Without using an additional plugin, what is the quickest/easiest way to create a sphere?
When I try to get my students to do a sphere, we create a flat circle then create another vertical circle, but first we have to find the center on the flat circle to place the vertical circle. And finding the center is sometimes difficult. I tell them to draw a line in the middle of the circle, but sometimes even that is very difficult because by default, sketchup doesn't always draw the line in the middle. Sometimes its off-center.

ahhhh! I get it now! Thank you!

I didn't realize it makes a difference at what point you actually grab the object!

Thanks again!

I have attached an example.
Lets say I have a chair leg. I am trying to move a copy of the chair leg to the other side. Sometimes, it will move it really close to the other side but not perfectly lined up.

Is there a quick way to move a copy of the leg to perfectly line up with the edge of the other side?

test.skp

What is the difference btw inferring and inferencing in sketchup?

Witht he push pull tool, you can move the mouse to another object, a black dotted line appears and you can line up what you are pulling to another object quickly. Is that
inferencing or inferring?

That is what I want to do with the move tool.

With the push/pull tool, you can use the inferring to line objects up perfect with each other. Is there anything similar for the move tool? If I want to move a copy of an object or line and line it up perfect with something?

@dave r said:

Ah. I see. So what's the situation on using plugins? Fredo's FredoScale plugin has a very helpful tool for making the diagonal legs. if the exact width of the legs is important.

I can install some, but I have to have our tech install them. I'm not allowed to do it. And then, if a computer needs to be reimaged, usually they need to be reinstalled. So, anything that I can do with the regular tools easily, i would rather do it that way if possible. That said, I do use some tools. We use the lines to cylinder tools when we do our park project. If it really can't be done easily without tools, I will use them.

@dave r said:

Sorry about the photo.

So at least the model you are building is for something that will become real?

No. I'm teaching my students sketchup. I knew how to kind of make a trestle base, that was not perfect...but the guide lines thing is much better and will come in handy when we do our other projects.

No, I'm not building a table in real life. I wish I was that talented. I'm having my students build a table. Flickr is blocked here, so I'll have to wait till I get home to take a look at the photo.

Thanks guys. I figured out the guide lines thing. Awesome! I'll definitely be using them more often...super handy!

I have attached my sketchup model. My question is:

Is there an easy way to make the pattern I tried to make with all the rectangles the same width? Also, is there an easy way to get the middle rectangle to be centered?

trestle base.skp

thanks to everyone for helping me out!

The student has since gone to another class, but I think I know how to undock and fix it. Thanks!

@unknownuser said:

Also, when you undock the large toolset you can alter it's arrangement by resizing the toolbar. If your student resized it then docked it can fill more space than normal.

You say the entire workspace is taken up. Do you mean you can't see where your modeling or your workspace is so small it's unusable?

I'll try to undock it and then resize. Here's a screenshot.

One of my students accidentally got the large toolset menu to take up the entire workspace. How do you fix that?

@tig said:

Try FAK [FollowMeAndKeep] available from through the Plugins Index button above...[attachment=0:159wwqpm]<!-- ia0 -->Capture.PNG<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:159wwqpm]

thank you!

I'm trying to make a spiral slide. I used the drawhelix13 tool to create the spiral. And I made the shape for the slide and then used the followme tool to try and create it, but for some reason it keeps stopping in the middle of the spiral. It won't go all the way down the spiral.

I've attached the model.

slide.skp

thank you so much. I'll try and install all those plugins. And thank you for the models showing me step by step using the follow me tool. You guys are awesome!

I'm the only person doing sketchup at my middle school with my students, and you guys have been an awesome resource in helping me out. Thanks again.

ok....i think it should work this time.

if my students are not that advanced, do you think it would be better to just try and use the script?

here's a pic of it

EDIT:
sorry....it didn't work. I think it might be too difficult for my student to do it with native tools. I'll try and get that script. thank you.

I have a student who made a dome for his rectangular shaped stadium with the arc tools, but the faces do not appear, just lines. How do you make a dome with a rectangular bottom?

I'm sorry, I meant draw curved lines on curve surfaces that match the curve.

Is there a way to draw lines on curved surfaces? I know you can goto view | show hidden geometry and then select window | soften edges and make those lines available, but sometimes hidden geometry doesn't have the all the lines I need.