Offsetting Multiple Faces in SketchUp at Once – SketchUp Plugin of the Week #7
As you start working with more advanced shapes in SketchUp, sometimes you need the ability to offset multiple faces at once, or the ability to offset edges multiple times with the same tool. This plugin allows you the ability to do both of these things.
Plugin Name:
Multiple Offsets
Plugin Developer:
Sam D Mitch
How Much does it cost?
Free!
Where can you find it?
You can download this plugin for free in the SketchUcation store by clicking the hyperlink below. Please note, you will need to create a free username and password.
Click the Button to Download the Plugin from the SketchUcation Store
Tool Functions
This tool contains the functionality to do a couple different things.
The first thing this tool allows you to do is offset multiple faces at once. To do this, simply select multiple faces, then select the tool. This allows a lot of interesting options, especially when dealing with round or circular objects.
The second thing this tool allows you to do is to create multiple offsets at once. If you want to offset an edge multiple times by a fixed distance or a variable distance, this tool allows you to do that.
The tool can be set to offset items both inside and outside your current shapes.
This tool gives you three options for offsetting – Constant, Formula, or List.
Constant lets you offset objects by a fixed (or constant) dimension.
Formula allows you to offset by a mathematical formula.
List allows you to offset by a listed number of dimensions, as well as by multiples of a list. For example, if you wanted to repeat offsets of 1”, then 2” by a certain number of times.
Ratings
Usefulness/Functionality
5/5
This plugin contains a nice set of tools that extend SketchUps offset abilities.
Value
5/5
This plugin is free and it works. I’d usually encourage you to donate to the developer. However, no link seems to exist to download to him at this point.
Ease of Use/Documentation
3/5
When I first used this plugin, I didn’t understand how to use the formula and list options. However, if you go to the author’s forum post on SketchUcation, he gives you a quick runthrough of how these tools work.
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=387418#p387418
Overall score – 13/15.
This plugin offers a large number of functions to extend SketchUp’s offset tool. It can be a huge timesaver, and also offers you a lot of new options for being creative in SketchUp.
As always, leave a comment below and let me know if you’re using this tool and how.
About Justin Geis
Hi, I'm Justin Geis, and I'm the founder of The SketchUp Essentials. I started using SketchUp as part of my work as a general contractor in 2008. I quickly realized the power of the software and started using it for personal projects. I started The SketchUp Essentials as a place to share easy to follow SketchUp tutorials and tips to help everyone harness the power of 3D Modeling in their lives. When not working with SketchUp, I enjoy playing soccer and spending time with my wife and our two dogs.
