A windows update may have done something to your video driver. Reinstall your video driver/look for an update while you're at it.

http://www.smustard.com/script/CubicPanoOut?

Another interesting benefit to the 3dconnexion devices I'm beginning to appreciate is the ability to write full-blown macros for its assignable keys. I have the Space Pilot, which has a lot more buttons and a LCD screen (a great reminder, and if you register, your name appears in the header of one of the panels).

I'm beginning to research macro recorders this weekend. At least some macro recorder programs will allow you to over-ride mouse - and other devices - functions and program your own stuff. One can assign repetitive text, like forum message, email signatures, etc, to hot keys; but it's often at cost of adding yet another startup program to your computer. If only a handful of macros are required, and this driver is loaded at start-up anyway...hummm...

The 3dconnexion devices supports a number of programs, but I'm seeing a panel on the screen that I can assign stuff to a rather generic sounding 'Any Application'. So I should be able to compose a few macros that could drop in repetitive text stuff in any application. While I haven't needed this yet, it does make me appreciate my new little monster more.

It's definitely a well-built and thought device and software. It's polished and professional. The Sandio mouse is in it's infancy and needs time and further development to get it out of the hack-work-a-round category and evolve into the Logitech device realm.

Something like SUAVE http://groups.google.com/group/Ruby-API/browse_thread/thread/b1a488f1390acad8/230b952e98dee192?lnk=gs#230b952e98dee192

A slightly buggy Triangulate.rb is available at Ruby Library Depot to first triangulate faces. The script messes up on a few types of faces, but it does save work. Add a one-step undo by inserting

model.start_operation "Triangulate" ### one-step Undo

after line 56, entities = model.entities.

http://groups.google.com/group/Sketchup-Pro/msg/ddf1c0d5076aceeb to initially set up a tapered helical model. For some ideas on tweaking models generated with helices http://groups.google.com/group/Sketchup-Pro/msg/ec56e288ca5c91f9

It's great for spot detailing. Select individual face(s) and click on Add Detail. As well as using it on unselected bits: a face, edge or node.

Try resaving the TXT file in Notepad. Wordpad is not a plain text editor. It has text formating.

Another very nice rotation setting is via the Plugins menu: Plugins/3DxSketchUp/Center of Rotation on Selection.

The Sandio mouse isn't as graceful or as quiet/sturdy as the 3Dconnexion navigators. And it still only allows you to do one thing at a time.

The 3Dconnexion devices will let you rotate about the model while another SU plugin window is opened and active.

The Smoove tool does work normal to selected geometry. Begin to Smoove something then press Shift. It's in Help http://download.sketchup.com/sketchuphelp/gsu6_win/Content/P-Terrain_Modeling/TerrainTool-Smoover.htm#kanchor392. Select some bits and use Scale. Lots of deformation possibilities with that.

I have a new Duo-Core Intel mobo, DirectX 9, 2 GB paging file, XP Pro, 2 GB RAM, EVGA nVidia 8600 GTS and no issues in SU other than occasionally some weird selection box outlines.

Maybe there could be some more optimal BIOS settings for your card.

Have you tried unchecking Fast Feedback? I had an ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro that worked fine with that box unchecked. There is a known issue with ATI/AMD cards not using fast feedback well.

If that doesn't work, try checking that box dealing with correcting the reverse face issue?

Restart SU after each change to be sure it takes.

EDIT: A person on the Free forum reports a reverse face/problem picking a face from the latest driver upgrade. He is using a different ATI card. And several other people have been reporting problems with latest ATI drivers. If your card worked before, try rolling back the driver. The window that opens after you select driver properties when you go to update drivers has a driver rollback button. Also you can hunt down and install an older driver.

Take a look at the script Joint Push Pull http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=4840

The parametric grid script, like it's name implies, is parametric - infinitely editable. Select grid, r-click and Choose Edit Grid. From there you control the size of the grid and the individual grid increments.

Another Windows option - this on my XP system, other Windows versions are similar - Start > Run, type msconfig, OK. On the General tab select Normal Startup, OK, restart.

Rob, As far as US law is concerned, the word SketchUp is Google's property. The first step is applying for a TM and after about 5 years of legally exhaustive research in the use of the word, probably worldwide in this case, the owner is granted a registration mark.

If the owner does not protect the use of their property, the owner risks losing the rights to the word to the public domain.

Allowing people to use the word formica instead of plastic laminate caused a problem for the Formica company. And I've notice that people now say photocopy instead of xerox, as was once common.

Stateside there's an organization that occasionally gives free seminars by lawyers to educate small business owners http://score.org/. I don't know what GB has but the laws should be similar. You may not leave an intellectual property seminar smiling.

If you expand your business to training on several different software platforms someday, your proposed name is a bit limiting.

And there's Folding Along an Axis of Rotation (as so labeled in Help under Rotate tool). Click on center point, drag protractor to orient in 3D, click to set, drag to rotate. This is very useful.

And the Move tool morphs into Rotate too if you are moving a group or component. Hover tool over the little red crosses on the face of the bounding box and rotate away.

On a 3D path, FollowMe twists. The normal direction keeps changing. A line version would fight the same issues.

Al Hart had some success keeping a face properly oriented in his flat path extrusion tool. But there were some problems with some types of paths. So the tool is still in beta.

Soap Skin Bubble does a mesh from a contour. Turn on hidden geometry to see the triangulation.

With your intersection technique, if you softened the out-of-bound mesh from a Sandbox-made grid, then it's one face to select for deletion.

And there's this http://www.smustard.com/script/ToDoList

Geeze Todd, and your partner has a new baby to support too