Im modeling a small piece for my model kit to print out on my 3d printer. It is only 44mm long and 12mm wide at the widest. Im rounding out some corners at scale but it wont work because my model is too small. So I enlarged the group to a larger size so sketchup can arc the corners but I can never scale it back down to the same size as the model accurately. Is there a way to scale up a grouping in place and be able to scale it back down to the same size as the rest of the groups for final assembly?
When I model for 3D printing I set the model units to meters and model as if millimeters are meters. I would model your piece 44 meters long. I don’t scale the model down before exporting the .stl. Instead I export it at model units or meters. This allows me to work with small details without any problem and there’s no scaling up and down.
Example:
In SketchUp:
The printed object:
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Make it a component. Copy it to the side. Scale it up 100x or 1000x. Perform the operation that is causing the problem.
The original will show the changes.!
Or do as Dave says and treat cm as meters.
I like DaveR technique,
But I also use bmike method as well.
As for scaling up, and then scaling down exactly back to how the original was, make sure you have a bounding volume that the modifications won’t exceed. Scale that bounding volume with the geometry you want to manipulate 100x. Once you are done, you should be able to scale it back down 0.01x with everything where you need it to be.
I like the bmike method, but I cant get it to work yet. I know Im missing something basic, but after I make it a component and then copy and enlarge, whatever I do to the larger piece doesnt translate to the smaller one. What did I miss?
Did you double check you made a component and not just a group?
Guessing that you opened the component and copied the geometry inside instead of just copying the component.
Search the forum for the Dave Method. Box did a nice tutorial that shows that method.
For modeling for 3D printing it’s still more work than you need to do.
I definitely made it a component. Named it and everything.
Nevermind I figured it out. Thank you so much!
What did you figure out?
The mike B method.
What has been described as the Dave Method.
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