From a tutorial I read that components from manufactures are pretty but too complex for model performance and we should erase unnecessary geometry.
How do we do that?
Thank you.
Hi Chris (I presume),
That’s not really the best statement; I wonder what tutorial that was.
See, the kinds of unnecessary geometry that really drive up the size and complexity of your model can’t easily be erased after the fact. Sure, you can remove stray edges and other left over garbage, and that does benefit the model, but unnecessary geometry that results from using too many segments on arcs and circles or including unnecessary detail or improper use of groups and components can’t effectively be “erased” once the deed has been done. You would simply damage the model, not necessarily simplify it.
A lean, trim, efficient model is the result of discipline and judgment applied at every step along the way during its construction, something that can’t be achieved by erasing unnecessary geometry from the completed model.
-Gully
1 Like
Yes Gully, this is Chris. Very nice to remember my name 
What you stated in your response is what I thought but I was just wondering what was I missing there?
Thank you for clarifying it for me.
Chris
If you look closely at the downloaded model, there may be geometry that can be deleted if you are careful. Example: I use many interior doors in my architectural models. These doors come in with extra door knobs, extra locking mechanisms, dead bolts, sometimes alternate hinge arrangements. I easily delete what I don’t need by getting rid of certain layers, but I work slow and inspect the integrity of the door before moving on. Just inspect each model to see if there is an opportunity to pare it down. But, like Gully says, the door knob that remains may contain a lot of geometry, but I live with that rather than trying to get rid of any extra geometry. Just a thought.
1 Like
Thank you pault, it makes sense.
I wrote an extension some years ago that will erase stray edges, merge co-linear edges and co-planar faces:
http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/cleanupÂł
Often when importing geometry from other formats it can reduce the amount of entities greatly.
1 Like