@dgrace75 said:

......Seems like its an axis issue but not sure. I've attached the file here. Do you all know what I'm missing here, .....

Hi Danny, is there any reason to model your roof upside down? Right now you model in the negative Z direction (dotted blue). Maybe this will resolve your issues.

@kellenraid said:

.......But on one edge, there are these triangles; though small, they kinda ruin the smooth edge. .......Is there a fix for this? .....

Temporarily make hidden geometry (all the edges) visible.
Did you try to smooth the triangle's edges by sweeping the 'Eraser' tool over its edges while holding down [Ctrl] This will smooth the triangle's edges and will make one large smooth surface.

@john sayers said:

..... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5," at which point he paused, and placed the beer can between his legs so he could continue counting on his other hand.
B'Jayzus, why is there such an abrubt ending to this story?

@corradomotta said:

.....
This feature is useful to name the nested components without exploding the parent component but is uncomfortable when I have to name the father components. See the image.
I need a plugin to solve this problem. .......

I see your point for needing that plugin!
My current suggestion is to add one or several edges, supperimposed on the edges of any child. These edges (when still ungrouped but inside the parent component) will let you autotext the parent component. You ad the edge once and have it work each time you need the parent text.
(you can delete the edge later if decired)

@goga63 said:

Hi, when create a Dynamic Component encounter this error.
Local axis component now not 90 degrees. ...

I don't know why you mentioned the DC fact in your question. This result is common for all groups an components axes when scaled with other geometry included in the selection.

When does it happen? (axes not at 90 degrees after scaling)
If you have a group or component that has axes not aligned to the current drawing axes and you scale it, then the 'Scale' tool uses the local axes ----> result is: all axes stay at 90 degrees. ---> correct!
However, when scaling the same group or component together with any other entity in the same selection, then the 'Scale' tool uses the current drawing axes and your component may get skewed. When? If you use a green middle side grip of the bounding box.
Say local red and green are not according to the drawing axes. Then any of the middle side grips (except for the middle top one) will deform the local Red/Green angle if you scale more than just the group or component in a selection.

I don't know the benefit of such an operation with skewed aces in the result.

@bsquared18 said:

.....Sorry about the long-winded explanation. Does anyone who took the time to read all this have any suggestions?...

You could say that again (doesn't matter), so I hope I got it right.

• 1. Open the first component that you want its axes orientation of.
• 2. Save a new scene, maintaining the style! including the components local axes.
     (you could even just save the axes in a new scene without camera position or anything else (see the 'Scene Manager'))
• 3. Leave the first component's editing context. The new scene still has the local axes as new drawing axes, to select whenever you need them.
• 4. Enter the editing context of the second component. Select the new scene to get its axes.
     (advantage when no camera position was saved in this new scene!)
• 5. Adjust the second component's axes according to the current drawing axes.

It sounds long-winding but only takes a few steps.

Once you make a group or component out of selected geometry you can lock it. To avoid making changes to it inadvertently. Easy to continue modeling over it and use it as reference.

Think of creating the base cushion first, including the four centerpoints for the pillars. Group it and lock the group. (you can Always unlock it for some extra changes later on)

Limit the use of guides to what is stricktly necessary. Even delete them when done.

In cases like this you need to accurately draw the circles with the center and the second clicked point "on axis", color will tell you when on axis. Your pillars are all slightly rotated off axes. Ideal for making mistakes later on.

@jumpersrfun said:

Alright well, if anyone's willing to take on this project, please let me know here, or message me. I really don't have time to do this myself. Thanks!
And then there was a big silence..... except from in the background?
@jumpersfun, don't be too hard on youself. There's quite some information here in this thread to get you going. And here is a link to some ideas to inspire you on new designs or whatever. Lots of success.
http://www.jb-inflatables.nl/springkussens

Some standard options in native SketchUp:

• moving an edge (p) along its own direction over a certain inputted distance or by grabbing any of its point, even one of its endpoints or
  midpoint ....towards its intersection with the plane of a face (F) (grabbed point will then be in plane of (F)).
• moving an edge along any (s) edge's direction over a certain inputted distance or towards the chosen plane perpendicular to (s). The plane is perpendicular to (s) and uses any inference point to determine this plane.
• extending an edge along its own direction (by grabbing an one of its endpoints) over a certain inputted distance or towards (p)'s intersection with the plane of any face or. (grabbed endpoint will then be in plane of (F))

@ntxdave said:

....The "In Model" view of the component is the Top view and I want it to be the front view......

Component's thumbnails(FAIK) are saved as seen in the current view at time of saving......, unless they are saved with 'Glue to' property. Then they are saved in Topview, seen along the local blue axis, the component's blue axis.

You can create a component in its front view without the 'Glue to' property. Then, if desired, change/edit its property to 'Glue to' in the components browser. The thumbnail will remain in front view.

@blastfurnace said:

.....When I relocate an axis then I grab a group I want the Protractor (Axes) of that group to snap to the current axes.
**(A)**It doesn't always do that and **(B)**sometime it is off by so little between two axes that it isn't quickly noticeable....

(A) I notice that some groups are "stubborn" and keep their own axes to align to. They simply do not wish to adopt to the new drawing axes by use of the 'Move' tool and its protractor. I don't know the cause of this. Your flang group is one of them.
(B) Don't snap to axes. Use input 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees after rotating to arbitrary angle.

@joelm3dm said:

....Try this little file below. If I draw a line from one circle to the other, the line vanishes. If I try drawing the line elsewhere and there's no problem at all. ...

I can't draw any lines that disappear by themselfs. Neither outside nor inside group's environment.

b.t.w. your drawing axes are upside down. Right click on one to reset them. Not that I think that this makes any difference in the "vanishing edges" issue.

@andybot said:

Guess I didn't explain it well... I've exploded the image into a face with a material. Is there a way to make that back into an image.

For an already exploded image, I doubt it.
I thought it was for general, future purposes. To maintain an image with group's propereties.

@joelm3dm said:

...... What could be the reason for lines to vanish after I draw them? I have Edges showing and their color Auto, but after I use the tool, they aren't there anymore.

Could be an OpenGL issue as mentioned by Mitcorb.
But to stay with a correctly working SketchUp, do you have an active section plane facing up? If you have disables showing the plane itself, it is possible to draw edges that seem to disappear right after having drawn them. Even with edges ON.

@andybot said:

.....I'd like to be able to have the properties of an image (visible even outside of a group edit, etc.) Does that make sense? Anyone have an answer?

Makes sense, yes.
Draw an edge on the image. Select both and make the selection a group.
Once the image and edge are wrapped in a group, you can even delete the edge when being in editing context. (but it may not bother you with the edge inside).

This group allows you to do what you want with groups. And in Monochrome you´ll still see the image.
Also, when editing another group or component, the image inside the first group is still visible. It's a "true" image, just wrapped in a group.

@numerobis said:

you have to turn the group into a component to be able to set the axis. I don't know why this is not possible for groups, but this is the situation. ...

Changing group's axes is possible, though only from within editing context of the group.
Components do have two options to do so. Either through the right click context menu (from the outside) or like groups, from within editing context.

@blastfurnace said:

..... The one labeled "slope" was the active axis when I created the flange from the plug in. I then moved the axes to a different reference.
I would like to be able to:
select the object
choose move
grab one of the rotation "+" symbols and rotate it with the protractor symbol being aligned to the new axis. I.E. 90 degrees on the protractor would be aligned with the new red green or blue........

Normally it is possible with groups (see * below) and components to align them with the 'Move' tool to the current drawing axes. The input would then be 0, 90, 180, or 270 degrees, depending on the red grip that you grab.
So you best set up different scenes, each with its own drawing axes of cases that you are going to use, your measured "systems" in the field.

A group or component rotates (with the 'Move' tool) towards the current drawing axes with one of the values above. Towards which axes? That depends on your choice of scene.

(*) the flang group is a nasty one that seems to not obay the general rule.
You can turn this one into a component and add one straight from the components browser into the scene that has the correct drawing axes.

@srx said:

...... Today west politics is nothing else than organized crime of the big corporations. And we, the ordinary people must fight against it. The state should have the ability to control corporations, and I think that it is the only human way.
..........

Maybe not entirely, ..... but there's a lot of thruth in these words.

@mwm5053 said:

I've been using SU 8 Pro and skipped SU 2013 but started using 2014 because I saw big improvements that were worth checking out mainly faster shadows. So my 8 hour time expired but won't let me use a free ver. like 2013 SU Make. Till I can afford to upgrade assuming I can jump from SU 8 to 2014 for the 95.00 upgrade fee {can I ?} wondering why it won't let me use free ver.

SU 2014 Pro trial ends after 8 hours use. But remains on your computer.
You need to uninstall first, then install SU 2014 Make (trial). I guess you won't get the extra 8 hours now. It reverts to the free version. You can upgrade later to pro by entering the license key.

@jeff hammond said:

...i am (sometimes) able to get the red X depending on my zoom level.. if i zoom out of the scene, i'm more likely to get the intersection snap to an outside object.. if i'm in close to the arc's endpoint, i only seem to get the 'on edge outside active' inference.

My workflow would be:

• copy edge (that needs to be intersected) to clipboard.
• enter the context where the arc neds to be draw. Then 'Paste in Place' the edge.
• draw the arc which now has an edge in the same context to intersect.
• delete (one side of) the now divided edge.

Or:

• just pre-draw a congruent edge in the same context where the arc needs to be drawn.
• draw the arc.
• delete (one side of) the now divided edge.

So no messing around with trying to find an intersection with edges in other contexts.

Thanks for the feedback Jeff.

@jeff hammond said:

.....the old arc tool hasn't changed. there's a new arc tool in 2014.. pick the center point first then the two end points.
try using that one.

there's a red X indicator when an intersection is made

I did use the new arc tool (center > start endpoint > end endpoint of the arc).
Thing is I was trying to get an intersection on a grouped edge. That didn't give me any intersection ( red X ), only a sliding rectangular red dot. But on a basic edge I did. Thank you Jeff for pointing it out.

Have you managed to get the intersection on an edge inside a group or component?