@sauronbloo said:

Sorry for not getting back, I redrew the triangle, It was much better once I made sure that everything was lined up correctly. Unfortunately, I can't just make a squared roof bc it's easier. This design calls for a triangular point. I often have issues getting things to fit right, bc I'm not very familiar with actual construction, but I don't know any better ways to do things. Often the window maker on 1001 tools won't even make my window, maybe bc I'm causing an intersect?

Il try one more time. IMHO you have your self stoved piped with one approach and not letting your self think out side the box. If you are stuck with the triangular approach you have shown then so be it but my original comment still applies about the interface at the peak. There are cost, construction, build feasibility and schedule issue that you should be considering and IMHO you have not, Have you even considered a "spider" approach at the peak so to avoid the congestion of that part. Unless the actual building is racked some way other than just model errors the rendering issue should not be of concern ( can be handled be monochrome during design and the only rendering during show and tell, use of scenes, layers) and of course you have already accepted impact of schedule and cost have been considered since design change is not allowed.
BTW it takes 6 degrees of freedom to define the location of a rigid body in free space ( x, y, z, pitch, roll, yaw) etc. and SU allows you to do that and not with standing model errors fitting should be doable. Also BTW just translation and rotation gets different results depending on the sequence

The entity info dialog will also show the front and back colors and you can even reverse those from there . However, that reversal does not reverse faces but can be very useful ,as noted in one of the SCF tuts, to show misapplication of component texture form the wrong context. To reverse face it needs to be done by the reverse face command. For small holes even change in color is not 100%. It is useful to mouse over model and watch for flashes at various orbits and help in IDing those.

masterpaul;
I did not do a very good job with alternate approach. Attached is top level concept. I removed some geo to give better view. https://www.dropbox.com/s/hk4wjofwv3fzuzk/Backup_1.skb

masterpaul;
Having problem with soap skin and bubble not running, don't know what issue is.
Anyway, intermixing membrane types I've concluded will not give a very aesthetically looking model ,so have an alternate though for you with two choices. Use what you have and just scale slightly in width and run the full stand width either by lengthening the front wall you have or extend past the wall and have the termination point at column support point again with copies the full length , but of course there are many variations one could do. There will still be a number of other model issues to correct
Just some thoughts??

@masterpaul said:

@mac1 said:

@masterpaul said:

Ive been trying for a few hours, however every single time using fredoscale (box tapering) It curves like a banana, instead of aligning with the wires (the missing one in the model in the link)

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

Any help would be very welcome. Also if someone could explain what Im doing wrong. Thanks in advance.

The additional membranes you are adding are non -symmetrical and the same approach as used for existing ones in the model will probably not work. A plugin like soap skin and bubble could form the tensile membrane but I did not find it in the extension ware house. Will check some more. In the mean time the question is can you change your model to make use of the present approach. I can not follow the elevated roof at end and the apparent " sliver " attached. Can you explain a little more??

Hmm? Say again? Didn't understand you.

Well soap_skin is another solution I guess. Creating them from scratch, rather then modifying the editing one (although its going take more time).

If you can mod the existing membranes that is the way to go , but if I understand what you want to do it looks like the ones you are adding will not be rectangular in shape and adding the same type maybe a problem, hope not! I will look some more, time permiting, and wait for your repost and progress, lets us know results.
G Day

@masterpaul said:

Ive been trying for a few hours, however every single time using fredoscale (box tapering) It curves like a banana, instead of aligning with the wires (the missing one in the model in the link)

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

Any help would be very welcome. Also if someone could explain what Im doing wrong. Thanks in advance.

The additional membranes you are adding are non -symmetrical and the same approach as used for existing ones in the model will probably not work. A plugin like soap skin and bubble could form the tensile membrane but I did not find it in the extension ware house. Will check some more. In the mean time the question is can you change your model to make use of the present approach. I can not follow the elevated roof at end and the apparent " sliver " attached. Can you explain a little more??

IMO where the lights meet at the peak will be a problem for you. Have you considered a different approach say more like a rectangular grid??

There programs for interpolation and decimation and SU plugins for the same . Do a search for subdivide and smooth and you should get hits for both free and $ su plugins. The $ one has a free trial period. Can you post the model of your post?

@calypsoart said:

The standard SU views are top, the 4 sides, and ortho. Any simple way to create a view looking up? Plugin? Is there a built in up view in parallel that I'm missing ?

It's there just does not show in the tool bar icons. Either make it a short cut or go to camera views.

table_base.dxf
@emorgan said:

One thing i know. Dynamic blocks do not export nicely to other software. Even when you explode them. for work that is to be exported, i use designspark (free version of spaceclaim) which exports nicely to sketchup or Autodesk Fusion (also free) that has similar pushpull modeling and exports to STEP/Iges/DWG/Parasolid. Either software could easily model and ellipsoid. and both open sketchup. but dynamic blocks get mashedup a little.

You can also export as obj file, I used mesh lab here ,but it does not have dwg export. I also exported stl to Meshlab and imported stl back to SU ok.

@mikaelo said:

@mac1 said:

When you fomatted your disk what did you use FAT32 or NTFS
The HDs in both machines (PC and laptop) are formated in NTFS. In laptop it works, in PC it does not.

@mac1 said:

By default XP does not make the Admin log on at its welcome screen available. Try at the welcome screen pressing cntrl+alt+delete twice; logon user; administrator; pwd the one you orginally set.
I am the only user and I have not set pass while loging in. WinXP starts without selecting user or seting a pass to proceed.

Good NTFS is where the extensive permsiions are implemented;
Try the log on I suggested above . I used XP for some time and was surprised. Do internet search on windows xp administrator log in there are a number of how too,s. Note the xp login is different depending on the xp sku version you have, stating just xp is not the full story.

@steveo said:

Hi mac1, thanks for the tips, i have ended up downloading and using sketchup 2014, which runs considerably better. not perfect, but if i do everything you guys suggest by changing my view, materials and settings, it runs smoothly..

But getting back the original question (which is probably my fault for not being more clear) was more asking why my computer cannot run it easily without having to do all this, id like to be able to, if its not the software limitations of course, be able to work with textures and when editing groups not have the rest of the model hidden..
Do i need more RAM? or do i need to add another or better graphics card? but as stated in previous posts, the cpu and memory stats are running about 20% each at these times

SU runs as 32 bit and single core and you have enough RAM unless you are seeing a large paging file use. You should check if the graphics can set a particularization for SU, Nvidia can. Texture puts a large rendering load on the graphics card. No reason to do that all the time but your call. I would turn hyper-threading off if you can. same for power throttling etc. It is a given no matter what hardware you have models can be made to bring it to its knees so good modeling practice needs to be followed along with setting machine to best fit what you are doing. Check your BIOS and look for any thing that allows you to control how cores and memory is used. Also check PC supplier FAQ for suggestions.
Check to see you have the latest graphics driver.

stevO;
Some other SWAGS;
Purge your model;
Can you set the graphics options for sketchup. Hopefully you have a control panel item for it?;
Does rendering in monochrome make much difference. If it does you have the option to model in that and use the texture for show and tell;
In the materials does turning off transparency help? Same for opacity set to zero.
When all else fails try to separate problem materials or geometry. Remove all materials and see if much improvement. Of courses do that in copy of model.
You can save the materials to a collection, then you can check the skm file size and find which ones are causing the problems. You read size in windows explorer, you will have to unzip ( change skm=> zip) to actually open the image file or you get it name from skm and then edit via the material browser.
As you note you probably have a material size issue and I have found you will get much more improvement form material edit that model geometry changes.
Good luck

@budzy123 said:

I haven't been successful at printing any yet. There is always something wrong with it after netfabb and using slice3r to convert it to g codes. My biggest problem is my stl parts files that came with my kit works fine. If anyone knows on on sketchup or thingsverse that I can bring to sketchup that is a clean file I could try please let me know so I can try it. Thanks

Netfabb will not fix all SU problems but some. I have run cases the solid inspector / solver shows some errors but after running thru netfabb and back through SU they do not report any errors;
Check the netfabb WIKI they have some videos that may help and have recommendations on slicers. Showing green does not mean it meets all their criteria ( probably vs the printer they use), when you run the analysis tool does it report all ok? It looks like from your model are you doing 100% in fill, looks like that is needed.
Model you posted is reporting to me not solid, soild inspector shows some holes, TIG's solid solver would not fix nor my version of netfabb free.

@mikaelo said:

@tig said:

I'm not sure about XP, but on newer PCs the Programs 'Control Panel' has an Uninstall/Repair option. By Repairing the installation it might fix some 'permissions' etc ?
When I first notice the problem few days before, the first thing I tried was un-installing and then installing again the FluidImport. No result! Then, I tried un-installing and then installing again the SketchUp. No result again! I also tried to install older "8" or "7" versions (as already mentioned in my previous post HERE), but no result!. Then, I tried to format my hard disc and install everything back again - not one time, but 5! Five formats, 5 Win XP installing procedures one after the other, 5 "fresh" SketcUp installings. Unfortunately, every time, the SketchUp denioes to import OBJ files. Every time! No result at all!

@tig said:

Are you 100% sure that all 'permissions' etc under 'properties' are the same on both machines, for all folders that SketchUp uses ?
200% sure. I placed the laptop side-by-side on PC screen to check one-by-one all 'permissions', 'properties', folders, subfolders, files etc in both machines. Everything is same, but no result! It simply denies to make me happy.

By default XP does not make the Admin log on at its welcome screen available. Try at the welcome screen pressing cntrl+alt+delete twice; logon user; administrator; pwd the one you orginally set.
When you fomatted your disk what did you use FAT32 or NTFS

circleinasquare
I have been watching your post and have some comments / suggestions hopefully to help vs confuse:
More segments are not better. As that number increases the size of model MB wise gets larger, you run into problems of end point inference ( even to point of snapping to undesired point, color comes in handy here , some printers limit the number of triangles in the model ( ~ 1,000,00), and other issues like Box noted above plus many more like your graphics card performance. While you get up to speed keep segment count down to default;

The issue of axis color is some what misleading. A color axis does not mean it is " on axis" per se but is parallel to that axis and so one can draw a infinite number of them. It is a another tool in the Su tool box to help along with the other inference tools. Just draw your profile on a plane and make sure it forms a face. It may even help to use small ref rectangle to start, the arc tool can do its thing some times and that will give you a on face ( plane ) inference point;

There are no tangents in SU in the classical math sense we were taught in school ,but that face profile must be perpendicular to the edge you are extruding around to start ( so if you attempt to start at a section of the segment line you have to make sure it is perpendicular to it. The first step in that extrusion process is a projection of the face along the first vector and will get changed in size if it is not or may not even work.

Instead of drawing the profile perfect to start( like you are doing with large seg count=> inference problem) start with a straight line approximation then lay in you arcs, circles etc.

Once you have a good SU model run it through the link I gave you above and it will give other info on printing acceptability( You can make a SU solid model that Printer's will not accept). That's one of many and is free.
Just some thoughts

Darryl;
Three d printing not in my wheel house ,but is stated need based on Markerbot analysis of you model or question is how do you know what you need? The cost goes up expotentially and about 3 mm min so the thought would be to strengthen the hole areas including removing current counterbore cut out and reduce thickness of other areas by what you see in some typical designs wherein a cylindrical boss is used say like lawn mower mounting deck area. Without model it's hard to tell but the protrusion on out side appears close to limit also.
I've found info in this link helpful. http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/how_to_use_meshlab_and_netfabb You can even get measurements from the info in it. SU has a stl exporter so use of MeshLab will not be required
BTW the your model is probably not solid and if will need to be corrected before sending to printer.
Please post you model??

pilou;
I've had the question the other way. Are plugins updated to the new API ok to run in say SU 8, AKA are they downward compatible?

zerobmeister ; FYI, even thought SU reports the model as solid it does not mean the printer will accept it for printing. Some of them have criteria that goes beyond " solidness" for printing

Any approach you select the issue of frame of ref calibration for your measurement system must be addressed. At my previous company we used: Photogrammetry ; a cluster of 4 theodolites mounted on piers with a invar surveyor chain 50' long laid on floor to calibrate to make surface contour measurements. Even state of art of 3 d scanner are getting to large area scans
Those first two above would be too expensive for you but the point I am trying to make is there are companies that do such measurements and few phone calls may help at least with possible ideas. I have no ref for you at this point. Been retired too long
As a home owner was thinking about a large pin board, like small ones used to meas molding contours etc. Frame of ref probably rented laser. Think you are looking for stable relative meas not absolute.
Just some crazy thoughts.