Could Sketchup introduce the ability to set the rounding of dimensions?
For instance, I don’t want to redraw some complex geometry that I drew by measuring from a real object that I want someone to remake for me. When all my measurements are taken into account I get some overall lengths of 18.2 mm or 22.1 mm.
I want these to automatically round to 18.0 and 22.0.
I DON’T want to manually override the measurements… the very thought of it chills me.
I don’t want to reduce the precision to 18 and 22, because for some of the measurements on the model, the fractional lengths are important.
I’m not sure why, but you don’t seem to be reading my suggested feature properly. Suggested features are expressely invited in this forum.
I am suggesting it should be possible to round all dimensions in a model to the nearest 0.5 mm. Just like the way you can presently set all your dimensions to the number of decimal places you want. Sketchup can’t read your mind, so it makes all of them the same number of decimal places.
In my suggested feature, I would see every dimension as 20.0, 20.5, 21.0, 21.5 etc. But I would never see 20.3 or 20.7.
Rounding to the nearest 1mm is very common. You will notice that Sketchup, using no extra sensory perception whatever, already does this when you set it to zero decimal places. It also rounds to the nearest 0.1 mm when you set it to 2dp. Rounding to the nearest 0.5 mm is very common, but not possible in Sketchup. I am suggesting this would be a good feature. Very few people can run to a manufacturing tolerance of less than 0.5 mm. A greater benefit would be being able to set your rounding to whatever you wanted - the nearest 1mm, 5 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.05 mm, etc.
Even more useful would be a context menu, like already exists for placement of the dimension (centre, outside start, outside end), so you could set individual dimensions to a certain tolerance and a certain rounding, but that would be a further suggestion.
Sketchup has a workaround that lets you type in whatever you want in the dimension box. This is a dangerous way to do it, because if you alter something, the dimension does not update, and gives you no warning.
Have a lovely day.
I was just asking because the last sentence in your opening post is confusing…
As I read this sentence, I thought you wanted some dimensions rounded and some untouched…
Now it is clear that you want all dimensions rounded to the nearest 0.5 mm!
It is a common misperception that SketchUp rounds the dimensions to the set value, but in fact this is just display precision!
No dimensions are rounded, only the displayed dimension is rounded to the set value.
This misconception can lead to errors, because it behaves different than people are expecting.
See this old thread: Dimensions of components add up to total dimension yet a gap exists
And this one: Dimensions don't add up
My Plugin does exactly what you required. Try it at the link above.
It have an input option to rounding (step), for example If you want to round:
a. 18.04 to 18.0 or 18.06 to 18.1
Let “0.1” in the input (‘0.1’ means step between rounding value: 0.1 - 0.2 - 0.3 - 0.4 …)
b. 18.04 to 18.05 or 18.07 to 18.1
Let “0.05” in the input (‘0.05’ means step between rounding value: 0.00 - 0.05 - 0.10 - 0.15 …)
b. 18.1 to 18 or 18.7 to 19
Let “1” in the input (‘1’ means step between rounding value: 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 …)
According to your profile you are using the free web version of SketchUp so extensions won’t help you. Get SketchUp Pro and you can use the extension that has been recommended.
Just out of curiosity. Why don’t you round the dimensions while you’re drawing the first time? If you’re trying to replicate something from an object and you’re measuring it, you can round while you’re modeling it, I do it all the time when I must create floor plans out of a hand made architectural survey made by someone else that usually used a laser to make the measurements and use 3 or more decimals. Usually the decimals are created during the construction, if a wall measured in situ is 10,0285 meters, I’m sure that on the original drawing the wall measurement was 10 meters, so I draw a 10 meters wall, not a 10,0285 and then use a plugin to round it to 10, that’s a lose of time imo.
When you’re modelling a small complex object, you might measure a few parts as accurately as possible and then join them up. Then if you do some offsets, then extrude a few bits in different directions, or do some follow around curves etc., you can end up with an object that’s pretty much exactly what you want but extremely difficult to “edit” due to the offsets and extrusions etc.
If you take it to a fabricator, it’s really weird to have a drawing that says an inside diameter is 27.425 mm … 27.5 is probably what you want (unless you’re building a James Webb telescope.) But you will get 27 mm with one dp and 27.4 mm with two dps. Neither are what you want.
So it’s much simpler to round the dimensions than to remodel the object.
I read another user’s request for a similar feature. He was saying he doesn’t want to give a concreter a formwork design showing 2347 mm. For him, 5 mm was the required roundoff.
There are many situations where, for convenience, even if your drawing is right, you don’t want to confuse the viewer with stupidly precise measurements.
Just as you might put all your expenses in accurate to the cent, but then say it’s a $497,000 build, or even a $500,000 build… not a $497,234.77 build, since that would be silly. But you would generally round at the end, and be as precise as possible in each individual cost entry.
Ah. Well I had no idea I even had a profile. I try, but life’s a bit short to be checking my status is up to date in the 400 internet forums I might have subscribed to over a couple of decades
@RobbityBobbityBoo I really feel like you are trolling here. If you want to fabricate something just make it the damned dimension you need it / want it. If you cannot draw accurately enough then you need to learn to do that. And precision is important - in love, in language, in life, in banking, in engineering and in yes, even in SketchUp.
If you really are a pro user you can use LayOut and dimension drawings to whatever round off you’d like.
