Modeling a RETAINING WALL IN TERRAIN in SketchUp 

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Thanks for watching Kevin!

Thanks!

Hadn't thought about the calculations there - that's probably a good idea - thanks Oscar!

Hi Oscar, Can you explain that a bit more for me please. I'm only new to sketchup, but I will be dealing a lot with retaining walls in my line of work, so I would like to understand more about your comment. Create model separately? Do you mean outside of the group? Better for calculations? Thank you very much.

Hi Wayne! I did! I ended up with a Cyberpower Gaming Desktop that I got for a significant discount on Black Friday - it has 16GB of RAM and an I7 processor - probably a bit overpowered for modeling in SketchUp, but I also got it for the purpose of working in VR, so I have no regrets - I'm very happy with its performance :) I would say that yes, another 4 GB should make a difference - I believe SketchUp recommends at least 8 gigs on their website, though if you're dealing with a model that's very detailed, you might continue to experience problems anyway. SketchUp just seems to get twitchy when you get up in the high polygon count type models. Have you tried purging the unused geometry in your model? From a specs standpoint, SketchUp lays out their minimum and recommended specs on this page - help.sketchup.com/en/article/36208 - it feels like you're in pretty good shape except for your RAM. Thanks!

Hi Justin,Thanks for the tip, yep I purge on a regular basis while working,so I will indeed stuff as much RAM in that the Laptop can handle,...Thanks again.

Most don't realize SKU runs on the GPU not CPU primarily. Money in a high end GPU pays off in speed increases for SKU. In general a GPU is way more bang per buck than a CPU, another cool thing about SKU's already affordable package. The CPU is what Layout needs, so an I5 will lag at times, just make sure you don't make Layout over render things--chains, lots of lines in a steel roof, etc will kill your speed there in hybrid mode. I rendered a whole subdiv and the steel roof of the storage units killed me till I put that geometry on a "hide from Layout" layer. Prob solved. Landscape will also kill you, so plan ahead BEFORE sending to Layout. Layout's the one achille's heel in the SKU pipeline from model to plans IMHO. Does a lot, but slow. Wish it was GPU based too.

Ooh - I'm going to have to try this - this sounds like a great application for that tool - thanks! :)

TheSketchUpEssentials glad to help ;)

To use Subtract tool solid, doesn't the mesh need to be a solid? I want to know more about this approach

Left click on mouse

You probably need to enable the Sandbox Tools extension in your extension manager. Go up to "Window," "Extension Manager," and go down and make sure Sandbox Tools is enabled. Make to to click apply if you have to switch it to enabled. Thanks!

I don't understand the question - I was changing the offsets of the stamp by typing a value and hitting the enter key, which is exactly what you said...

I'd say probably not easily. You could probably try to create a solid by intersecting a box with the terrain to be removed (then SketchUp could calculate volume in the entity info), but I have a feeling that would probably create a LOT of cleanup work. It is theoretically possible though. Thanks!

@@Thesketchupessentials Could we use the joint push pull option that flattens an extruded selection, so the mesh face is retained (leave orig faces mode) and the flat auto generated face is the pad, then assuming that's a solid, no clean up required? I need this very solution today actually. I'll report if it works like I hope it will. UPDATE: YES! It works, but it runs like this: 1) drape the shape as Justin outlines here. 2) Then use Joint Push Pull's push pull by vector to take that draped shape on your mesh up to a flat one. Be sure to select options for a) leave original face, b) generate as group 3) click for the volume listed in your Entity Info. Voila! Combining Justin's hacks and tuts, it's super easy. It actually generated a clean solid object with volume calc.

I'm sure that you could, you'd just have to get good at sculpting with the sandbox tools...

Regarding Cut and Fill, you can make solids of the portions (volumes) of the terrain that are to be removed as well as those volumes you've added. Make sure they are solids by grouping the volumes. Check Entity info after making the groups by clicking them one at a time and checking entity info to verify they are solids. If they are, entity info will tell you they are solids. It's best to make the solids outside the terrain groups they are completely separate. Right click on each solid you've created and select Entity Info from the resulting dialog box. There will be listed the volume of each solid as you select them. Volume can only be had if the entity is a solid. The cut and the fill numbers are that of the solids. If they are not solids make sure that your volumes have all faces complete and no stray geometry. If not, add the missing faces and erase the extra stuff inside the group. Also, there is an Extension called CutNFill (from TIG) (available from the SketchuCation web site) which does essentially the same thing by subtracting one terrain volume from another. You have to create the original terrain and then one that is the new terrain and place them in the same space. CutNfill will do the work from there.

You mean sandbox tools? It gets installed with SketchUp...

ohh, thank you so much. me being a beginner, don't have much knowledge in software. thanks for replying, really helped me. sorry for poor english.. :)

Working fine on my end

same. what wrong ?