After using TRIM Object is no longer a solid

[jfwiemeyer]

I’m creating a raised panel cabinet door. I created the tongue and groove pattern for the stiles and rails. With the top rail installed between two stiles I use TRIM to copy the groove geometry from the two stiles to the ends of the top rail. This is accomplished by clicking into the group and selecting a rail and then clicking on the TRIM tool and then selecting the top rail. The geometry is copied onto the one end of the rail. When I attempt to do the same thing for the other end of top rail the TRIM tool indicates the top rail is not a solid. When inspecting the geometry TRIM created it appears there is some problem, but I can’t correct it. See the attached jpeg. I have uploaded my Sketchup file.

How do I work around this?

Thanks for your help.
John
Cabinet Practice.skp (330.0 KB)

[DaveR]

The problem is that when coping the rail, the profiles intersect in a way that results in a knife edge and very small geometry. In real wood that profile would also be problematic as the edge would be very fragile. Better both in SketchUp and in the shop to use a profile that doesn’t have that problem.

By the way, you should get a handle on correct usage of tags. ALL edges and faces should remain untagged with only components and groups getting tags.

[jfwiemeyer]

Thanks DaveR.
John

[DaveR]

You’re welcome.

FWIW the face at the inside edge of the profile and the one above it are so very nearly vertical that you end up losing part of it in the trim. It would probably chip out in the real wood, too.

[DaveR]

Here I made a subtle change to the profile. It’s still quite thin but not so thin that it can’t be solid after trimming.

Cabinet Practice.skp (52.6 KB)

[jfwiemeyer]

That’s great! Thanks

[jfwiemeyer]

Why does the surface of my profile have the lines on it and yours is smooth.

[DaveR]

@jfwiemeyer

Why does the surface of my profile have the lines

Because you gave the tag you assigned to the geometry and the components a dashed style.

I removed the dashes since there was no need for it.

Also note that the curve you drew for the profile was exploded so when the profile is extruded with Push/Pull, it shows all the edges between the individual segments.

Triple click on each component to select all of its geometry. Then right click on the component and choose Soften/Smooth. That will soften and smooth those edges so they aren’t displayed.

When you have exploded curves like that in the flat profile you can select the edges of it right click on them and choose Weld Edges. If you do that, the edges between segments will be softened and smoothed automatically.

This is your profile in the file you uploaded. Endpoints turned on to show ends of segments.

Selected to weld.

Welded.

Profile with welded curve in the foreground. Exploded curve behind.

[jfwiemeyer]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for all of the details. I have learned several things about SU.
Regards,
John

[jfwiemeyer]

Hi Dave,
Just made a small change to my profile and was able to use TRIM and it worked. Thanks again for your help.
Regards,
John