thanks cotty, been looking for something like this for a while 
The reason this problem exists in SketchUp is the poorly implemented inference method. It is insists on inferring all kinds of points that I (and others) donāt want. If you could specify the type of inference (e.g. center point, or end point, or none) this problem could be eliminated. I frequently run into this with all kinds of situations including purely 3D design instances. But there are also instances where you want to put down lines or points in irregular positions on a plane (no matter what the orientation of the plane, you are now working in 2D) and it is a horrible pain in the ā¦ with SketchUp. Some instances where these forms are used in SketchUp include FaceMe objects, people, trees, etc. I often want to draw water bodies, streams, etc. with irregular outlines that will be fully 3D entities as my drawing progresses, but itās extremely awkward to do with SketchUp. Having to go to another program like AutoCAD or Illustrator to create these lines and then export them as DXF and then import them to SketchUp is ridiculous, but necessary. SketchUp should fix this,
I admire you Gully. We disagree on this point.
Huck
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And I you, Huck.
-Gully
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I am trying to create a stamp of our school logo and believe your suggestions using Illustrator and GSU may be a solution. I am a beginner with Illustrator but was able to get our logo into this .skp: SpartanHead2.skp - Google Drive
Iād like to use Push Tool to add depth but am lost now. Any suggestions?
You need to double-click on the logo to open the component for editing. To create a surface that you can extrude, simply connect any two adjacent points on an edge ā¦ if the edges are contiguous and co-planar, you will be rewarded with a surface. Use the Push/Pull tool to add depth.
Explode the imported linework. Trace over one edge segment for each separate closed outline (the face and helmet and each plume in the crest). Then Push/Pull the first face and double-click the rest to duplicate the depth of extrusion. Soften/smooth to complete.
(@jimhami42 would seem to be first with the goods.)
-Gully
Or, in this case since itās all well closed, draw a rectangle around the figure then explode the group. Pull up as needed.
Shep
Thanks for the help, just wondering what you selected after Push/Pulling the helmet. How did you get rid of the contour lines? Does this make the entity a āSolidā that I can export to stl for 3D printing? Thanks again.
I triple-clicked on the item to select everything and then used āSoften Edgesā to smooth the faces (this only affects the appearance, not the geometry itself). The fact that you already have a closed loop around the face that you extruded means that it should 3D print with no problems. It you group each shape separately, the SketchUp āEntityā info should report that itās a āSolidā.
To all those asking why youād use a 3D program for 2D editingā¦I do it. If anyone can find me a free 2D program that has the incredible geometric accuracy of Sketchup, Iāll consider it. Most Iāve tried decide that their square measurement grid is more important than the integrity of the shape - so anything that doesnāt āfitā precisely is mutated to accommodate the grid.
Itās not just restricted to āesotericā shapes like pentagons and heptagons etiher. Try rotating an equilateral trianlge or hexagon in something like Visio and then tessellating lots of copies togetherā¦youāll end up with lines that āalmostā meet.
āAlmostā is not good enough. Sketchup does this perfectly (and as a bonus, has the single most intuitive āsnapā feature that Iāve ever used) and thatās why I use it.
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