Hello.

I am currently working on a project for my father that has pushed to the extent of my sketchup knowledge and beyond. I've tried getting help from an architect friend that uses sketchup on a regular basis; but with little success. I figured that by asking here, the many minds (or those that know without thinking about it) could help me get past my roadblock.

The project that I am working on is a design for a specialized brush (I am working for the summer at my family's 140 year old brush company). I have built the brush block as well as filled in all of the fiber. I have now been asked by the customer to trim the brush along the same path as the top face of the block (confused yet?)

I have tried copying the face and moving it to my desired trim height. I then used intersect faces with model. The problem with this is that I then need to clean up the thousands of little lines that it creates; not to mention the clipped faces.

The other method that I have tried is using the Subtract tool under Solid Tools. The problem with my model is that because of the tuft shapes and pattern, the "Outer Shell" tool makes many holes and essentially defeats the purpose of making a solid.

I guess what I am asking is:
1.) Is there any way quickly clean up what is left over after intersecting the plane with the model? Plugins, built-in methods, anything...?
2.) Is there some really obvious tool that I am missing?

Thanks in advance for any help (or even thoughts (such as how messy my model is to begin with)).

Regards,
Max

Thanks for the responses! I will try and get two classes (3 hours). I will show them where to get help and I will definitely send them here gaieus...

I will also tell them that I will always be available to help with individual questions. Can't wait to start on my own design

Thnx again,
Max

Hello everyone!

Unfortunately, the summer has come to an end, but my final year of high school has finally started
There is a class that I have this year called "History Through Architecture," in which we are required to design a 2D floor plan on paper, then "pull" it into 3D in sketchup. The teacher has seen my love of sketchup from when I used it in a project in freshman year, and has asked me to teach the class how to use sketchup.

There are only 27 students in my class (small private school). I was wondering what the best method of teaching a group of high school seniors, that have never used this program, to use sketchup to the point where they could design a simple house. I only have an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.

I had an idea to make a quick model, or show a pre-made model of mine, to the class to show what is possible. Then I thought maybe having a design for a house or other structure that would use all the basic tools to make it so that you learn to use them as you go along. Any other ideas?

My teacher also wants to eliminate the 2D drawing on paper, and wishes instead to do it on sketchup. I suggested just making the floor plan, then having the walls and everything else on a separate layer, so that hiding the other layers would reveal the 2d floor plan. He said that he wants to have standard "templates for the walls and such. I suggested a 2D wall component that could be distributed among the class, and scaled by the students. It just seems like so much work to make a simple wall...any better ideas?

I have a few weeks until I need to do this class, but I'm thinking ahead. If anyone has had experience teaching anyone, I'd love to hear you method. The class is very mature so we don't need like a 7th grader lesson, an adult one is fine. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Max

Alright maybe a picture will help people understand...

Hi everyone. Once again I have found myself sitting on the edge of my bed in the morning, wondering what the new day would bring, then sitting on the edge of my bed at night, and realizing I have done nothing of any importance all day. So, I have decided that I will start yet another SU project , this time, a surprise for my father.

Our family is in the brush industry and my father has invented an architectural surface out of brush fiber, cleverly called 'BrushTile'. Basically, I want to make a render of a single tile that he (or his salesman) can use to pitch the idea to potential customers.

My question to you almighty SU gods is, What is the best way to get a realistic render of brush bristles. An HD picture or a complex model? Oh and it's probably important that I'm broke so payware software is out of the question. I have enough experience with Kerkythea to do some stuff, and I'm always looking for an excuse to sit down and learn Blender. Just so you know, I've seen the Blender hair modelling, but it looks more like fur. What I need is rows of tufts...like a broom.

Oops...Didn't mean to make it that long.

Thanks in advance,
Max

I like the rectangle idea very much...it makes sense. The only problem I can see with it, is that I am using it to tweak every wireframe on the plane (there are about 40) then again, I've got all summer, right? Either way, I found a new method that worked wonders because the other way was the incorrect way of doing it.

While I'm here, does anyone know of a plugin that will fill in between a to arcs to create triangular planes? Following is an example of what I am currently doing (the slow way) with the line tool...

-Max

Thanks for the reply TIG. All I did was move the end of the arc up 1 inch.

Either way, I saw that my method was inaccurate and a waste of time. I found another method that works much better, but if you really want me to, I can post the model here.

Thanks again everyone. I'll let you know how it turns out .

-Max

Here is what it looks like when I move it.

Thanks for the quick replies everyone! Following are two pictures:the first is what it looks like before I do anything to the arc, the second is what it looks like when I move the vertex up 1 inch on the blue axis.

Hi all,
First off, I'm not a newbie to sketchup (so your answers don't have to go in depth to the basics). I just didn't know where else to post this.

I am working on a bit of a more advanced project now (a Cessna 172 Skylane). In making the frame, everything went pretty smoothly. Until I started adjusting the arcs that make up the engine cowling, that is. When I try to adjust the end of an arc (move it up or down) to conform to the shape of the fuselage, the arc always seems to rotate like 30 degrees to either side.

Is there a way to lock the arc from "falling over" when I move it (like holding shift to lock to an axis)?

If you need pictures let me know.

Thanks in advance,
Max