Hate to bring this back up but I'm at wits end trying to get SU18 to work with my SM. I've tried copying the files as suggested and upgraded the driver today to 10.5, which 3DC claims to support SU18. I'm now getting following error msg when starting SU18. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Error Loading File C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp/3DxSketchUpExt.rb
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method AttachSkpExtension' for TDx:Module> C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp/3DxSketchUpExt.rb:24:in module:TDx'
C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp/3DxSketchUpExt.rb:10:in <top (required)>' C:/Program Files/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/Tools/extensions.rb:197:in require'
C:/Program Files/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/Tools/extensions.rb:197:in load' C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp.rb:22:in register_extension'
C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp.rb:22:in <module:TDx>' C:/Users/Sam/AppData/Roaming/SketchUp/SketchUp 2018/SketchUp/Plugins/3DxSketchUp.rb:11:in <top (required)>'

@pbacot said:

if you have linked scenes and want to put unlinked SU model views into the same document?
You can't use unlink can you? And besides this has to be done for scores of references each time? Probablly better to just use an image.

It is not 100% clear to me what exactly the OP is trying to accomplish. (Not being critical)

I do know "unlinking" a SU model causes a file "prefix" save of SU model.

So, and based on OP workflow.........seems to me...... if he unlinks the "primary" SU model reference in LO (now unlinked SU model is also unique/separate from original file w/(automatic) assigned prefix to SU file)

Any modifications to original SU model/file will not affect "unlinked" SU model file........but....of course the original file, if modified will no longer be updated in ANY LO viewports.

Now....here is where it gets interesting.......if OP is working with the original SU file and "sends to LO" any revisions/etc. and then further "pastes" from another LO file to the original LO file, it would seem a new (active) link to the SU original (pasted) file would be created.

Effectively having the live viewport(s) limited (isolated) to the "pasted" viewports from original SU model

IDK......seems really muddy and fraught with potential negative implications.....just my two pennies worth.

Charlie

I use the axis tool and align it with a wall corner on the plan. So, on the cabinet wall, I can take the tape measure tool and search for a corner of a cabinet door for a reference point from which to measure and it doesn't find a corner to reference. You didn't encounter this? Are you on a PC or Mac? I'm on a Mac

Thank you!

@juju said:

Personally, I'm always super careful to supply the actual models / CAD files to work as it may lead to unintended use thereof.

There is a plugin that ruins the model without looking like it's ruined. It triangulates it and moves every vertex a tiny bit around randomly so a pushpull can no longer be performed or every edge is out of place just enough that moving is awkward and it renders the model useless for anything else but display and measure.

That might be handy on those scenarios:

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=163921#p163921

Probably good advice! I always think there's some new whiz bang feature that I can't live without...

@pilou said:

@unknownuser said:

Maybe I just go back to 2016, not near as many issues there.

Why change something that works fine ? 😉
Keep old version(s) is a good habit! ☀

Maybe you will find here something who can interest you! 😄

Thank you for your help, Pilou!

Bob

@pilou said:

Just a precision about the Toposhaper method above!

I erase all surfaces and keep only contours !
Will be more precise of course if you have some real level's curves!
(iso contours)

Hi Dave

Yea, I try to avoid exploding groups and components as much as possible, but I have a devil of a time keeping complex groups "solid" as I manipulate them. Irregular shapes and all that I use to cut one group against another. Been burning my brain lately...

Thanks. Maybe you can help out with my next post! 😕

@dave r said:

That is a weird thing about layers when you explode groups or component. It can be leveraged when you're using nested components/groups but with raw geometry it's a bugger. TIG's plugin can help but one thing I've found useful is after exploding a bottom level group, all of its geometry will be highlighted. Immediately correct the layer association in Entity Info and you won't have a problem.

To be honest, I rarely if ever have a need to explode a component after I've created it so this is rarely an issue for me, anyway.

@mwm5053 said:

You might try this plugin from the Plugins store JF Moveit.

I will, thanks!

I understand... thanks, TIG

Bob

Us Mac guys are always the poor children at the end of the block! Haha.

Thanks, Dave!

Hi Bob,

Probably the quickest way to accomplish this, without extensive use of plugins, is to control your camera location/movement through scenes. This precludes the need to manipulate the model in any way.

For example, you could draw a hexagon that encloses your entire model, with one vertex lined up with the front view. Then you could place your camera on the front vertical of the hexagon. Use guide points to try different elevations until you get one that frames your model correctly. Now adjust the height of the hexagon to match the perfect height.

Re-place your camera on the front vertex, making sure that you are in the front view, and save the scene. Now place your camera on the next vertex and repeat the process and save a scene. (you can control your camera even more if you make an alignment face for each vertex that is perpendicular to the plane of the camera view at the vertex and use that to align the camera after you place it on the vertex. This might be more control than you actually need and "fudging" the camera location to better frame the model in each location is a valid method too.

Once you have all the vertex views saved as scenes, run the animation. You may need to zoom in or out slightly, at each scene, to keep from clipping the model as the camera moves. Keep refreshing the scenes as you dial in the flow.

It sounds more complicated than it is and you will find that you can "fake" an object-based animation pretty easily.

You are right, if you don't take human error into account. It is very easy to innadvertedly click on the wrong answer and the mess is done. You can always fix it throgh a second use of the dialog or, more easily with styles manager.

For me the accurate method is to use both scenes and styles managers for this kind of operation as they offer more control and a lot more possibilities.

Both methods are valid though and the other person might like to be aware of more options.

Why not use Toposhaper ?
It has numerous functions that can be adapted to your terrain!

@bobrsta said:

Thanks, Dave, I'll look around.

Sorry I didn't find you at Basecamp. I will be looking forward to the next one!

Bob

There were so many people. I know I missed a lot of folks, including you.

I'm looking forward to the next one, too.

Bingo! Thanks, Box!

An orthographic camera has no field of view unlike a perspective camera. So if you transition from a orthographic to a perspective the shift is because the field of view introduces depth to the scene.

ortho-pers.gif

If you transition back to orthographic from the perspective scene you'll see this increased as the camera removes the depth.

There's a features request forum here on SCF. You could start there.

FWIW, I prefer the behavior of adding layers as it is so if they make a change, I hope it is a user-selectable option. Of course I guess they say that's why they opened up the API to allow users to write plugins/extensions to add features. 😄

I hope you find the plugin helpful.

not sure what works for extensions, certainly Sketchuaction pluginstore plugin and Extension Warehouse should do for plugins / extensions, licensing (for PAID content) is going to be your issue though...

for models, etc. you can try:
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=rob_cloud