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Thread: Final SketchUp attempt

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Clinton Township, MI, United States
    Posts
    1,554
    Back to the original posters problem: He has a sketchup file without components and wants to get measurements and know the various pieces required to build.
    Okay, measurements are easy using the tape measure tool.
    The various pieces are not so easy, he will have to decide for himself what the various pieces are and redraw them, either in the program or on paper.
    Essentially, the sketchup file is useless for his needs as is.
    All the discussion of what program he should use, should have used, how the model should have been drawn, etc. do not address the questions he asked.
    Mike
    From the workshop under the staircase, Clinton Township, MI
    Semper Audere!

  2. #17
    I use sketchup for almost all my projects but still find it annoying. If something doesn't work, e.g., objects don't snap, dimension off by tiny amount, face magically disappears, there is absolutely no way to determine what the problem is short of redrawing sections. There have been many times I've been forced to start over while muttering a long string of obscene poetry.

    as to the original question, if the sketch wasn't done with components in mind, i.e., it is a collection of primitives, the best you can do is get dimensions of those primitives using the ruler. I've tried to create components after the fact using surgical selection and it is completely frustrating.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Adjacent Peoples Republic of Boulder
    Posts
    492
    I use the free version and have been doing so since SU was new. Online videos have helped me greatly, but the best thing to do is just spend the hours, days, and weeks necessary to learn. It is nothing at all like any other kind of 3D modeling software.

    Taking someone else's model and trying to use it for your woodworking project only will work if the original modeler built with woodworking in mind. If the model is not built that way (groups, components, knowledge of joinery) one will need to rebuild the whole thing.

    Key things are grouping every single thing that is a separate piece, and grouping as component anything that repeats in a composition. Like table legs.

    Learn to flip parts, to mirror them, to use the scale tool to resize. Learn to use layers, and how to rearrange parts on layers. Learn to hide parts and unhide them. One of the greatest features is how you can access surfaces and edges for editing when using the xray mode.

    I have used Sketchup to build houses, staircases, fixtures and jigs, figure out tile patterns, and of course furniture.

    I would be lost without Sketchup.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Festus, MO
    Posts
    26
    Thanks for all the help and advice. I wandered away from SMC and woodworking in general as life took hold and my daughter continues to grow faster than comfortable. It's nice to know that there are places like SMC that I can return to almost as if I never left. From what I can gather, I need to spend quite some time watching videos and using other online resources to sort out the aspects of SketchUp. I will likely start with Jay Bates' resources and move on from there if I decide if it's worth pursuing further

    As for the trebuchet, I think my daughter and I will build it the old fashioned way.

    Thanks again,
    John

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Norman, Ok
    Posts
    302
    Before you give up on the Sketchup model, there is an easier way to see all the pieces and dimension them.
    There is a "Components" menu that has every component in the model as a individual object. Click on whichever component you want to use, and place it the drawing by moving it with the cursor wherever you want it. You can use the "Standard Views" menu under the "Camera" on the top toolbar to get whatever view you want( top, side, end). To get the dimensions, use the "Dimension" tool, the one that looks like a "3" with dimension lines attached. The tool that looks like a tape measure is for guide lines. Click on one end of the object, move the cursor, and click on the other end of the object to dimension it. When you have all the dimensions drawn, you can use the "Scenes" function to save that view so you can click on that scene and retrieve it.
    Like most operations in woodworking, it would be easier for me to to show it to you than to describe it, but I've doen my best. If you have any questions, you can PM me.
    I use both Sketchup and AutoCAD. Like others, I find Sketchup easier for 3D drawings and AutoCAD for 2d. However, I have to convert Sketchup drawings to DXF in order to use the toolpath software for our CNC router.
    Good luck with your trebuchet project! I hope it is scuuessful no matter how you get there!
    Rick

  6. #21
    Sketch Up is a great program. The problem is that people expect it to do things that it does not do well. If you need cut lists to make things, I'm sure there's better programs out there. I use it for most things I build, because it excels at two very important things for me.

    Firstly, when you design something in SU, you can get a feel for its proportions by rotating the 3D model and looking at it from many angles. If something looks a little odd, you just make an adjustment (say extend the overhang of the table top) and then take another look at it from many angles. You can even build the environment that it sits in to see how the piece is proportioned to fit its environment. This ability alone is worth every minute of the time it takes me to construct a model. Ever since I've started using SU, I've not once built something and then wished it was a little wider, taller, thinner, more angled, etc... Of course, it takes an amount of creativity and artistry to be able to look at a model and realize what needs to be changed. SU can't do this on its own, so you have to use your brain to make the program do what you need it to do. It's very good at making the designing task easier.

    The second thing that I find invaluable, is its ability to generate dimensions in 3 dimensions. When I built my long, narrow shop, I had models of my tools and could move everything around and very quickly determine how much clearance I had for walking, whether I had room for the throw of a particular machine, or the clearance of a door. It's so much easier than trying to account for everything using trig and a calculator. You get accuracy, mistake mitigation, and a nice visual picture of what you are doing.

    I, personally, don't use cut lists. I've never felt the need for them. Having a 3D model that I can measure dimensions is enough for me to build whatever I build. If you can't build something without a cut list, then there are probably better programs to help you with that than SU.

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