G’day everyone, this is really a suggestion or “request” for an extension.
It would be very easy to make, and likely be used by absolutely everyone. It’s amazing this hasn’t been built before! Or if it has, we can’t find it!
The idea is that, when you use a new Push/Pull tool, any “internal” faces created in the process would be deleted or culled automatically. The new Push/Pull tool would push / pull as usual, but the original face from which the tool was launched, would be removed afterwards automatically.
Scroll down for an image demonstrating the issue...
Actually, three years ago, a forum conversation started about this, link below, where one of the best and most prolific plugin makers I know of, said: “a plugin could be made fairly easily to re-create the push-pull tool, so that it does not add internal faces when push-pulling”.
Quote: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=25856#p222556
Topic: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=25856
As he says there: “having to delete each internal face is a major showstopper”. And it is! If you’re modelling complex geometry, where you push-pull hundreds of times across the model to add edge-loop detail where needed, then removing the “internal faces” from every push-pull breaks the SketchUp modellers’ workflow!
Quote: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=25856#p223169
But sadly, this plugin maker, who I quote, never made this plugin - I recently asked him.
Why do we need this plugin?
There are lots of reasons! But here’s just a few:
Lots of other 3D software suites refuse to deal with SketchUp models, when they contain “internal faces”. The other software suites say that these objects are “non-manifold” - they may say something like “at least one edge in the mesh is shared by more than two faces” or equivalent.
Why run a “CleanUp” process, after modelling badly, when we could create clean meshes to begin with?! If you’re push-pulling, why not push-pull in the way that you need to from the start, rather than push-pull in a bad way, and then be forced to correct all the errors afterwards?
Many of the various “CleanUp” plugins don’t actually detect / delete the “internal faces”. And, even if they did, why not just push-pull, without creating the internal faces, from the start?
All of the plugins that do remove internal faces, also can’t help but remove other faces that you will not want removed.
How could it work?
The new Push/Pull tool would push-pull as usual, but the original face from which the push/pull was launched, would be removed afterwards. It would only remove faces if they were “inside” a mesh.
The regular Push/Pull tool to behave as it normally would, and not be changed.
In practice...
By adding a new Push/Pull tool that works in this different way, the modeller could choose whether and when they they want internal faces created. If they do, they’d continue to use the regular Push/Pull tool. But, if they don’t, they’d use this new Push/Pull tool! Users could assign a new hotkey to access to the tool from the toolbar quickly, maybe one right next to the P key.
The regular Push/Pull icon could be used for the new tool, but with a little “-F” or “E” somewhere in the icon, just indicating that the tool will subtract the “internal face” or only add edges.
Illustrating the issue...