpter
                                            last edited by

                                            Black Compass.jpg
                                            How did you get the Rotate compass to turn black and at 45Β°?

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