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sketch-up help

Started by Thackery, January 02, 2009, 09:17:16 AM

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Thackery

I installed sketch-up without any problems on my Laptop (Vista).
Used sketch-up to make a couple great drawings,  learned a bunch,  felt great about it, etc.

However,  once I close sketch-up and I restart it,   it opens up ok but will not show my drawing.
The drawing is open,  the preview shows in the thumbnail before I open it but then nothing on the drawing space.
Then if I click on any function,  the laptop locks up.    I try to go to task manager, but it is totally locked up.

I reboot start over but have the same results.

This has happened everytime I have used it.    I unistalled Sketch-up,  reinstalled and was working again until I closed.

Anyone have any ideas???    I hate this, but I also do not want to fiddle with everthing on the laptop to try and find a solution.

Standing by.

Thackery

witterbound

I've never had this problem with my sketchup.  Don't know what to tell you.

beenthere

Sure sounds like Vista to me. A very frustrating OS.

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Jim_Rogers

The only thing I can tell you is to go to the timber framers guild forum site and contact Clark Bremer, who has posted there. He is the sketch-up person to talk to.....

Good luck...

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Thackery

Thanks,  for the inputs.   Darn,  that's frustrating.     Just when I get going good.

I have used Catia,  but was really impressed with the ease of sketch-up.

By the way,   Catia does not play with Vista either,  allthough there may be some kind of patch by now.

Thackery

witterbound

I've got vista, and have no problems using sketchup.

bigshow

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling sketchup?  version 6 work?

if not

reboot the computer, tap the F8 key (not too frequently - or you'll get a keyboard error) until you get a boot up screen giving you an option to boot into Safe Mode.  Try launching it in Safe Mode, if that works - its some other software loading at startup that is causing the problem.  The configurations of computers that come from the factory are doomed to fail.  The AntiVirus suites especially.  The Norton/McAfee suites are about as malicious as the software they 'protect' you from.  If it works in safemode, reboot, returning you to normal mode.  Click the Vista start menu icon, then type 'msconfig', should be a tab labeled 'Startup Items' or something like it.  uncheck everything.  Reboot, launch Sketchup, it it works, starting ticking and rebooting the other startup items one by one until you find the conflict.

or

Windows is corrupt
I never try anything, I just do it.

Jayson

Yeah, Clark is your man. I noticed he now has a book availible on the Guild page. Good luck.

Mad Professor

Some application programs that launch on startup can hi-jack file paths, with networked computers I've seen Novell do this.  Removing Novell cured the problem.

Do you get an error that says certain file(s) not found?

Devices such as flash drives can too.



Thackery

I had uninstalled again.  But I will try to reinstall and go through the msconfig.     
Thanks for all the ideas.

I'm sure that there are plenty of things starting at start-up that I never use,  but I try to leave everything alone as much as possible.   

I'll post the results later,

Thackery

Thackery

I reinstalled sketch-up. 
I also went into msconfig and disabled all the start up programs.
Sketch-up opened but when the screen came up that you normally draw on the only thing that showed was the pencil.   No axes.   
I tried opening one of my files but the screen stayed the same.
I could open and close Sketch-up without it locking the PC up,  so that's better.
I then opened a file that Clark had sent me and it opened correctly.
I also tried to create a new file but the screen stayed blank.  Totally blank.

Anyone out there willing to let me e-mail one of my sketch-up files to you so that you can open it??

I don't think the file is the problem but it would eliminate that if you could open it without issues.

Thanks,

Thackery


witterbound


Thackery

Finally got back around to figuring out my sketch-up problem that started this post.
Looked up Sketch-Up on Google and inside the help section/sketch-up issues found someone with the same problem as mine.
The answer is turning off the "Use Hardware Acceleration"

This option can be found inside Sketch-Up by clicking Windows,   Preferences,  Open Gl,   uncheck the "Use Hardware Acceleration"

Now my files come up as they should.

Wanted to update in case someone else experiences this frustrating issue.

Thackery

beenthere

Does sketch-up have a feature where one can create/draw 3d objects...like give the dimensions of a wheel, for example, or the three dimensions of a timber, and have it create/draw that object??

I've messed around with it for a bit, but need to do more to get familiar with the capabilities, and how to move things around. Sometimes it works well for me, and sometimes most times not!   :)

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

witterbound

I don't think you can just inset dimensions and end up with drawings.

For example, there is a "circle" tool.  You click on a point, which becomes the middle, then you move your cursor out and whereever you click, that becomes the circle.  If you want the circle to be a certain diameter, you can then insert a number, and it will automatically adjust the circle you drew to become that size.  Same thing with rectangles, lengths, etc.

Thackery

To answer the drawing to dimensions,   I had the same struggles when I tried to make everything by pointing at the spot for say 8",  however,  using the tool as suggested in the last post gets things moving along really well.
I have only made about 5 models but I am getting used to typing in the dimensions for each element as I go.    With a about 15 minutes of practice you get the hang of it,  and it helps more than I can say.
You also want to check out the tutorials that Google has to offer.    I can't retain anything if I watch a bunch of stuff and then draw so I do some drawing and then go back and watch a tutorial,  honestly does not matter which one,  I'll see something in the tutorial that grabs my attention and then I can apply it.
I save a model file and then start a new file just to try out something,  and then go back to my original model.

I worked on a model yesterday for a repair joint that I need to do.   For me it is a complicated joint to draw on paper or lay out without a bunch of doubts.   Now that I have it modeled it seems much more understood.    I print out my model and check it against the old joint members and then come back and tweak the model.    After a few rounds of this I will be able to go out and lay out and start cutting with a lot more confidence that I am not going down the wrong path.

Just my 2 cents.

Thackery

beenthere

witterbound and Thackery
Thanks for the posts. I'll give that "typing measurements" a try.

Getting things to a scale is a hang-up for me at the present. But I know it is right in front of me, just can't see it  ::) ::) ::)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Radar67

BT, there is a small box on the bottom right that shows the dimension of what you are drawing, you can type the dimension in there. As an example, you want to draw a rectangle, click the spot you want for one of the corners, start dragging in the direction you want the rectangle, and look at the dimension box. Compare this box to your rectangle to see if the short or long measurement is first. Then type in your dimensions to match, like this, (8', 20') or you can use inches and fractions (even 5/256th works). It becomes second nature after you do it a few times.
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

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