Use divide once, and check the distance.
Then undo and move the rounded distance, multiplied (X) by the number of copies that you need, throw away what’s left.
Here’s how a human would have tackled this problem. I’m using the same tolerances (1/16 precision & snap 1/16) and yet I have different results when manually placing these objects. My results are within that 1/16th as promised. I say use the duplication along a path with caution. Taking the results produced by Sketchup and measuring from Point A to Point B will result is much greater tolerances than what you have established in Sketchup. The proof is in the drawing.
So your solution is to make the spaces uneven? How is that a solution? If I sent that drawing to a shop they would think I was nuts, why are some random spacing increments different than others? I guarantee I would get a call from a confused carpenter saying “Hey you really want me to space the blocks a 1/16” differently on unit #1,3 7 and 9?" Or worse, I would not get a call and they would take me at my word and the finished product would be unevenly spaced because that’s what I asked for in the drawing. If we must divide a space evenly that is non divisible I dimension the total correctly and just make a note that says “evenly spaced” with a ± by the spacing dimension. Which means, it’s impossible, do your best.
Seems to me there are two problems here:
- You are determinedly not understanding (or perhaps rejecting) how SketchUp’s displayed values are derived from its internal values. The internal values are not adjusted to the precision denominator you choose. Rather, the display of those values is rounded to the precision you choose. When one sees only rounded values and adds them up, generally they won’t add up to the intended total. Could go high or low depending on the particular internal values. SketchUp did the division evenly and to its best internal accuracy, but the displayed values are rounded because that what you specified.
- You are actually asking for something different from an equal division. You want the internal values tweaked to multiples of the denominator such that after tweaking they add up to the original total. While not an unreasonable practice, it is not an equal division and actually doesn’t have a single solution. Which ones get stretched up to 7 7/16 instead of staying at 7 3/8? You show a particular choice, but there are others. One would need to specify a rule or forumla that someone could program. Computers don’t have judgement, they just do what they are told.
My spaces are NOT uneven. In fact they are perfect in every way. A field person who builds my printout will work. The one produced by Sketchup will result in sadness… Would you rather I sent them what Sketchup produced?
SketchUp’s math is totally accurate, though. It has no choice but to be accurate.
Then why are the dimensions different in some cells? I’m confused.
I all I want is accuracy within the limits. Every one of the measurements I did manually are within that 1/16" tolerance that we have initially setup. The difference in my manual “tweaking” is that I did NOT forget that my rounding resulted in a 1/16" too short. I simply remembered this where Sketchup ignores this. I’m just pointing out the difference in how I divided up an uneven number compared to how Sketchup did it. This can easily be programmed in so that fault tolerances that are set are indeed kept. Right now Sketchup does fine in this division at the micro level (kind of), but not in a real world example as I have clearly shown here. After all, what is displayed is what we give our contractors. We don’t give them a micro scale and say build me a house.
The problem with your model is that if you add up all those measurements, they are slightly shorter than your actual drawing. Each section of 7 3/8 is actually a tiny fraction larger than that.
I’ve drawn guidelines along the rectangle at exactly the dimensions you desire, which clearly shows that your drawing isn’t accurate at all. Good news is that you can draw it accurately if you wish.
I drew it with Sketchup. What can I say… One drawing I manually placed each object and in the other drawing I let Sketchup decide. Now print out each of these two drawings a take them to your shop and start cutting and see what happens. Who’s division do you want to trust? Not Sketchup…
You didn’t draw it accurately, Rico. There’s nothing else to say about that.
If you want it accurate, then make the size of the rectangle the right measurements. I don’t know how you arrived at your measurements, but I get the feeling you “eyed it” and didn’t actually type them in accurately, which is the correct way. I tossed in guidelines really quick by typing “7 13/32” knowing that would result in a 100% mathematically correct drawing. If you had done that, you wouldn’t have this issue.
Once again, SketchUp is doing math perfect, and it isn’t “deciding” anything on its own. It’s like a calculator, it can only do what you ask it. If there is error, you are inputting it, guaranteed.
I literally showed you that your drawing doesn’t line up with the dimensions you desire. Once again, super easy to fix.
I want to thank you Rico for providing an example of how a lack of precision in one’s modeling/drawing affects the outcome and can cause problems for those who come after. I’ve been looking for something like this to show the CAD group on out local First Robotics team. It shows exactly how choosing in appropriate display precision results in misinterpreting the information presented.
Clearly as we’ve shown you, SketchUp is doing the math correctly and dividing up the space equally but when you choose to use low precision in the dimension display, the actual precision in the model can be lost.
And you also don’t give them a drawing with some spacings 7 7/16 and others 7 3/8 and call it “evenly divided”. They will surely wonder which you actually meant, but will probably take your drawing at face value and ignore the comment.
Neither do I
Quite something as a new user to say that SketchUp isn’t accurate. I can assure you, if SketchUp divides a given length you can trust it to be accurate.
There is an option to copy array a fixed short length along an overall length. Maybe that would solve your problem and convince you at the same time.
I’ll comment one more time and then I’m out of here, as the discussion is going nowhere.
By way of background, for 15 years I was a custom furniture maker. I know how to read plans and make something accurately from them.
If you give me a drawing that says you want those marks spaced evenly between the two 2" end marks, I know how to do it easily so that the spacings are exactly even to within my skills regardless of what weird fractions of an inch they actually are. It’s woodworking 101, and no doubt metalworking also.
On the other hand, if you give me your drawing with the spacings varying between 7 7/16 and 7 3/8 I will assume you had a reason, and that is exactly what I will give you.
One can lead a horse to water, one cannot make it drink!
I’ve never seen a drawing where they say “just space it evenly”. I have always seen specific dimensions. I’ve been reading blueprints for over 40 years. I gave my png drawing above accurate measurements and the results were as expected (properly spaced items within 1/16). This length can not be divided up perfectly NO MATTER WHAT so you have to deal with that! If you gave a length of 5’ 10 5/8" and told the furniture maker to divide this space up equally his answer WOULD BE or SHOULD be exactly what I provided manually. Sketchup didn’t do this and it is flat out wrong in my opinion. This ONLY happens when you let Sketchup divide along the path and place those items for you. If you put it there manually, Sketchup works just fine as I have demonstrated.
don’t care what is going on behind the scenes in Sketchup. All I know is you have to print this out and give it to someone at a scale they can deal with. If you tell this person their tolerance specifications is within 1/16" and you gave him these same dimensions, his solution would be the same as mine. H/She can increase or decrease this tolerance and pay the price either way.
I just don’t agree how Sketchup divided this space up that’s all. It is what it is. Anyone can measure the .skp file I included and see for themselves. I didn’t place those objects there, Sketchup did it all on it’s own. Now I go and measure those items and I get stupid results that simply don’t add up. Math is what it is and these numbers don’t add up. I simply told it to divide it 9 times and place it. How Sketchup placed these items and how I manually placed these items are different as you can see. Who was right? I like the way I do it better.
You go ahead and do it your way if you like it better. Your claim that SketchUp is not doing the math correctly is patently false. Based on the way you have set up your SketchUp model and your continued explanation you are expecting SketchUp to even divide one thousand sixty six sixteenths by nine. 1066 divided by 9 is 118.44444444. There is no way with any math to make it come out even. Since you are so convinced that SketchUp is doing this math incorrectly, find another program that does it differently and show us proof.
What can I say? I didn’t have any trouble breaking this space up manually and I did so within the tolerances given of 1/16". When I drag/copy Object A from Space A and place it on Space Z and divide that up 9 times, Sketchup up clearly said it is 7 3/8" apart. NOT TRUE! That’s not a number I came up with, it is what Sketchup says is between these items. There is nothing right about this and you can do all the funny math you want. These measurements do not add up.
Take the measurements provided by Sketchup and work your way from Point A to Point B and you will be way off in your measurement of that final spot. Do this manually and get accurate results. That’s all I’m saying. Behind the scenes Sketchup might be doing all kinds of great math, but in this instance I do not agree with how Sketchup deals with this.