@chicos said:
seasdes
Could you elaborate on your transition from SketchUP to FormZ. I am considering moving to FormZ but I worry about its complexity.
If you look on the FomZ forum you will see pleny of posts from SU users transitioning to FormZ. I could not answer your question properly by placing a few points here.
I have nothing to do with FormZ other that purchasing their software. FormZ may not suit everyone. But who cares 
@arail1 said:
@arcad-uk said:
@derei said:
All it takes is a smart guy to develop a similar software that will take the ease to use of sketchup and adapt it to nowadays needs. And there will be one... it always had been (this is how good things happened).
I'm looking at my options...
I came close to buying a license for formZ last month when they had their big anniversary sale. The price at that time was not much more than bonzai. I played with a demo and found it to be a very cool program. I especially like the way the work plane was 'attached' to the end of your cursor. It's a full program with a layout function, nurbs, etc.
Unfortunately, because of work pressure I have to add a parametric program to my arsenal soon ($$ ouch!) so I couldn't justify the license but I wish I'd been able to. A good program to have in your tool kit.
My use of SU dates back to V3 and I have paid for aeach upgrade as soon as it was released. I bought FormZ about 3 months ago more as an insurance as I had a gut feeling that SU2013 was going nowhere. So far I like FormZ. However, while similar to SU it has its own quirks. At the moment I am using SU2014 and FormZ. However, the way things are shaping up I will transition to FormZ over the next 12-18 months.
Just keeping my options open.
I upgraded to SU 2013 Pro as soon as it was releaed. There have been a couple of minor updates since but nothing for some months. What's happening or did I donate some money to Trimble?
@mitcorb said:
Here's a simple observation:
If you orbit the camera so that the horizon is viewable in the scene, get the pencil tool and just draw a rectangle in a clockwise direction above the horizon you will get a rectangle with a white face toward the camera. If you then draw a rectangle in an anti-clockwise direction, you will get a rectangle with the grey face toward the camera.
In the process of filling in faces, Sketchup interprets the order of the vertices and orients the faces accordingly. The interpretation often depends on adjacent geometry and whatever prior operations you have performed on that geometry, so, sometimes it seems unpredictable.
Thanks all for your replies. However, it does not seem to make a difference whichever direction that I draw an object.
I have a long time problem in that I cannot figure out why Faces do not always draw with the face side facing the viewer. Sometimes the face is drawn facing the viewer and other times not.
I just want to confirm that this is still uncontrollable or is there a fix?.
Thanks for your help. My problem is solved. I used a template that was geolocated to create some components. Now to un geolocate the components.
Is it just me or has Sketchup 2013 Pro changed.
Now, a component is imediately placed at the origin as soon as I point to a component in the list of components. An annoying characteristic.
Thanks for your help Mitcorb. I will use your methodology.
I am creating components of doors. Before I go too far I need some advice about how to name components within the main component. I was hoping to name each of the nested components 'Closed Door', 'Open Door' 'Door Frame' and '2D Door'. I was hoping to do this for each main component. Will this naming system cause problems further down the line?
Looks like a great plugin. Would it be possible for the length of each side of the polygon to be displayed? It would then be a killer plugin.
Hello Utiler
When exporting 2d dwg I use the following settings:
Reason why I do not export Profiles is because Profiles are exported as multiple lines.
What methodology did you end up using.
Regards
@utiler said:
I'm just wondering if this is the bets way to create a terrain from survey data provided other than electronic. As per my attachments earlier, I have been given RL's [height date] for a carparking area that I want to model; the data is accurate to all corners so I can easily set out as a profile. Would be good if you guys can give me your comments.
My view of the world - it depends on the size of the carpark, whether you have an undeveloped carpark (ie no kerbs and islands. Also the spacing of the survey spot heights and the level of accuracy that you want to model.
I would have thought that the process that I had described in my previous post would have been the best available to model the pavement. Kerbs and islands etc could then be superimposed using standard SU entities.
Sometimes surveyors include a 3d mesh covering their spot heights. It might be worth checking with them as they may already have this. It would simplify things.
@utiler said:
Thanks for chiming in, cotty. what I want to do is to pick a point and add elevation data to establish a referred survey data then select them all and create a terrain or even contours. I've attached the data I have been given and my skippy of the perimeter points jointed together. Ran Curviloft and this is the result.
Also tried toposhaper and found that it didn't stick to my perimeter boundaries....
Hello Utiler
The following or a variation of it may do what you want.
Walter
Hi Utiler
Is this the one that you are looking for?
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=32289
@dave r said:
I don't mean any disrespect but I think the best fix is to draw the thing better in the first place.
Your right. However I started drawing it in 3D cad then imported it into SU. It would have been quicker to start from scratch again.
Thanks Dave & TIG. Looks like I will need to go through the model with a fine toot comb.
I will report back. It would be nice if there was a quick fix.
Thanks Dave. I dont think so because all of the walls are capped at the top and bottom.
I find that lines are missing when I create a Group Solid Section by context clicking on a section plane. What do I need to do to stop this from occuring?
The model looks ok to me.
Walter
Yep your right. Thanks for your help.
