Hello Will.

Thats an amazing amount of detail you have put into the saddle tank, can I ask how many hours work do you think that has taken? I see what you mean about the curves and things though, does it effect the final printed model in any way? If not then is it really that bad?

Im looking forward to seeing the bridge bits too...

Missy

can I ask how many hours work do you think that has taken?

Mmm, a tricky 'how long is a piece of string' sort of question... as I tend to work on the models in randomly speckled half hours here, twenty minutes there...! That said, I reckon I could put another similarly detailled tank engine together in a quiet, rainy sort of weekend with nothing else going on.

The 'facets' around circular or cylindrical objects seem to be amplified even more with tapered boilers, but I am looking into ways around that. The biggest problem I have is getting Sketchup to convert the sort of dustbin lid shaped contours of a smokebox door. The original print of 813 had a jagged triangular bit of plastic appear where there had been nothing unusual on the original design. Chimneys and domes etc.. seem to come out ok when extruded from a flat cross sectional profile around a circular path, but flat smokebox doors are a real problem.

In the end, with 813, I have relented and left the smokebox door flat, and surrounded it with details, lamps, disks etc.. to try and create a distraction.

To add frustration the Victoria Bridge design has been returned to me with a print error (and a voucher for another go!)... it apparently has 'too many shells'. Back to the drawing board..

Will,

I think I read somewhere that the number of "facets" on circular or arc'ed objects can be changed from a default of 24 (I think), presumably more facets will give a smoother curve. I had a quick look in Sketchup last night and I'm afraid I couldn't find anywhere that this is configured - I'll have to see if I can find it online again!

Luckily, for the wagons I've drawn up the only rounded bits have been the roof profile so the default has been more than sufficient. I did try to do some domed rivet heads but gave up and made square bolts instead ;-)

Ian

Aha, thanks Ian, that pointer might smooth over all manner of problems and jagged edges!

A clue appears here:

http://fr.artlantis.com/sketchup-facet-problem_f-atl_general_us-659.html

I shall do some experiments tonight.

Cheers!

Will

Right, got it! Draw a circle, which comes out as a jagged-edged 'reasonably circular' thing with 24 sides. Then, when drawn, right click on the edge of the circle and a menu appears. In the menu, click 'divide'...

...then something odd but rather useful happens. The circle will become surrounded with little red dots, or nodes, or whatever they are called. With the red dots showing, slide the mouse from side to side and the complexity of the circle increases, or decreases, all very clever.

I think this could revolutioise tiny boiler-making!