Thanks TIG, for the very detailed information!

I'm still very new to modeling, so I have a lot to learn, but those pointers sure put me in the right direction!

Hi all,

This is my first post, I hope my question isn't too trivial, I did consult Google and tried my best to find out what to do with the available tools in SU 8. (Windows, free version)

I would like to draw roads on a map. The rough draft of the map is provided through a scanned image, which I have imported into SU. It's only a rough guide, so precision is not really a requirement (at least not yet).

I'll try to give a small overview of what I have tried, if anyone has suggestions, they're more than welcome.

• My first attempt was to just draw an outline, and then try to make the lines very thick. I could create the outline, but it kept on filling with a solid color if I completed the shape. I couldn't find how to keep a shape from filling with a solid color, although I do think it would be somewhere in a toolbox.

• Second attempt was to use the Scale tool on the first outline, and then the Offset tool on the scaled version. That way I had 2 figures which I could subtract from each other. Sadly, I need the Intersect method to realise that, and I only have the free version, so no luck there either.

• Last thing I tried was drawing a square/rectangle perpendicular to my image, and using Line and Arc to draw some stretches of connected segments, and then using Follow Me to draw out a elongated shape along those segments.
  Afterwards I reduced the height so it looked like a road.

So far this has been the most rewarding method. Only problem I'm facing is that I have some segments that interconnect (eg: a single point where multiple segments come together, an intersection). As you 'use up' a face when you start dragging the Follow Me tool, I still have a path exiting from the node, for which I have no 'start face' to use Follow Me on (as it was used the for the first segments).
Starting elsewhere and trying to overlap/connect the 2 roads didn't work either (see image).

Am I doing something wrong? Or am I not using the right tool for the job? I'd like to add buildings and benches and stuff later on, I thought drawing roads would be quite easy, but that seems not to be the case.

Here's an image of my third attempt (using Follow Me): http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/6961/screendl.png