The Google SketchUp Thread

[marc_reusser]

Yes, thanks very much for taking the time. This will come in handy if I lose my Solidworks connection.

Going from Solid Works to this would be like going from a gas powered car to a squirrel powered soap-box derby racer.

MR

[Hauk]

Mark, I appreciate what you are doing here!
I think Sketchup is one of the important keys for bringing 3D printing to the ordinary hobbyist.

Hope to be able to contribute to the prosject, I have used Sketchup for making  .stl models for CNC-milling.

Speaking of  stl files, what export plugin do you use for making stl files?
I used a free plugin I found on the net, but I have had problems with it lately, so I am looking for an alternative.
I found the plugin on a guitarist blog of all places:
http://www.guitar-list.com/download-software/convert-sketchup-skp-files-dxf-or-stl

[marc_reusser]

Hauk,

Thanks for the input. I really look forward to your contributions here, as I know from your modeling as well as from your field of work, you have dealt with, and have experience with these.

I saw that same link when I was looking for an .STL converter, but ended up going with CadSpan http://www.cadspan.com/pluginguide/overview....they offer a freeware plug-in for SU. It's basically 4 buttons/steps that appear in the Menu bar. real easy to use. They also seem to have an advance not free version, that you can pay for on a monthly or yearly basis....and is available for a 30-day free trial.  So far the program seems that it must have worked...at least I have not had an email or call from PAP telling me there was a problem, and their upload and pricing software seems to have been able to read it okay.


Marc

[finescalerr]

Chuck, if you lose your SolidWorks connection, you will be in deep trouble, n'est-ce pas? And not just because of the software inconvenience. My guess is that will never happen unless your firm goes belly up. -- Russ

[DaKra]

Anyone have any experience using Rhino?  I have a demo version but its all mysterious to me.  A friend of mine who worked with me on a book project made some very complex 3/4 view  illustrations in Rhino, and they are stunning.   He says its "easy and intuitive."  Of course, its all easy and intuitive when you're looking down from the top of a learning curve!   

Dave

[RoughboyModelworks]

No familiar with Rhino Dave. I've done some test work with Sketch-Up but my application of choice is Cobalt from Ashlar-Vellum. If you've seen my threads here on the Heywood Brake Van and the Radial Axle project, those drawings were all done with Cobalt. I started with Cobalt designing motorcycle parts. Parts below were designed and rendered in Cobalt.


Brass-Knuckle Kicker Pedal


Rear Axle Block with internal LED turn/brake light


Low-profile hinged seat mount


Brass velocity stack


Rigid frame

Paul

[JohnP]

Holy crap Paul those are nice renderings. The frame is complex too. Ever draft a complete bike?

One of these days I'm gonna buck up and a buy real ($+1000) CAD. The basic version of anything like my TurboCAD (or AutoCAD LT) can get a guy frustrated...and jealous.

John

[RoughboyModelworks]

Thanks John. No I haven't tried to draft an entire bike. My computer lacks the power to handle drawings that complex. The frame was a bit of a challenge because it alone stretched the limits of my hardware. I also have a motorcycle frame jig design (small rendering below shows the main jig frame with the adjustable fork stem and lower frame rail fixtures) that is nearly complete, but once again it's butting up against the limits of my computer. For the Heywood brake van I'm going to have to do the iron work pieces as separate designs to keep the overall file size small and within the limits of my hardware. I'm watching the PAP experiments with interest as I'm thinking that may be the way to go with the ironwork pieces rather than building them up from brass. Only thing is they'll need to be done in metal... a topic for future research.



Paul

[marc_reusser]

Laser Kit 101:

[Fred H.]

THAT animation is seriously cool, Marc!

[lab-dad]

It'd be even cooler if it was actual parts!

[eTraxx]

Fur maker. Put fur .. or .. grass on your SU models. Makes excellent grass.

Fur Maker Plug-In

[eTraxx]

Sketchu STL export tutorial

He uses MeshLab and Accutrans3D

[JohnP]

I used MeshLab for some PAP parts- it worked great and the price is right: http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=896.0. It is the final part of the pathway to stereolithography printing for modelers.

Marc, where are the glue dribbles and stuff stuck to your fingers?

John

[eTraxx]

<snip> ..

[EDIT: A quick note re the drawing set-up:

Instead of working/drawing things the actual size of the model, and having to convert all those real world dimensions into model scale dimension, you can leave the setting and draw things at the real world scale, and then come in at the end and "Scale" the entire drawing to the appropriate size......however, I prefer not to do this because I am often dealing in and drawing "model scale" plastic, stripwood or cutting dimensions.....and when you scale downd a full size drawing at the end, you may very well end up with model dimensions that do not match available material or mfg. tolerances.]

Well .. darn. Lesson's learned and all that. Wanting to explore the 'Print-a-Part world', I drew up a wheel in Sketchup (1927 Talbot) full 'real world' size. Fig A shows her .. I was pretty satisfied except for the lack of a fillet where the spoke forms the hub. Know where I messed up there .. should have formed that at the same time I did the spoke and still had a location for the center of the circle. I ran into a problem when I scaled the wheel down to 1:48 .. when I went to save it I lost surfaces. Evidently when Sketchup saves .. it goes through a 'Check Validity' .. and removed Non-Valid surfaces - Fig B. I went back and zoomed into the hub after re-scaling (so before the Validity Check and see the problem - Fig C.



Ok. Back to the Sketchup 'Drawing Board' .. this time follow Marc's suggestion and draw it up at 1:48