The Google SketchUp Thread

[marc_reusser]

Kathy,

Not up early....still at the office.

If you want, you can Email me the 2D & or the SU file, and I will have a look at it.

Sounds like issues with intersections and object isolation.

The offset to zero should not happen. If a surface is giving you problems in pushing/pulling, try holding down the shift key while you do it. I have found this helps when items only want to offset to a certain point/line/face.

The only other reason I could think that this might happen, is because you are working in a "style" that has a Ground plane, and you are working flat on that plane ...IE., you didn't tilt the wall, upright after you imported it (It is still flat on the x/y plane)......this though should not be an issue, but it is all I can think of for that issue.

[kathymillatt]

Hiya Marc

Thanks for your kind offer. If this doesn't work then I will be sending you the file! 

What do you do to be up so late at the office?

I had a look again this evening and I think that pushing the window frame through the brickwork caused all my bricks to join up at the back instead of bring hollows. I think that's a real no no for Shapeways as it is a non-solid solid. Or something to do with internal faces. I ended up doing the brickwork again whilst watching the last Poirot. It seemed to be marginally quicker than deleting every extra brick back.

I'm now looking at window openings again and my main problem is to stop the bricks closing up on the back again, I ended up putting the break line for the window opening round each fiddly little mortar line. When I've done one side, I might be able to copy it which would be a Godsend because it is time consuming.

I do find Sketchup longwinded, maybe because I'm used to Excel where you can press f4 and it will repeat the action. I just don't know the shortcuts here.

I wondered if the mortar lines wouldn't go down because something was interfering with them dropping. Alas, I can't find that version and think I may have saved over it by mistake.     

I'm beginning to wonder if using plasticard would have been quicker but this uses time I don't model in later in the evenings.

Thanks

Kathy

[Chuck Doan]

Kathy,

I'm glad to see another modeller trying 3D printing. I have been following your achivement projects on FB. I wonder if the NMRA will have a catagory for 3D printed projects someday?

[eTraxx]

Just finished these two O scale wood spoke wheels. The thick edges are to fall within the requirements for printing in FUD. The rim width for example is .012". To give an idea of scale these are .. with tire slightly smaller then a dime. Wonderful thing this 3D printing. The tire I tried uploading  just crashed and burned .. but that can wait for tomorrow.

[kathymillatt]

Hi Chuck

I'm glad to hear that someone reads my posts!

You can use 3D printing for any scratch built item in the Achievement Programme. I'm hoping to do my scratch built depot that way (depending on price). It's really interesting learning something new and 3D printing is great for so many things.

On another project I have steam lines but just couldn't drill out the globe valves easily. Now I'm thinking - just 3D print them!

Ed - hate that fail moment when you upload. I normally forget to change the scale.... Leads to some very expensive models!

Kathy

[finescalerr]

If it makes you feel any better, I've been muddling around with SketchUp for about three or four weeks now. While I'm much better that at the outset, I find it crude, especially in comparison to AutoCAD. I think that is one reason Marc Reusser suggests drawing a lot of 2-D stuff in AutoCAD and then extruding it in SketchUp. I have no other answer to your questions but we all know how misery loves company. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Sketchup, is crude in comparison to autocad, in the way one works with it, and some of the drawinging functions....but it is by no means crude in what one can produce....at least not for most of our needs here....what can be created, is really limited by the information you provide the program, and how you construct your models. Not to toot my horn....but as a few examples. These were all relatively simple and somewhat quick renderings that were drawn in SU...and you can see that the detail is there....these could be taken and printed in 3D. All I can recommend is to keep practicing. It is by far the easiest rendering program to use and learn, and can deliver comparable results to many of the high end programs....without the steep learning curve, and without the multi-thousand dollar investment into the software.

[finescalerr]

Re. your drawings: Wow.

Re. SketchUp: I didn't mean to belittle the program. I actually like it and realize its potential. It has some limitations that AutoCAD helps to overcome. But its biggest limitation is ME and my limited ability to figure out how to approach a drawing. I have the same limitation when it comes to figuring out how to construct, for example, a structure with gables. That is where my personal learning curve comes into play and SketchUp is a very good tool for teaching myself to think in three dimensions.

I'll stick with it.

Russ

[Malachi Constant]

Scatter some debris and a few gas masks here and there ... rip a cabinet or two off the wall ... and you'd have another diorama!    -- Dallas

[finescalerr]

Okay, I realize the image below is probably going to embarrass me in another couple of weeks but it's the most sophisticated drawing I've managed to create so far. It's a 24 inch diameter freight car wheel and I chose the subject because of all the curves and indentations and protrusions. If any of you SketchUp guys sees an error in how I did it (not necessarily its resemblance to an actual wheel), please tell me; I've posted it so I can learn how to do better. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Looks good...and far better than the first wheels I ever did.

[kathymillatt]

Russ. That's very impressive for a curved object!

Marc. I can see that you are a master compared to the rest of us. I'm so glad you are around to help.

I have discovered (and am making progress) that Sketchup needs to have a push/pull mentality rather than drawing boxes. My first two or twenty attempts all used a lot of drawing 3D lines and making faces that way. When you then try to get them to interact correctly, they don't. You have to draw in 2D and push pull to the desired outcome. I can get Sketchup to work when I take the long road and avoid taking shortcuts!  Good thing I watch a lot of TV to Sketchup in front of.

Kathy

[finescalerr]

Kathy, you have nailed it. That's how SketchUp seems to work, at least as far as I've yet discovered. Marc pointed that out at the beginning of this thread. Everything finally seemed to snap into focus after I looked up, in SketchUp's Help menu, "How to make an inner tube or donut". Let's keep cranking out drawings until we master the program.

Russ

[Carlo]

Marc, Russ, etc.
I'd like to see a comparison of the relative merits and problems (demerits) of SketchUp,
TinkerCAD, and 123D (the latter two from Autocad). They're all free (right now), and I've
tried them all, but I find TinkerCAD works easiest for me, with no former experience in CAD.
Is it just a matter of taste? Will Autocad eventually merge their two programs (I've heard rumors)?
Carlo

[finescalerr]

I'm the wrong guy to ask, Carlo. Marc, Chuck, and a couple of the other guys deal with CAD professionally. -- Russ