SketchUp followme and components

tim Rowledge

Member
Messages
103
Location
Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island
I'm having trouble using followme with components. Two issues really I guess.
If I draw a flat shape with curves - a typical moulding profile for example and then select the whole shape and use followme it extrudes smoothly around my path and looks fine.
a) if I make the original shape a component - which seems a logical thing to do so I can keep the profile and use it in other places in the model - then I have a lot of trouble. So far as I can work out we have to select the path to follow, choose the followme tool, use the contextual menu to 'edit component' on the profile and then it (usually, not always, which drives me nuts) will extrude. BUT it alters the component rather than using it, which is not what I want nor expect. What should I do to use component profile without altering it?
b) when extruded, a componentised profile has all the hidden geomery of the curves displayed. Selecting each individual line lets you soften each of them but any attempt to bulk select them and soften does nothing visible. I'm not at all happy with the idea of individually softening hundreds of lines! See the attached jpeg 'compoentfollowmebug.jpg' to see the efect. The top one is the extruded component.

I've even tried making a copy of the elements of the profile and pasting that into the drawing to extrude. It sorta-kinda works but still has the visible geometry. And I lose any hope of being able to edit thecomponent to change my mouldings.

Oh yes, another issue - having drawn a profile for a cupboard base moulding and extruded it I need to cut out some of it to form the feet - think shaker style where you use a moulding and cut an arch out of it - and I can't get rid of a strip across the bottom without the wholestructure messing up. See the 'basemouldingbg.jpg'

Any ideas?
 

Attachments

  • basemouldingbug.jpg
    basemouldingbug.jpg
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  • componentfollowmebug.jpg
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Tim, could you send me an example SKP file that gives you problems related to the second part of your post? I'd like to see how you're getting what you get.

FWIW, there are some times when a face may disappear but they are normally quick to repair by tracing one of the edges. There a couple of ways to avoid the disappearing face trick though but the approach is kind of dependent upon what is going on.
 
Thanks Dave; so I was doing the extruding correctly but missing out the 'keep a separate stash of profile components' part. I was expecting to be able to keep my profile component in the model, use it to extrude and have that to make a new component without affecting the original - after all I'm just using it as a profile, right? It wold be nice to be able to replace the profile at a later time with another and have the extruded component update.
 
Let's see if we can upload this tiny file...yup, looks like it.

Two blocks, one made by pussh/pull, the other by followme. The latter leaves an extraneous line when you cut an 'arch' through it.
 

Attachments

  • cuttingprofilebug.skp
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Hmm, I wonder if that extra line is the one that the profile followed?

In my original problem component I have a full extra face. I can sometimes delete on or other of the lines defining it, but not both without then removing a face I want. So far I've not been able to find a line I can redraw to close the removed face.

OK, if I copy the component on its own to another model and play some more I can delete the 'front' line withouot much problem. If I delete the read one, then the rear face of the extrusion fills in and although the shape of the 'arch' is still visible it seems not to cut the face!

Let's try attaching a model again... ok cuttingprofilebug2.skp
 

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  • cuttingprofilebug2.skp
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