How do we find the area of an irregular planar area? Say the area of a fenced closed perimeter.

I have a model that I would like to make on my DaVinci. Is there a post-processor out there that can take the .skp file into a G-code for me?

I have two solids that will not become a single solid. Not having SU Pro, I have to use outer shell. Outer shell works well with two solid geometries, but I suspect my two are so complex that sticking them together causes some kind of problem. I bought SUSolid and used Solid Solver which show a myriad number of little problems. Will the Pro version union make them a single solid? Would anyone with Pro like to unionize my two solids into one for a little money? I really up against a deadline and could use any help.

I finally was able to, with the erudite forum members' help, make my surface into a solid.
NEW PROBLEM: I am trying to "attach" one face of one solid to a face on the other. Will the whole thing become a solid if I take both of the latter groups and make them a single group?

I have downloaded SU Tools. I believe this to be true because I have the different colored cubes on the toolbar. I am trying, and have been for a month, to download FredoScale. After doing what the tutorial shows, and using SU2014, nothing happens. The program works, but FredoScale does not come up. Could it be that I need to sign up for a paid subscription? Pretty much I am holding on my design until I can somehow get FredoScale. I am willing to pay for any help.

I wanted the "cup"-shape of a quarter of an egg. I made the egg by first making a sphere with follow me, then I deformed it using FredoScale. Next I used planes to "cut" the egg such that I erased all I did not want. But on one edge, there are these triangles; though small, they kinda ruin the smooth edge. It appears that a few, non-connected, points are not connected; so I drew a line between them hoping that the surface would then be complete and smooth: it did not. In fact, within this small triangular area, I surface does not exist. Is there a fix for this? I could try another method, but since this happens a lot, my guess is that I have missed something.

When I changed from SU8 to the 2014 version, I had LibFredo and Curviloft downloaded; so it was easy to load them. But I did not have Fredoscale. When I use the extension warehouse, and hit INSTALL, the thingy just spins.
I would really like to be able to have Fredoscale, but am lost. What can I do?

I have a 3D shape similar to a spoon's ovate shape; it has a mild but extant variable thickness. I made my shape by using curviloft's profiles.
Now here is the problem: how would I modify this 3D shape? Do I have to go back and modify the profiles thus taking a lot of time or is there an easier way?

I have finished my model by using splines and curviloft. Now I want to customize my model(s) to existing features. I am asking on the best way to do this:

1. should I use the scale tool?
2. should I go back to the splines and modify them then use curviloft again?
3. fredoscale seems like a good fit as it allow twisting and bending of the existing model; I have used it successfully; but the advice of the more experienced in the forum would be beneficial vis a vis their general experience
   I am modeling spoons, or in surgical terms, a curette, made for specific intraoperative bone work.
   Your adice in the past has made the use of SU fun and productive.

Just because you are paranoid does not mean that they are not after you.

Is there an FEA plugin that I can use for both static and dynamic loads on my SU models?

I really appreciate the answer to my question. Again going back to curviloft, my rails complete the surface, and again, it looks great. The tutorials show that there are ancillary rails created before the skin is created. Is there a way to select one of these intermediate rails? If so, I could then modify it, and my life would be complete.

Just because one is paranoid doesn't mean they are not after you.

I made a complex 3D shape using Curviloft using four rails made of F-splines. It is just the kind of "model" that I needed SU for. But now I would like to make small changes in this shape ie higher in one portion, lower in another, shorter in overall length.
The shape was generated by using 4 rails; to do the above

1. is it possible to somehow obtain more cross-sectional rails from this model, change them, then use Curviloft to re-generate the shape? Or...
2. is there another way to change the shape using a push-pull or something like it?

I selected the arcs then selected the lined face thingy on the curviloft menu. As advertised I got just what I had wanted. But when I move the cursor to anything, the program has a sketchy kinda crash complete with requesting my email. I am using 2013 version. How can I fix this?

I was pretty proud of myself being able to install a .rbz file. Hey they work as advertised. But I have now run into trying to install, specifically, btm Sculpt Tools; this tool is apparently is a .zip, and what happens is, it does not show up in the download folder. So when I go to INSTALL EXTENSION, it does nothing. The fix is probably easy, but I have no idea what it might be.
And on the same path, it states in some plugins to "just drag and drop into the extensions folder" with regard to .rb files. I am lost here as well.
Any help is really appreciated.

If I were to spend a lot of time designing, in your collective opinion, is the space mouse worth the time and effort? Does anyone have any suggestions as to mouse(s)?

@wo3dan said:

I don't know this plugin. But I guess that it may add a lot of extra entities that SketchUp will snap to. Is this something you strictly need. It can be a nuisance to not being able to navigate normally through your geometry. And it can add a lot to file size.
What if you apply a transparent png with black lines in the texture, spaced 1cm appart.
You could even resize the line grid to whatever you want and it would only be four edges (hidden!?!) and a grid-showing face. Just a suggestion.

That is a really good suggestion and just what I really need. I, in my ignorance, did not even consider the file size. How could one accomplish what you suggest?

My model is made of splines that form the rails. The rail-splines are in the x,z-plane. I am importing points that are precise in each sub-plane of the x,z. How can I get a spline to go smoothly through these points? The shape is kinda "U"-shaped with no inflections.

Does anyone have any experience with the plugin called numbered grid? It is a .rb program.
What I want to do is have a numbered (cm if possible) in the x,y-plane that I can overlay a picture over and use the grid for:

1. alignment
2. to see the imported points that will overlay the picture

I want to import a lot of points (<50 in total) to help me make my spoon surfaces. How is this done?
If I used another program to generate the points, and that program exported a text file of the points, is there a way for SU to read the text file and plot the points?

The only design background that I've had is BobCad. Watching some tutorials, I found that SU is much easier. But there are a few things that I need help with:

1. is there a workbook that you have found to be of value; a book of projects that I could go through one by one to get the basics
2. I was proud of myself that I was able to download the curviloft plugin; I can't yet get the geometry to try it out on because of my newbie status
3. I want to design spoons, and there is not a straight line anywhere
4. before I make the spoons out of metal, I want to make models of them on my cubeX; and I cannot even get that to print out one of the "creations" to test; I am confused, for I thought that SU would export the models in .stl format, compatible with the CubeX
   I know that I am still on the learning curve where it is really steep and not discouraged; but any advice would be well and greatly appreciated.
   Kellen Raid