OK so the model is doing a couple of weird things. I tried to attach it but the forum said it was two big.
So I have switch between monochromatic and wire view a million time. No when I go anyway it says it’s set on monochromatic but it is clearly in wire-view
Please help this is driving me batty!
It isn’t actually Wireframe since there are faces displayed. I see what might be clipping but it doesn’t look exactly like the typical clipping. Looks like you’ve got some graphics card issues. How far is the model from the origin? What is the graphics card?
There are some back edges displayed. What happens if you hit K? That’s the keyboard shortcut for Back Edges. We do see from time to time that users hit K inadvertently and don’t know its the shortcut for Back Edges.
Can you share the SKP file so we can take a look? I’d like to see how the view compares on a different computer.
Thanks for replying.
I am about North 182 feet away from the origin. NVIDA GTX 1050 Sorry took me a bit to figure out how to do that
Pressing K on the keyboard did nothing to help.
Here it is as a drop box link.
Looks like south to me but it doesn’t matter.
I think what you are seeing is indeed clipping. Try switching the camera to Perspective and then zoom in on the deck. Does it look better?
By the way, purging unused stuff will reduce the file bloat.
Thanks DaveR. You rock and were way faster at answering my questions than I was answering you back Switching to perspective clear up my issues.
As far a purging that is the first I have ever heard of doing that! Where is the command? Sorry I have never had any lesson except youtube! 
Aww shucks.
Yeah! What’s up with that? It’s like you had to work or something. Sheesh! 
I would suggest that you work with the camera set to Perspective most of the time. Leave Parallel Projection for elevation and plan scenes for output.
You can purge unused stuff from the individual panels by opening their Details menu. That’s the black arrow on the far right side of the panel. Or you can purge everything all at once by going to File>Model Info>Statistics and clicking the Purge button. I use a plugin that was written years ago by TIG to access that purge feature because it gives that report as I showed. You can get that plugin from Sketchucation.
We all have to start somewhere.
Thanks again for your help Dave!
Upon opening the model, I find a larger issue; The improper use of SketchUp’s Layer system.
Geometry is created on the Default Layer0 and remains there forever.
Thus, the Default Layer0 should (must) always remain the Active Layer.
To do otherwise is the path to modeling mayhem.
Here’s the Layer manager upon opening the file … not good.
Select the unnecessary layers and delete them, moving all entities back to the Default Layer0
Two brief video tutorials will get you on the right track.
Components
Layers
Your visual issues are the result of having gotten the camera to a preposterous position that is masked by the parallel projection because in parallel projection zoom involves scaling of the screen not moving the camera. That is, the zoom scale on the display tells you nothing about how far away the camera may be located. This is one reason I always work in perspective, reserving parallel for when orthographic views are needed on output. In your model the camera is at
eye = ( -20761’ 3 11/16", 17046901’ 10 41/64", 278541543’ )
The camera’s eye point is so far from the model that the OpenGL library’s handling of z-distance is putting everything in the same distance bin. Hence, everything shows at once. Also, it is causing “z-fighting” (flashing patterns as you orbit the camera) between faces that actually have some separation between them because the separation is negligible compared to the distance from the camera. This is an extreme example of how edges can “bleed through” a thin object in front of them when far from the camera.
The simplest way to fix the camera is to change to perspective projection (which will cause the view to zoom way out because it doesn’t move the camera!), drag a selection box around the model contents, and then right-click and choose “zoom selection”. At that point all those mysterious edges will cease to show through and the z-fighting will be gone.
And, as @Geo pointed out, you need to learn to use SketchUp’s layers correctly. You have 47830 edges and faces associated with other than Layer0. Since all of them will intersect and stick to each other despite the layers, this is a recipe for disaster! Only associate component instances, groups, text, dimensions, and images with other than Layer0. Always draw edges, faces and things made from them (such as circles, arcs, rectangles, etc.) with Layer0 active and leave them there.
When I have some time I will look at the videos and see what I have been doing wrong. From a standpoint of being a former ACAD user the layer system helps me turn things on and off when trying to create scenes for Layout. However, maybe there is a much better way of doing that.
The best way to handle layers in SketchUp is to assign only components/groups to layers other than Layer 0. ALL edges and faces remain on Layer 0 and Layer 0 ALWAYS remains the active layer. Once you get used to the proper way to use layers in SketchUp, it’s actually very easy and will save you a lot of work because you don’t have to chase the layers. It also prevents lots of problems which have already been mentioned.
Yes. I don’t understand but will watch the tutorials @Geo sent me. I always like to learn how to do things the right way. I was thinking about going to boot camp and really get the proper training. Maybe next year.
That’s precisely what Layers are for; to control visibility.
But what they do not do, is isolate SketchUp’s ‘sticky geometry’
For your interest…
It can be a challenge for people coming to SketchUp from 2D apps because the things called “Layers” in SketchUp do not behave the same as in those apps. In particular, they are just shared visibility and color flags that can make multiple things change together. They do not isolate edges and faces from interacting with each other - that’s what groups and components do. So, by associating edges and faces with other than Layer0 you risk strange things such as a new face being split by another one that you can’t see (because its layer is set to non-visible), faces that seem to have no edges, and so forth. Interactions between visible and non-visible edges and faces can be so peculiar that they will lead you to tear out a lot of hair!
The funny thing is, I was trying to do that. Build one item at a time. Make it a component before moving on. However, I would make another layer and create another set of components. So like in the drawing I was working with of the deck which was what I was working on. You have a foundation layer (concrete) you have a framing layer that consists of the structure that the decking material goes on and the final decking material. I would do this as when I am trying to make drawings for the building department I have to be able to go back to 2D as they freak out when you show them something in 3D. I consider myself a self-taught hack of all trades and master of none at this point in time!
Also, when I used ACAD it was back in the time (late 90’s) that 2D was more used than 3D. So when I started using SketchUp it was sometime maddening doing certain things that were super easy in ACAD like drawing a line tangent to two circles.
I will take the time to watch the video’s you sent me so I have a better understanding of what I am doing wrong. Since I seem to be the one that figures out how to do something I usually am teaching others my bad ways and that is something I need to nip in the bud!
Thanks again for helping me out!
This topic was automatically closed 183 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
