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Tiling Question

Tiling Question (post #165156)

VAM on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 11:39

SketchUp

I want to print some components full scale on my letter size Dell printer. The component size is 15 by 4 inches, so I'm using landscape rather than portrait mode. I can print the component from SketchUp but it insists on tiling the printout on six sheets instead of on two. I cannot find anywhere a way to reset the tiling. Any ideas?

Change the height of the (post #165156, reply #1 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 19:49

Change the height of the drawing window so that the height:width ratio is close to that of the two sheets of paper you want to use. See also the following link. I described this procedure there.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/25890/printing-templates-two-approaches

Thanks for the link. I (post #165156, reply #2 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 16:54

Thanks for the link. I tried your method with SketchUp 7 and SketchUp pro 7.1. I tried window sizes of 8 1/2 by 11 and one that just fit the component. I also used parallel projection, a scale of 1 to 1, zoomed extents, etc. In every case SketchUp still wanted to print on six pages rather than two

I've been exporting my components as jpegs and printing them in Adobe Illustrator, which works fine, and tiles on to two pages. Just seems like I should be able to do it somehow directly in SketchUp.

The process I describe should (post #165156, reply #3 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 17:59

The process I describe should work. It's worked that way since version 3 at least. Probably earlier but that's when I started using SketchUp and thus the beginning of my frame of reference. Would you be willing to send me the SKP file so I can see what you've got going?

SketchUp file not tiling well (post #165156, reply #4 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:05

Hi Dave:

Thanks for taking time with this - SketchUp file attached. Also I'm using Windows 7 64-bit.

Van

Preview	Attachment	Size
	TV_Stand_for_Van_Exploded.skp	897.99 KB

Part 2 (post #165156, reply #5 of 16)

by VAM in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:11

Sorry - I meant to send one of the actual components I'm having trouble with.

Preview	Attachment	Size
	Stretcher_-_Side_Plan_1.skp	10.37 KB

Crossing posts. I'll take a (post #165156, reply #6 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:15

Crossing posts. I'll take a look.

Take a Look (post #165156, reply #7 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:31

Here are screen shots of the set up.

First, I resized the screen to be a tight fit around the drawing.

In Print Preview, I made the settings. I haven't got a printer mapped to this computer which is why the printer displays as it does at the top.

The Print Preview shows the two sheets.

This is what I outlined in my blog post.

Preview	Attachment	Size
	Print_Layout.png	141.5 KB
	Print_Preview_Setup.png	16.5 KB
	Print_Preview.png	23.32 KB

Which part of it are you (post #165156, reply #8 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 11:31

Which part of it are you trying to print full size?

One of the problems I see with your model is that you've got a number of parts all rolled into one component as if the whole thing is carved from a big hunk of wood. This will make it difficult to do anything as far as making construction drawings or patterns.

It works - Thanks (post #165156, reply #9 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 12:31

I had everything set as you suggested EXCEPT you have both check boxes "Fit to page" and "Use model extents" unchecked. I had the "Use model extents" box checked from when I set the scale to 1:1. Everything else matched with your settings. Once I unchecked the "Use model extents" box all was fine. Thank you very much.

The first attachment I sent in error was a partial model. But I have 23 components saved separately so that I can print those components when necessary. For example I printed a dozen of them at quarter scale in order to build a model first.

Again, thanks very, very much.

Glad that worked for (post #165156, reply #10 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 13:52

Glad that worked for you.

So if I understand you correctly, you've split your model into 23 different SketchUp files? That seems like a lot of extra work to me.

In reverse (post #165156, reply #11 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 15:25

I did it the other way around. I created components, then assembled them into a model. But I still have a lot to learn about being quick and efficient in SketchUp.

I think you would find it (post #165156, reply #12 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Thu, 03/17/2011 - 15:38

I think you would find it much easier to build the entire model in a single drawing, making components of each part as you go. That will greatly reduce the chances for errors and once you have a few components in place, you don't need to know all of the dimensions while drawing. You'll just draw things to fit. It will also save you time because you won't have to assemble the model since you'll be doing it as you go. Just make sure that you make a component of a part before you move on to another part so they don't end up being welded together.

If you want to see a couple of examples of building in situ as I describe, take a look at the videos at these links.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/22911/a-fern-stand-demonstrating-my-drawing-process

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/24328/jeffersons-bookstand-another-workflow-example

If you watch close, you'll see that I make frequent reference to the existing parts of the model for creating other parts. In my mind, this is similar to the way I work in the shop. At some point in the shop I have to stop referring to a plan and take measurements off of what I've already made.

Thanks for everything (post #165156, reply #13 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 06:06

I cannot see the videos unless they are posted somewhere else on the web. I subscribe to the magazine but don't have a separate subscription to the forum, so maybe that's why. messnervan at yahoo

You don't need a subscription (post #165156, reply #14 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 06:12

You don't need a subscription to the site to look at the Design. Click. Build. blog nor any other blog here.

Do these links work?

http://blip.tv/file/3023488

http://blip.tv/file/3216052

Dave

Yes thanks, they do (post #165156, reply #15 of 16)

by VAM in reply to DaveRichards [original] on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 06:17

all set

Perfect! (post #165156, reply #16 of 16)

by DaveRichards in reply to VAM [original] on Sat, 03/19/2011 - 06:58

Perfect!