Glenn,
Before I start a new project, I make a quick check to make sure that my saw blades are perpendicular to the work surface and that my fences are correct. This way, I'm confident that all of the opposing faces of my segments are parallel which allows me to work faster. For example, when cutting angles on feature ring segments, I set a stop of my fence so that I can cut the first angle and then simply flip it end-to-end and place the other end against the same stop and make the second cut. By leaving a 1/16" reveal before the angle starts, I can always perform this flip. If I cut to the end of the segment and overshoot this by as little as 1/32", I have to re-position the stop and symmetry is compromised.
SketchUp has added tools and capabilities to make models appear to be more solid but I have not yet experimented with this and I have my doubts whether it work as intended. It's a huge departure from the notion that all objects are made of nothing more than surfaces and lines. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised, though.
I do have some additional SketchUp videos - most of which were made some time ago, but since the tools haven't changed much, they are still useful and you'll like seeing some of the tricks I've learned. Here's the link:
https://vimeo.com/user1617460/videos
Lloyd
