@utiler said:

Just revisiting this thread; when converting colours to vector and exploding down to base elements, any colours with opacity levels altered will come in as full colour.

That is just a condition of vectorizing the file. Same as when you lose shadows etc.
You can get your opacity colours in hybrid or raster. But with less editing capabilities.
But then you are back where you started I suppose.

@pilou said:

Just In V6 for a more large audiance!

Thanks Pilou, I must remember to do that in future.

I do a bit of letter carving for signs in the real world. Thought I'd give it a try in SU.
And thought it would be straightforward. Not at all. Got in a hell of a mess.
The pic below was as good as I managed, very slow, too many vertices, broken faces, hard work.
Must be a better way...
...I'm wondering how some of you guys might tackle it?

I've attached a couple of sample letters in outline if anyone wants to have a go...
Cheers
Baz

IncisedLetters_Forum-V6.skp

@nujak66 said:

Baz,

You are great! I didn't even think of drawing in sketchup first, then converting to vector in layout! Genius! Thank you! Much better than my png version. I'm glad I didn't spend too much time building a library of .png. I'm going to go at a scrapbook library your way in Layout.

Cheers!

Good,thanks. Show us a few examples when you have some...

@ntxdave said:

@baz said:

Here is a plugin for exploded views...

http://sketchucation.com/plugin/1424-eclate_deplace

I get a pretty much blank page (except all of the add stuff). No text at all under the name of the plugin.

Look to the right. Says 'Login to get it".

@brooklynia373 said:

Is the edge just drawn freehand and then push/pull?

Baz, how do you get the checking lines at the end of the board in your render? Is that also drawn in the model?... or a bump/displacement map?

It was a bump.

Here is a plugin for exploded views...

http://sketchucation.com/plugin/1424-eclate_deplace

Tig's Split Tools/SplitDonut should do it for you.

Here's another...

Try exploding the 'Vector' model in LO and ungroup until you just have the colour swatches.
Does that get you what you want?

Can't you use the eyedropper tool in LO to sample the colour?
Or am I missing the point?

@pbacot said:

I've tried to explode a SU reference. Grayed out. How is this process done (how did you get put it in LO etc.)?

Insert model in LO or send to LO from SU.
Check Vector is on.
Right click model window/Explode/Ungroup/

And depending on how far you drill down you are then left with a bunch of vector entities which can be manipulated with LO tools.

Got it. This is SU and Layout only.
Drawn in SU, Vector model exploded and ungrouped down to single entities.Then regrouped.
At this stage you can change the line weights, fill etc.
Warning, once you have any stage of the Layout file as you want it, save it. Layout seems to be a bit twitchy with this operation and you might have to revert.

Tree-One-Explode.layout

Here is a PNG with transparency, same as your method.
Might have a go a la Richard in Layout...

Edit, hang on, that doesnt work, needs transparency of course, duh.
Will have another think...

Thought I would have a go at this.
Drawn in SU, saved as scrapbook file in layout.
Filled and unfilled version.
You can change the line weights and apply sketchy styles. And of course they are vector.
I would be happy to knock some of these out if you are interested.

Tree-One.layout

Aha

This picture is most def worth a thousand words...

Yeah, been there...pita.

That worked.
Thanks Box.
PS: How is the Glass sculpture going, haven't seen an update for a while.