I'll investigate your suggestion with the move tool but what do you mean by "taken out of context"?

My original question in that other thread.....

@unknownuser said:

I've got two objects. Let's just say two boxes. They end up misaligned. How do I get them to correspond to the same x,y,z space?
This would seem to be one of the most basic utilities to Sketchup, even the free version. So why is it so difficult to find it in the help files or via Google search?

I've tried simply making them separate components and then set both component axes horizontally and then align the tri colored corner object to the component. You'd think this would align both components along the the same x,y,z axis but it does not for some weird reason.

What is the simple answer to this that i'm missing?

http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!mydiscussions/sketchup/XFD2EeWc0FI

I quoted the entirety of your response with the exception of a little reiteration of my original question...

@unknownuser said:

"....Anybody can help here?"

Not with the plugin, no. (don't use it, probably never will)

".... I've got two objects. Let's just say two boxes. They end up misaligned. How do I get them to correspond to the same x,y,z space?"

This is such a basic thing that you should be able to do with SU 's basic tools.

@unknownuser said:

Say one object is A and grouped, The other is B and grouped.
You can move an object to an absolute X,Y,Z location by grabbing it at a meaningful endpoint, moving it to arbitrary location and then type [xvalue, yvalue, zvalue] and [Enter]
.
You can move an object relative to its current location by grabbing it anywhere, moving it to arbitrary location and then type <xvalue, yvalue, zvalue> and [Enter] .
You can directly move an object to a meaningful target by grabbing it at a meaningful endpoint and moving it to that target, placing ith with thge second click.
The latter can also be divided into three different moves along the three axes, using the target for inferencing and the arrow keys to constrain the move to one of the axis.
Arrow-up/down for blue, -left for green and -right for red axis.

You can also use guides or existing geometry to constrain to a desired direction and to constrain to a certain distance for moving the object.

What fuller context are you referring to? And please explain...

@unknownuser said:

Say one object is A and grouped, The other is B and grouped.
You can move an object to an absolute X,Y,Z location by grabbing it at a meaningful endpoint, moving it to arbitrary location and then type [xvalue, yvalue, zvalue] and [Enter]

How are those values entered? According to your directions, as far as I can see (I'm a novice)
sketchup wants a length entered. Any numbers it interprets as a length. Do you include commas? Sketchup responds with "invalid length entered".

Please don't get angry or frustrated with these questions. There has to be some part of your instructions above that are missing or presume a greater degree of knowledge.

Here is the problem illustrated......

Group to the right was removed and edited. After quite a number of edits it eventually lost alignment with its axis. When I attempt to move it back in place it is tilted a few degrees on two axes. It would be easy enough to just delete it and reconstruct it on its proper axis. But its illustrative of a problem I've had for a long time and, astonishingly, can't seem to find an easy answer to.

So how do you do "fix" groupB so that it is reoriented back to groupA xyz axes? I'll certainly try the "move" tool suggestion but if anything is described as being "a bit tedious" it sounds like a workaround and I see a little red. This ought to be fully fledged feature in the toolset,,,, no?

I've watched half a dozen tutorials and read half a dozen more on the axis tool and they all focus on the ability to reestablish the entire models' xyz based off of a single component or object using the axis tool. None instruct on how to use the tool to reorient two or more groups or components to the same xyz. Is this possible without a plugin?

Here is one tutorial, using the rotate tool, that was just a disaster. The guy is basically trying to accomplish what I'm describing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn5vzC2bMsk
Please reassure me that his method is not a legitimate one.

Another forum suggested the following method to me. I've tried a number of times and cannot follow the directions (as apparently simple as they appear)

@unknownuser said:

This is such a basic thing that you should be able to do with SU 's basic tools.

Say one object is A and grouped, The other is B and grouped.
You can move an object to an absolute X,Y,Z location by grabbing it at a meaningful endpoint, moving it to arbitrary location and then type [xvalue, yvalue, zvalue] and [Enter] .
You can move an object relative to its current location by grabbing it anywhere, moving it to arbitrary location and then type <xvalue, yvalue, zvalue> and [Enter] .
You can directly move an object to a meaningful target by grabbing it at a meaningful endpoint and moving it to that target, placing ith with thge second click.
The latter can also be divided into three different moves along the three axes, using the target for inferencing and the arrow keys to constrain the move to one of the axis.
Arrow-up/down for blue, -left for green and -right for red axis.

You can also use guides or existing geometry to constrain to a desired direction and to constrain to a certain distance for moving the object.

I grab an object at a meaningful endpoint, move it to an arbitrary location (just move it a bit is what I gather from that) and immediately type in xvalue, yvalue, zvalue but when I start typing the z value the measurement window is erased and displays "field of view.. 35 degrees"

I'm not a mathematician. What "values" am I supposed to be typing by his instructions? I tried x1,y2,z3... x0,y0,y0.. and others. What am I missing?

I cannot understand the other methods described either. I know how to select a point and set it to another on another object/group/component as he describes, and how to use the arrow keys to constrain movement along set axis, but cannot intuit how that helps me to connect one object/group/component to another that exists in a slightly different set of axis points.

I simply want to reset the xyz coordinates of groupA to correspond to the xyz coordinates of groupB, so that when I drag and attach groupA to groupB they fit symmetrically.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51639 Thank you very much for that link.
Quoted from Olishea on the first page of that link.

@unknownuser said:

VERY IMPRESSED, no more plugin-searching for hours!

This should be built into SketchUp by default!

...is somewhat to my point. I likely would not have 'discovered' that resource for another many precious months, or ever, if not for losing my cool here and making someone fed up enough with my noise to toss it my way.... (start out with a rant, expect a bit of ad hominem. i suppose it's just reflex)

@unknownuser said:

Maybe it's your avatar the Doctor wasn't exactly the hero of the show.

do you mean something like this for plugins?

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51639

And like I said earlier SketchUp does offer this in Pro. for Professionals who need it.

Sincerely. Thanks for the link. but "for Professionals who need it." Can't you resist another litte poke in the eye? Microsoft Paint includes this capability for Professionals who need it? Every other free or paid CAD, drawing or editing, 2d or 3d, that I'm aware of from the tiny to gargantuan offers this little attribute without having to plug or script it in. I am using Trimble Sketchup 8.0, but unlikely to save my current work, send to Layout, select page size, adjust the image, edit line size, and then send back to Sketchup to continue my project. Your first post suggested that earlier versions of Pro could do this? Are you saying that Trimble actually discarded this attribute in it's version?

Ok. Done here. I've offered a total of zero negative or abusive comment toward or even suggestive of any member here and never, ever, would. But If I continue to question attributes and voice frustrations of Sketchup in this thread I'm afraid that even more members are going to start defending the program on some personal level.

Thank you for the suggestions.

I really have to rein in the bitchiness. It's just asking for ad hominem trouble and distraction.

In another post that was a bit over the top, and was deleted by the mods, I expressed wonder that Dia, and many other ultra simple drawing programs, even MS Paint, are able to adjust line thickness and/or color. What matter that Sketchup is not a fully fledged CAD package? In my own experience I've come to almost presume this capability in drawing/modelling/photo editing from the lowliest to the most fully optioned. Some word processing software can even do it.

@unknownuser said:

However, since its capabilities are beyond a simple sketching program
... can you find an example of anysimple sketching program that cannot adjust such line width and/or color?

@unknownuser said:

However, I also want this program to remain simple to use and don't want it to become another complex program with a ton of buttons and functions and see its efficiency go away and its price increase too much.

You have to admit that's a bit hyperbolic. Line width and color? Did I ask for it to perform advanced oceanographic or seismologic number crunching? Is everyone here pretty much in agreement that line width/color of the text box pointer is a needless complication?

@unknownuser said:

They a plenty of ways to do what you want to...

Beyond a link, if you would, to the 2DTools, please explain just one other way to do what I'm asking.

Again, in that other thread, and I hope the mods will be more lenient here, I wondered why, if Trimble sees fit not to include a few dozen of these plugins in the download, why not in the Ruby Script window as a searchable library by title and attributes, and installable with one or two clicks. They'd still be unincorporated for those who appreciate the simplicity of Sketchup up front, but easier to find and install.

Somewhat like the Synaptic Package Manager or Software Manager in many Linux distributions. Some of the packages are included in the download and waiting to be installed, and many are on the web ready to be uploaded via the terminal and installed with a click or two. Both terminals are searchable "libraries". This is by NO means aimed to complicate Sketchup but a huge move in the opposite direction of simplicity for the user.

That's it?

Not the construction lines, but the lines with arrows for text boxes.
It is ABSURD that this is not incorporated natively into Sketchup. It's got to be the only CAD tool on the web, including myriad tiny 2d versions that lacks such a thing. Black object? Lost visible line intersecting it? Large object? Tiny line barely visible against it?

Just one more nutty thing about Sketchup. Nuttier still that I cannot easily find a plugin for this.

Any help.

Sorry for the rant, but really... I mean really?
And NO I don't want to export the damn drawing into Layout every time I want to gain this this most fundamental functionality.

Trimble claims "We've stocked all sort of new additions into the new Sketchup Pro 8"
Do I not have the latest version? Did they neglect to add this feature.
Maybe I ought to get off of my a@@ and learn a real CAD program finally before this one has me smashing household items.

Compaq 8510W
Winxppro32. HP8510.
100gb 7200rpm drive.
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T7500 @2.20GHz
2.0gb memory
NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M

I installed Wine.
I installed Sketchup.
I tried to open Sketchup's desktop icon as "Administrator" but Mint did not respond at all.
Usually Admin is preferred when licensing a product.
I simply opened Sketchup as with left click, licensed it, and proceeded to choose template.
I was greeted immediately with...

@unknownuser said:

Sketchup was unable to initialize OpenGL!
Pleas make sure you have installed the correct drivers for your graphics card.
Error: ChoosePixelFormat failed.

My card has the most recent driver.

No I'm ok. But thanks. Just had to let off a bit-o-steam.

.....when you link to or announce a plugin, why is it so damn difficult just to give a heads-up as to where it is accessed after installation.

This is so go@@amn frustrating that I want to pull hair.

Ok, here you go.

Just randomly went for one.

I went into the 'model info' under 'window' and looked about.

I noticed "dimensions" --> "dimension settings".

Let's give this a try.

Go to Google and look for "sketchup dimension settings".

I get this...
http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=94986

Same story as before. And this is the norm for these help files. If I'd gone to this page to see where this tool ACTUALLY IS I'd still be in the dark. It should be the very first bullet point in EVERY help file. Navigating backwards through the hyperlink tabs offers "construction tools" which is no more helpful.

Unless the tool/option you are inquiring about is actually visible to the naked eye with an icon in the tool set, the instructions, every time, just leave it up to you to go fishing for it on your own.

Wow, thanks very much for not just sitting back and sniping at me. Relieved to hear that others sympathize. But the comments kind of progressed into a general critique/rant/support of or toward the help files available. That's actually not where i wanted to go and I apologize if that wasn't made clearer.

I was specifically angered about the oversight committed, and it's a very common one in the Sketchup help files (not even withstanding that I linked the wrong one for my purpose) that neglects to simply tell you where to find the item/function you are inquiring about. Sorry I don't have more examples at hand. But it's happened to me often enough in previous searched for info that this last on just had me saying "ok enough... it's time to let off steam".

@unknownuser said:

What kills me is that time after time the help files just leave you in the dark on how to navigate to the tool that you ask about. It's as if they just assume that you've found it on your own already and happen to have a question about it.

The instructions that follow may be, and usually are, quite thorough and navigable. But the nitpic that induced the rant is confined to that quote above.

Thanks for the comments.

This is the kind of thing that just steams me with user unfriendliness. Sketchup 8 Pro.

I want to adjust the font in the text. Text is easy. There's a choice for it in the pulldown menu.

After that one would think, reasonably, that highlighting any text and then right clicking would lead one to a means to make changes. But no. So that's bad enough. But it gets worse...

To the internet. Ask Google how to adjust text settings. First hit.
http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95995

Lucky me. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT SKETCHUP SUPPORT PAGES ASSUME THAT I KNOW WHERE SAID MENU ITEM IS!!!!!!!!!!

I'm serious here. This happens often. I others must have noticed this. Time after time I go to the help pages and they do this to me.

"This is what the (insert menu item or sketchup function here) does..."
in great detail... but...
WITHOUT TELLING ME WHAT I QUITE LIKELY CAME HERE FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE... WHERE TO ACTUALLY FIND THE ITEM... AND FORCING ME TO GO POKING AROUND FOR IT IN SKETCHUP FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!!!

Yes I finally found out how to change text. But what the hell?
This particular instance was not a big deal. I've just never really bothered to change the text until today so I never learned how. Turns out it was easy enough to locate on my own under "model info". What kills me is that time after time the help files just leave you in the dark on how to navigate to the tool that you ask about. It's as if they just assume that you've found it on your own already and happen to have a question about it.

Ok, got it. Once I got it it seems amazing that I didn't know how to do it. Seems bizarre that it took this long for the thread to get solved. Can it be that this is actually not 'common knowledge' to many users far more advanced than me?

Believe it or not I have a decent usb wireless microsoft 4000 series mouse that is adequately sensitive for this stuff. Iv'e used it, but my sketchup demands are evidently simple enough that I end up just using the trackpad most of the time and don't seem to miss the mouse. I've grown rather used to sitting in the recliner and drawing on the trackpad. This is the extent of my drawing skills......
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=0605551351760483260051330&scoring=m
I know if my drawings ever got more complicated I'd need to evolve.

Thanks so much for the video and your patience.

Wow, you made a video in the time it took me to try to type a response! I see that there is indeed a 'method' to this. I'm currently trying, but my protractor refuses to submit as cleanly as yours does. Could it be the fault of using a touchpad to input commands? When I figure out how to upload a video I'll show you what's going on. Dragging the protractor along the line indeed does present me with new axis on which to establish a base, but unfortunately they seem to cycle willy-nilly through a lot of odd ones... like it's a matter of luck if one is appropriate for my needs. I did finally get one established that looked correct, only to find that it simply drew the angle on the bottom face of my object.

I'm sorry. I'm really trying here. I've been using the protractor tool in exactly the fashion you describe for a few years now. But following your directions the protractor will only draw establish guide lines along the face of that side, not perpendicular to it in order to get the lines as you have them drawn in your illustration.

Without establishing a plane perpendicular to the face to act as a guide/base for the protractor tool I am only able to place the protractor against the face and draw angle guides on that.

Notice that my angle guides only apply to the face and not perpendicular to it.

How did you induce the protractor tool to draw the angle perpendicular to that face and not parallel to it?

What am I doing wrong?

Simply brilliant.... and I'm just being simple apparently, but this is the step I'm missing.

Just how did you introduce those 18.2 and 25 degree guide lines in the above image? It's not immediately obvious. Please walk me through this.

@unknownuser said:

Re: Help me please with bevels

Postby Pilou on Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:18 am
Yes it's classical variable fillets

Maybe with the Pro Version
Calculate one volume with round Corner By Fredo6 with one angle value
Calculate one copy of the volume with the another angle value
Make a boolean operation between the 2 solids ?
Frenchy Pilou
Is beautiful that please without concept!
Speedy Galerie

Please expand on this? Is it as complicated as it seems to my ear?

Tig, thank you very much for taking that time and showing a graphic. Can I ask you to repeat that process using, or ending up with, the triangular object that I showed in the first image?. I'm still unclear on this.

You began with a rectangle offering squared faces that readily translate into correlates of 18.2 and 25 degree on the resulting faces using the protractor tool. If you use the protractor tool similarly on the edge of an already existing face at the edge of an acute angle as opposed to a right angle, as I would have to do on my triangle if I followed your example, and then used the follow me tool, or took the long way and created a disposable area and removed the excess lines afterward, the resulting face of the angle would be somewhat less than the 18.2 I had started with. Attempting same on an obtuse corner, of course, would result in somewhat more than 18.2. To illustrate......

Using the protractor tool on that nearest face to mark an 81.2 degree angle ends up translating into a 17.4 degree actual angle on the face I'm actually trying to angle correctly. There likely is, if I pause long enough to think about this, an quick mathematical conversion utilizing the degree of the original angle on the triangle or parallelogram that is being used, and the angle you wish to end up with, that you could then apply to the protractor... but isn't that often just what ruby scripts are for? (scripting is waaaaaaay out of my league).

This is why I, and others, have pointed out that creating angled edges, on an irregular shape (triangle or parallelogram) ends up being a tedious exercise in fabricating perpendicular disposable planes and then erasing a clutter of lines.

I may, of course, be being a bit obtuse myself on this one. If your illustrated method above translates accurately onto a triangle, or parallelogram, in some way that I'm missing, please show me.

... and just to preempt any lengthy explanations.... I'm looking for a tool or plugin to do this. I am aware that I can create disposable planes 180 degrees to and intersecting the face of what I want to angle. Then I use the protractor to place a measuring line. Then I draw lines to form an object. Then I erase the plane line by line and erase the disposable object I've just created line by line. And finally arrive, after a lot of clunky effort, at the angle I desire.

There has to be an easier way.

I'd like to add bevels to the following object.

I'm surprised at how difficult this is. I must be overlooking something. I even installed a 'bevel' plugin but it only seems to "bevel" in so much as rounding corners... not accurately beveling specific edges by degree.

Any advice please?

shame that.... t'would be a nice option for semi-idiots like myself.

For instance. I had a length that I knew to be 53 inches on my drawing. I remembered that I'd drawn it to that length. Elsewhere in the drawing I wanted to see how close to that length another segment was, so I used the ruler. In the measurement window I was told this other segment was 4' 4 5/16". I know it's just a matter of pausing for a moment (like I said, i'm not a genius) and doing the simple math to make that comparison, but when you have to do this many times over in a drawing it makes you wonder why there isn't an option to display inches only.