SketchUp

[dpb]

On 03-Sep-17 12:18 PM, Leon wrote: ...

...

I know _eventually_ one can get to an end result and have enough facility to be able to do it relatively quickly, but I'm surely having difficulty in getting there, too...

I started some months ago to try to do what I thought was going to be a fairly simple task to draw a rendition of the outside of the house which is just an almost square two-story with hip roof (the length of the ridge is about 4 ft, the difference from perfect square) from which I could then add on the single story entry on the east and the kitchen on the south. The end goal is to create a plan for redoing the entry way as it was just an old porch folks closed in nearly 40 yr ago and it is moving from lack of substantial foundation and buildup of yard around from dust bowl days on.

Anyway, I managed to get a rendition of the outer dimensions and the height to the upper roof line but in three days of trying I never was able to get the roof added with consistent pitch and overhang...no matter how I tried to create a plane and some points and pull up, somehow it never interpreted what was desired correctly. I then tried construction points to fix a point for the two ridge ends in space and the intersections of the eave edges and fill in the planes -- that also never managed to get slopes to match actual despite measured distances being entered...spring planting then interfered and here it's September and I've still not gotten anything altho it's now been at least a month since last attempt...I'm just too "wore'd out" to spend two more hours every night...I need one that says "draw that" shone a picture. :)

[dadiOH]

Assuming you know the rise, one way...

1. Draw a vertical line from the center point of a gable end
2. Measure up the vertical line equal to the rise
3. Draw a horizontal line house end to house end from the point in #2
4. Draw lines from the corners of the overhang to the ends line in #3
5. Erase line #1

[Leon]

It is a process... But having said that I recall CAD'S that I used for the first time being difficult to even draw a line to a specific direction and length. I recall AutoCAD requiring coordinates for the start and end of a line. That was before the mouse and Windows were around.

In all seriousness you are taking on a big task. I drew a model of our current home before I really knew Sketchup very well, 7 years ago. I make mistakes that I have to work around even to this day....components were not that important to me back then. LOL I use that model for every piece of furniture that I build for our home.

[Leon]

Or draw a rectangle, draw a line from the middle to one side to the the middle of the other side. Now move that new center line up.

[Bill]

What I found interesting, is that it's easier to refer to one of my drawings, to get a dimension, then it is to walk to the garage.

[dpb]

On 03-Sep-17 3:08 PM, Leon wrote: ...

That's basically what I tried excepting the ridge line is only about 4 ft in length and could never get the extrusion to work correctly. Either one end would be higher than the other, or the four sides weren't regular or something else untoward happened every try I made.

At some point I'll give it a go again, but just now not enough time in the day and not enough energy left when the day is done...

[wyzarddoc]

Jerry; I am writing a book on learning sketchup that will be released sometime nex t year. So you will be my test case. Most books and you tube videos assume you know something about software and how it's written, a majority of peopl e haven't a clue yet "use" software everyday. So

1st treat any program like a mystery novel. When someone writes a book they have a plot outlined with characters, situations, perils etc all outlined. Then they fill in the words to form the story. Same goes for software you have a lead programmer and they set the way software moves from one functio n to the next, they set the way the "user interface acts" etc. Bottom line to really learn a software program you need to figure out what the lead pro grammer was thinking. In sketchup they tell you but don't make a big deal j ust mention it in passing.

What they tell you is sketchup is designed for you to make 1 of each differ ent component of your design and then make copies. By doing this you change say 1 leg of a table and they all change.

So the process is make all the rough milled components the go back and edit the component which will edit all the copies of the component.

So the process for a table is make a leg. Make the leg a component. Move th e leg component to a new layer. The reason for moving to a new layer for le g is that you can turn off the other layers and work on just the leg layer.

Next make a side apron. Make the side apron a component. Move the side apro n to a new layer.

Next make a front apron Make the front apron a componet. Move the front apr on to a new layer. Change the layer names as needed.

Continue making components till you have all you need for your project.

Now go back to the leg layer and uncheck all of the other layers so all you see is the legs. Use the "ctrl move" function to copy and make more legs. Add you jointery by "editing the component" next rotate the remaining legs to have the joints match the apron connections.

After finishing the legs move to the aprons make a copy using "ctrl move" t o make a copy then "edit the component" till your happy with the results.

Now turn on the legs and apron layers. Read up on how to use move with the mid-point marker and join aprons to legs.

WARNING WARNING WARNING if you don't make components you will suffer the ir e of the software gods!!!! Sketchup has what's called a inference engine - that's why the cursor goes nuts sometimes. The inference engine "ASSUMES" i f you add anything to a drawing that it belongS to that part and so it merg es any new lines into your part so you cannot easily later go back and take it apart to modify it.Think of making a table leg then a apron gluing them together, then gluing another leg apron etc. And then going back and tryin g to taper the legs. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

SketchUp is a good program but was created for architects to show off their designs not wood working. Just look at the menus and descriptions they are not like any other drafting programs. If you use real drafting programs li ke AutoCad you will recognize SketchUp trying to re-write the universally accepted names and functions of drafting programs.

Good luck

Doc

[Bill]

Maybe try to think about it when you are not sitting in front the computer. Working at the computer can be distracting (I'm not sure to what degree this applies to SU).

[Bob La Londe]

Free... with strings.

We can differ in our opinions as to whether or not that is the definition of free.

[Puckdropper]

"Bob La Londe" wrote in news:ookcmu$9j0$ [e-mail]:

It's a rather complicated subject, but can usually be simplified down to "what do our users usually care about?" $0 rarely means free.

At least Google Play discloses whether software is ad-supported or includes in-app purchases. Microsoft's app store doesn't, at least on Windows Phone.

Puckdropper

[krw]

SU Make is 0$. I see no ads or popups, other than the splash screen.

I don't think it matters. If an app goes overboard with ads, there is usually an option to buy them out or there's always an alternative.

[Jerry Osage]

I read the "Make" TOS as free unless you sell the .skp files.

"SketchUp Make Software is licensed only for non-commercial use for your internal business purposes. Non-commercial use means that you may not sell, rent, or lease the output of the Software."

The only output of SketchUp Make Software that I am aware of is a .skp file.

[Bob La Londe]

I think the last time that I used a t square and triangles was in the

70's, I had a formal education in mechanical drafting and architectural drafting. ************

In my one (1) mechanical drawing class I ever took in my life I used triangles and squares all the time in 1980/1981. In 1993-1996 I did a few layouts for fire alarm systems on the drafting table. In 1996 I started to computerize everything, and I finally went to electronic books in 1997.

I gave away my drafting table last year, but I still have all my tools in a desk drawer.

Now, I do use angles and squares in the shop all the time for laying out quick and dirty parts, and I even still scribe lines on metal parts from time to time. Sometimes the old ways are still the fastest way to get the job done.

[Bill]

I have my dad's tools right next to me in my closet. Rulers, with all sort of units, compassi, and even a slide rule (on which he taught me to do multiplication). Priceless though these items may be, I am willing to entertain offers too good to refuse! ; )

[dpb]

On Fri, 1 Sep 2017 10:51:02 -0500, Leon wrote: ... I read the "Make" TOS as free unless you sell the .skp files. "SketchUp Make Software is licensed only for non-commercial use for your internal business purposes. Non-commercial use means that you may not sell, rent, or lease the output of the Software." The only output of SketchUp Make Software that I am aware of is a .skp file. -- Jerry O.

A printout of the drawing is output by one definition.

Read the following sentence after the above, though --

"For example, if you are a for-profit organization of any kind, or an employee of a for-profit organization using the Software in that capacity, you are engaged in commercial activity; therefore, in order to use the Software, you must purchase a SketchUp Pro license."

Individuals for a hobby can use it; if you sell any of your work made from a drawing using it then it's off limits.

[J. Clarke]

And $0 rarely means free would be news to the entire open source community.

[Jerry Osage]

That is one definition - there are many other readings. Until a court somewhere blesses a definition, interpretations can, and will, be argued.

[krw]

Hardly relevant. SU isn't "open source".

[J. Clarke]

Only by people with enough money to pay lawyers.