Line dimensions don't match entity info

[Jorondo]

I’m new to Sketchup, so this is probably a mistake on my part. I’m trying to do a simple 2D Site Plan, and so I just need the basics of lines and dimensions. I feel I’ve gotten most of what I need to know down so far, but I’m having problems with dimensioning (I’m used to parametric). However, I noticed that when I snap a dimension onto a line, it’s not matching either what I entered for a length value, or what is coming up in the Entity Info box. Is it me, or the program that’s having the issue?

Thanks in advance

[DaveR]

Orbit the camera and compare the line and your dimension.

[slbaumgartner]

@DaveR beat me to it! I suspect the line is not along the red axis but rather is sloped up in blue so you are measuring the foreshortened view of it. Orbit so you can see the third dimension to check.

[Jorondo]

Thanks, that’s embarrassingly obvious when you point it out. Like I said, I’m used to different CAD software, and sketching when in the top view wouldn’t have done anything like this.

[Ccaponigro]

If you want to draw lines you should draw a flat rectangle with a face group it and then draw on top of that. It’s hard to be sure your keeping things ion plane otherwise.

Or lock your axis.

[slbaumgartner]

That’s one of the learning points that frustrates many people coming from CAD: no matter how it looks, in SketchUp you are always working in 3D!

[Wo3Dan]

@slbaumgartner

…, in SketchUp you are always working in 3D!

@Jorondo, that’s why modeling in SketchUp in perspective view is so much more atractive and easier than switching between standard views.