Guide point selection for export

SketchUp
1

I created a grid of guide lines on the z=0 plane that represent the edges (ie. top of slope, toe of slope, water surface, break lines) of a water channel. I then created finite guide lines of length zero at each intersection in order to create a guide point at each intersection. I am then unable to select the guide points for export. I can not select the guide points at all. I am also unable to hide these guide points (the lines are easily hidden) while the layer they are on is active unless I hide all guides. I would like to export these x,y values so that I can more easily (i think) add my elev coord. and then return import into model.

How do I select guide points for export?

2

I’m now seeing that this set of guide points is stuck(?) in layer0 and the only way I can hide them is to hide all guides or deactivate layer0. I’m now rather clueless. 5 hours at work today and not a single thing modeled.

3

Why are you using guides instead of regular geometry?

Anssi

4

No special reason other than I do not need the geometry on the xy plane. The geometry I am trying to model will be around and elevation of 1300 ft.

5

What on earth are “finite guide lines of length zero”?

6

As described in the SketchUp Knowledge base, guide lines constructed from endpoints or midpoints terminate at a guide point. Guides constructed in this method are not of an infinite length, they are “finite”. The plugins I am attempting to use say that they can “export guide points”. In order to create a guide point at the intersection of two guide lines, I created a finite guide line and made the length of this guide line equal to zero feet, which leaves the guide point at the intersection.

7

Your going to smack your forehead.

There are two separate kinds of guide element.

Clines and Cpoints. (Called GuideLines and GuidePoints in the tutorials.)

SketchUp’s Tape tool kinda sucks for making construction points. There are plugins that you might wish to look into for making Clines and Cpoints.
One is the Cpoint at Arc Center extension that comes in the Trimble Examples.

8

Here is one by ThomThom who now works on the SketchUp Team:

http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/guide-tools

9

Thank you. Would please answer a couple more questions?

  1. Is it normal for SU to inference geometry of components that are hidden in a currently visible layer?

  2. I have geometry that I thought was drawn on the xy plane. Whenever I use Cloud to export a csv file from this geometry, the z coordinates in the csv are all equal, as they should be, however, this value is an exponential decimal to the negative thirteenth power. Is this normal and is this a problem? My intent was to change these z coordinates from the expected value of zero to field surveyed elevations and import back into SU. My concern is that something I am trying to create on the xy plane, appears as if it is not.

10

These additional questions are each worthy of their own topic thread. (That way others can see them more easily.)

11

And Thanks Again! ThomThom’s Guide Tools was already on my list of extensions to investigate. I am expecting that I will be spending the night here at work, so I guess tt jumps to the top of the prority list.