Hi
how to deal with follow me tool whan modeling curved lines and arches. i wish to model metal pipes and follow me is lost on bows. where can be problem here ? and whats the solution? many thanks
See this thread:
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hi but how it might help? its static model without elbows…not helpfull
It does have an ‘elbow’ - i.e. a tight bend…
And that’s the parts that are missed ??
Probably because they are too tiny…
Being so instantly dismissive is quite unhelpful.
So help the helpers - tell us useful things like sizes, dims, segments etc - all those would help…
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That thread linked to shows exactly the same problem you are having. If it isn’t helpful to you, it’s because you didn’t look at the solution presented there.
That’s the kind of statement that gets you ignored.
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When you have a curved face (delimited by an arc) that follows a tight curve, the short segments generated by this cuve may fall below the threshold below which SketchUp (SU) cannot create a face.
You can alleviate this problem by using less segment for the arc delimiting the face or the arc defining the curved path or both. Of course, this will create a coarse rendering which may be not what you want.
Another way is to scale everything up before doing the Follow me. Then you can scale down when done. Although SU cannot closes faces when one or more of the segments defining it is too small, it will maintain a face when scaling down even if its segments are too short.
You may also make a component with your model then work on a scaled up copy. The smaller original will inherit the geometry of the larger copy. Search for Dave’s method to obtain more ideas about this procedure.
On the subject of Follow Me tool. I’m trying to do a handrail on a spiral staircase, It’s not easy to get a handrail section on a line that is off the normal axes. Do the the components have to be ‘Edit component’ or Exploded for the FMT to work ?
The path can be in a group, but you must be in the context of the group when you select it. The profile can be in its own group but you must select the path, then the tool then edit the group.
You can use the Pie tool to create a face that is perpendicular to your path. You can use this to draw or position your profile on.
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Humm this might work for a project I am working on for me . . Thanks People
Yes but how do you get the spiral first? and I can’t get the Pie tool to set at an angle off the main axis. (I’m only using the free version) I’m trying avoid the community only because I want access to the tutorials, I downloaded them, but when I click on them I get a version conflict? (see screen shot)
I knew my way around in Google
Why has Trimble made things such hard work? I absolutely will not upgrade to pro version
Come back Google all is forgiven!
I see no mention of the spiral in your post and your profile says you are using pro 2015.
How is it possible to give an appropriate answer when the goal posts are moved twice while under the cover of darkness.
Here is a link to one of the many times the manual helix method has been posted.
If your spiral handrail isn’t round, you can use the Eneroth Upright Extruder plugin from EW to avoid the handrail twisting as it would using the native FollowMe tool.
(That’s if you are using 2015 Pro.) In any Web version you can’t use extensions.
Are you working in Web (free), or 2015 Pro, or both?
Thx for the reply Box. I’m not using Pro 2015, I was. Now I’m using free version. I’ve managed to get there with spiral.
Anyway, can I not export a scene in Free ?
John, Thx for the reply. I’m in Free, no idea why it’s showing Pro 2015, but I was in that once.
I got there in the end with the spiral.
Scenes; can I not export in Free? it says I have to upgrade!
What are you trying to export?
If you just want a jpg take a screenshot.
You can Download as .png
or Print to .pdf
I want to export 10 second animated scene
To be honest I don’t even know if you can export an animation from the non free web version.
For me I would use a screen recorder.
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There is no animation export in the web versions.
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Thx Box, Yes, I use the X Box Game bar on Windows 10 for screen grabs, just thought there my be a way on the Free version.