SO, I think Gaius nailed it. I've had a few files that were still pretty big even though I downsized them. I went back into those problem files and downsized the images to the 1024x1024 size (is that the actual cap?) and I've had no problems opening those files on my laptop.

I still don't know exactly why I was able to open and work in the files fine but then not open them later. Is there something in SketchUp's start-up routine that would make chugging through large images particularly difficult?

Thanks again for your help in solving the issue!

Hi all, thanks a ton for spending some time helping me with this. To answer your questions:
Anssi - I attach to a second monitor when I'm in the office, not at home. Could that be related? I could see how that might relate to Gaius's driver point.
Krisidious - I haven't tried that. I have tried opening the ~.skp that comes with it with the same result. I will try the import idea today when I head out.
Gaius - they can be pretty large images, but I am pretty diligent about downsizing them to the 2000 pixel cap before I import them. I work on a MacPRO, and I keep it pretty consistently updated. I'll double-check the drivers tho.

Thanks again for the answers. I'll let you know if the import or driver update suggestions fix the issue.

• Hakken

EDIT: I did try importing the file into a new blank file and that does seem to work, which is good but not ideal as I lose all of the scenes I had set in the original file. Great to know for an emergency, but I still need to work out why the issue is happening. I've been doing some experiments this morning and Gaius might be on to something with the file sizes. Could being over that 2000 pix limit be something that's crashing the program?

The only other thing I can think of is that it could be caused by the new Lion OS, but the issue did crop up before I installed it, so that's probably unlikely.

In reference to number 7 listed above, you can turn off the restoration of application windows 'feature' in the Preferences/General tab.

Yes, I 'upgraded' before reading this post.

So, this is probably user error and I apologize in advance if you all have answered this a thousand times (I did look and found nothing quite compatible.)

For years, I've worked 'on site' at different agencies and then take the 'completed' skp files home with me in case they call with changes, which they always do. The problem is that in the past year or so these files, which worked fine at the different offices, sometimes fail to open at home. They open, pinwheel like crazy, pause and allow me to feel a flush of relief that they finally opened, and then cruelly laugh and pinwheel again indefinitely until I force-quit them. Sometimes they're merciful and just crash as they're opening. Admittedly they're fairly large files: 40 - 50 meg renders of retail environments with lots of different textures. But they very often open and work just fine at home.

The crazy thing is I work on a laptop, so its the same computer at work and at home. The only variation is that sometimes I use images for textures off of the different agencies's networks. I could see that there might be a missing link type issue, but I thought that SkUp worked differently than Maya and such and kept small files of the images in the file itself somewhere (?)

So, what am I doing wrong? Is there a way to 'Archive' a file like in Maya, where it makes sure all referenced and linked files get packaged for transport? Is this even the issue?

Appreciate any help I can get on this one. It would really reduce unbillable hours of frustration if this could be resolved.

Thanks, Hakken

Nicely done. The organic shapes are very impressive. Can I ask what renderer you're using?

Hey, just wanted to drop a quick note and say thanks for the tips on this. Through being very diligent about how I placed my images (as textures, not images), and by re-setting my views so I'm not so far away that the camera thinks separate planes are the same, I was able to eliminate the flickering problem completely.

Thanks a ton to all for your help and insight! I appreciate it muchly.

Thanks for the help so far. I have been unable to get approavl to post the model up here from my client, so I'll have to re-create the issue I'm having with a new model, and the deadlines I'm on are giving me little time to do that. I do have some free time coming up tho, so I should be able to whip something up that I can post.

Thanks.

SO, two more questions on my fight with Z-fighting. I've dug through the models I had flickering issues with and did have quite a few faces sharing planes, most of them in separate groups, which I thought would protect them from clashing. I went ahead and got rid of all of those faces, and am still seeing some flickering. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.:

1. Is it possible that faces that are near each other, not on top of each other, but only close to each other, can be Z-fighting? I see through some surfaces to other surfaces that are close to the surfaces in the forefront, most often when I'm zoomed out quite a bit. Sometimes some images that are a good 2 - 3" in front of a surface can disappear altogether.

2. Does an image count as a surface when imported into a drawing? I've laid many images on top of surfaces I've created and then get my flickering affect. Should I be putting these images in as textures only? I hope not, as some of these images need to exist on their own (have transparent backgrounds, etc.)

Thanks again, Jonah

EDIT: I mistakenly made this post thinking you were talking about making arced shapes on a flat plane. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Hi, I'm also a newb, but what I ended up doing to make sure my 'freeform' drawings were on the same plane is the following:

• Make a plane of any size, large enough for the shape you want to make to fit inside,
• make the plane a group (so lines drawn on it don't attach to the plane)
• draw your shape on the surface of the plane,
• when you connect the last point, the surface should automatically come into being like magic.
• delete your drawing surface plane (or throw it off to the side and save it for later)

Again, may not be the best or most efficient way to do it, but it works for me.

85 megabyte file. The file store interior is about 30' X 45'.

@gaieus said:

Hi Hakken,

I do still believe that it is Z fighting somehow. Do you just place those images on surfaces as images or as textures? (When importing them, there is an option in the bottom right of the Open window).

If they are images, not textures, try this: right click on them and "explode" to see if the flickering is still there

It feels like Z-fighting to me too, has from the start, though I could never find or do anything about that other texture it feels like I'm seeing. What I usually do, and this is just me figuring it out on my own, so I'm sure its not the best way, is create a new texture in the 'Colors in Model' file of the 'Colors' pallette and then Load the image I want in as the texture. Would that create a double texture? or leave the original white one there to fight with my new texture?

And in response to Anssi's suggestions, I don't have shadows on, and I have the file near the Z point, though the size of the file is pretty large, 85M. I have LOTS of images in there.

Thanks again for weighing in on this Remus, Gaius and Anssi, it's nice to be able to discuss this with someone instead of trying to figure out on my own.

I'll try to re-do the image tonight with non-sensitive images and structures and post it.

Thanks again. I'll get something up soon.

Awesome, thanks for the answers.

My problem with linking the models I'm working with is that they're proprietary, covered by a DNI and probably pretty recognizable to States-side folks. I'll work with my client to figure out a way to get something posted.

The z-fighting, if that's what it is, is particularly frustrating. I spent hours picking the structures apart trying to find the surfaces behind the flickering images but found nothing, and then went ahead and deleted stuff and redrew it and still had the issue. Could there be a known issue with a type or size of image file causing this when applied as a surface? I was using RGB TIFFs, all about 500kb to 1m, saved with the layers box unchecked. The flickering was basically angled triangles or what typically shooting down from the tops of the structures the surfaces had been applied to and then fading out as the camera moved, though the white triangles were sometimes visible when the camera stopped.

I'll start looking at Podium, as it may be the sort of fast and simple rendering option we're looking for. The majority of what I do is display and retail fixture design, so a lot of interior retail shots of structures with product on them. The drawings get crazily complex and I've struggled for a while with PD programs (FormZ) with too much detail and architecture programs (Microstation) with not enough. SU feels like its got the right mix of both, if I can get FormZ-quality renderings out of it.

Thanks again for your help and any other help anyone can give.

Hi, My name is Jonah and I've been modeling professionally for about 12 years, mostly in Microstation, and FormZ. I've been working with a client who has asked me to do much of their work in SketchUp, and so I have kind of learned as much as I can in the time it takes to get their projects done, but not much more than that.
I've been impressed enough to consider selling this programs' results to my other clients, save for a few nagging issues I'd like to get answered, which I can't seem to suss out on my own. I've scoured the forums looking for some answers to these questions lately, but I'm sure I could have missed a post or two that could have answered my questions. ANy help anyone can give on these questions would be most appreciated.

Here's my wish list:

• I wish I knew why some (but not all) surfaces and imported images flicker to white when I animate walk-throughs. The discussions on shadow flickering don't seem to address the issue, and the recommendations for fixing that problem haven't fixed the issue.
• I wish I knew why any drawing I try to export to AutoCAD comes out as a blank file.
• I'd like to get a 3rd party renderer, and am looking for a recommendation. The forums seem to like Indigo, but I see others referenced. What's your recommendations?

That's it. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.