Make the whole 2D drawing completely flat?

Technical Problems SketchUp
1

I have made a drawing in 2D and it seems not all lines are on the exact level. I want it all to be completely flat if you know what I mean?

Or why does some lines show sometimes, but when I zoom out or in it changes:

Is there a way to make it so? Like mark everything and choose “same level” or something…? :confused:

2

Sometimes it helps to draw a large rectangular face on the ground plane and group it (so what you draw will not interact with it, but you will get “On Face” tool inference tips.)

There are extensions that will move things directly down (ie “project”) onto the XY plane.

This is called “clipping.” Search on that term and you’ll find much discussion.

4 Likes
3

There are a couple of “flatten” plugins but no native command to “flatten” your model. SketchUp Pro users can export a 2D plan view to DWG or DXF format and re-import that into SketchUp.

Besides lines that are non-planar, also lines that are on a face without actually cutting it sometimes display these “z-fighting” symptoms.

You can also post your file for forum members to take a look at it.

Anssi

2 Likes
4

howtomakeitflat.skp (315.2 KB)

I can’t seem to make it, so maybe some kind soul can help me by looking at it? :slight_smile:
(I want to have the drawing on a square but can’t make it right.)

5

I just checked your file and looks like everything flat for me.

Make sure that you’re looking in Camera > Parallel Projection

6

Yeah, I guess. But how about this one?
wtf.skp (269.1 KB)

7

How the heck are you drawing your models? Look at the Z values around the perimeter.

1223×705 21.6 KB

If you used the method @DanRathbun gave you, you would find it easy to remain on plane.

Instead of of relying on tools to fix problems you create, it would be much better to learn how to avoid creating them in the first place.

2 Likes
8

I don’t know what I have done wrong, but I have redrawn it many times and worked on details from time to time, and now it’s too late? :frowning:

9

Try using some of @TIG’s extensions to fix things:

1 Like
10

thanks, I learn something from your advices.

11

I will try my best to read through the description… Anyone who can easily explain how to make a plugin work and how to flatten it all… Sorry for being stupid. :flushed:

12

Trimble SketchUp

SketchUcation (free membership)

1 Like
13

I can’t tell you what frustration I have been through drawing 2d plans and finding things no longer on the same plane. This happens all the time when I import a scan of a pdf and try to trace the lines. I’ll try to select a completed section or try and draw a rectangle and find out it’s a mess. Then I end up erasing what I did and redo it, sometimes with the same error. It’s like there’s a hidden memory magnet in the model, drawing the end point off plane over and over.

At some point I just give up and print it out and say - well, I can’t invest any more time in making it right. Maybe the end user won’t notice the omissions of portions of the drawing because they were off plane. I very carefully draw from end point to end point and it still happens.

A native flatten command is truly needed.

It should work on any axis. I have pulled up things, not knowing of their hidden error and faces of walls disappear or I can’t get the rectangle tool to function on what I thought was a flat wall or plane.

It is a progressive error that dominoes the longer you draw.
G

1 Like
14

(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted in 24 hours unless flagged)

15

I under stand that. But to work a pdf you import a scan of it and trace it then pull portions up. Hence the need. Many times the PDF lacks dimensions so you find a measurement and resize the drawing - then you can measure the parts of it. To sit there and attempt to draw the floor plan by other means, such as sitting there with a scale ruler and entering the measurements into your model, is very time consuming.

By way of example - If I am trying to find the square footage of a curving side walk so I can calculate how much concrete it will require, the easiest way is to import a scan of the plan, resize it to the proper scale, and use the drawing tools to trace the sidewalk. Then select it to find out the square footage. When it won’t select, then I end up investing a lot of time trying to find out where it went off plane. Hence the need for a flatten command
G

16

Are you only drawing from Camera->Standard Views->Top? Don’t move your camera angle. Just pan. SketchUp takes information from the camera position to try to help you get it right. If you’re Top view 100% of the time (Cmd-1 on Mac), you can’t screw it up, can you?

17

Small script that will flatten everything selected

model = Sketchup.active_model
entities = model.entities
selection = model.selection

count = 0
selection.grep(Sketchup::Edge).each { |edge|
count += 1
edge.vertices[0].position.z = 0
edge.vertices[1].position.z = 0
}

puts count

1 Like
18

Hello gerret…
Here is how I do:
After importing the PDF or other drawing:
Is your import tied to the point of origin?
Is your imported drawing parallel with your red/green axis (your Blue Plane)…?
other wise rotate it so it lines up.

Start with the tape measure,
dubble-click on red axis to set a guideline
then click once, to drag a line parallel to red axis
and set it on other side of “Paper” with a second click.
Repeat for green axis.
Draw a rectangle on top,
bigger than the drawing you imported…
your drawing will disappear…
but choose “Face-style” X.Ray…
and it will show through.

To see the import from the top…
from menu, select: Camera/Standard view/Top

Now:
Delete guide lines…
drag a new from edge or axis into / on to the import,
where there is a important line/feature, you know the Length of.

Draw a line along this object.
Use the tape measue, to measure it…
when you click the second time, (look at the VCB box)
and type the correct measurement for this line.
Sketchup will ask, if you want to size the model?
Choose Yes, and now your import will be to scale.

Make a layer for the import and move the layer here( via entity info)
Right click the import and “Lock” it.
Now you can turn the import on/off by turning the layer on/off.
Save the project.

Then
and only then,
you start drawing lines and rectangles…
on your Giant rectangle (your “paper”)

Switching x-ray on and off, will help keep your own drawing in check…
to se if you have closed boxes (rectangles) as walls etc.
When rooms, walls and other features are finished…
you can switch to iso mode and start pulling up.

Btw:
It is a good idea, to make a scene for the top view and a scene for the iso view.

Please let me know if you can use this…
if you need further help…
Greetings…Jakob.

19

That’s cool - I never considered making a layer of the imported image. In fact - I have never made a layer of anything.

I usually imported it, aligned it with the axis so my new lines paralleled the lines in the image, scaled it and then drew on it. Some times I exploded it and sometimes not - I never really understood the purpose of doing that. I’ll try that on the next one.

Thanks, G

20

Hello…
Did you see / get my reply…?

I replied to “gerretw” in post 18/21