Can't draw continuous line to form a face

[jnix]

Hi, completely new Sketchup user here.

I’m trying to draw a new face using the line tool, but each time I click an end point which is a corner of an existing object, it ends the line, and clicking again starts a new line (rather than letting me draw a continuous line, joining up to form the face)

I’ve attached the file desk2.skp (267.8 KB)

I’m drawing a desk - I need to add the desktop piece on top of 2 existing cupboards which form the “legs” of the desk

[DaveR]

If you are drawing the edges to touch the corners of the cases you’ll have problems because the tops of the cases are at different heights. In order to get a face the bounding edges must lie on the same plane. Here I’ve drawn in just one edge parallel to the red axis. You can see it floats above the white box.

Here I’ve drawn all the edges in the same plane and get a face.

[john_mcclenahan]

The lines will join. But why not use the Rectangle tool?

[slbaumgartner]

@DaveR showed you issues with the height of the two parts. But I also see that they are both drawn with just loose edges and faces. I’d make them into groups or components before going any further, as your attempt to draw the desktop is going to stick to those loose edges and faces and create a mess!

[jnix]

Thanks everyone - like I say, completely new to this so I appreciate your patience. I’ve made the cupboards the same height, and also grouped things, but I still can’t get the continuous line to work. I still only makes single lines

desk2.skp (264.3 KB)

[RLGL]

Maybe some time spent at The Learning Center will help with the learning curve.

[DaveR]

How do you intend to use this model?

In your latest file there are a couple of ungrouped edges. Here I’ve moved the two groups forward to show them.

After erasing those edges I use the Line tool to draw the shape, at least roughly as you showed earlier.

[slbaumgartner]

On SketchUp->Preferences->Drawing check “Continue line drawing”. You should then find that most of the time after you click to set the end of an edge you can move the cursor to the end of the next segment and click to set it. Repeat until you finish the shape.

Edit: that was supposed to show an animation. The forum software converted it to a static jpeg. This is a know issue with the forum that obviously hasn’t been fixed even though animated gifs seem to work sometimes for some people.

[jnix]

Thank you all so much - it worked! The final issue I think was those few extra edges (left over presumably from when I’d tried drawing lines before).

I actually built this desk a while ago (OSB on top of 2 existing cupboards) and using it to practise with Sketchup with something I could measure/copy