Hello everybody!
I am starting to get a bit frustrated …
I am trying to create a solid group / solid component but SketchUp just won’t recognize that the mesh is “solid” and has no “extra geometry”.
Here is the mesh that gives me problems:
WhyIsThisNotSolid.skp (252.4 KB)
If anybody could clarify this “solid object” stuff, that would be very helpful!
Have a look here.
Ohhhh ffffffuuuuuuu …
Well that shows it agin:
It is easier and quicker to just draw something yourself then to take a model from somewhere and to fix all of the little errors …
And here I was, thinking I could save time by just using stuff from the 3Dwarehouse …
Thanks for the very quick reply!
I find this is generally true. I’m curious about what this thing is supposed to be. I don’t know that it would have occurred to me to even look in the 3D Warehouse for it if I’d wanted one.
That little segment was easy to miss unless you zoom in just a little. You might consider getting Solid Inspector 2 to save you some grief. It would lead you right to the error or even fix it automatically. It’s still good to know how to search for and recognize these sorts of thing without an extension like Box shows.
As a limbering up exercise while waiting for my coffee to brew I modeled that thing from scratch just for the fun of it.
And sent to the slicer:
It’s part of a clamping system for electrical connections.
A (large) wire can be clamped under each of the four cutouts.
The 4 cylindrical things in each corner are supposed to be screws to hold the top part down.
Here is a quick sketch:
The original 3Dwarehouse model that I took it from is here:
It’s the part on the top of this high voltage insulation post, where the actual connections attatch.
I see. I wondered if it wasn’t some sort of clamp for a wire. So the things you have as posts should be holes thusly?
Yes, but I plan on making the whole thing (see the 3dwarehouse link) into one solid object.
Then I will export it into 3DSMAX to do UVmapping and texturing and then I will use it as a static asset in a modification for a game (just for personal use, of course).
Whenever I do something like this I always work with little “groups” of the actual mesh, so I don’t just make the whole model into a solid object, but parts of it by themself.
Once the whole thing consists only of solid objects, it’s easy to combine them all together with the “outer shell” tool.
The thing is not supposed to be 100 % realistic and accurate in every way, it’s just going to be a “pice of decoration” …
I see.
I know, “why not just make / edit the model in 3DSMAX?”.
No, I like SketchUp more, it’s easier to use for “concept art” (quick sketches) and more “user friendly” then 3DSMAX.
For simple objects, I export the SketchUp model as obj file (that automatically triangulates every surface) for more complicated models I make every surface into triangles “by hand”.
I just use 3DSMAX to do the texturing and UV mapping and to export the file in special file-format.
It’s fine that you are using this work flow. From the context of your post and the object, I made the mistake of thinking you were interested in 3D printing it.
Hmmm …
I somehow think that a 3D printed (plastic) part won’t conduct electricity that well … 
It could be 3D printed as a conductor if you want to pay for it.
If you get the voltage high enough, a 3D printed plastic one would conduct, too.
3D printing with brass?
Interesting stuff …
I suspect that the final brass item is produced via lost-wax casting of a wax master that is 3D-printed. i.materialize.com for example offers a number of metal materials using that production method. On the other hand, titanium and steel can be directly 3D-printed by the same vendor. (My only connection to i.materialize is having used them to print a few parts.)
