Hello everybody!
I’d like to use SketchUp for calculating the wall tile seams volume to automatically define how many kilograms of “seams filler (grout)” I need.
The only way to do it I have found is to draw a plate of grout on the wall with thickness of grout equall to future tile thickness, then draw the tiles in it with nesessary gapes (seams), and then apply the “cutting” tool from “solid objects tools”. After applying the tool to each tile I can see the volume of grout nesessary for filling the seams in properties of grout plate object.
But to cut the tile in the grou plate I have to apply the cutting tool to each tile step by step - it is very boring and very long process with high possibility to miss some tiles. It is so because the cutting tool cuts only plural objects by the one main object, but it doesn’t in opposite way - it doesn’t cut one object by many secondary objects. Is there the easier, shorter and faster way to get result? May be there is a tool like cutting that can cut one object by many objects in one click?
While most grouting companies have their own (online) calculators ( fill in some varables and you’ll have the usage per square units ) you can use this info for making calculation based on area instead of volume, Sketchup gives you the area.
If you want to use the solid tools, you might wanna make a union of all the tiles( select Union , then first tile, second , third , etc. It doesn’t matter for SketchUp if the solid tiles aren’t connected, it sees all the tiles as one solid, so you can extract it from your grouting plate in a single subtract.
Thank you, MikeWayzovski, for preliminary union-ing, it works great! But how can I split the tiles again after it? The tiles have become a group. I can explode the group and get multiple not-grouped objects. Is there the way to make a separate group from each of the selected multiple objects by one-two click? (or may be is it possible to define in one-two click that all these objects are instatnces of one component?) thx.
You said cut, I thought you ment subtract ? subtract will get rid of the first select solid in solid tools , if you use trim , the first solid remains. Anyway, it is now a group (union) with ‘loose’ geometry inside. I am not sure how you made the tiles (Group or component) but if you wanna keep them, copy them first , make one set of copies the unified trim component and get rid of that after trimming the grout…
Yes, I ment only cutting, because simultaneosly with definition of grout seams volume i’d like to remain the image (the design, the appearance) of the ready wall and also remain possibility to change something in tile layout if neсessary. But I see what you have said. I think it will help me. Thank you.
You could use Trim instead of Subtract and let the tiles cut holes in the grout panel.
I’d get the volume of all the tiles and subtract that number from the volume of the grout panel. The answer should be the volume of the grout. It would be faster to do that than it would be to cut all the openings for all the tiles.
You’re welcome, I have done a lot of quotations based on your concept of making an actual physical component of the tile instead of just applying textures on walls etc . I used Estimator for that . I had set up a template with underlay, grout and tiles and assigned costs on each item ( based on experience ) added some cost for labour etc and got an instant report of what I was designing. Check out the tile- system at :
dtile + nemo | 3D Warehouse
Excuse me everybody for “Cutting” word instead of “Trim”. Because I am russian and translated menu in russian version has name similar to “cutting”. Of course, I needed a trim to remain tiles. And I have to say I had one more reason to use trim (instead of different calculators) - learning SketchUp tools better and SU abilities or possibilities. So every (any) your recommendation, suggestion or offer is useful for me anyways. Thank you all.
P.S. I have downloaded dtile-nemo: wow, looks great for me and it is something I’d like to analyse deeper during a time… tnx.
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