I have build a stage with a bridge on top of it.
I couldn’t find the big stairs for the bridge, I will have to find the time to make those.
I like to know what you guys think about my first sketchup drawing.
I have still have 1 problem, when I turn off the bridge, the railing on the back disappear, but they are build in the layer of the stage (podium).
But when I turn of the stage the railing also go away. It looks like the railings are on both layers.2019 version 2.1.skp (3.8 MB)
Without looking at your model, as I’m on my phone, it sounds like you need to read up on how layers work. If things are disappearing it sounds like you have put Raw geometry on a layer other than Layer 0.
Construct everything with Layer 0 as the active layer, make groups and components and only then assign them a visibility tag by assigning them a layer.
If you double click into a group and triple click the geometry and the Entity info layer box says anything other than Layer 0, even blank, you have layers wrong.
@Box is wise. You are indeed using layers incorrectly. You have raw geometry scattered about on different layers. You also have a mess of ungrouped geometry for the walls of the building. Some of it with one layer association and other connected geometry on another layer. I’ve moved the group containing the seating tiers down to show there’s some duplicated geometry.
The podium geometry is not only incorrectly layered, it’s also excessively and needlessly nested in group after group which makes it difficult to manage.
Do as Box suggested and read up on the proper use of layers along with groups and components. It would also be a good idea to get in the habit of making sure face orientation is correct. You should see no blue back faces in 3D shapes in your models. Make sure the geometry is correct before you start adding materials.
So at this point it is not possible to change the rallings so they will work?
That’s not what either of us said. You need to correct the layer usage first. Then get rid of the excessive nesting of groups. It sounds like you don’t want the railings to be in the same group with all the trusswork. Certainly not buried as deep as you have that geometry. Before you waste more time trying to fix this model, though, invest some time in learning how to properly use layers and groups.
Sure I will do that, it was more that I wanted to know, if I should through this one away and start all over or that I can keep working with this one.
Your model can be fixed. I guess it I was handed your model and hired to draw it, though, personally I would probably just start over off to one side using what there as a reference but using proper methods to model it. Then I’d delete the original.
Ok thank you.
Then for now, I just send the .jpg files to the customer and try to use the special sketchup methode for the next job I have in this building by starting with a blanc page.
The next job can sooner then I hoped for.
So I have decided to work with the original file.
Any tips for removing all the groups?
I managed to remove all the layers and combined the ones I needed to layer0
Explode each group in the nested hierarchy except one. You can do this from the Outliner - right click on each group in turn and choose Explode.
Note that if you have already assigned a Group to a layer, when you explode it, its geometry will be assigned that layer.
So when you are down to one level of grouping, with the group open for editing, Select All, and assign all the loose geometry to Layer0, using R-click/Entity info’.
Close the group, and then convert this last remaining Group to a Component (use keyboard shortcut g) to open the Make Component dialogue. Give it a meaningful name immediately. Set the origin to a meaningful point if necessary (it defaults to the bottom left corner in a conventional view, which is often fine). Make sure ‘Replace selection with component’ is checked. Then click Create in the Make Component dialogue to finish making it.
Get into the habit of making a component when you finish drawing each new part of your model, and giving it a name then and there.
And don’t leave any ‘loose’ geometry (anything not grouped or made into a component) in your model except while you are drawing a new piece of the model.
ALWAYS leave Layer0 as the default layer while drawing. ONLY assign a component or group to a layer, never individual edges or faces. But you can assign individual dimensions and text to a layer other than Layer0, even if they aren’t grouped together.
My explode text stay light grey (in the left mouse click menu), does this mean all the groups are gone?
Check in Outliner to see if you have any nested Groups left, and preferably make them into components as described above.
I don’t really understand what you mean by ‘My explode[d] text stay light grey (in the left mouse click menu)’.
Can you upload your revised model again so people can see what you mean more clearly?
I’m off to bed (it’s 12:30am in UK), but others may still be awake in another part of the world, and able to help further.
Explode will only be available if you have selected something such as a group or component, curve, or circle, which can be exploded.
OK I fixed a lot of errors, removed double groups.
I only have some empty spots left, but I think I can fix those.
auditorium v2019 1.1.skp (1.3 MB)
I think I fixed it, what do you think about my design now?
I made 2 components 1 for the walls and 1 for the tribune
auditorium v2019 1.2.skp (1.6 MB)
You may want to reverse the faces so that the surfaces in the finish that you will see is the front face (white default color in this style). Check with the “monochrome” style button. I have reversed the faces in this model, the way I would do it. One way to keep it straight is not to color any of the back faces (leave them the default blue color), except in this case, you want the transparent walls.
Here’s the file as an example.
Some people who are starting out don’t want to worry about the front or back faces, which is most important when you get to using a rendering program, but it is good modeling until you get to that point, helps keep things straight, thinking of it as “inside” and “outside” the forms you are creating.auditorium v2019 1.1 reverse faces.skp (1.3 MB)
Thank you, there were other problems to, so fixed those and thanks to you advise I changed the surfaces.
auditorium v2019 1.3.skp (1.6 MB)
It seems like now you can use groups and components. For example you can group all the walls or all the floors and steps of the seating areas. Then when you get used to using layers, you can assign the components or groups to new layers. That way you can simply hide the walls if you only want to work on the seating. You can work on the stage area totally separately, hiding all the rest if you like etc. It helps to keep the geometry separated as you get into adding detail.
Well thank you very much for all the help.
This is my final version of the layout. Tomorrow I will start drawing the new stage.
auditorium v2019 1.5.skp (1.6 MB)
While no need for me to add comment prior, as Box and Co as always have been magnanimous and articulate. And although I would model this quite differently and won’t be critical, just a minor thing I noticed in your final, is that little bit of geometry floating in mid air. This could present a perplexing issue if the model is to be processed in other ways. Also, apart from coming to grips with groups, another good practice (in my opinion) for you to consider is to make all groups and components Solids - which has the dual effect of quality control and expediting further processing such as 3D print should it be required.
