I have a simple building I’ve already created that is x’ long. I now want it to be exactly 80’ long. It says I should be able to adjust for exact dimensions in the measurements bar, which I do. Despite entering the exact dimensions it gives me crazy values. I have a video of the problem but don’t know how to upload it.
Why is there not just a second measurement bar to input the exact end length of the face you are push / pulling. These incredible failures of sketchup prove that it’s not a modeling program for serious designers.
If you think its do-able, give it a go on your own version of 14. I gaurantee it is impossible and the most frustrating experience you will have all week, or maybe year.
So I need to add 1" or 2" to get the exact dimension. However, that ends up adding 1 15/16" or 3 5/8" and other screwy dimenions. I can’t really see a pattern other than it refuses to find my exact dimension.
Thanks for your response. Sorry, but I’ve spent about 2 hours trying to get a simple dimension on the most simple model, and I’m not an idiot. That does make me hate sketchup. I think there is vast amounts of improvement needed.
Without at least a screen shot of your model it’s pretty difficult to give you an exact answer and as Box says, you seem to have already decided SketchUp isn’t for you but here goes, anyway.
Assuming the end of the building is a single flat face and that you are working in the context of the geometry for your building, get the Push/Pull tool and move that face. Then enter the difference between whatever X is and 80’. You don’t enter the final distance but rather the distance the face needs to move.
I would agree. You need to improve your knowledge of the software. It is clearly possible to do what you need to do but you do need to learn how to use it.
Did you think the millions of SketchUp users simply didn’t notice that it doesn’t work and that after fifteen years you are the first to make this discovery?
DaveR,
Yes that is what I am doing, as I said in my original post. It is not working properly, adding different dimensions than I input. I will try uploading a screen shot or video since the question is hard to state in writing and does not seem to be coming across.
This was truly the most helpful response so far. Sorry I did not see the upload button before.
Well, I eventually got it. The critical caveat is that even though you need to begin the push / pull operation, it will add the amount to the dimension before you started the push / pull. It’s a little counter intuitive-- and that’s not clarified in Sketchup’s help article on this – but makes sense once you realize that.
I know that is still hard to understand, so attached is a video of what I was doing WRONG, which is:
-select face
-start a push / pull to indicate which direction i am going
-let go of mouse
-click in the air the amount I want to add to the amount shown
-hit enter
I was expecting it to add 1’ to the dimension shown. So in the example I see 81’ 10". I add 1’, enter. I was expecting 82’ 10" but it comes to 81’ 9", that’ what I started with before beginning the operation. So you need to basically remember your original dimension, start push / pull, add the amount from the ORIGINAL dimension, hit enter.
Simple fix, if you recognize that. At first every dimension I started with was something like 82’ 5 11/16" so it was hard to see.
That does – that’s another way to do it. Thanks. I tried something like that, but had glued the line geometry to the model which made it not work.
Anyway, I found my oversight with the push / pull tool. Use the dimension before you begin the operation.
You need to start the operation to tell it which direction to go, but the measurement entered will add that amount to the original dimension, not what’s displayed on the screen that time. That very much confused me, but it’s clear once you realize it.
