That's interesting Tim.... I tried something yesterday that shouldn't have made any difference at all.

I re-downloaded SketchUp 6 and installed it onto my computer. Tried unsuccessfully to find a way to convert the version 7 files I'm currently working on to version 6.

The really weird thing is that SketchUp 7 hasn't crashed on me even once since I've uploade version 6.

I don't understand how that could've changed anything. Have been using SketchUp for about 3 hours now.

And yes, like Tim, I'm not using the component window, but I am using all of my rubys.

David

I'm running the free version on SketchUp 7 on my 24" screen imac with system 10.5.7.

I can't run SketchUp 7 for more than 10 minutes before it crashes.

SketchUP 6 ran GREAT on my system. But SketchUp 7 crashes consistantly within minutes of opening up a file. Sometimes I lose all access to the rest of the computer and sometimes just SketchUp crashes.

I'm using several ruby plugins... specifically the following...

Unfold
Joint Push/Pull
Set Center Point
Skin
Bezier tools

The only thing that has changed is the introduction of SketchUp 7.

Would love to go back to the previous version. Where the program ran strong and dependably. Is it possible to save a version7 file down to a version6?

I sifted through my consule window and pulled out the common error lines immediately after the last crash.

7/13/09 11:34:38 AM [0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014] SketchUp(1014,0xa01c1720) malloc: *** error for object 0xa005e6d8: pointer being freed was not allocated

7/13/09 11:36:29 AM SketchUp[1014] _NXPlaceWindow: error setting window shape (1000)

7/13/09 11:36:29 AM SketchUp[1014] _NSShapePlainWindow: error setting window shape (1000)

7/13/09 11:36:30 AM [0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014] /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/bezierspline.rb:2223: warning: parenthesize argument(s) for future version

7/13/09 11:36:30 AM [0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014] /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/libtraductor.rb:59: warning: don't put space before argument parentheses

7/13/09 11:36:30 AM [0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014] /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins/LibTraductor.rb:25: warning: already initialized constant LBT__DEF

7/13/09 11:36:30 AM [0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014] Bus Error

7/13/09 11:36:43 AM com.apple.launched[72] ([0x0-0x46046].com.google.sketchupfree7[1014]) Exited abnormally: Abort trap

The most common line is the one about "pointer being freed was not allocated" whatever that means..

I know that error code lines I've posted are similar to those posted by Tim. But, I dunno... I doubt that it's a hardware thing since SketchUp 6 ran just fine. I began experiencing these miserable crashes only after I downloaded and installed SketchUp 7.

Any ideas from you more computer savvy folks?

David

It looks GREAT to me. You've managed to divest the building of the "Sketchup look" quite nicely. Care to explain a little bit how you performed the render?

David

From a newbie who is desperately watching every tutorial he can get, I thank you and commend you for a beautifully executed and well thought out tutorial. You helped me..

David

I'm referring to the red vs the green vs the blue axis of the rotate tool. I know that you can mouse over already existing surfaces and hold the shift key to get a particular angle of the rotate tool before you click and drag. But, what if you want to rotate a multi angled shape along say... the x axis when there are no surfaces along that axis.. and you are viewing it from above via the z axis.

What I'd like to be able to do is select the rotat tool, and toggle to the x axis (is it green or red? Can never remember which color is which axis) rotate tool without having to move my point of view down so that I am level with x axis line.

Awhile back, I remember reading how to do that easily. Aaaand... of course, I've lost the reference to it and now I can't find the post with that info.

David

Jim! I did as you said to one of the shapes. Worked nicely. So, then I thought.. "would it work on ALL of the shapes at once?"

...whoa... It does work. On ALL of them at once. That is really cool.

Nice work on the ruby and thank you for sharing it with us. I think you saved me hours of work.

You wouldn't happen to know how to toggle the rotate tool angle without having to change your viewpoint would you?

I've been unfolding a project using the unfold ruby. However, once the parts are unfolded, they are usually at all kinds of crazy angles. I want to be able to grab the shapes and settle them all onto a single plane.

Is there a simple way to do this? Maybe a way to select three corners of the desired shape/s and order them to occupy the same plane?

And while I have my hand raised... I remember reading somewhere about how to select which direction of rotation for the rotate tool by clicking the arrow keys... however, when I try it, nothing happens. It's a pain to have to re-orient my point of view every time I want to use the rotate tool.

I've attached a jpg of the angle problem I have using just simple shapes to demonstrate the common problem I keep running into. And I've also included the skp file too.

Thank you for your advice.

David

unorganized shapes.skp

Oooooooh Gaieus.. that .skp file is.... well, really cool! I had no idea we could do that in sketchup. Much better then the old beige background.

Here's me off running to the manuel to learn about setting up styles...

Well, I tried out the skin ruby and was able to join the surfaces of this fairly complex pillar. I can do this now thanks to your patient advice and help. Thank you.
By the way this is a model of a space habitat. Have yet to figure out how to create a space background for it yet. And it's obvious that I need to study up on how to apply textures correctly. But I'm still pleased with the model.

David

I've been using Sketchup6 and lots of rubys on my imac running Leapard for several months now. Never had a problem.

Thanks for the heads up on this! I've been doing a lot of scaling of grouped objects and components and these little tidbits will help my aching mind.

Yep, that's how I built it originally. But, I had wanted to learn how to do it using the intersection method and by literally carving a shaped piece out of it.

Anyway, I figured it out. I needed to ungroup each element before intersecting them. Once I did that, I was able to keep the profile lines of the back of the insert piece within the chair. I also did another way... by going back to the original profile and cutting the thickness of the bottom and back into the shape. Then I pushpulled the separate pieces till I had both sides and the bottom. Then deleted the inner excess.

Hello again, I'm learning fast, and getting better. I even began working on converting a funky little airplane design I had into a 3d model. You can see the WIP photos. But I'm having a tough time with the stupid pilot seat. I have the basic outside shape created. And then I created another, similar shape, but slightly smaller so that I could use it to carve out the desired interior from the larger chair shape.... didn't work.

When I intersect the two groups, I am only able to get two results. The smaller shape will carve out the interior, but it won't leave any lines indicating where the bottom of the smaller shape was... or if I make the cut-out shape wider than the chair, It will give me the bottom okay, but completely eliminates the chair sides. Neither one works. Rather, what I want is the combined result of both failed methods.

What am I doing wrong? I watched the video tutorials and I think I'm doing it the way they say... but it's still not working.

I've attached the skp file if any of you are willing to inspect my work.

pilots chair.skp

These post are all excellent. And I appreciate that you all are willing to help us newbies out. Thanks again.

Have you thought about importing the sketchup components into Flash? Yes, it would be simplistic.... but for ease of use for your customers, you can't beat it. They would be able to move the pieces around online from within the flash program. And then, if that whets their appetite for more, they could then try thier hand at using the SketchUp file itself.

Well, bummer...still can't get it to work yet.

I've double checked the plugins folder and the two folders and file are there.
The plugin button appears and responds to my mouse by going darker when I click on it... but, nothing else happens when I draw the shape and click to a different tool.

This might be a Mac thing? Are there any other Mac users using this ruby okay?

David

Jim,
As a newbie at sketchup, I was excited to find this ruby script.
The script seems to have installed ok since I do get the little single button menu.
But, how do I use it? I've tried clicking on it first to activate the ruby... but when I use the circle tool... I don't see any center point. And I've tried creating the circle first, and then clicking on the auto center button and then back to the circle again... neither method works. Am I not doing something right?

I am running sketchup 6 on an intel-based mac running system 10.5.2.

Thanks,
outersketcher

Why do you say to "explode" the image? I'd thought that the explode command was only for ungrouping combined components.

david

Thank you Remus! Triple clicking worked beautifully. Don't know why it never occured to me to try that. As to the colors.. So, you're saying that Sketchup views the inside of an object as purple? I do notice that the inside of the front "bowl" cone has several purple parts... But, why then, are the outside edges of the thingie's tail rendered in purple?

Again, thanks for your advice and for your patience.

David

I asked a question a while back only to realize that I'd jumped into deep water before having learned how to swim. So, I tucked my tail under my legs and scurried off to learn more about the BASICS man... And this is the result. Here is my first successfull... well... thingie. Just a random object that represents the sum total of my sketchup knowledge to date. I began with a circle on the Y axis and pushed and pulled and tweaked it into the thingie.

I like it.

But I now have questions if you don't mind...

1. why are some of the faces white, some purple and some grey? What do those colors mean? It doesn't seem to be following a light source.

2. I'd like to select the floating ring in it's entirety without selecting any of the rest of the model. How do I do that? If I drag the area with my selection arrow, I get the model too. So how does one selectively... ahh.. "select" different ungrouped areas of their model?

I've included the .skp file of the thingie.

Thank you for your advice.

Davidthingie.skp