So is sketchup INTENTIONALLY designed to make you want to lose your mind? Parts of it are so EASY learn, discover, fiddle and find…others are impossible to suss out.
[putting on PC-face here for a second] Honestly, sketchup is a fine tool for what it was originally built for (architecture/houses, etc) it’s not always suited for us. The best thing you can do is use a different tool, like FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, etc. The learning curve might be a little steeper, but the results are well worth it.
(What I wanted to say: Fuck SketchUp; get a real 3d modeling program)
I last used autocad v 2.12…it was 2d back then…
+1 the wiwts
Solidworks ftw
Autodesk Fusion 360 is free for non-commercial use and easy to use.
I spent a lot of time learning just the basics of Sketchup (Version 8). I found it problematic when trying to generate stl files for printing. After hours / days of frustration I learned that you should lay everything out first with grid lines. Then draw out your design as simply and as flawlessly as possible. Then your model should export completely without any mysterious voids (leading to incomplete model builds).
I really like solidworks, they have a nice little tutorial included with it.
So totally agree. It seems that if you come
From a real solid modeling background (pro/e, solid works, inventor type tools) sketch up becomes impossible. Most people I know who are happy with sketch up have had zero cad experience.
I used sketchup at first due to a familiarity. But it will drive you insane. Luckily I was already there.
I used autoCAD 2014 for a while. It always frustrated me that my inside holes where always off. Went to solidworks recently and seems that the stl files are much cleaner.
Now I just fight with my printer, vs the old days of fighting files/software and the printer.
What is your exact problem in Sketchup?
The Autodesk Fusion 360 web site reads- “free trial for 30 days”.
There is a free one year license for Fusion 360. It keeps getting better with every release. Beware tho if you want to buy a yearly license as a non US citizen…they will ask you 200$ more for the same online service.
I started off with Sketchup and after trying many many others changed to Autodesk 123D Design which is free and easy to learn. Ben Heck did a good demo in one of his videos.
Just follow some “simple” rules to make printable models in Sketchup:
- Draw (or import) in big units (meters or yards) !
- Everything should be in groups (or components)
- Find and delete single lines
- Find and close holes
- Find and delete internal faces
- Reverse all reversed faces
- Find and fix solid collisions
Thats it ,simple as that 
If you like simple, TinkerCAD is surprisingly good for solid modeling. Of course, it’s limited but people do amazing things with it…
I spent some quality time last night with Autocad Inventor fusion…and by quality time, I mean ‘10 minutes to the part I wanted to print’ not ‘50 minutes of getting circles to line up to make a part and wondering why it’s just a shell on the bottom after extrusion.’
If you read further fusion is free forever for educational, non profit and non commercial use. When you click buy I think it will ask " do you qualify for a free license? " it’s in there. Been using it for months.
That’s interesting I might have to try fusion. I love Autodesk 123D but have been looking for something a bit more, its interesting its made by the same company.
@Mike_Miller your example will make me quit Sketchup at last, I think. Always hated it for the various kinds of pixel-hunting, but damn, I know the parts of Sketchup I need by now, and whenever you need a modeling tool is when you need a part printed - never the right moment to start investigating new stuff that has learning curve sticking up like a bloody sequoia…