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Topic: Another Sketchup help thread

What is wrong with this model. It looks good in sketchup? It says its non manifold?

2 (edited by 3d-oodler 2013-09-23 23:45:42)

Re: Another Sketchup help thread

It's invisible wink

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Dang i'm good.

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Vacuum Tube 2.STL 194.42 kb, 14 downloads since 2013-09-24 

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

So wait, did you fix it?

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

No, I was joking about not adding it to my first post. Sorry. Try loading it in repieter once.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Can you post the .skp file?  Most of the main reasons that a SketchUp comes out non-manifold are impossible to easily see in the STL because they're about things left hidden inside the model.  (Inner surfaces and lines -- pressing K will reveal them, though it's still not always easy to make them out.)

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

MeshLab shows the WHY, but not the HOW.  I'm seeing additional triangles between the angle demarcs along the length of the tube, kinda like this:

---------
           |\
           |  \
           |   |_____
           |   |          |\
_____ |_______|_\

The vertical lines are actually another shell that passed through the tube.  This makes the object non-manifold and there is a lot of it throughout the model.

Don't know what you can do about it in Sketchup, but that is the problem...

8 (edited by Stevos758 2013-09-24 12:11:07)

Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Here is the SKP. Must be my modeling. I'll have to redo it.

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Vacuum Tube 2.skp 128.53 kb, 8 downloads since 2013-09-24 

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Yeah, you have some internal surfaces.  Tricky to remove them -- K will help sometimes but sometimes you have to erase a surface to get to the internal ones, then rebuild it later.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Actually, on second though, now I'm not so sure.  Let me keep looking.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Well, I can see that what cckens reports is what's going on here, but I can't see an easy way to fix it.  Any time I try to remove it with K I can't find the right ones.  And any time I remove a surface to get inside, I can't get that surface to recreate properly.  Sometimes one can fix things like that by carefully moving the camera to inside the object and then moving around there to find the problem lines and surfaces, but it takes forever; SketchUp doesn't like to leave you inside a solid and keeps kicking you out.  Sorry I can't help more.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

It's alright. I tried modeling it as quickly is possible. I'll put some more time into it and re model from the ground up.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

fixed it.  I just had to delete some extra faces. Solid inspector once again saved the day.

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Vacuum Tube 2 fix.skp 117.78 kb, file has never been downloaded. 

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Hunter Green wrote:

Yeah, you have some internal surfaces.  Tricky to remove them -- K will help sometimes but sometimes you have to erase a surface to get to the internal ones, then rebuild it later.

Much better to right click and hide the external surface, then show it again later when the internal bits are fixed.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

I can't recommend the SU solid plugin enough.

http://www.susolid.com/

It does cost a small amount but I don't think I could use SketchUp for solid modelling without it.

Using it it took me about 30 seconds to make the file manifold.

1. You have one group and the rest ungrouped. I exploded the group, selected all and grouped the lot.

2. Run 'analyse' from SUsolid which highlights problems in various colours. Yellow means internal surfaces (screen attached).

3. Double click to edit the group, then right click and hide several of the external surfaces. Delete offending inside surfaces (mainly flat 'discs') (screen attached).

4. SUsolid can be run even when faces are hidden. Here we see the dialogue says solids = 1 and the shape turns purple. Manifold! (screen attached).

5. I have an unhide all plugin to bring back the hidden surfaces. Part finshed! (screen attached)

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susolidprocess.jpg
susolidprocess.jpg 702.71 kb, file has never been downloaded. 

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Looks like I could use that plugin. Thanks for helping guys.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Huh, haven't heard of SuSolid.  Does it support custom materials?

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

It checks for manifold geometry and highlights various problems in different colours.

It does have materials you can assign for calculating weight and yes you can add your own ones with a name and density.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

lawsy wrote:
Hunter Green wrote:

Yeah, you have some internal surfaces.  Tricky to remove them -- K will help sometimes but sometimes you have to erase a surface to get to the internal ones, then rebuild it later.

Much better to right click and hide the external surface, then show it again later when the internal bits are fixed.

Oh, I didn't realize hiding it allowed you to access the things hidden behind it.  Thanks for the tip.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

For an easy way to unhide, check out the 'Show All' plugin linked in my post above.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

The trial of that program saved my butt last night. I will invest shortly. I highly recommend it. I wasted an hour trying to find a problem that took 2 mins with that.

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

The other plugins I've seen show you problems but don't tell you what they are and don't offer to try and fix them for you.

I previously made a video about it:

[video]

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Thanks for that video, Lawsy. I used the free version for a while but it didn't do me a lot of good. I bought the full version last week and, yeah, it seems to be a serious tool. And I'm the kinda guy that needs serious tools!

What would you say would be the perfect toolbox of plugins and tools for SketchUp? I like Clean Up, Joint Push-Pull, Edge Tools and Solid Inspector but would like your thoughts.

Robox printer, HICTOP (Prusa i3 variant) Model 3DP17 printer, ELEK 2.5W laser engraver, AutoDesk 123D Design, Windows 10

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

I like fredo's tools (if that's the right spelling), he has a whole series of them.  Bevels, chanfers, curvy lines.. that sort of thing.  Then there is that loft plugin..

I think I found them all in a list of good plugins.

http://www.peterguthrie.net/blog/2013/0 … xtensions/

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Re: Another Sketchup help thread

Heartlander wrote:

What would you say would be the perfect toolbox of plugins and tools for SketchUp? I like Clean Up, Joint Push-Pull, Edge Tools and Solid Inspector but would like your thoughts.

Another video in my channel (although I don't use as many any more):