Sometimes after creating a guide point, I continue to use the Tape Measure to create a guide LINE, but the tool insists on creating another guide POINT – it won’t click on a line, only the nearest endpoint or midpoint. I have to select a different tool, the select the Tape Measure tool again, and it works correctly.
It’ll only create a guide point if you are inferencing off an intersection or another point of some sort. If you are inferencing off an edge, an axis, or another guideline it’ll create a guideline. Watch the inferencing indicators when as you are working.
Thanks for your response. I understand that it’s supposed to work that way, but sometimes it doesn’t.
It gets “stuck” in point mode, and when I try to reference a line (not on the midpoint or endpoint), it won’t reference the line. Instead it references one of those points and draws a guide point at a certain distance from the line. I have to switch tools, then select the Tape Measure again, then it works properly again.
Maybe try orbiting the camera a little. Are you working with the camera in Parallel Projection or Perspective? For most modeling it should be the latter.
I’ve tried orbiting with no change. I normally prefer parallel projection, but these are very simple home projects – nothing very intricate. The issue is not major, just an occasional nuisance I thought I’d mention.
SketchUp is designed to be used with the camera set to PErspective. Parallel Projection is primarily for output.
OK, but what does that have to do with the Tape Measure glitch? (And Sketchup should be able to project a model in either mode without affecting how tools work.)
It can affect the Camera position and distance from the model which can create problems with OpenGL and that in turn can affect inferencing.
I’m just trying to help you out.
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OK. Thank you for your efforts!
What @DaveR is referring to is shown here.
This starts as a nice Parallel closeup but swap to Perspective and you see the geometry actually disappears offscreen, then back to Parallel shows it at a distance.
This can happen easily when working in PP and could be the reason for your glitch, the camera has distorted things so that it appears Parallel but the geometry itself has moved a long way away and the tape tool may not quite know where it is.
Yes, Box, I’ve seen that happen, although since I didn’t change projections nor even orbit, one would think that Sketchup still knew where the line was. Thanks.
Could you share a file showing the issue?
I’ll be happy to send an example, but the glitch doesn’t occur reliably, and I only work on Sketchup occasionally, so it might be a while before I can send an example. Also, even if I sent a file, the problem may take a long to to occur again.
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