At the end of my rope!

[DanRathbun]

@SketchWood

Unfortunately, DraftSight has no longer free version and is only on subscription!

Wow! Talk about getting “the axe” …

• Once you download and install DraftSight 2019 (free 30-day trial or purchased version), you will no longer be able to redownload or access any previous free version of DraftSight (2018 or earlier).

• All free versions of DraftSight (2018 or earlier) will cease to run after 12/31/2019.

Any respect I had for Dassault Systems just vanished.

[paulcroft]

Well…!! that is a bummer. was really useful for opening later versions of ACAD for my 2006 release. They have all obviously jumped on the bandwagon… too bad.

[Anssi]

@paulcroft

was really useful for opening later versions of ACAD for my 2006 release

The Autodesk DWG TrueView is still free, and it can save newer DWG versions to older DWG and DXF formats.

[paulcroft]

To be honest I always assumed trueview was just that, and could not actually manipulate files so at least I still have an avenue open. Many thanks

[Ccaponigro]

@ksarch_CDG_TSA_2 There is a lot of good advice below. I spent the last 3 years transitioning from Arch Dasktop to SU LO only workflow. I’m am intimately familiar with your frustrations. I would be happy to have a look at your file and give you soon feedback. I have successfully projects with fairly complex roofs.

If you do nothing else you must live on the lock axis arrows in everything you draw. Once you get anything out of plane your in for a rough ride. I would also be comfortable sharing a project file both SU/LO do demonstrate some grouping and layering techniques.

[Sonder]

First off, please do not be offended by any of the comments here. Most of what you are saying is happening is due to your process. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. Trust me, I went through many a head scratching to get to where I am. My practice only uses Sjetchup and Layout and I could never go back. A couple quick suggestions.

1. You are drawing on layer 0, then grouping and assigning to layers. This is great and exactly what should be done. However you need to take the grouping further. I do very complex roof designs. To make them workable for quick changes you should have very roof plane in it’s own group. That way one geometry edited doesn’t affect another elsewhere. I make the very change you mention often and it takes seconds to modify (literally 11 7/8 - 14).
2. Only import Acad files you are absolutely sure have been drafted carefully. I can find many instances wher drafter errors lead to a nightmare creating a face in SU - like a corner where the lines don’t meet by a minuscule amount. I now don’t do any import of ACAD files except for remodels where I have an ACAD file and topographic surveys for site modeling.

So don’t stress when we say operator error. 99% that is what it is for everyone, me included. That’s how we all grow and learn!

[auslander]

@ppcjoinery

Another thing I don’t think I’ve seen in this thread is to start drawing the line then to input its length from the keyboard and hit enter. This gives exact dimensions. In conjunction with the shift key axis locking this gives the best practise for starting most drawings.
Then you have a reference line or plane from which everything else can be inferred.
This avoids all the problems creating faces etc; these are caused because the lines produced by inference can be fractions of a millimetre off the plane required thus needing a number of triangles to create faces.

This is the only way I work in SU and I’ve found it eliminates all of my plane alignment problems. Other efficiencies just come with time, practice and various extensions.

[JoeDrafter]

I remember being there. It toke me a while to swallow it but I had to stop speaking English (Acad) and start speaking French (SketchUp). You seem doing the same mistake I did. You think Autocad, but this workflow will give you tons of problems. You need to re-learn how to draw, but in SU. No offence, I think everybody agree that we all went through this.
Little tricks learned:

• Group your cad import and never use its lines. Draw everything fresh in SU.
• Be sure that ALL your actions are 100% accurate.
• Be sure that ALL your source references are 100% accurate. Per example, when I start drawing, I create guide lines that remains for all my project. I use only those lines for mirror, copy and reference. This way I’m sure my movement are always the same.
• Don’t think like 1/16 precision… Think like 0.000000001. Even then you can be off.
• I often rather erase and start again then try to fix a very stubborn geometry.
• and finally, never, ever, ever, ever trust a line that you didn’t draw yourself or come from another software. Draw or re-draw everything your self. And use the cad import only reference.
• in 99.9999% of the time, when I struggle on something, the problem is between my two ears.

Goodluck and remember that every software have their little glitches. Once you will master avoiding those little frustrating glitches, your life will be so great!

[gsharp]

Good advice Joe, I only ever use imported CAD as reference… flatten it, group it, delete its layers, put it in its own discrete layer, lock it… set up my own construction grid, lock it… always use rectangle tool wherever possible to ensure 90 degree corners… set a meaningful snap distance… etc etc

[AndrewRubySketch]

Kendall, I have not read all of the comments below, however, I have heard similar feedback and had similar gripes when I first started using Sketchup. I now look back and kick myself, yet it is a part of learning. Any task worth doing requires work. I am sure when you first started to use AC you made a mistake or 3.

Regardless let’s move on to a more positive light, Sketchup is absolutely brilliant after you get past the stage you are at now, in saying that I, like you, had to produce work for clients and that is a big call. I was employing people and I was hell-bent on using Sketchup, as my competitors were showing clients 3D models, resulting in my conversion rate lowering by 50%. Basically, I lost work.

I created a Plugin for my company that automated Sketchup so my staff could create models quickly without having to be a Sketchup Ninja. The plugin automates groups, layers, scenes and prepares your model for Layout. You do need Sketchup pro, yet I would still throw your Autodesk product in the bin as that process is old school in comparison with this plugin.

Anyway here is the link for you to find out more: https://plusspec.com/automate-sketchup-with-plusspec-2/
Try the free trial, I’m sure you will be impressed.

The attached photo is an example I received yesterday from a PlusSpec user who had never used Sketchup before. He purchased the license 3 weeks ago

[pbacot]

Andrew, Thanks for showcasing that model. The user should be very happy with their results.

[EricM]

I’m so very sympathetic with your problems. I was mad enough to invest in a ‘Sketchup Pro’ license and I have nothing but constant bugsplats. It’s a very - VERY - glitchy programme. I love that you can model in 3d very quickly but I hate that it’s incapable of any level of stability. I use it now for low poly models - really simple stuff, and anything that gets remotely complicated or large in file size I use Vectorworks.
I certainly won’t be updating or further investing in Sketchup!

[ksarch_CDG_TSA_2]

Thank you for your comments Andrew. I will look as PlusSpec.

[mics_54]

hmmm you’re the first person I ever heard say that.

[GSTUDIOS]

In the first year or 2 of use (and mostly self taught) I thought similarly - that attitude is mostly a function of being self taught though. There appear to be glitchy aspects until you find out how SketchUp works and why certain issues happen, then the app becomes quite stable in use.

Consider it part of the cost of using very intuitive software.

I am working on a model at the moment with about 20 million edges - tough on my laptop, but no crashes.

[rick.s]

How is shift key axis locking used in conjunction with manual dimension entry?

Please send a link to where I can research this use and application further.

Thank you,

Rick

[DaveR]

Any time you’re going to enter a dimension manually, you let go of the mouse. In the case of Move, start the move, get it going in the right direction, hold Shift and continue moving a bit. Let go of the mouse and Shift and type the distance. Same sort of thing applies to drawing lines, dragging out guides, etc. When the direction is locked with Shift, the line trailing the cursor will be shown thicker.

[rick.s]

Thank you Dave,

So using Shift to lock axis increases accuracy by ensuring lines, components, groups, faces ect. are drawn, moved or placed on the proper plane.

Is this method necessary or preferred when disabling the snap to line feature?

As I continue to draw more complex models I have begun to experience problems with faces not closing, inability to push/pull openings and component faces not meeting flush.

I’m also not sure how to continually error check my modeling so I catch of plane errors.

I got the feeling that off plane lines and faces, plus too little accuracy (model settings) have caused a lot of frustration in modeling.

Rick

[monospaced]

I would say that it’s both necessary and preferred to maintain axis snapping when drawing, especially if the intent is clean coplanar modeling. Once I learned to do it all the time naturally, I pretty much never had another problem again.

[DaveR]

@rick.s

So using Shift to lock axis increases accuracy by ensuring lines, components, groups, faces ect. are drawn, moved or placed on the proper plane.

Well, yes but it’s more than that. Remember you are working in a 3D space portrayed on a 2D surface (the display). Setting and locking the direction helps you work in that space. Locking the direction also helps you inference operations to other parts of the model. For example in the next GIF, I’m moving the drawer in without locking the direction. I’m using the drawer above it as a guide for how far into the case the drawer needs to go.

Using Shift to lock the direction, however, allows the drawer to go straight back into the case and still uses the upper drawer’s front as the reference for how far in it has to go.

@rick.s

I have begun to experience problems with faces not closing, inability to push/pull openings and component faces not meeting flush.

Locking on axis can definitely help. It will come with practice, too. some years ago a guy sent me a SketchUp model for a clock he’d drawn. His complaint was that he couldn’t apply textures to the faces. As it turned out, his model had no faces to receive textures. He had managed to draw his clock by forcing the perspective and drew few if any lines on axis. It was like he was drawing on paper. When I orbited the model, it just exploded into a bunch of lines running in all directions. I couldn’t even orbit back to the view he had. I had to close the model and reopen it to get back to it. I tried to duplicate what he did and couldn’t because drawing on axis has become second nature for me.

@rick.s

I’m also not sure how to continually error check my modeling so I catch of plane errors.

Watching for on axis inference tips will help, you can also edit the style so that edge colors are by axis. There is some degree of tolerance so that’s not perfect but it can help.