I have a SketchUp Shop license and use a web-based version of the software. I have been trying to manage backup copies with some limited success. Because, after I have been editting a while, I find entire sections of my model has disappeared. But this isn’t about backing up my models… It’s about why I feel I need to create a copy every 30 minutes…
On one level, it looks like it may be a display rather than modelling problem. But I cant take a chance. I used to use the free desktop program, but need at least some of the advanced features available in the “Shop” license. Ive been working on this model for three days and have had to start over at least once because of the “disappearing” feature of the web software…
With my Sketchup Shop license, all my files are stored online. I see three projects, Animatronic_Plate_vn, where n is 6-8 or 7-9. So, I don’t have a .SKP file to send you.
I’m away from my laptop, so I can’t provide a graphic card. It’s an HP laptop, running Win 10. I’m using the current Chrome browser.
Note I had no problem for three days. AND using a previous free version of SketchUp, I had the same problem. If it took me too long to create a model, all he’ll broke loose.
Im using Chrome on Win 10.The Chrome version is 75.0.3770.142 (Official Build) (64-bit)
When I got back to the laptop after several hours (6-8), the “missing” components seem to have reappeared. But it is impossible to model when you only get a few minutes of work, then have to leave it alone for many hours.
I spent three days buiding this model. I had hoped to have it completed by this Monday. I am meeting with investors this week but because of this problem have nothing toshow them Additionally, I have promised two manufacturers a completed model for a quote,
I havent heard from you. I assumed that since it was over the weekend was because of the lack of response…
This is a critical issue for me and if SketchUo cannot be a reliable tool, I will have to bite the bullet and find anouther solution, In that case, I will expect a refuhd,.
This part of the original poster’s recent comment caught my attention:
It may not be obvious due to how this forum is presented, but 99% of replies to topics are provided by other SketchUp user in the community, just like you and me. The two users who have responded are community members and not employees of Trimble or otherwise part of the SketchUp team. These folks are just trying to help you. My understanding is that this forum is not intended to be an official support mechanism; a SketchUp license holder has a phone number and/or email address to use for requesting formal support.
I just wanted to make sure that your expectations for this forum are set appropriately.
As TDahl wrote, the forum is “staffed” primarily by volunteers such as myself. You did not reply directly to my post so I didn’t get any notification that you had replied at all or I would likely have responded yesterday.
I can’t tell much about what it is you are trying to model. I can’t see that there is anything missing. I do see some problems with the model such as reversed faces. As John indicated, for something as small as this, you would be better served to model at a larger size.
SketchUp is certainly capable of modeling what you want but it does depend on you using it correctly.
Is the wall on the underside of this thing supposed to be equal in thickness or is it supposed to be thinner one side than the other. There arrow points to an area where the wall is thicker than at the lower left.
I made a quick attempt at reproducing your model. Some of the dimensions are strange so I could only guess and I’m sure it’s not exactly accurate. My version is a solid so if it was going to be 3D printed, it is printable.
My apologies! I most certainly misunderstood how the forum works. Another member mentioned that since I have a subscription, I should have an official support email/phone#. That may be true, but I don’t know where to find them. I assumed this forum was for official support.
Thank you for looking into this. It is intended to be 3D printed and the parts should be solid. I’m assuming from your question that they’re not solid? How do I create solid parts?
Secondly, the wall should be uniformly thick. It was created by drawing an 5-15/16” radius circle inside a 6” radius circle, whose center points are co-located on the Z axis. Hence, it should be uniformly 1/16” thick…
And finally, I’m not sure which dimensions are strange. The major circles and radial arms should be 1” wide. The wall and internal components should be 0.5” tall. The large rectangle should be 4” tall and 0.25” thick. The dimensions in general should be 1/16”, 1/8” or 1/4” thick. The only dimension I’m not sure of is the height of the towers.
In order for the model to be solid and 3D printable, every edge must be shared by exactly 2 faces. no more and no less. This means no holes, no internal faces, and no stray edges. You have missing faces (red arrows) and internal ones(green arrows)
Also, all faces must have correct orientation. That is, all of the blue back faces need to be on the inside. The face orientation essentially tells the slicer software which side of the face is the printer media and which side is room air.
It isn’t. The centers of the outer and inner circles are not in the same location.
So your example of the missing face is what I mean by disappearing parts. I drew that spine with all faces showing. Then, when I rotated the model, it disappeared!
Which is what’s so frustrating. I spend more time assuring that everything shows as drawn and fixing it when it disappears. That particular spline was made by drawing a rectangle on the face, pulling it up to the desired height. Then the face parallel to the centerpiece, was pulled to intersect with the centerpiece. I selected the centerpiece and performed an intersect with model. Then I made the top of the centerpiece hidden, and deleted all internal edges. Finally, I did an unhide all. Rotated the model and all looked good and all was there… until later when that face “disappeared”.
The “weird” measurement (4.181”) is ok. It’s not a critical measurement. Secondly, it’s not supposed to be centered on the face. It should be “roughly” centered, +/- 1/16” as an estimate.
I would guess from looking at your model that you erased an edge that was required for the face to exist.
OK. Well, I guess I modeled it incorrectly as far as those dimensions are concerned. Since the model is clean and solid, though, modifying it wouldn’t be a problem. Again, as was mentioned before, modeling at a larger size makes sense for something like this. I made my version of your model using Meters as if they were inches. The STL file you export from SketchUp has no units so it doesn’t matter as long as you import the STL into the slicer using inches as the units. I did that on the i.Materialise site and got this.
Ok, your suggestion that I accidentally deleted a face makes sense. Except that for two days, I never “accidentally” deleted a face. While in the past 24 hours, every edit I make “accidentally” deletes a face…
Can’t figure that one out. If the model extends beyond the laptop display - everything off screen is deleted. And can’t be recovered as far as I can tell.
I could try… but it only occurs after editing the model for several days. This, I’d have to start from scratch (again) and I could respond in a few days.
Note that this occurred to me about ten years ago with the free desktop application. I was creating a non-scale version of this model.
Also, using the free desktop app, I created a model “rock”, as in a large boulder from the yard, and also had problems with sections disappearing.
If I create a model and avoid making mistakes and modifications, I can get SketchUp to work. Of note, HP laptops were used in all these cases.
From what I’ve seen in the one model you uploaded, it could be that SketchUp is trying to repair bad geometry in your model due to the small size. We’ve already talked about ways to avoid the problem. In the over 16 years that I’ve been using Sketchup, the only times I’ve seen edges or faces get removed is when SketchUp tries to repair my bad geometry. When I avoid creating the bad geometry in the first place, there’s no problem at all.
At this point I don’t know what else to tell you. You can try doing what has been suggested and what I’ve shown will work without problems.
