Two problems

newvista

Hi, I am having two problems with my simple design works.

I have two seperate files. I open one and I import the other one in this file and combine it, I still see thick line in between where the two images are connected. They do not become one face, that is what I wanted.
I am trying to design a landscape and I want to add a lot of trees and people etc from the components, but as soon as I add few trees, my images become almost impossible to orbit around. I also get a lot of black squares when orbiting. Is there a place where I can find small trees/bushes that are small in file size? I have a brand new laptop (Dell Vostro 1500, 1.6 Ghz Processor, 1GB Ram, 256MB Nvidia Video Card).

Thank you so much for your time and help.

Landscape.skp

todd burch

The first problem is because the second import came in as a Group. Right click it and choose Explode.

Todd

juju

newvista, I can't point you straight to the relevant thread, but do a search for component instancing. There is a method whereby you can use a simple placemark-like for each of the different components you want to place, and then once you're done you replace them with the real deal. Giving you the flexibility to work with your file on your machine and still get the desired result in the end.

Gaieus

Todd is fine with the import thing - though it will import it as a component - but the way to handle it is the same.

Interesting though what Juju says; using "dummy" components for more complex geometry while modelling. That's a good trick; however you can always create a layer for "plants" for instance and keep that layer turned off while just modelling (and this way freeing your video card from dealing with heavy geometry).

pmiller

@unknownuser said:

There is a method whereby you can use a simple placemark-like for each of the different components you want to place, and then once you're done you replace them with the real deal.

The method is to right click on a component and then select "reload" on the context menu. Unfortunately, since Version 6 SU is very unreliable in this regard. Sometimes you will not get a broswer to select a component to replace it. A work-around is to "save as" the component (give it a different name), then try the reload again and you will get a browser to replace it. It's a most unfortunate bug that was introduced in V6 and the SU team has not seen fit to fix it.

A more reliable method of working is to put your entourage (trees, cars, people) on a layer and then hide the layer while you work. Make a scene that has these layers turned off for working. Also keep textures and shadows turned off until you are ready to render.

gata

You also may be interested in a script called MaxtrixProximity. It's at the Ruby Library Depot in the geometry section http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDepot/Ruby/en_sections.html . It will substitute poly-heavy models for simplified models depending on the camera distance.

newvista

Thank you, everybody, for taking the time to answer my questions. For the first question, Todd's trick did what I needed. Now I am able to make seperate image files and put them together and make one big image. Thanks Todd.

I apreciate the answers to my second question too, but I am kind of lost. May be I am not good with layers and scenes yet, so I feel like I am not understanding something.

So, the first trick would be using 2D trees and 2D people and replacing them with the 3D trees and 3D people, right? What about the size (height) of the trees and people? Do I need to adjust that or replacing object will be the exact size of the orginal object. I could try it out myself and see, but just wanted to ask if somebody has already done it.

The other one is to make layers for those heavy components and turn off that layer while working with the image. But the problem is, at some point I have to be able to put them all together and show my boss. That is when I am going to have problem as I can not orbit around to show him.

Thanks for your time.