Panels won't appear on flat surfaces


See those six sided shapes i attempted to get a panel in, but the panels won’t manifest even though i framed it out. But it will manifest on the shape in the middle of the layout triangle or the edge, but nowhere else. Those planes i framed in are perfectly flat, but yet a panel will not manifest there!

I expect a panel to manifest there, it manifests any other time on a flat surface. I have no clue why it ignores me trying to get a panel.

Ik suspect your hexagons are not coplanar ( or flat). You can check this easily by drawing a line across the hexagon. I believe in this case front the lower left corner tot the upper right corner of the hexagon from the view you gave us. If then two faces (not panels) form your hexagon is “bend” at the line you drew across.

I have other(about 5) examples of the same thing but it won’t let me paste two clips in a single post it said because i just signed up. The other shape in the middle that filled in was drawn the same way.

Look at the drawing, all the points come from the origin 10 ft, that makes it a flat panel. And yes, i already drew it like 15 times in different scales, and in different frequencies, i double and triple check my lengths, and on every drawing the same thing happens, the center hexagon panel manifests, but none of the rest. The points on the shape are ALL 10ft from the origin, making it perfectly FLAT, but still won’t manifest a panel. I smell a glitch.

The only time it manifest panels where i expect, is if i only draw a simple 3v geo dome. But i do a 6v or 9 v, and suddenly the thing forgets how to panel the flat planes. And FYI i drew the 3v the exact same way, all the points are 10 ft from the origin, and ALL the panels manifested. But add 3 more frequencies, and suddenly it pretends it don’t know how to panel flat planes except in the very center of the mega panel.

Just tell me the truth, do i have to BUY a pro version to get the thing to understand complex drawings/geometry? The drawing is not complex, not yet, first i need it to panel the FLAT surfaces i made. I mean, is the free version limiting complex geometry? The drawing itself is hardly completed, but the complexity of the geometry is pretty intense.

If you provided your model and a proper description of what you’re trying to achieve instead of ranting maybe people would be inclined to look at it and help you.

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I am just trying to add information, because like i just told you, it won’t let me post anything more here, except comments.

But anyway, i said i creating a 9v geo dome already, i also told you i created a 3v, a 6v, etc… And there is a pic of a mega panel of a 9v in this post.

If you would just read first, then you would know, i was adding information, not ranting.

I call this ranting.
It only restricted you to one image in the first post, after that you can add more and your model. Download it from the web version and attach it here.

I am thankful and mean no disrespect to the community, so to be clear i am drawing a 9v geodesic dome. I am using sketchup free.

Anyone who knows how to draw a geo dome, can you draw a 9v geo dome in sketchup free? You guys know what i am trying to draw, so can you draw it in the same program, or is it my computer? My computer has 8G hrd drive.

What a wasted reply, you only reply to rant for yourself! I might have asked the question prematurely, but i suspect a glitch of some sort. But it was still a legitimate question, and all i want to know is if i need to buy the real version to get better results.

Ok, forget it, I was making a video for you but you can’t wait. I have better things to do.

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How long do i have to wait? I just had a question, and since it was to do with money, you label it a rant, and punish me for it!

Should i buy auto cad instead? This is also a legitimate question, i need to get this done. And the other question of asking if i need to BUY the real version of sketchup, was a real question, because i need to get this done. And if the paid version solves all these problems, then guess what i would buy it!

And since i needed to get this done, and asked additional questions and added additional information, and you punish me, and now i question if i should buy anything from google. And still i am in time out with you, and i have no clue how long it will last.

This only guarantees that all endpoints (all but the origin endpoint itself) are at 10 ft distance from the origin. No guarantee that all these endpoints, when connected, form a face. they aren’t necessarily coplanar.
If you want a six sided polygon, then just pick the ‘Polygon’ tool and make it draw a six sided polygon (you can even change the number of sides it draws) and it will be perfectly flat.
@Box wasn’t punnishing you by mentioning your ranting. And his information about being able to include other images and/or files once you have made several posts, that could have triggered you to include the model file you have sofar in your next post.
Don’t make your question a puzzle for us.
The free version of SketchUp is quite capable of getting you where you want (hardly any difference with any payed version at this point).
And you need to talk ‘SketchUp’ language, this makes your question a lot easier to follow.
(manifest a panel = create a face?, etc.)

added: have a look at this site by TaffGoch: Sketchup 3D Geodesic Models » Domerama

I would recommend you study it first:
https://forums.sketchup.com/faq
:peace_symbol:

“The points on the shape are ALL 10ft from the origin, making it perfectly FLAT, but still won’t manifest a panel. I smell a glitch.”

If this would be true, a ball or globe would be a flat face, with it clearly isn’t!!!
It’s just like i told you, not coplanar…
The middle face-corners are coplanar and therefore do make a face…
Have you tried what i told you? You’ll see that two faces apear.

Yes, you are right. i tried it. I studied the geometry and realized exactly what you said, the fact that i am breaking up into 9v the hexagons become slightly skewed on 2 axis because they are no longer symmetrical like the hexagon that ends up in the very center of where i divided everything from.

The pentagon is how i thought the ball got its round shape, and why you can’t have a soccer ball without the pentagons and hexagons. But there is a way to have flat panels on a dome, it is called a geodesic dome. It is not real hard drawing 9v geo dome using triangles instead of trying to have the hexagons without the 6 inner triangles inside as the structure, because then you can break up the hexagon into 6 pieces, and therefore can be skewed a little. From just 3 points, you can have a flat panel much easier, no matter what angle. Just 3 points anywhere in space, each point could be anywhere, but connected will make a flat plane, but add any more and ■■■■ can hit the fan if you don’t have the math worked out.

I thought about it, but if i try to use the polygon tool to fit a polygon into the space i was asking to fill, it would never fit no matter what, because the polygons i need to have are different length struts, not symmetrical the top is shorter than the bottom and it needs to be that way to fit the ones beside it too.

I realized the problem, the reason it won’t panel the hexagon in one piece, not because it is not symmetrical, BUT laying it out from the center point as such causes it to skew on axis and can’t be paneled. If it was symmetrical it can be layed out from the center point to anywhere on any angle, and it will be truly flat.

@tonyselectronicfiles, did you see the end of my previous post

And I know you can’t build a dome out of hexagons only. But for sure there can be true hexagons on a dome. The gabs can then be of different, not symmetrical, shapes, or like on a soccer ball filled in with pentagons.

To attempt to answer one of your questions: It is just as easy (or hard) to draw on a plane and get separate faces with either the hobby or pro versions. In the pro versions there are plugins that help you 1) draw on a specific surface 2) fix geometry that is not lying properly on a plane. IDK about your process from the picture, but first of all you would draw every edge on a face that is already in the drawing. If it is easier to draw on the x-y plane, you can start your object there and move it into place later, or you can make a component and set the component axes to align with the face you are drawing on.