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Thread: Anyone Use Sketchup For Woodworkers?

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Texas Hill Country
    Posts
    705
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Richards View Post
    Mike,

    There are several different extensions that will generate cut lists from your SketchUp model. The one I like is called simply CutList. You can get it from the Extension Warehouse. Access the Warehouse directly in SketchUp and it will automatically install it when you click the button.

    CutList does not have a facility for taking grain direction into account. The longest dimension is always assumed to be the length. At least in my experience, there aren't many parts where that is incorrect. There are some other extensions that can generate cut lists. Joe Zeh has one. I played with it for awhile but found it much too complicated for my liking. It does seem to be good for things like kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Although I do some kitchen design and detail the cabinets for plans, the majority of my SketchUp work is more one off stuff and the much simpler CutList works just fine. If you want to see a little demo of it, I did a video you can access here.
    Thanks Dave. I just ordered the SU for Woodworker's : The Basics from FWW. I hope it isn't TOO basic. Since I've read conflicting information on whether SU will do cutlists I asked. Great to hear that it's possible with an extension. I'll check out the link you provided but first I've got to go thru "The Basics". ;-)

    Mike

  2. #32
    The DVD assumes you have already learned how to use the basic tools. If you aren't at least familiar with them, you should review the instructional videos from SketchUp.com.

    If you have any questions regarding using sketchUp, drop me a PM and I'll help you out.

    And thank you.

    I'm curious where you might have seen information indicating that SketchUp isn't able to do cutlists.

  3. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Manning View Post
    I hope it isn't TOO basic. Since I've read conflicting information on whether SU will do cutlists I asked.
    We are on a job at the moment and are outputting cutlists with 350-400 items each (multiple lists) from SU. Any information you have that says its not possible is wrong. .CSV to excel is a breeze. It not uncommon in an unsorted kitchen to output lists in the thousands. (we sort ply, by width, materials, etc so never see lists in that quantity).

    Dave has bailed me out of a sinking boat more times than I can count.

  4. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Richards View Post
    \I'm guessing there aren't many of us who could afford a seat of Solidworks to use in our home shop.

    My guess is that Solidworks is somewhat like Autocad (today, but moreso of 10 year ago) and is the most pirated software on the planet by users and engineers who sneak or take an unregistered copy home for their personal use. I was given a copy of autocad, with implicit warnings from the engineer who gave it to me, that it was an unlicensed copy.

    We are running a 60x100, 10HP, CNC running at .001 and running SUpro daily in conjunction with other CAD/CAM sofware and I would argue that it would/could even suffice for most machining applications. Im not saying its a replacement for Autocad or Fusion for hard core four decimal place, 5 axis work. But the hobby woodworking world seems to on a regular basis think they need to be working to five or six decimal places. Three may bw necessary or "handy" with CNC but if your talking general wood working two decimal places is all thats ever needed.

  5. #35
    Solidworks will license their educational version to U.S. and Canadian veterans on an annual basis for $20/yr. --- https://store.solidworks.com/veteran...?command=Step1

  6. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Bolton View Post
    My guess is that Solidworks is somewhat like Autocad (today, but moreso of 10 year ago) and is the most pirated software on the planet by users and engineers who sneak or take an unregistered copy home for their personal use.
    I would guess you are right on that. Every woodworker I've ever talked to who uses Solidworks told me they got it from their employer.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Bolton View Post
    But the hobby woodworking world seems to on a regular basis think they need to be working to five or six decimal places. Three may be necessary or "handy" with CNC but if your talking general wood working two decimal places is all thats ever needed.
    Indeed!

  7. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark W Pugh View Post
    Works on mine. Only if I could figure out how to REALLY use it. Still pencil to paper for me, for now.
    Go to youtube and look up Jay Bates. Look at his videos, and who way back, you will see he started out teaching Sketchup. For some reason, his teaching made sense to me, and it just clicked. If that works, buy Sketchup for Woodworkers book. It is slightly dated, but covers the details Jay missed.

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