SketchUp Skill Builder: Follow Me Tips 

Absolutely LOVE the tip about using the follow me tool for a shape that is already in a group... that will save me SO much time and effort, thanks!

Aren, a very thorough and easy to understand demo of Follow Me. Thanks.

Thanks Aaron. Excellent.

Hi Aaron, this video helped immensely in developing a tall round shape I want to print in 3D. I had a problem with WELD doing a bit too much smoothing of my object so I'm going to let it stay with the visually annoying horizontal lines as I create an STL print file. I don't want the smoothing to mess up my print. The printing process seems to automatically smooth the object as it is printed. I also just watched your video on the range of smoothing from basic triangles to almost a "marshmallow" appearance but still not happy with smoothing versus 3D printability. Thanks your all your help videos. They enable this 75 year old goat to learn new tricks!

Thank you, it's been a while since I used Sketchup, I just needed a quick 'refresh'. You video was perfect!

Always learning something!

Nice tips! Thank You

GGWP we need more pro tips like this

Awesome. Thanks very much.

Excellent. I struggled with it for (probably) a year and still didn't know what you can do with it. I like softening edges of counters or shelves by profiling the edge, clicking the surface and then the FollowMe tool, then the profile, it's too fast and easy. Recently while modeling on a wall that was at 22 degrees off axis, I discovered some tricks with the move tool. You can just draw a line anywhere that imitates the path you want the entity to follow. Select the entity, select the move tool, start at one end of the line and drag along the line to the other end, click to drop the entity exactly on point. Sliding a window into a wall so it's flush with the exterior for example. Measure how far in it has to go; (4 3/4") the start a line anywhere on the surface and move around until you see the mauve lines indicating you are moving perpendicular and away from the surface and click. Type 4 3/4" in the measurement box and press enter. The line is now the guide to bring the window-entity flush to the wall. It doesn't matter that the line and Move tool aren't anywhere near the entity being moved.

EXELENT Aron! Very nice.

That was great. I'll use that about 500 times.

Very good and simple;

Shared in Trimble SketchUp FB Group.

Good tips.

i found it very amazing and i actually learned something!! :D

Super teaching for all af beginner....

Very good

If you delete the face of the circle you don't need to drop down the circle to close up the geometry. Great video!

brilliant.

This Method can be Re-created in blender. Which is Awesome!. Saves me lots of Time i know i have my methods but i like this look :P to recreate it you just need a Curve/Vertice's and a Screw if error pop outs make sure its align properly.

Thank you to you too Sir

Nice boss

thank u

Great

Have a question... Which weights more, poligons with lines or the same area with a single smooth poligon?

Hi Aaron! in 2020 if the line is a part of the model the grouped version of follow me, not working. maybe I'm wrong, but it's driving me crazy now. i have a furniture door , and inside there is a frame with a bordure. i have the inpress part, i have the profile in group, and it is not working... so anyone have the same issue? when i try to edit group it forgets the selected lines.

Good

Hey, Aaron. Is there a known bug in SketchUp Web affecting the FollowMe tool? I followed your example by placing the profile at the origin, then centering a circle immediately beneath the blue axis. Once the circle is highlighted, I activate the FollowMe tool and click once on the profile. Nothing happens. Or, the action is denied due to the "profile and path must be perpendicular." I've applied the weld option to my profile, and enlarged it 5-fold to inspect the outline, all to no avail. sigh...

How about rounding corners on rectangles? (tables,wood plank etc.)

One thing you lose when welding all the edges is no more sharp corners. Look at the difference in appearance between example #2 or #3 and compare to #4. The sharp breaks at the base are gone. Q: Can this be overcome by only welding specific edges? Also, in all your examples the resulting shape is faceted because SU by default wants to draw a circle with 24 segments. IF SU was smart enough to automatically adjust the number of segments in a circle in relation to the circle diameter or if the user manually adjusts the number of segments in the circle before using the Follow Me tool, then the resulting shape will have a much smoother surface with more than 24 facets. When will SU give users the ability to adjust the default number of segments in a circle or arc in model settings? Someday soon I hope.

These extra unwanted lines were part of my frustration learning follow-up. It wasn't massive deal but it frustrated me as I never knew the reason why. I'm glad it's not just a problem only I have, but at the same time, why is SketchUp designed like this?

No, thank you! :)