I have flattery but the tab function doesn't work on 3D solids. I like to rough in my pieces and then add the tabs but flattery creates more work in the process and I can't specify lengths/squareness. It just takes the entire line segment and adds a tab. I need something to add like 5 tabs equal distance from each other and equal size along this parts edge.

Also I need to intersect components not faces. Intersecting faces is a nightmare to clean up and not worth the time. I want to overlap two components and then intersect them without ever breaking the components up. Then I could make keys with the tab pattern in them and create the first piece then mate it to the second and intersect again.

Slot 4 Tab would be really close to what I need but it's not working and the thread has not been updated since 2010.

I spend a lot of time making tabs on stuff so I can fit them together after they have been laser cut. It's rather annoying. I've spend to some time looking for plugins but I have not been able to find one that works. I did find Slots 4 Tabs but it doesn't seem to work in the new version and appears to be rather old. I'd like to get something that automatically makes the tabs but I can work with something that works like Slots for Tabs or even just one that allows me to intersect components without switching to Pro.

Any ideas?

Ok So my system is a bit better but still not performing good and I now have to restart every 30 mins or so instead of 10.

I wiped all sketchup 8 and 13 files. Reinstalled 13. Then added the sketucation plugin mananger and like 3 or 4 plugins that I need. Simple stuff like center point, dxf export, and something else.

Complexity of the file does have some bearing on it. A simple file just lasts longer before it starts to get jerky on the zoom and then slowly degrade to unusable. Doesn't matter if I'm using it or not. I can just leave it open and come back to have it almost locked up. The rest of my system doesn't have any problems. Just sketchup. I swapped the graphics card back to the better one and the issues is on both of them.

Direct Diag doesn't show any issues. Everything is active and I don't have any problems with anything but sketchup.

As for my memory, 500mb is labeled as free. I have 3gb and have maxed out my windows 7 32 bit system. Windows 7 will just eat all the memory that is left so I technically have like 2 gb free with windows eating it all for transitions and other crap that it will dynamically stop using as my programs need it.

Driver is up to date. I've tried rolling it back and it doesn't change. SU 8 had the same issue. That is what prompted me to upgrade in the first place. So far, I'm not impressed with SU 2013. It's also the free version.

I have not run a memory test but scheduled windows to do one the next time I reboot.

Resetting the workspace from within the preferences menu fixes it once or twice but then it gets all weird and requires a full reboot.

Other then a known issue with the video driver crashing during flash video, My system runs fine and doesn't have any heating problems any more. Games run fine for hours. The only program that is screwy is sketchup.

Could it be the sketucation plugin? I didn't have problems before that was installed. It's the only thing I can think that changed around the time that the problem started and it has been in every instance that I have tried. It was stable for a bit without any plugins but I can't do actual work without my dxf exporter so I generally only tested it for a bit then installed sketucation and the dxf exporter. I might try a fresh install without that plugin.

Well I worked on a new model yesterday and about 40 mins into it I started to see slow downs again. Only plugins that are install are a DXF exporter, Center point, and the sketchucation one. Restarting sketchup fixed the issue.

I have 3gb of ram. 500 is the free memory.

I have a windows 7 system. Radion 4800 and an AMD dual core 2.21 ghz processor. I wouldn't call it cutting edge but it has worked great in the past.

I moved all my plugins out to a backup folder and it seems to be working fine. I'm going to keep it running for a while longer and install the sketchucation plugin and add the ones I need back in one at a time.

I don't have VRAY or anything too heavy installed. Just some dxf exporters and simple stuff. It happens on all my models. I was working on one yesterday with 3 simple parts in it.

I am having a terrible time with sketchup the last few weeks. I swapped my video card out because my Radion 4800 was overheating. I swapped in an old Nvidia card. I forget which one off hand. I replaced the heat sink compound on the Radion and installed it again. I thought the Nvidia was causing it to slow down but same issues with the better card.

I even upgraded from 8 to 2013 while using the Nvidia card hoping to fix it. Still no luck.

CPU runs about 65-80% and memory has 500mb or so free. Sometimes its so bad that it just hangs when I zoom in and jerks really slow. Rebooting the computer fixes it.

I'm kinda at wits end with it. I've tried a bunch of stuff but nothing seems to work. I did just dump my plugins folder over so I might have to go through and delete everything I don't need. Maybe one of them is causing the issue.

Any help would be great!

I have a dxf export plugin that I use constantly. I'd reference where I got it but I'm not sure. It's one of the better ones that exports circles and arces as entities instead of line segment. It works really well because I do a lot of designing for laser cutting.

It has one major flaw. I'd like to fix that but I don't have the time to dig into it and learn ruby or the API. The save dialog box does not have a file restriction. I have to type dxf each time. Not a big deal but it gets cumbersome when working on a larger design. I'll end up with a lot off odd ball files. All of them similar in name. The laser makes something like 3 files when I save a cut file. If a design stretches over 3 or 4 sheets then I'll have something like 4 file for each sheet. All named mdf # or styrene #.

How hard is it to configure that file to restrict it to only dxf files?

I'm designing buildings for laser cutting. I'm using MDF and styrene so I need to put the pieces together in 3D to make sure everything fits. After that is done then I need to lay it out for cutting and export to dxf.

I've run into an issue. I have elements that are 0.5mm thick and 3mm thick but they have surface etching details on one edge. If I try to flatten them then they just disappear. If there isn't any detail then I just click into component edit and grab the face but these have lots of faces and it's a pain to grab them all. I have also tried deleting the back piece lines and connector lines to leave just the one face. Both methods are kind of a pain.

Any way to make them no disappear with the push pull tool or other ideas on how to get this to work?

Thanks!