How to use follow me FAST to make volume lines for cables

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In in my big concept I have a paisley shapes VALET station. For it to be viable in a possible very hot climates I make the 8m roof overhang in aluminum and plexi glass.
I have a hard time to create steel cables to help to hold up the edges
The bigger building is a simulation of a local fire and emergency station.
How can I make a circle stick to the beginning of a line to use follow me
my circle either becomes an oval on flat surface
I try use a circle away from the line but somehow it never wants to follow the lines
they could also be metal struts
I am not a civil engineer would really welcome any input on how to help uphold
without having tall vertical posts
I call the station GOLDEN LEAF so I am trying to get organic curves shapes
one the other hand I had ideas of using a metal shaped steel struts
but don’t know if that would stay under the traction
Like a pre shaped rebar …although I thought it may be a bit much
Thanks for any input

Follow me starts by projecting the profile onto a plane perpendicular to the first segment of the path. So, unless it was drawn perpendicular to that segment, a circular profile will become an oval.

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  1. Draw a pie arc starting from the middle of the first segment.
  2. When clicking on the point hold down the mouse and point the axis to the endpoint of the segment.
  3. Release the button.
  4. Draw a full circle with a big diameter and draw your profile in that face.
  5. If you want you can draw the cable profile directly.

Note: Don’t use more than 4 segments on the pie arc/circle for a cable, unless it’s very big. Complex cables are heavy on sketchup, especially if they are all over the place.

To perform the follow me operation:

  1. Select the wire curve first.
  2. Hit follow me tool button.
  3. Click the profile face and it’s off.
  4. If something fails, scale the profile and curve 10x.
  5. If something fails scale it again 10x more.
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I regularly model tensioned and slack ropes, wire ropes other sorts of tensile materials. I generally use a combination of extensions: starting with Draw Wires because it allows me to specify bulge as a percentage of span or enter an absolute material length and calculates the bulge automatically, and because it results in relatively accurate catenary curves aligned with gravity (blue axis). Then I use Pipe along Path which keeps the diameter aligned perpendicular to the path automatically and has other useful controllable parameters. Careful with the number of segments as it can overload the model easily. I find that 6 faces softened and smoothed is plenty for almost all my work.

Pipe along Path works on straight lines as well, I’m not sure from your description what you really are trying to do.

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Thank you soooo much will try this.
My tension cables or rods will be dead straight
the vertical curves over the roofs I thought my be the the traction between the front and back of the roof
I see This will move greatly forward in the next days.
Thank you again.

Thank you very much.
My planned tension cables (IN BLUE) or rods will be dead straight.
The vertical curves (half circles) over the roofs I thought my be the the traction between the front and back of the roofs?
Yes I just want a volume not just a line as in rendering that disappears.
Will try your advise on other things in landscaping like classic fences along sidewalks etc
I see This will move greatly forward in the next days.
Have to concentrate your directions sound intricate to me :slight_smile:
Thank you again.