Hi,
It would be interesting if Sketchup had a void type object. An object that will cut through other geometry automatically similar to the void forms in other CAD programs regardless of which component it is in. This would simplify the work flow for cutting holes out for windows etc through complex wall constructions.
Voids would give us more options to create interesting work flows.
Also why does the topic title have to be 15 characters?
That’s already an option in SketchUp and it has been for a long time. If the “void” shape is a solid, you can use the Solid Tools but you can also make complex cuts with non-solids, as well.
You could even create custom shapes and save them as components to use for cutting openings.
I don’t know why the title has to be 15 characters long.
Yeah I know we can use solid tools to cut two shapes out from one another. I should have detailed my explanation a lot more.
What I would like is to:
1 - Create a wall assembly from 3 different solids (exterior lining, structure, internal lining) all in one group/component.
2 - Create a window component (dynamic or otherwise) that I can place on the wall assembly and have it automatically cut through all 3 solids that make up that wall without having to explode the window or wall in anyway.
3 - Be able to move the window around the wall surface and have it retain its cut information.
I figured that the easiest way for this to work would be a void cut object similar to the one in Revit that we could create inside a component and have it automatically cut any other component it intersects with.
As far as I know this type of automatic functionality isn’t yet possible in Sketchup. We have to create void cut components within the wall components etc which makes moving windows, or using wall components more difficult.
But if I have missed a workflow for this I would love to be wrong!
You might find Fredo’s Visuhole useful.
anything from the Sketchup team regarding this feature?
to me should be like this …you create the volume put it in place in your component…right click and then you select it as a “void” …and in view, I would have an option as well as toolbar to display or hide those voids and under properties the option to activate/deactivate it per object and maybe a generic icon for on/off all the voids.
I just tried Double-cut plug-in but it doesn’t work with sections.
This thread is old but I’ll post here in the hope it invites some fresh interest.
Lack of ability to create non destructive void-forms which can be edited/resized is one of the most annoying limitations in Sketchup against something like Revit. Intersecting geometry and deleting the unwanted faces gives no flexibility to go back and change the size or shape of the cut in the primary object. Also as said above, there are many cases where we would like the one void-form to cut through several components at once (and then also ideally still be able to edit this void-form).
Can this even theoretically be done in SketchUp or is it fundamentally impossible due to how it generates surfaces/geometry?
Thanks in advance if anyone looks at this.
I’ve been going out of my mind looking for a feature like this! AutoCAD has a wipeout feature that’s as old as the dinosaurs, but at least you don’t have to cut permanent holes in a wall, and moving/resizing windows & doors takes SECONDS.
In my mind it would be a specific type of material applied to the object’s face that remains invisible, but cuts a view through any intersecting geometry. When grouped with something like a window, you could just move the window around on the face as you please!
Considering giving up on Sketchup and moving over to Revit, and this one feature could make all the difference in that decision for me. It’s wild that this thread started in 2016!
Any component, including windows, can be set to cut a hole in the face they are placed against. You can then slide the window around and the hole will follow the window. Is that similar to what you’re describing?
Here’s a section of a 5 year old video, that shows how you could make a component that cuts its own hole.
I know this is old but as yet I have still not encountered a solution. Thanks @colin for your link above however the methods provided in the video are very limited. They require a wall to be modelled as a single extruded volume. The functionality I, and I think @blumesout, is after is to be able to have a detailed wall constructions with many layers i.e. plasterboard-insulation-structural sheeting-membrane-cladding and have a single volume be able to punch through all layers, including those which are not flat such as the corrugated cladding in my example here.
In Revit the volume modelled in red could be used as a ‘void form’ to non destructively cut a hole though everything in side it. This can then be moved where ever you want in the wall plane.
Before someone asks why my model is so detailed. Its modular housing. Each house is a complete product with every building element modelled to generate qty reports and also resolve detail conflicts in 3D. Its also used for build up animations, and other exploded perspectives for marketing.
If there is a plugin that can solve this please educate me.
It’s not quite what you are after – if I understand you correctly – Curic’s DIO2 can do part of this but it’s rather more manual.
To do a wall construction as you describe you would have to repeat DIO2’s Bounding Box tool for each group in the wall assembly.
DIO2’s Bounding Box tool will re-cut and fill the previous cut if you move the object that requires the hole.
Thanks Paul. Can one window have multiple bounding boxes associated with it - one for each wall layer- and have them all move with it? Also will this work ok with the corrugated cladding?
I’ve started testing Flextools Wall Cutter, which is good (but expensive) and only works on flat surfaces.
I quickly modelled a corrugated sheet but I think it has solid issues – Curic’s DIO2 will either fail or throw up odd results if a group is not a solid.
This is how I used the tool to do what I think you are querying and it failed on the corrugated sheet.
Thanks for the demonstration Paul. At least now I know what the plugin can do… before buying it. Much appreciated.
