Is there no grid tool?

Sandbox - From Scratch creates a TIN whose diagonals are, by default, automatically Soft/Smooth.
And while those edges are not visible, the tools still infer to them.

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You’re better off just making a grid of edges to whatever size you want.
Lock it so it isn’t movable but inferencing will still work.
Put them on all three axes if you want.
Save different ones as components if you use them often.
Save one as a template if you always want to start with one.

I’ve added a sample model with a 24 foot cube of 1 foot grids.
It is on it’s own layer so can be switched on and off. If you need it bigger, unlock the relevant component and move copy it as many times as you need and lock them again. Or resize the grid and they will all change.
24 foot cube grid.skp (110.3 KB)

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The Grid Tool is one of the original sample plugins the SU Developers put out. It has the additional benefit of being parametric - ie, select the grid, r-click and choose the option to change the grid size.

It may be a good idea to lock the grid so it’s not inadvertently moved.

If you anticipate needing a grid for future models, set up a template with a starter grid in place, and go to File > Save as Template. Choose the option to set that template as your default if desired.

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I have to admit I wasn’t aware of this tool.
Excellent.

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That’s really not likely.

The thing that seems not to have been stressed here enough, I think, is that SU does not have a grid feature because it is completely unnecessary–it was not an omission. A grid is an extremely crude and primitive device compared to inferencing, SU’s system of object snaps and dynamic guidelines, which allows you to position objects with precision, flexibility, and ease, and without cluttering up the work environment with a bunch of superfluous geometry. You would be wise to embrace SU and its tools on their own terms if you wish to become proficient.

-Gully

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Thanks for chiming in Gully and I love your advice and your very direct explanations. I can honestly say that with more time and working things the way I can best perceive them. I will be able to utilize each tools most commonly accepted principles and its true function. I have read there are many ways to do the same thing in SU, and your imagination is the only limit? These stand out to me as the first two things I recall. I am like a few others who do not “see things” as 98% of you do. What you see as confusing or cumbersome, I see as easy or normal. Then vise~versus. My disadvantage is a true blessing being I have to teach myself how to use this to fit my needs or what I lack comparatively. Then re-learn it on YOUR terms, for a lack of a better explanation. I hope to some day be able to plot in time and space and hit my idea in one shot. Plus not use the From Scratch tool and a TIN for graph paper. But if I need a piece, it is a cool quick way to get the curve I need laid out. That saves me time and removes frustration, but is not politically correct. But because of all your help I will remember to purge the file from statistics in the Model info drop down. Because deleting it when I am done making the curve wont remove it from the file (size). But sending it to the 3D ware house should do this for you. This info, like all that is offered in this thread is a great help, I did not know of it and I will use to achieve. What I see that many of you have completed or attained with your years invested. It is all given out by most of you on this thread and thankful for it. Remember there are those who ride the “short bus” and in having to do double the work. The time needed for understanding also is increased. Also most “normal” people see this as being the same as if it were from pen onto paper. Not understanding , but only seeing lines drawn were in truth geometry is being created. With that said I can see why many of you are so animent about the “correctness” of each application. Like Box`s post, even though I can change dimensions. I did just that with the screen shot, I drag this around my model and also had one with my key board short cuts.

Constantly seeing and doing it over and over. It was what I needed to do so I could better comprehend what this has to offer and eventually properly utilize. Thanks for the time and help…

This topic is amazing to me…

Why are their no grid lines? how do you quickly see if the object you moved is on the ground or above it without a ground??

To everyone that asks “why do you need them” i say, every other 3D modeling program that considers itself relevant, on the planet has them… so clearly there must be a use for them.

I’ve never found a need for grids myself and they are annoying to me in programs that have them. I’ve never had any problem figuring out where the model is in space in SketchUp. If you think you have to have grids to be able to model in SketchUp, there are extensions that can make them.

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The Sandbox from Scratch tool makes a grid too.

I have not used every 3D modeling program on the planet, but I’ve use a few of them and I can say this is not necessarily true. Many 2D programs have grids, SketchUp is a complete 3D environment with a very sophisticated inference engine which does not really benefit from the outdated concept of a grid. It’s a bit like asking “why are there no wings on this helicopter? Every other flying thing has wings, this helicopter must be broken.”

SketchUp is over 20 years old now and has millions of users, all of them model without a grid. Perhaps a better question would be: “I was surprised not to see a grid like I expected. I guess this program is different than others I have used. Maybe I do not yet understand how this particular program works or how to use it. Is there a good place to start learning how to model in SketchUp?”

https://learn.sketchup.com

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goes to videos in link… videos teach you how to draw a grid to use and then erase the lines you manually drew to form the grid when not needed… so… im pretty sure my point is proven if the OFFICIAL solution is to draw a grid… that a grid is useful.

Ok. I have not seen that video, can you post a link to the specific video here?

I guess I’ve never once needed to draw a grid to model in SketchUp. Of course I’m kind of new at it having only started in 2003 so maybe one day I’ll find a reason for a grid.

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Why would you like to have a lot of geometry or guides standing in the way, interfering a smooth workflow?

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I am really distracted today, so I’m going to comment on this. You can make a grid with guide lines or you can use a grid plugin. Most people have no use for it but, like many applications, SketchUp has ways to let you do it the way you want. Sometimes these ways have to be created by you or another person (through plugins).

I was watching a pretty good demo video the other day. But I couldn’t figure out after a while… why was he drawing guides for everything and then deleting the guides, instead of just drawing the edges? I use guides all the time, but for everything? Also for grids. I turn them off in any applications where they are on.

At first it may be hard to know where you are drawing. Just creating a face (perhaps grouped by itself) can give you something to relate your work to until you get the model going.

If there’s a need for a visual grid that doesn’t interfere with tools when modeling, then apply 3D-polylines. They can even be colored when edges still use “Material > All the same”.

Long thread. But back in 2015 @catamountain (post #11) discussed the “Grid Tool”, developed by the SketchUp Team.

Pros and Cons, all good points. But my feeling, SU is about freedom of choice. More options, more freedom.

I use this grid tool when I am in the concept mode.

You can find the extension in the Extension Warehouse (find Grid Tool). Have a look:

GridTool

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Place an item on the plane. now place a second item far away from it but 1 increment of measurement back from the first, now on the other side of it place a third item that is NOT identical to the second one or the first one, and line it up perfectly with the second item.

according to sketchup you should either draw additional extra lines to check that they line up and provide a point to snap to, OR hover over the far one, and move your mouse back towards the 3rd one without going too close to the first on and picking up its snap points, OR copy one of the others and make them turn into the same as the one you want for an end result…

OR i can just look at the grid, see which line its snapped to and place the object and move on, ALL with a few keystrokes, without drawing additional lines unnecessarily, without needing to adjust snap measurements that i probably have in place for other parts of the design, without having to go get a measure tool and measure off some point that is across the screen, without having to duplicate an object that is not what i want, without having to guess if the snap point that the hover picked up is correct.

I get that you CAN work without a grid, but its not like all of the sudden in drafting and design the grid was invented… its been a STAPLE of manual design and CAD design for decades. So im not asking for a shiny new technology to be added, i am asking for a bare minimum basic feature that exists in ms paint

Also, thank you CT for adding that. since its literally designed by the SketchUp team and in its descriptions starts off with “Sometimes a grid is the best way to understand an area” which i thought for the 23+ years that i have been drafting with CAD programs, was just obvious. But apparently not LOL. Anyways… not trying to be argumentative, but really… its a grid… its the first thing you learn to add to white paper when you learn to draft… its as basic a tool as it gets in design, even in character creation, a grid is used… the ■■■■ computer itself it plotting points on a grid when it renders… its pretty useful.

I do a lot of alignment with the move tool —I move in the direction parallel to the offset then press shift
and move to get an inference from the previous object. If needed I can then move to the increment (which is usually not on any grid but no matter).

I think people find these days the bigger the building the less a grid is going to help, unless it is some specialized equation or two. My biggest and current job to date is based on radii.

In CAD however I do have grid SNAP and that helps keep accuracy within a determined increment. For new construction this is 1/4" (not useful for a visible grid) and it helps keep my drawing in order. I hate giving anyone less than 1/4" dimension to frame too. Occasionally on large buildings I’ll have a grid of 6" to begin layout but it quickly devolves. So I can’t get too attached to the idea. I’d like the idea of drawing edges to a 1/4" grid control, like I can in CAD, but it doesn’t relate to a visual grid for me.

Either way CAD or SketchUP I mostly input dimensions – I don’t line things up visually except with inference cues or alignment tools in each.

So try the plugins. They might be cool.