Thanks for the previous 2d-3d assistance. I am now trying to turn the "oval piece and Oval matching cutout into a spade shape. When I try to do it I am able to shrink the circular shape but not into a spade just a smaller circle.3d.skp (144.5 KB)
To move one of the vertices without changing the radius of the entire shape, you will first need to explode the curve via the right-click menu item. Note that it would have been easier to finish the shape before pulling it out to a thickness, since now you are going to have to view the hidden geometry edges and move one of them, else you will get just the top or bottom surface vertex.
I will recreate it in 2d as you suggested. What is the best way to create this without using a graph. I need the image to be 1" and I tried to transfer it from graph paper to sketch but think there is an easier way. Thanks
I think I would just use guide lines at a few key locations, as opposed to a complete graph grid. Your grid uses 343 guides in a group, which is not such a vast number as to overwhelm SketchUp. But most of them are quite far from what you are modeling, hence sort of pointless. Also I’d draw the shape located at the origin instead of out in space. Again, not crucial in this case but in general a good habit.
How can i place guide lines in order to draw a 1 inch design within it? I need to make the design symetric
If you work off the origin and the axes, you’ll find it’s not that difficult. You can start by dragging out guidelines with the Tape Measure tool working off the green axis. Keep in mind, you can also type in dimensions as you are drawing so you don’t need guidelines for every edge. You can use inferencing, too to make sure you are drawing on axis and putting endpoints in the right locations.
It would help if you choose a different template or at least change the units and the precision. You have chosen an Architectural template but this thing is too small for the low precision. I changed the units from Architectural to Decimal and set the precision higher.
I took a few minutes and redrew your thing. I drew half of it–you can see that at the top–and then copied it and flipped it to make the other half. Yours is on the right. I don’t know if you intended it but yours was drawn off axis and some of the edges are kind of strangely oriented. I didn’t try to match those and instead went for a more uniform shape.
I think the grid threw it off axis as I was drawing it.
I now have the top view with the axis perfect. I used woodworking template
units decimal precision 0.0. I didn’t even think about creating half and
flipping the image. I will create the image and copy flip on the axis. I
see the axis guides but I am still having troubl on how to create this with
1" dimension.
What do you mean by this? Do you know how to draw a line that is 1 in. long?
Yes when I draw a line 1" it’s so small for me to zoom in and create it the
correct dimensions
Are you zooming in on what you’re drawing? You need to do that when you are working at small dimensions like that. Try this: Open a new SketchUp file. If there’s a guy standing there, select him and hit Delete. Get the Rectangle tool, draw a square that is 8 in. on a side starting at the origin. Then under the Camera menu pick Zoom Extents. This will zoom the camera in so you can see what you are doing. Select and delete the square and start drawing this thing.
I am trying to guide out my space. I have it 1" but I think the graph grid would be easier for me to match my drawing. Also I notice the axis isn’t level 100% This is how I have it set 3daxis.skp (15.2 KB) I am unable to apply the graph now it doesn’t allow me to.
Is there anyway to get this graph paper into sketchup. The earlier sketch I made the sketch was in left field. I am trying to start it at the axis but I need to get correct measurements since I would like to 3d print this eventually. Thanks
Just get away from thinking about a graph to draw on. You don’t need it in SketchUp. You’ve got plenty of options to draw the part. You can start with a few guidelines if you want but starting with the Line tool and enter the lengths as you draw lines should get you most of the way through it.
I created my guidelines and started drawing with the line tool and entered the lengths. I am trying to create a spade instead of the oval shaped “knob” as I am trying to eventually get these 2 pieces duplicated to connect like a puzzle piece. My question now is how do I copy and flip my drawing to make it symetrical. I also notice as I drew this the bottom part came to be 3D.
1inch.skp (88.3 KB)
You might be looking down on things BUT you are not drawing on a single flat plane.
As @DaveR suggested earlier draw a square that’s say x8 bigger than you intended outline, then draw the outline onto that face, where you are more likely to snap on the surface and leave it ‘flat’…
After some redrawing you’ll have a number of [flat] connected lines.
Select them by double-clicking one, use Move + Ctrl to copy them off the the right so they don’t clash with anything else.
Now with those edges selected use the Flip along Red axis context-menu tool, OR use the Scale tool - pull a side-handle [green-box] out to the right - the Measurement Box will show an increased value, you can click to temporary choose that, but then immediately type -1 + [enter] - the shape will ‘flip’ over.
Now select the flipped edges and use Move, pick an end point and move the flipped edges to snap onto the equivalent original edge end point.
You should now have a fully looped 2d flat outline.
If it doesn’t yet have a face draw over one of the edges and SketchUp should automatically add a face for you.
If it doesn’t ‘face’ that suggest an incomplete loop of one that is not ‘flat’…
I made the 8in box as suggested, added my guidelines and started to draw
the piece but it didn’t draw “flat”. I should continue to draw the half of
the piece and flip and copy it over the axis to create the full piece
correct.
If it’s not flat you could flip a cop, BUT it won’t form a face as it’s not coplanar.
Are your guides all on the surface of the 8" square ?
Starting a line on the face or snapped onto the end of a ‘good’ line, and using the colored inference clues helps keep this right.
Also clues in the tooltip like ‘on face’ or ‘intersection’ help you.
To an experienced user your difficulties seem unexpectedly onerous.
It is probably easier to draw it flat than not ??
Perhaps @DaveR will have some other sage-advice…
If you zoom extent you can see I have the 8" square. I just zoomed in to the 1" of the 8" box to draw the dimensions of image I need. Shouldn’t my orginal drawing stayed flat? I am trying to see what I did wrong to not make it flat. Thanks
That is not an 8" square - it sides are 190" !
It is also not a face - just some edges.
How did you make it ?
I suggest that you try again…
Use the Rectangle tool.
Click at the origin and drag out to approximate a square of 8" [Measures Box shows the size].
Click second corner and immediately type 8,8 and press Enter.
It resizes to exactly 8" sq AND forms a gray face.
Now add some 1" spaced guide-lines by dragging along that face - initially from an edge of the square, later from other guides as needed.
Do that parallel to the red and green [y] axes.
Now use the Line tool to add edges as desired.
Draw half of the shape [as you say it’s symmetrical?]
If they form a loop a face should form.
The select the loop - you can Select and pick, using Ctrl to add to the selection.
The Move+Ctrl to copy off to one side away from the square face.
The do the ‘flip’ as outlined earlier.
Then select the flipped edges and select a point Move back next to the original part, snapping onto the matching point in that.
Now you should have a symmetrical outline.
It is likely to have already cut itself a face [or two] in the square face.
But if not try to make it ‘face’ - draw over one of its edges again…
SketchUp is a 3d tool so it’s quite possible to pick points in 3d space.
You want a ‘flat’ outline’, so many of the suggestions earlier are to help you with this.
Drawing a flat square face gives you something to snap onto - thus keeping you drawn lines coplanar…
I recreated the box. Now when I draw half of my design I zoom in to draw within 1" of the 8" box?