Smoothing curves in SketchUp

Mods and custom builds
alumioforte
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:08 pm
7

Smoothing curves in SketchUp

#1

Post by alumioforte »

Kmorin,

I was intrigued by your brief comment about smoothing curves in sketchup, changing them from faceted "segmented curves" to smooth curves. What method have you found most successful for this?

I've exported DXF's from Sketchup into Rhino and essentially traced over them, but thats time consuming. Glad of any insight you can share on "smoothing curves" out of Sketchup.

I'm hoping ultimately Sketchup will implement true curves instead of segments but until then..
kmorin
Donator 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Posts: 1735
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:37 am
15
Location: Kenai, Alaska

Re: Smoothing curves in SketchUp

#2

Post by kmorin »

alumioforte,
Couple remarks in reply to your question- not sure what my remark was so... I'm not taking time to hunt it down. I'll just reply a couple of different remarks.

First, I don't used SKetchUP to create my hull models but I do use it as CAD work area since the modeling interface is clunky for general CAD and display work- although its getting better and better. I use Delftship Pro as my primary marine modeling environment. I export the model file in different resolutions of mesh- coarse to fine - and SkUP displays the mesh more or less as a result of the original model file IN 3D mesh.

However, the hull modeler does export to *.dxf; so, if I develop the plates then SkUP will read a *.dxf file to display the flattened plates. THERE, the transition to dxf and back into SkUP will display very clean curves- but.... not really suitable for Vector/CAM/ToolPath conversions. In that instance the hull modeler no long relies on meshes and triangulation of surfaces and edges... it uses short line segments along the curves to approximate the curves. In this instance the curves are very clean but still need to be converted to CAM/Vectorized as a curve/spline instead of millions if short line segments.

Some CAM software does have tools to do this task- others do not- I do what you do- export to Rhino (no longer keeping subscription up) or ACAD LT and work those spline tools- also works in Fusion 360 to get CAM level curves for tool path conversion.

If my remark that caused this question is in one of the threads here? then I'm probably remarking about the pixelated and segmented curves I display in illustrations and there are a couple of points here. One, I model with one resolution (extreme high) and illustrate with a much lower res. The reason is that screen pixelation and online file size make low resolution models much less burden to display and I think I convey the ideas I'm remarking about even with low res modeling?? If a picture is worth lots of words, then even a fairly faceted or segmented picture is still worth more information than typing all the time.

Next, SkUP add-ins.
I'm almost certain there are SkUP add-ins that will give Bezier Curve vector curve tools? there are so many SkUP add-ins that I'm not even sure what's out there- but every time I've needed a tool - I've found one that did about what I needed?
https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/cont ... line-curve
https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=BezierSpline
http://www.cad-addict.com/2009/09/sketc ... ezier.html

Think these tools might help? Not sure of your application and work flow so I can't predict how useful any given added tool will be in your circumstance?

LAst idea is the Layout work area has B-Spline tools, and if you're not happy with an add-in? send to Layout and use that tool to trace the curves?

Hope this adds to your search for a solution to curves in SkUP?

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic