Google Sketchup Plugins Pipe Along Path

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The SketchUp Follow Me tool () is the Pied Piper of 3D geometry: Follow Me leads a face along a path to create a 3D shape. The Follow Me tool does only one thing. However, it has a multitude of applications and enables you to draw complex 3D models with only a few clicks.

In this video, I wanted to talk about two plugins – Lines to Tubes and Pipe Along Path, where to get them, and when to use each one. Want to Support the Sket. What you say, just like my opinion, does not make it true. I am sure you remember the many post in the past about this type of issue. We both can name many of the contributors which made what SU is today and my point Trimble or whoever needs to figure out some way to support their efforts not saddle them with spending there time and effort to keep there plug-ins relevant or.

Tip: Follow Me is especially handy for modeling finishing details that follow a perimeter or edge, such as crown molding or gutters. It also makes easy work of modeling lathed objects, like a spindle, and curved vessels, such as a bowl or a vase.

Here's where you find the Follow Me tool in SketchUp:

  • Tools menu
  • Edit toolbar
  • Large Tool Set toolbar
  • Tool palette (macOS)

In the following video, you see a quick demonstration of the Follow Me tool's many applications. Read the following sections for steps that walk you through modeling with Follow Me.

Table of Contents

Google Sketchup Plugins Pipe Along Paths

ExtensionsBest

Automatically extruding a profile with Follow Me

This method is the easiest and usually the preferred way to use the Follow Me tool. To extrude your face automatically, preselect the path using the Select tool. The Follow Me tool then follows the path along your selection. The following steps explain how the process works:

  1. Draw a profile of the face that you want to follow the path, like the yellow face shown in the figure. Make sure that this profile is approximately perpendicular to the path. Note that the profile doesn't need to be connected to the path. It just needs to be perpendicular.
    Tip: To keep your profile drawing perpendicular to your path, draw your profile on a face and then erase any edges you don't need.
  2. With the Select tool (), select the continuous set of edges that represent the path, also shown in the following figure.
  3. Select the Follow Me tool (). The edges remain selected.
  4. Click the profile that you created, and the surface is extruded automatically along your preselected path, as shown in the following figure.
Note: If you've organized your model into groups, your selection and profile must be in the same group for the preceding steps to work. See Organizing a Model for details about groups.

Manually extruding a profile with Follow Me

When you extrude a profile along a path manually, you do a bit more work but can control the direction the extrusion travels. Here's how the manual method works:

  1. Identify the path for your extrusion.
  2. Draw a face or profile that you want to follow the path. Make sure that this profile is perpendicular to the path. In the following figure, the profile is the half-moon shape and the path is around the blue shape.
  3. Select the Follow Me tool ().
  4. Click and drag the face that you created along the path. As you drag, touch the mouse pointer to the path you're following. SketchUp highlights the path in red, as shown in the figure. If your starting edge is not touching the profile, Follow Me starts extruding at that edge, not from the profile to that edge. If you need to start over, press Esc.
  5. Click to complete the Follow Me operation when you reach the end of the path.
Note: If you've organized your model into groups, your selection and profile must be in the same group for the preceding steps to work. See Organizing a Model for details about groups.

Modeling a lathed shape with Follow Me

You can use the Follow Me tool to mimic a lathe. Follow these steps:

  1. With the Circle tool (), draw a circle.
  2. With the Line, Arc, and Freehand tools, draw a cutaway of half of the final shape. You need to make sure the cutaway meets the following criteria, as shown in the figure:
  3. The cutaway forms a face. (Make sure all your arcs and lines connect.)
  4. The cutaway's face is perpendicular to the circle.
  5. The bottom of the cutaway (which will be the center of your final lathed shape) aligns with the center point of the circle.
  6. With the Select tool (), select the circle.
  7. Select the Follow Me tool () and click the face of the cutaway. Be patient. If your geometry is complex, this step can take a while to complete. After the processing is complete, the shaped object is displayed, as shown in the following figure.
Tip: If you have trouble with your extrusion, zoom in close and check for gaps between the lines. Use the Line tool () to connect any gaps and try your extrusion again. Also orbit around to make sure your cutaway is perpendicular to the circle.

Engineering ToolBox - enabled for use with the amazing FREE SketchUp 3D drawing and modeling program.

Home > Piping > Pipes and Tubes >

Pipes and Tubes

Steel, Copper, Plastic pipes and tubes ...

  • ASME/ANSI B36.10 - Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipes - Imperial Units - American National Standard welded and seamless wrought steel pipe - imperial units
  • ASME/ANSI B36.19 - Welded and Seamless Stainless Steel Pipes - Imperial Units - Standard Specification for General Requirements for Welded and Seamless Stainless Steel Pipes
  • ASTM B 42 - Seamless Copper Pipes - Imperial Units - Standard Specification for General Requirements for Wrought Seamless Copper and Copper- Alloy Tube
  • ASTM B 43 - Seamless Red Brass Pipes - Imperial Units - Standard Specification for General Requirements for Red Brass Tubes
  • ASTM B221 - Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Pipes and Seamless Extruded Tubes - Imperial Units - Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Pipe and Seamless Extruded Tube
  • ASTM B88M - Copper Tubes Type A - Metric Units - Dimensions and weights of copper tubes type A - metric units (mm)
  • ASTM B88M - Copper Tubes Type B - Metric Units - Dimensions and weights of copper tubes type B - metric units (mm)
  • ASTM B88M - Copper Tubes Type C - Metric Units - Dimensions and weights of copper tubes type C - metric units (mm)
  • ASTM D1785 - Thermoplastic Pipes Schedule 40 - Imperial Units - Dimensions and weights of thermoplastic pipe schedule 40 - Imperial Dimensions
  • ASTM D1785 - Thermoplastic Pipes Schedule 80 - Imperial Units - Dimensions and weights of thermoplastic pipe schedule 80 - Imperial Dimensions
  • Bended Pipe or Tube - Customized Angles and Dimensions - Add bend or elbows with custom dimensions
  • EN 10255 - Steel Tubes - Metric Units - Steel tubes, tubulars conforming to IS: 1239-1990 equivalent to BS:1387-1987, IS:1161-1998 - metric units (mm)
  • IS 3589 - Steel Pipes for Water and Sewage - Metric Units - Pipes conforming to Indian standard IS 3589 Steel Pipes for Water and Sewage
  • IS 4270 - Steel Tubes Used for Water Wells - Metric Units - Pipes conforming to Indian standard IS 4270-2001 - metric units (mm)

Tools - accessed from within SketchUp

NOTE!! - the 'insert!' and the Tools features only works when the engineeringtoolbox exension is opened from within SketchUp. Install the extension as described in the right column - restart Sketchup and open this tool from the Sketchup Plugins menu.

Edit

undo! - redo!

Color

Pipe

change color! - of the selected object(s) - may be slow for some more complicated objects (save your model first!)

View

iso! - top! - front! - right! - left! - back! - bottom!

Make Component

make! - makes a component of the selected object. Note that all objects from the Engineering Toolbox are inserted as individual groups. You should transfer a group to a component sharing the same definition when there is more than one instance of the same object. Tips! Rename the object to its final name before making it a component (in outliner or with right click and entity info).

Rotate Object(s)

degrees around red, green or blue axis! (select object(s) first). Very handy for objects with curved surfaces like pipes, elbows ..

Move or Copy Object(s)

move/copy! no. copies redgreenblue (offset from current position
- move or copy (multiple) selected objects. Make advanced geometric constructions with multiple selections, multiple copies and the offset.
Tip! - Use 'Make Component' to save space and reduce computer load when working with multiple copies.

The Knife

- inserts a 'Knife' to cut in one or more objects.
insert the Knife! size of the Knife
cut! - before cut: customize the inserted Knife! The Knife is a group you can rotate, change the size of, and even add or remove objects within (example - add a function curve for an advanced cut). You can also make your own Knife by naming a group 'theKnife'. After insert and customizing the knife - positioning it to the object(s) where to cut - select the object(s) (must be groups) - and click cut! Afterwards - select the object(s) and remove the parts of the object(s) that you don't want.
YouTube demo of the Knife!

Sketchup Pipe Along Path

Move an Object to another Objects Position

move! - select two objects - then click 'move' and one of the objects moves to the position and angle of the other object. Handy when moving between axis systems.

Change Insertion Point

You can change the position and angle of an inserting object by pre-selecting an existing object before Insert! The inserted object will inherit the position of the selected object. Handy when working with non-default axis.

Insert Line

Google sketchup plugins pipe along path

redgreenblue - Start position
redgreenblue - End position
insert! - use this feature to add a reference line

Insert Horizontal Plane

insert!red (size) green (size) blue (vertical position)
- use this feature to add a horizontal reference plane

Insert Vertical Plane

insert!red (horizontal position)green (size) blue (vertical size)
insert!red (size) green (horizontal position)blue (vertical size)
- use this feature to add vertical a reference plane

Insert Box

insert!red (width) green (depth) blue (height)
- use this feature to add a box to the model

Insert external Component

insert! name url
- use this feature to add an external .skp component from the internet by adding the component url

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