Attempt to model the following on a computer that is laughably inadequate for the task:
Of course, you could argue that any model will BugSplat! if the computer is clunky enough, but modeling this perf absolutely guarantees it will crash. Trust me: it’s one of the reasons I’m an expert.
You need adequate tools for that.
Google vray enmesh
Or, just make 2 square components each containing it’s type of hole and array them. Nothing will bugsplat even 100 times larger grill.
The problem is the larger holes are simply distorted versions of the smaller ones. A tapered reamer is forced up through the small ones, thus forming the larger holes. Not sure if it can be modeled in a non masochistic way.
Again the trick isinstancing repetitive elements. If you need to model them precisely use Artisan or SubD
Again the trick is instancing repetitive elements.
The best I’ve managed to do so far is this:
If you need to model them precisely use Artisan or SubD
Hahaha. Yeah, OK.
wut?
Btw, I’d have replied ages ago, only I made the mistake of using CleanUp3 on that model. Could have walked to Boston, competed in the Marathon, then gone home and drank a six pack while watching half a season of The X-Files before CleanUp was finally done. (So, OK, it actually took 100 minutes…)
It’s ugly as hell and almost gave me a migraine.
How can you Pro Sketchuppers do this stuff all day? 
Hello, have you used components ?
I know you want ultra-realism but if you cannot use a perforated texture for this you could possibly make do with something like 8-9-10-segment circles instead of the usual 24.
There are perforated textures? All I saw were ones with dots! 
…you could possibly make do with something like 8-9-10-segment circles instead of the usual 24.
Yes, definitely, and I really wish I’d thought of that before I created this monstrosity. However, you should have seen it before I simplified it. Looked great, but any movement became a Powerpoint slide show. 
You’d think I would have after all the comments from people gently suggesting I use components. Poor @DaveR tried his best, but I wore him down with mindless ignorance.
There are some even in SketchUp’s standard materials (Patterns) but they aren’t transparent. I made this by taking the “black perforated 4” material into my model, removing the background in Photoshop and adjusting the colour in the material window.
OK. Wow. I… had no idea you could even do that.
My original air intake screen model used one of the SketchUp dot patterns. It actually doesn’t look awful from a distance.
I would, too, go for a dot pattern as there probably is not much to see or of interest inside the grille, and use other methods only when you need light to go through. The perforated pattern renders OK in a rendering application but in the normal SketchUp screen it casts an opaque shadow.
The ultra-realism versions reside in separate folders. They’re used for rendering presentations seen by, erm, influential types who are intimately familiar with the subject. I can’t afford to show them anything less. Also it’s for my OCD… 
Most commonly the file size on disk is no indicator of the model’s actual performance. What counts is the actual amount of “geometry” SketchUp has to process, including components. In fact, heavily nested components introduce their own overhead so that theoratically a model consisting of raw geometry only would zoom and orbit a tad faster than one consisting of components inside components inside…Opening and saving are a different matter. And the headaches caused by things that should be unrelated sticking together.
My original perf screen model used rounded cones, like volcanoes, which better represented the real steel. The adjoining holes were more accurately modeled too, with the distortion visible in photos. That proved to be a bridge too far for my laptop, and I BugSplatted! repeatedly. I’ll simply avoid any close up renders of the air intake screen. 
Anybody know a fix for this:
It’s the result of scaling down by 100.
This happened to me once before on a different model, but turns out that was just a phantom face that could be deleted and everything was fine. This time it’s kind of a disaster.
EDIT: Fixed now (I hope). Rescaled copies until I got one that wasn’t broken. Scaled down as a group and as exploded. Scaled down in steps. Never found a working combo of these that was repeatable. All I could do was button mash until a clean copy finally appeared. Probably some limitation of my hardware and the graphics driver, but I blame Colin anyway.
EDIT 2: Aaaaannnnnndddddd I spoke to soon. The “fixed” copy is now doing it too. Yay.
do whatever. I’ve given all the ducks I had.
out of curiosity, how many sides did you give to the circles ? what is their diameter ?
Default 24 segments. The diameter is 7/16" / 0.44" (11.1125 mm), a very slightly oversized stab in the dark. That number works for my model (kinda) but is likely not entirely accurate.
leave this at 100x scale. actually, you should scale your whole tanks at 100x. or 1000.
I only rarely have to fool with the scaling, usually when having problems with drawing small arcs, circles, etc. Most of the time 1:1 is perfectly fine, and I don’t have to do any math.
set your file in metres and use it as if it was in millimetres.
Meh. Inches is fine. The few ancient official reference numbers I do have are all inches to 3 decimal places, so I’ll stick with those units.
why do you think Dave keeps telling people who want to make super detailed models to scale up. for pleasure ?
Could be. People get their kicks in unique ways. I don’t judge.
(and I know you will try to answer by a joke, don’t.)
Too late. I like joking. So many people take themselves so seriously, as if they’re VIPs or whatever, and some of us feel the need to differentiate ourselves from them.
you’re making too many details at a too high resolution on a machine too weak to handle them (by your account). time to scale up 1000x
So, how does making, say, a circle with 24 segments harder for a processor to handle than a circle that is 1000 times larger and thus comprised of many more segments? Not arguing with you on this – why would I? – just trying to get my head around the logic of it all.
Anyhow, I reverted to my last good 1:1 scale drawing and brought it up to date. All good now. I even added bolts!
Thanks for your help, @ateliernab !
Yeah, belay that. Duh. “Scale”. I was thinking the number of segments would have to be increased to avoid Stop Sign Syndrome. Sorry, I’m too old to be working these many hours…
