How to trim a tubular object along a line defined by another group

SketchUp for Web
1

I’ve used Sketchup for quite a while, but not very seriously. Unfortunately I’m not 100% sure how to even describe what I’m trying to do.

I’m trying to make a model of a building I saw so I can understand it better. It’s a reciprocal roof structure made of roundwood timbers. So I’m modeling the basic elements as tubes 12" in diameter. The timbers lay on top of each other at 30 degree angles on a horizontal plane (20 degrees vertical), creating an interlocking circle. That part I’ve got more or less figured out:

Screenshot 2024-08-28 122822
Screenshot 2024-08-28 1228221906×889 150 KB

Now that I’ve got that part put together I realize I’d like the individual beams to be shorter. Specifically I’d like them to end at the top with a 30 degree angle on a horizontal plane that is in vertical plane with the outer edge of the beam below. Here is a photo of a similar building to show what I’m trying to accomplish - https://timberhomesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/15629729_1569060.jpeg

So I guess there are two parts to this. 1: How do I use the outer boundary of one object to define a plane for slicing another object; 2: How do I make a defined, angled end on a tube object. Seems relatively straightforward for rectangles, but round surface hurt my brain.

Sorry if this is obvious, I feel like these are pretty basic skills that I’ve just never bothered to figure out and I’m not precisely sure how to search for them.

2

Model the “board” that timber runs into, in place where it needs to be. Then open the timber object for editing, right click on the surface and choose Intersect Faces>With Model. After the interesection has completed you can erase the waste end of the timber and trace an edge at the angled end with the Line tool to complete the face.

Hopefully you made each of those timbers copies of the same component so you only need to edit one of them.
IWM

FWIW, this can be a whole lot faster in SketchUp Go or SketchUp for Desktop with Solid tools.

3

Oh wow, of course it make sense to just make the solid and intersect it. Thanks for this!

And thanks for the tip on the other programs! I’ll look into them, but for no more often than I actually use the program, not sure if I’ll make a switch.

4

Yeah. I presume it’s a hobby thing for you so I get it.

5

If you do get SketchUp Pro, check out this excellent extension: Eneroth Solid Tools. It’s useful for this sort of thing.