I just did. Unfortunately I can only select one Operating System though I have both, Mac and Windows available to work with. I selected Windows as I guess this is the less limiting variant - I saw at least some extensions only available for Windows.

Thomthom has a plugin that will draw a box with the same size orientation as the bounding box.

THanks for your input guys. that profile/rotation thing came to my mind shortly after i posted the above and so i did it. apart from that it is interesting how to solve such issues and it's interesting to know that sketchup has issues with smaller objects. Thanks for that hint @voljanko. Also thanks to the other for pointing out things. I'll try that out.

try this extension that works on sketchup make too: http://extensions.sketchup.com/it/content/skema-2d-projection mybe does wat you are looking for

Hi Helmi Have a look the SU 3DText Tool @unknownuser said: by bjornkn - The text was made as 3D text on top of the red band, using a Helvetica/Swiss font. [image: ms9k_20121007-SU3DText.png]

Thanks, jgb, that's a valuable tip. I already ran into similar problems not related to intersect faces quite some time but it's highly appreciated you add that here. very important. Thanks, Frank

@trogluddite said: My usual method (used on screw/bolt holes all the time), is to use the 'entity info' window - you have to do each end one at a time, but I find it less fiddly that the scale tool, especially for holes, where the surrounding material can make it hard to see exactly what you're doing. ....... Really easy solution, works a treat! Many thanks.

Hi Helmi, Do you know or use AutoCAD ? I did some short guideline on how to vectorize PDF -> AutoCAD -> SU - assuming that PDF has linework. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=45500 I was checking other options using Free Inkscape - from PNG directly to DXF R13 Result below... [image: WTrq_20120922-SUskitch.png] beginner_skitch.zip

I agree there's some basics that some people just seem to understand. Besides the proxy results, there's just creating meshes from scratch, or simply how to draw the proxy shapes. I think if you watch car model videos, or buy one of the SCF books on car modeling (or a chair with organic shapes), you'll see how people approach some of this. I'm looking at learning more of the same things.

Has there been any headway made with the mac toolbar situation? Has someone come up with a plugin that helps or is there now a way to group together the separate toolbars (the top custom toolbar line just isn't enough)

I use Maxwell on my Mac setup: http://www.maxwellrender.com/index.php/maxwell_for_google_sketchup Best part - it's free! And integrated into SketchUp, so you don't have to port it to another program. If it isn't rendering the way you want, stop the render, make your adjustments in SU, and press the render button again. I also use VRay, but Maxwell can give me a quick render without a lot of work when I want to show a progress image.

The point is that inference does not work for dimensions. I miss that too. Its much easier to dimension without using guidelines, like in Autocad.

Yes On the question of making a manifold solid... When you add in the two 'transformations' [as I showed] there will almost certainly be internal faces as 'partitions'. These will stop a group being seen as 'solid'. The definition of a solid 'group' is that all of the edges within it must have two faces - no fewer, no more. So an internal 'partition' face messes us up because some of its edges will have three or more faces. Also 'flap' faces will have edges with only one face, and a faceless edge obviously doesn't have two faces at all... It should also contain only faces and their edges to be 'safe'. Once you've exploded the bits into one collection of geometry and grouped it all, if it doesn't show as a 'solid' in Entity Info, then you need to edit it. There are scripts that show or attempt to fix such issues - however, in a simple case like this you need to try a few things first - use X-ray mode to see inside and perhaps remove unneeded partitions by erasing their edges that join onto external faces; also you can use the section-tool to cut the object temporarily so you can see inside it, then select+delete internal faces, edges etc: running an 'erase coplanar edges' tool on the results also simplify it. At each step check the Entity Info to see if it reports a 'solid'.

All right, Solid Solver, too.