http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php Shapeways: Bring your creativity to life in 3D http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41514&th=7713#msg_41514
I came across the two plugins for Google Sketchup:

Manifold

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=218691

From the description:

Quote:

When run... It removes 'non-face/non-edge' entities. It removes 'disconnected geometry'. It removes 'unfaced-edges'. It runs an initial 'health-check' and reports. It removes face 'flaps'. It heals 'holes'. It removes 'internal faces'. It orients all faces consistently to face 'outwards'. It erases 'coplanar edges' [optional]. It 'triangulates' all of the faces [optional]. It highlights major errors.

Solid inspector

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=30 504

From the description:

Quote:

a tool that checks if Groups or Components are solids or not, highlighting holes or areas or errors.

They both sound quite useful. Are there any seasoned Sketchup users here who could give them a try and let me know how well it works for Shapeways?

Thanks!

Bart]]> bartv 2012-01-09T15:05:53-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41526&th=7713#msg_41526 Solid Inspector...its a must-have, imo.

Manifold works on simple models, but not very well on anything where an automated solution would really help. I have yet to find any plugin for automatically fixing errors that works well - its seems to be hard for software to figure out what faces to keep, and which to delete...plus they can take a looooong time to run.

There is one plugin called Cleanup (by the same author as Solid Inspector, so its a good one) that is very useful to clean messy models, but it doesn't do all the work for you.

]]> denali3ddesign 2012-01-09T18:05:51-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41528&th=7713#msg_41528 stonysmith 2012-01-09T18:34:03-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41529&th=7713#msg_41529
]]> denali3ddesign 2012-01-09T18:41:13-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41530&th=7713#msg_41530 Kasss_Gnarl 2012-01-09T18:47:23-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41754&th=7713#msg_41754
Bart]]> bartv 2012-01-12T12:31:07-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41894&th=7713#msg_41894 Twopounder 2012-01-13T21:35:19-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41895&th=7713#msg_41895
For example, here's the donation page for Thomthom, the author of Solid Inspector.



And yes, what twopounder said ]]> denali3ddesign 2012-01-13T21:54:18-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41920&th=7713#msg_41920 At this point, I think an automatic manifold-creator is just one of those things that just isn't there yet. It's one of those areas where planning, effort, and prevention are better than a barrel of cure.]]> Oracle of Wuffing 2012-01-14T04:07:11-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41923&th=7713#msg_41923
It does help a lot with the problems it does find though.]]> Twopounder 2012-01-14T06:43:34-00:00 http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=41940&th=7713#msg_41940
How do you run a health check? ]]> denali3ddesign 2012-01-14T14:24:42-00:00