I want to model based on a grid like in some other programs. So if I try to place a line segment in random free space it will start and end on predetermined grid points.
I want to create an invisible 1cm x 1cm grid. Any vertex on my model must be on one of the points of this grid.
Is there any extension that allows this to be done in Sketchup?
With SketchUp (SU), you can use precise dimension and many available units.
With your model, you can set the units to cm. You do that once.
Then, for example, you want a rectangle of 2 cm x 4 cm, follow these steps:
1 - Select the Rectangle tool.
2 - Click on the axes origin to start the rectangle.
3 - Move the mouse along the red axis, then along the green axis. You can also move on the red-green plane (ground plane) if you prefer. Don’t click yet.
4 - Type 2,4 or 2;4 (depending on your regional settings) then press the Enter key. There is no need to add cm after your numbers if you have set the units to cm.
You shall have a precise rectangle of 2 cm x 4 cm.
If to orientation is not what you want, retype 4,2 or 4;2 then the Enter key. The rectangle will change orientation.
As long as you do not exit the tool or change tool, you can type new values as you wish.
Now, If you absolutely need a grid, you can use guides set at every centimeter along the red and the green axis.
To get that grid, you establish a first on the move copies along the required axis.
See this SU file for ideas.
Grid 1 cm x 1 cm.skp (222.6 KB)
You can also use the Sandbox tool From Scratch to set up a grid although you might have difficulties using cm as the unit. You can use meters for example and scale down when done.
With more recent versions of SU (since you put 2017 in your profile), you could create a grid, then group it and assign a tag to it. Then you could set that tag to use dashed lines or even dotted lines.
Since I don’t know how this file would open in SU 2017, I post a jpg export here.
I think there are plugins to draw grids like you want.
But will this prevent me from placing vertices outside the grid? I want to basically prevent accidental misplaced points. Because those create tiny gaps in the mesh which you don’t notice until much later. So I wanted an extension that will force it to only be on the grid points.
I’m afraid you are not in the right software…
What are you planning to model this way?
Are you still using SketchUp 2017 Make as your profile shows?
Yes I am. I want to model a large ship. Last time my model failed because there were too many gaps and it became a mess. Like two lines look colinear but if you zoom in actually theres a tiny gap between them. So this time before I start I want an extension that creates a grid so theres no possible way to accidentally place two vertices .00001cm apart when you wanted to place them on top of each other. Is there an extension that can do this?
I think you’ll find that modeling with a grid will make your work a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be and less precise. If you insist, though, you could try TIG’s Work Plane from Sketchucation but what @jean_lemire_1 showed you will work just as well. Make the grid as large as you want. It won’t give you a hidden grid but if you intend to infer off the points on the grid you don’t want them to be hidden anyway.
You could also try modeling with Length Snapping enabled or maybe you have been and really just need to turn that off.
How are you using this ship model once you have it completed?
Oh is work plane 3D? The plane in the name makes it sound like its 2D only…
I am modeling the ship to use in a game. The model will be huge. So in game i can’t have any gaps or they will be very noticeable.
No, with SU, you can place objects exactly where you want them.
If you find an endpoint that is misplaced, you can move it.
IMHO you don’t need a grid once you grasp the working of a 3D modelling software.
Take the time to look at a few videos on YouTube.
I’ve been using sketchup for years actually. And i’ve always had this problem. I used an extension called Vertex Tools which allows you to merge close vertices to fix things. But I really am just hoping to find a way to prevent it from happening in the first place. maybe I am a lot more careless than some people when modeling. I kinda just focus on the shape and how it looks and completely forget about making my quads coplanar or my edges colinear until i have a huge model and suddenly I realize its all messed up and then i waste hours trying to fix it.
do you really need that precision?
No. I want every vertices position to be locked to 1cm increments in every axis. That’s the entire point of my post.
Is this 3D? I need an option that makes a 3D grid. Maybe something like that doesn’t exist.
I use this but 1cm grid could be a lot of work
Is impossible to work with such a grid…
Yeah it should be invisible but the points snap to it. A visible grid would be crazy to work with.
Pues deberas de confiar en Length Snapping as @Dave says
