Whenever I wrap a texture around a column or 'project' the texture onto it, it never seems to fit right or give the result I intended/thought I'd get.

These are models for the old, but still going, RCT3 game.

So typically I'll make a round column of 24/16/12/8 sides depending on size/importance and to keep the poly count down.

I can triple click on the made cylinder (column) and / or project the texture image on to it, it makes no difference.

No matter what I do, when viewing the image after applying the texture it looks great from the "front" and "back" but the "left" and "right" (consider all as being 90deg of the model) are s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out to fit.

Can someone tell me where I'm going wrong?

I actually got one to look right by duplicating, cutting at 45deg and discarding the crappy bit, rotating the duplicate and merging the two. Although it didn't look quite right, it did look better than I was getting!!

I've also measured the periphery, made my texture the same size and by making incrementally longer tangential guide points for the position "texture pins" to dock to, for each "face", wrapped it around excellently. But that was a headache n a bit!!

(I'm now going to attempt to attach a "typical" model of which I'm talking. It's a white wood effect texture so not obvious but plain enough to see).

Thanks in advance for what, I'm sure will be an obvious oversight on my behalf!!
Elmer

---

FlagPoleExample.skp

I should've answered this a while ago but I thought I'd update with what I found and my solution!

The Materials Browser (palette) that was loading at start up at that time was a rather large one.

I got it to stick to loading another palette for a while but it still changed itself at will to random palettes. Why it does it I'm not bothered about anymore though!

My solution?
I found the registry keys involved! When I start SU, if the opening upper Materials Browser (palette) isn't "In Model" I just remember to run this reg file when I close Sketchup and everything there is back to how it should be.

Reset SU Materials.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SketchUp\SketchUp 2013\File Locations]
"Materials"="E;\\RCT CUSTOM\\SKETCHUP\\Materials\\"
"MaterialsBrowser"="E;\\RCT CUSTOM\\SKETCHUP\\Materials\\In Model\\"
"MaterialsBrowser2"="E;\\RCT CUSTOM\\SKETCHUP\\Materials\\In Model\\"

Is it possible to set the default Materials palette to "In Model"?

I've changed a few things in the simple 01b template to my preferences, but lately when I open one of my pre-created models, although it has a palette, when I open materials it takes a while then opens up the SU folders view.

I did think I'd beaten that but it seems to have come back to haunt me. e.g. Everything was opening with its In Model palette.

I'm even more than happy to dive under the hood of my Win7 system and edit registry settings if that's what it takes. I'm just getting fed up of waiting while the (material) folders list decides when (if) its going to respond loading all the texture references (grrrr!! ), or on a couple of occasions just shut down SU.

Just a couple of quick questions that I hope I can be helped with

Firstly I have a model comprising of 60 plus groups. Is it possible to export a list of these group names? Nothing fancy, in fact a plain text (txt) file would be the best. Reason being its for making custom scenery for RCT3 and I'd like to keep an objects (group) name the same, without the inevitable typo's, all the way through the process.

Secondly, I import an image as a texture into SU and then adjust its colour. When I export this "modified" texture I get exactly the same "wrong colour" png file as I originally put in. Is there anyway to export the image in its modified state so I don't have to remember the RGB values I shifted to?

TIA for any help. Been on SU for just over 2 weeks now and I'm finding my way around but some things elude me!

@cotty said:

You should never use special characters in path names!

in your case: '13...

@tig said:

Certainly special characters like é or ö will break the current version of Ruby that ships with SketchUp.
The ' is a special case, because it breaks some Ruby and js when passed in a string that is 'raw'.

But for now please leave ' out of your path-names - there are many alternatives...

Right, I shall remove the offending "happy oz trophy" (which is a straight one, nothing oblique or fancy) from the SU file path.

Its never affected any thing else when I abb. (tee hee!! ) the date in the path name but I'll be honest, up until ten days ago I'd never heard of Ruby, heathen that I am!!

A thought. A.N.Other plug-in, the SVG importer that required rexml (from Ruby) to be added into the plug-ins folder didn't work either, though I can't remember the error msg. I received.

It may also be why I can't import *.dxf files from Inkscape that were made from a *.pdf files that were made in Photoshop from *.psd files that were made from thoughts in my single malt, whisky hazed mind!

Back to the point, I'll update you with as to how things went.

!!! HOT OFF THE PRESSES !!!
An Update.
Well, I re-installed SU to C:\Program Files (x86)\DEVELOP\SketchUp 13 and Ruby to C:\Program Files (x86)\DEVELOP\Ruby193 and voila!! Joint Push Pull and Tools on Surface both popped up their toolbars when I opened up SU.

Who'd have thunked a little apostrophe could cause so much hassle!

That would never of crossed my mind as I've been 'apostrophising' install paths and file names since Jesus left Kilmarnock (a.k.a a very long time) with no issues. Strange how the parenthesis as in (x86) get ignored!

Still having problems with the svg importer (the error message shows one oblique and one straight comma) but I'll post about that in the correct place.

Many many thanks to you cotty and TIG for your help. I'd have got nowhere without it.

Elmer

Greetings!

I'm having a problem with trying to use this tool. When I open SU I get an error msg regarding LibFredo as below:

Error Loading File C;/Program Files (x86)/DESIGN/SketchUp '13/Plugins/Fredo6_!LibFredo6/__loader.rb
(eval);1;in `effective_load_part2'; compile error
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tINTEGER, expecting ')'
...Files (x86)/DESIGN/SketchUp '13/Plugins/Fredo6_!LibFredo6', '...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kDO or '{' or '('
... '13/Plugins/Fredo6_!LibFredo6', 'LibFredo6') ; MYDEFPARAM =...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
...Fredo6_!LibFredo6', 'LibFredo6') ; MYDEFPARAM = MYPLUGIN.cre...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
..._PLATFORM =~ /darwin/i) ? 'MAC' ; 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
...RM =~ /darwin/i) ? 'MAC' ; 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;end
                              ^
(eval);1; unterminated string meets end of file
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected $end, expecting kEND
... 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;end
                              ^
Error Loading File C;/Program Files (x86)/DESIGN/SketchUp '13/Plugins/Fredo6_ToolsOnSurface/__loader.rb
(eval);1;in `effective_load_part2'; compile error
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tINTEGER, expecting ')'
...Files (x86)/DESIGN/SketchUp '13/Plugins/Fredo6_ToolsOnSurface...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tSTRING_BEG, expecting kDO or '{' or '('
...Plugins/Fredo6_ToolsOnSurface', 'ToolsOnSurface') ; MYDEFPAR...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
...olsOnSurface', 'ToolsOnSurface') ; MYDEFPARAM = MYPLUGIN.cre...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
..._PLATFORM =~ /darwin/i) ? 'MAC' ; 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;...
                              ^
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected tCONSTANT, expecting kEND
...RM =~ /darwin/i) ? 'MAC' ; 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;end
                              ^
(eval);1; unterminated string meets end of file
(eval);1; syntax error, unexpected $end, expecting kEND
... 'PC' ;RUN_ON_MAC = false ;end
                              ^

I've just installed Ruby, as well, although not where it wants to go (in the root of C:. Nothing goes there unless Security logs!) Its been installed to the same sub-folder in Program Files as SketchUp.

Any hints or tips to help me?

On a good note (always leave 'em happy Elmer!!) I've just installed the bezier curve tool. What a little beauty!!

@cotty said:

@elmer befuddled said:

Now to get back and try to learn shortcuts

You will find this helpful...
http://dl.trimble.com/sketchup/2013/en/sketchup2013refcardwin.pdf

Many thanks for that! I'm afraid my head is stuck in PS keyboard shortcut mode, then I wonder why nothing happens/ what happened I wasn't expecting!

Greetings! My first post and a copmplete noob to SU although plenty of experience with PS CS5.

Trying to make custom scenery for RCT3, amongst others. When I go to export the *.ase file I get a message that says something like 3 groups, faces has 5 objects, back has 17 objects, empty has 2700+ objects, too big for game!!"

Where do all the "empties" come from, How can I remove them before I save the ase file?
It seems that with a bit of searching everyone wants to keep empty groups but I want rid of them in my time, not if and when they get cleaned out.

Thanks in advance.

Now to get back and try to learn shortcuts (is there one for "move with hand around screen??")