# Merging Shapes **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Created:** [August 20, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053 "2020-08-20T16:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FelixE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@FelixE](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/FelixE)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/1 "2020-08-20T16:09:08Z")
Hello, I am preparing a model for a 3D print and would like some advice about merging shapes. I need each block of shapes to be a single shape so that the printing software reads it correctly. I have the individual shapes grouped but how do I merge them into a single form, removing interior walls [1.skp](https://forums.sketchup.com/uploads/short-url/vQi2rri6QlM3dFBLj1GE4mn0cfw.skp) (350.4 KB) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/3/f33791d5c9850d52fc7bcedb6933aaa30679ed0f.png) ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/2 "2020-08-20T16:39:17Z")
Outer Shell ought to do it. ![shell](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/c/7/c74266d5eda869cb4407a69fa6fa05585d670339.gif) ---
**Author:** ![FelixE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@FelixE](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/FelixE)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/3 "2020-08-20T16:45:11Z")
Hi thanks for response. Unfortunately when I use Outer shell I get this error message … ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/9/1/915d25227bfcbe5037d3dcc4cefd5bfd1171dd99.png) ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/4 "2020-08-20T16:47:05Z")
All of the ones I selected in your model were solids. That message is telling you that something you selected isn’t a solid group or component. Figure out what isn’t solid and fix it or remove it from the selection set before running Outer Shell. If you were trying to run Outer Shell on what I show selected, it won’t work because it’s all loose geometry. To get that to make a solid group you would need to do something different like erase internal faces. ![Screenshot - 8_20_2020 , 11_47_43 AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/4/e/4eec6b2f9e18ec9a872570f81d35db3ca1189a7d.png) I was working with the ones you had individually grouped because that’s what you said you were working with. ---
**Author:** ![slbaumgartner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/slbaumgartner/32/7302_2.png) [@slbaumgartner](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/slbaumgartner)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/5 "2020-08-20T16:51:35Z")
There is more in your model, and the other things aren’t made up of solids. Only this one is solids. ![Screen Shot 2020-08-20 at 12.50.01 PM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/e/0/e06e69e4b6e853e94e6c74a87d17eaf452496f26.png) Edit: @DaveR wrote the same thing while I was typing ---
**Author:** ![FelixE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/85f322/32.png) [@FelixE](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/FelixE)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/6 "2020-08-20T16:54:43Z")
Ahh okay yes I see now, solved it perfectly. Thank you so much for the help ---
**Author:** ![TDahl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tdahl/32/11584_2.png) [@TDahl](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TDahl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/merging-shapes/134053/7 "2020-08-20T18:18:28Z")
A note on forum usage and conventions: typically, the post that is the best choice to marke as the Solution is the post that provided the initial answer (in this case, @DaveR’s first reply), rather than your own reply that summaries the final result. 🙂