Hi Guys,
I was wondering if there was any way to make dimension box reverse it’s order ?
I feel like I would like the green axis to be first and red axis second when looking down from top. Any way to do that ? Thank you !
That would be a quite unorthodox way to display dimensions. I’d suggest getting used to the standard way.
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For what purpose?
Convention is x / y (/z).
So there must be some special reason for you.
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Interesting, thank you eneroth3 & Wo3Dan for making it apparent my thinking was the problem. If I understand correctly red axis is x, green axis is y & blue axis is z ? and that is the order they should be called out in ?
I think maybe my lean comes from being a material saw guy at a shop for a few years and we had a way of calling out material which always started with thickness then width then length…
The standard order of expressing 3D Coordinates is x, y, z
The solid line axes are positive values.
The dotted line axes are negative values.
The Origin is 0,0,0
Default Direction … Solid Green Axis Y is True North
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Just remember R G B
Thank you Geo for completely clarifying the issue, the diagrams are huge for helping it make sense to me. I took a screen shot and saved it to a folder I keep on SketchUp points.
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Thank you RLGL for your help also. I did want to learn the right way if my way was “wrong” as eneroth3 pointed out. I am very impressed & thankful with how helpful you folks are !
One suggestion when entering dimensions for rectangles. Drag out the rectangle so it is clearly longer in one direction than the other and pay attention to the order the dimensions are displayed in the Measurements window. Use that as a guide to which dimension you should type first.
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That would make sense it that situation where you would need to know which material you were going to cut before you pulled it and then what you were going to cut it to.
If you are modeling for furniture or other construction, you can let SketchUp give you the dimensions in that order. Trying to model that way would be difficult unless you want to model all parts in the same orientation and then move and rotate them to get them into position. That can be done but it dramatically increases your workload, you need to know more dimensions in order to model the parts and you’re more likely to induce errors into the model.
“Drag out the rectangle so it is clearly longer in one direction than the other and pay attention to the order the dimensions are displayed in the Measurements window.”
Thanks DaveR, that might be the simplest way to remember how it works if I forget. Learning from you folks how it is supposed to work helps me quit wasting time trying to change something that doesn’t need fixing.
“If you are modeling for furniture or other construction”
Thanks also for explaining how I could kind of make it work my way but explaining how it would actually be more work for me. I would like to learn the “right” way but without you folks I would never know what that way was !
Thanks Zarloff for helping me not feel like a complete idiot !
Sorry. I guess I kind of left out the other part.
so instead of modeling each part laying somewhere in the model space and then moving it into position, you might find it easier to get a couple or so pieces in place and then model the rest of the parts to fit. This is the way I generally work when creating my models.
so for example, if I was going to model a table, I would start with the front left leg. I’d model its basic shape and make it a component. Details like joinery would wait. Then I would copy it over to the right and put that copy in the right place. Then I’d copy the two legs toward the back and get them in the right location. Once the legs are in place, I would model the aprons to fit between the legs. No need to know how long the aprons have to be. They just have to fit between the legs. And if the legs are at the right distance, the aprons will be the right length.
And, with the legs and aprons drawn, it’s a simple matter to put the top on and make sure it is centered. Start with a rectangle drawn across the legs, use Offset to add the overhang all the way around, erase the original rectangle and Push/Pull to make the thickness. For the top the only things you need to know to model it are the overhang and the thickness.
Hopefully that helps.
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Thanks DaveR, I haven’t gotten past drawing a single piece yet. I kind of follow you and that info will help when I get a little farther along. I actually got SketchUp originally to simply draw parts for CNC plasma cutting. Next thing I know I got a 3D printer excusing away the purchase as good learning tool to see if I could draw 3D parts. Have been somewhat successful but again I have only drawn singular pieces. The 5 x 8 rectangle I was originally asking help with axis order was for a simple ATV license.plate with raised letters and numbers.
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I worked in a truss yard at one point and that was how they worked also. You had to know the material or you couldn’t cut it.
You’re welcome
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