LBD, I thought I remembered seeing the technique used in a SUnscreenshot or rendering in one of your posts (maybe one about your model ship). I don’t know if it was here or on LJ. Maybe I’m just mistaken.
In any case, you might like this YouTube video:
Make 2D Plant Components for SketchUp.
If I remember correctly (been awhile since I watched), he talks about “always face me” components that let you use just one instance of each transparent texture image instead of the crossed ones I used. These components auto-rotate to face the camera. I think I tried them and preferred the look of the crossed textures.