Newbie Help

Zak

Hi, first post. This is two topics in one. I'm introducing myself, and asking a question. So first off, Hi.
Now on to the question. I am designing a house for a class (High School) I'm taking. This house is a really big part of my grade so I REALLY don't want to mess it up. I'm having a lot of trouble with my house. It seems all of my lines are "off". I can't seem to find the problem. A picture of my house can be found here: http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/6609/sketchupoh3.png

Also I need to make a roof, how?

Sorry for being stupid.

Thanks for any and all help.

-Zak

Masta Squidge

First thing is first. I did the same thing so I will help you if i can. The faces are all backwards. The front face is the white one. Im not sure what problems that would cause for you, but doing some more advanced things would be a problem. I came in here with a similar question and thats the first thing they told me. You might be able to reverse one then click orient faces on it, but sometimes that doesnt work and you have to do each one by hand.

As far as the roof goes, you can look here for a quick video on how to make a roof fairly easily. It is a bit advanced I guess you could say, but after some trial and error it shouldn't be too hard for you. After all you did get this far on your own right? Just make sure when you do it to select the face THEN select the follow me tool (the video will explain) then click the face.

When you triple click you will probably select the entire model, but dont worry about it.

Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A6WxE6oO3JU You may have to watch it a few times, but this video sure did help me out a lot.

Be sure to look at all the videos by that user, Aidan Chopra. They are supposed to go with his book, Google Sketchup for Dummies, but you can find them just the same without it. (Ive read the book btw, its very good)

Zak

@masta squidge said:

First thing is first. I did the same thing so I will help you if i can. The faces are all backwards. The front face is the white one. Im not sure what problems that would cause for you, but doing some more advanced things would be a problem. I came in here with a similar question and thats the first thing they told me. You might be able to reverse one then click orient faces on it, but sometimes that doesnt work and you have to do each one by hand.

Hmm, okay... I'm really new at this and have no idea what a face is or any of that stuff.

Masta Squidge

A face is a single... well face.

One single rectangle made up of four lines and the flat part connecting them (the blueish part) is a face.

Tobobo

Zak,

Can you post your model and we can look at it and make some suggestions

@masta squidge said:

thats the first thing they told me. You might be able to reverse one then click orient faces on it, but sometimes that doesnt work and you have to do each one by hand.

Master Squidge,

(nice name by the way)

On Smustard there is a ruby script that speeds up the face reverse tool.

(www.smustard.com)

Save the file in your plugins folder
Then when you open SU it'll be in your tools menu.

Masta Squidge

@tobobo said:

Zak,

Can you post your model and we can look at it and make some suggestions

@masta squidge said:

thats the first thing they told me. You might be able to reverse one then click orient faces on it, but sometimes that doesnt work and you have to do each one by hand.

Master Squidge,

(nice name by the way)

On Smustard there is a ruby script that speeds up the face reverse tool.

(www.smustard.com)

Save the file in your plugins folder
Then when you open SU it'll be in your tools menu.
Well, if he posts his model I might have time to reverse the faces for him. But I imagine all he needs to do is put on a ceiling, then use the method in that video to have himself a nice looking roof in just a few minutes.

Zak

I have no idea how reversing faces will make my lines straghter. I played around on my model, reversing here, and orienting there, but all it did has change the color of the wall. I'm thinking that if I just right-click each line and select soften it will work, thoughts?

I have no idea how to make a model. Still new at this.

Masta Squidge

Post your model for us to look at. You can upload it to the google warehouse by clicking File > 3D Warehouse > Share Model.

Then you can post a link for us to download it for you. I imagine the face issue would not have anything to do with your lines being off the way you describe.

Zak

Ok here is the link: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1e8fae1d921f5bbc86ef6f74a39b7b6a

Sorry for not ebing active, Thanksgiving and stuff.

pmiller

The reason your edges are "off" has nothing to do with face orientation or smoothing. Rather some of your edges simply are not parallel or do not form right angles. SU has built-in inferencing that helps you to draw orthogonal lines -- namely the various axes (red, green and blue). When you extend a line with the pencil tool you should see the line color in one of these 3 before you make the final click. Another help for the beginner is to set your display preferences to show "edge color by axis" (in the style settings). Note how some of your edges show in black when you turn on this display option.

Zak

Thanks for the info. Any suggestions to fix this as fast as possible?

Gaieus

Not other than redraw those lines.
The ones (top and bottom) in the foreground for instance are surely segmented - they do not need to be. I1d delete them and redraw from endpoint to endpoint (one single line) hoping it is on the red axis.

Zak

So, redraw the entire thing? sigh better get started.

Tobobo

You don't have to do that. Just redraw the lines that are wrong.

If i get a chance i'll sort it for you, but i'm a bit swamped.

Tobobo

Here is how you should correct your model:

In the Stlye box, go to the edit tab and at the bottom is a drop box with Color next to it. Change the value to "by Axis" to turn the axis colours on.
Then delete all the lines that are black (these lines aren't straight) and replace them. This is easy as SU snaps to the axis easily (Blue - Z (Verticle) Red - X and Green - Y). Once you have one of these directions the line will colour to that axis colour (holding shift will lock the line on that axis)
Place the end of the line where you want it on the building.

Sorry if its a bit garbled not the best at putting it to paper.

Hope it helps.

ps Here is an image of what the model should look like.