Google Sketchup tips & discussion

[motoxy]

Okay. First go into the edit menu. At the bottom of the list you will see components. select explode to seperate the various sections. Select the section that you want to scale and go into the tools menu and select scale. Using the yellow blocks you can scale in all directions.

Hope that helps.
Bruce

[wilfy]

perfect... this has made things alot easier for me now.. thank you

[Washout]

Assuming you have selected the group that contains all the sections in that model and then right clicked and selected "explode", you should be able to select each individual section group and use the scale tool to resize each one. You can use a bit of math before using the scale tool to work out your desired dimension and after dragging on of the scale axis cubes, tap the ratio you need to use to get the right dimension into the "scale" entry box on the lower left of the Sketchup window. You will likely have to play around with which scaling cube to use dependant on the axis you want to scale within and to be honest for H sections its probably quicker just to draw your own as a 2D shape and then extrude it as some of the scaling will alter the thickness of the plates making up the section as well as the overall height/length (see next sentence).

If its the length you are altering then after exploding the main group and deleting all the unwanted sections, double click the group/section you have left until you can select to end/cross section face and use the push/pull tool to lengthen or shorten the section (again you can enter the length to lengthen or shorten in the entry box).

Oh another handy tip if you want more precision than you get by default is to go to Window - Model Info - Units and in there you can increase the precision. I use 0.001mm normally for component work although I doubt I'll be able to get that on any mchine I make ;-)


Ooops I was too slow ;-)
Hope that helps, but if you're really stuck let me know the dimensions you're after and I'll whip sopmething up and share in 3D warehouse.

Cheers


Chris

[wilfy]

thanks again for the help, starting to make my way around this now. having a bit of trouble snapping 2 pieces of the box section to it's self, but i am finding the by placing measure lines i can snap to them then just delete them.. same goes for scaling.. i'm measuring out the size i want and then snapping the item to the line to get the right size.

i am struggling at the moment to find a source for sbr16 rails and bearings and also a suitable ball screw assembly that i can make to size.

[BikerAfloat]

Hi Wilfy,

i am struggling at the moment to find a source for sbr16 rails and bearings and also a suitable ball screw assembly that i can make to size.

I have SBR## & RM1605 screws and BK/BF12 drawings and data sheets. I've posted the data sheets, if the skp file are needed I'll pm them to you.

Cheers,
Geoff.

[wilfy]

oh dude your a star.. the skp files would be awesome aswell as i'm drawing up my machine right now

[BikerAfloat]

Hi Wilfy,

Sorry I've had to zip these, the attachment tool dosn't like skp files!

Hope these help,
Geoff.

[wilfy]

i'm amazed it doesnt like a drawing file but does like a file that could contain any number of virus once un-zipped... awesome logic by whoever invented the forums software..

cheers though dude i'll crack on with my drawing now :D

[wilfy]

i'm still really struggling.. i can visualise what i want things to do but i'm on the verge of saying sod drawing it in 3D and just draw loads of 2d drawing on paper at the moment. are the softwares that you use to cnc from as complicated as sketchup?

[WandrinAndy]

i'm still really struggling.. i can visualise what i want things to do but i'm on the verge of saying sod drawing it in 3D and just draw loads of 2d drawing on paper at the moment.

I can't comment on the CAD/CAM software as I haven't used it yet, but I also struggled with SketchUp initially.

Then Adil [Iwant1] pointed me towards the TUTORIALS on the Sketchup site and on www.sketchupforwoodworkers.com

As I've now changed my CNC design about 8 gazillion times I'm now very comfortable with Sketchup, but it does take some time initially!

Hang in there Wilfy... Tutorials Tutorials Tutorials