@unknownuser said:

you do realize you can just doubleclick a group to edit it?

Yes, thanks. Sometimes, though, as you know, SU seems to shift the pick in the course of double clicking (if there may be some ambiguity owing perhaps to entities being in stacked (e.g., groups in front of a face). And the shortcut will hopefully be faster when having to drill in to perform multiple group edits (my present concerns are dims acting as text, or maybe TIGs 2DText (? I forget).

Thanks much. The filter was the key. I wonder why the choice is not available without the filter, which I thought would be limiting rather than extending the selection set. Perhaps my glasses are still fogged.

I understand that I need to select a group to be able to create a shortcut to edit same but I can't seem to do it even so. Search results here seem to say otherwise.

OK, thanks. Sorry I missed that.

Well, I can't get the 2DT text or hatch, for instance, to work on any other that the orig x-y (even on a tilted plane), though I can get SU to 'material' hatch or text a tilted plane. Indeed, once one has the non-standard flat plane created by whatever means, usually antithetical to strict model based-work (e.g., by making an vertical plane intersection with a model to produce a section), then SUf can handle drawing, texting etc., on it (even if the text is of the floating variety), and 3d text may be used for flat text. The charm of a 2D text able to be placed without the plane having been explicitly drawn, via the Z set, is the grail in my eyes.

Back to thomthom's earlier inquiry, and some others perhaps: it is not possible to set Z on any axis other than the default world blue (?), so one cannot, for instance, set the 2D Z in order to draw flat on a vertical section plane (which has not been copy-rotated flat)? I tried changing the blue axis (Z, vertical) to the original red as would allow me to do what I want here but the 2D Z did not follow.

Thanks, TIG. Ideally, for me, one could specify which 2Ds the 2DTools operate in, but I suspect that you would have implemented such were it feasible.

I have come to a method which works fairly effectively around the gaping holes (for me) in the native SUfree print-to-scale functions:

Working method:

1. zoom extents to page border (after creating same to match desired paper size at chosen scale)
2. set printer as PDFCreator or similar; set paper size to arch E or other as appropriate to get it all on one page, in spite of SU
3. perform print preview at desired scale; use draft quality for quick check proper paging
4. if correct, repeat but set to HDR quality; print to (create) PDF
5. trim white excess surround in result with PDFCropper or similar
6. resulting PDF can be hard printed by Acrobat or other PDF program and is what SUfree should offer or clearly disclaim: print to scale on a chosen paper size

I'm not sure why you couldn't make those suggestions before I revealed my ignorance.., but thanks very much for them. I'm going to have to do some of that job over just for the joy of feeling the depth of it.

Alas, I was going from an imported JPG with 2d contours and creating a 3d model (I need a vectorizer). I think your tips assumed I was wanting to generate 2d contours from a 3d model.

@unknownuser said:

I take it you are referring to the Freehand Tool in the glitch report - try the Line Tool [Polyline] instead...
I was not clear here either: I was using the 2d line tool (which is the pline tool?) as I assumed the freehand would be more memory hungry, esp when the contours being created were 'sandboxed.'

Since I haven't found a smarter way, I spent a long while tracing raster contours into a model and found the Z set and line tool to be good friends in that context.

Two items: 1. it would be nice to have a step-back, undo the last segment (only) that could be invoked without exiting the routine, and 2. that curious unwanted mini-segment that keeps inserting itself on occasion while drawing a series of connected 2d lines, perhaps that result of something I'm doing but such is not apparent.

OK, yeah, most Windows apps that print have a page setup dialogue in which margins may be set, but so far I cannot find it in SU Win F. SU's 'print setup' has nothing and neither do the printer specific settings accessible there through 'properties'.

Thanks very much for your reply. You give me some good things to explore. To this point try as I may have I could not find the printer specific margin/border dialogues you showed in SU (and I pray they are not limited to Pro) but I will explore this further per your flow.

(Yes, the border was drawn in SU - I'm trying to stay within the one program...)

While you perhaps sleep, I'll be robotically tracing raster contour lines into a model and will get back here soon.

Thanks again.

Well, I know that. And I have wondered, of course, as have most, if leaving the print functions inadequate was/is and will forevermore be an 'encouragement' for users to roll the dice and go Pro. Given the beauty of the thing we know as SU, I find this apparent contrivance sad, if not altogether unique or unusual in the industry.

Well, I'm inclined to think you point me in the right direction, translated be me that means SU is making problems with it's assumptions about the blank space in the display and the desired blank space (border space) desired in the print.

This is perhaps more than a bit dumb as PDFs are often used exclusively for soft copies, without any intention of being put to paper.

I'm thinking also that if I were running Pro I would be even more woefully disappointed by this issue.

Architectural C size sheet is 18x24", the size of my outer border line. I guess you are saying SU thinks I want the blank space but it gives me no way to tell it that I don't, e.g., by a window selection or something like displayed extents; I'll try (again) a more oversized sheet to allow for the blank area on the display. To clarify, my model extents are far larger than that portion of the model I have displayed or want printed, so asking SU to print to the model extents will likely make for many more pages. I'm running SU free; is your suggestion to print to PDF via an add-on like PDFCreator or with the native SU Pro facility?
I will try also to shrink my screen to my border!!!

SU should make no assumptions about the appropriate blank space around; that is deficient. Seems that the print engine needs a fix.... too many loopholes.

Thanks much for your tips.

I have become so frustrated with SU's print to scale functions that I wanted to post, even though I know it is already a tried and tired subject to many, esp. those who have no problems. I have found the time consuming work-arounds, but they should not be required (SU PrnScrn --> paste somewhere --> crop --> paste into OOO Draw --->export PDF. A direct print PDF converter doesn't work as it depends on SU's highly irregular print output.).

I have a standard arch C border sheet at the outer limits of my display image in every parallel view I try to print. Check current view (I wish I could window what I wanted to print); uncheck fit to page; uncheck model extent; set the scale as desired (4' SU = 1" print). Even on an oversized output sheet print preview produces very mixed results: always with excess blank space on 2 pages (at best); often with fractured bits on 10-12 pages; sometimes these bits disappear as I page through them!!). Back in modeling mode, if I pan the displayed image into a corner to try to trick it to give me what I want it shifts the output in whatever way it needs to to defeat me. Sly SketchUp!! Perhaps this is related to my dual display setup? I'll check. Tips appreciated, and/or I'd be happy if you found my blindness(es).

Attached are images of

1. the SU model screen
2. the print preview result
3. print dialogue 1
4. print dialogue 2
5. print dialogue 3

Finally getting to know SU's native text tools, 3D included, and have a confirmed sense of appreciation for the functionality your tool set provides.

(As far as your contemplated line style enhancements, I say progress shouldn't wait on sleeping dogs.., er.., or.. snoozin' sailors or whomever.)

I think that would be terrific as me thinks it would improve the utility greatly.

On another front, if the text window would accept a paste larger than one line that also would be terrific.

For reasons unknown to me, I experienced a lot of bug splats yesterday (display driver faults and recovers, but not SU) while occasionally using the line tool (EDIT: Thinking back, I think it more likely was the hatching tool). I know such info is of no or limited use but I mention it in case it might be more than that.

Thank you.

I had occasion to use it a few times today and found it quite handy. As a matter of chance, I was grateful for the lingering edges as they made it easier to make progressive pulls in which intermediate sections could be readily deleted, as desired. Face colors did not track the original, which would have been preferred, and as, no doubt, you are aware.

Thanks much for sharing.

I saw the dashed and hidden types: hidden has the longest segment and that is what I'm using; the others, of course have, changing segment lengths. I have only the one pure dot. Thanks.