3detailer- this looks awesome!
Thanks a mill.
I downloaded sketchup but i'm still trying to learn how to use it.
I understand. Took me a while to grasp the basics, but I've learned some tricks. The most awesome tool is the Push/Pull tool. Makes doing 3d childs play, once you understand some of the other basic tools.
The most important thing to understand is the xy plane. This is the plane that lies on the Green/Red axis. This is the default plane when you draw a rectangle. Everything in height is determined from this plane.
But to make things really easy, you need to set some things up.
Unfortunately, I use Sketchup PRO, which may have a different set of available tools than the FREE version. But you probably have the standard set of default tools, which I will show you how to "manipulate"
Here is what I did to make Sketchup work for me easily. The first thing is the Zoom tool. When you first open Sketchup, there is a "default" set of Tools in the tool bar. The tools are "sets", such as the drawing tool set, the zoom tool set, the modifying tool set, etc. You can select what "sets" are placed on the Tool Bar in the VIEW menu. Select View-...then a dropdown Menu appears. At the top is the "Tool" selection. Click on Tools, and another menu bar appears at the side with a list of Tools that you can turn off or on. Usually the "Large Tool" is ON, by default, although yours may be different. For me, I turn this set OFF, for one reason only. And that is the Zoom tool.
By default, the LARGE TOOL SET, only contains a few of the available ZOOM Tools. There are a few more that you can select from the list that are invaluable. I use them every few seconds. Although the most important is the "Orbit" tool, which IS in the default set. This allows rotating your "view" in SPACE. You can orbit the view of your model in all axis'. Next is the Zoom IN and OUT tool. Next is the PAN tool. These three are "usually" the default Zoom tools in the Free version, although Ver7 may have more, I'm not sure. However, there is a ZOOM WINDOW tool, which may or may not be included in your version, at least in the default ZOOM SET. This is a very important tool to select with a tool button. NORMALLY, you have to select Ct/Alt/W, to get the zoom Window tool. Pain in the butt. This is why, on the View, Tool dropdown, I select the CAMERA tool set. These are ACTUALLY, a set of ZOOM Tools. Zoom WINDOW, PREVIOUS, BACK, and EXTENTS, which when selected, Zooms the view where you can see EVERYTHING in the model space. So, first, select the CAMERA tool set, and look at what comes up.
Look at the Tool sets I have turned ON, in the jpg. Try those out and see.
You can physically move these sets whereever you want to place them in the tool bars. Just click on the little bar at the end of each tool set, and drag them, even in the middle of the screen. Although I leave them on top, you can make a tool bar on either the left or right side of the screen as well, depending on your work preference.
The next thing is a TEMPLATE. This is very important. When Sketchup opens, it has a DEFAULT set of "model settings". You want to change these settings so everytime you open Sketchyup, your "settings" are already in place as a TEMPLATE. The first thing to set is your STYLE.
The STYLES are found in a dropdown menu when you click on WINDOW.
Scroll down to "Styles" and when you click on it, a new menu "window" will appear, with a dozen or so default STYLES. Click on each one of these, and the Sketchup "world" will alter to this particular Style. I use the "DESIGN" style, as a default, which is the third selection to the right in the top row, although, you can change them at will to make your model appear however you want it to appear. Try them out.
There is another set of "parameters" that allow your STYLE to look different as well. These are found under the VIEW menu. Down at the bottom, you will find EDGE style and FACE style. Each has another sub-menu when selected. When you select EDGE, there is a small list of various EDGE types. In my "template", I have the DISPLAY EDGES turned on, but nothing else, as I want my model to have a DESIGN look. If you turn on the PROFILE EDGE, the outline of the model lines become BOLD, which gives the modele a "sketchy" look. I use this sometimes, depending on what I am modeling. Try all these out...although you need a "model" to try them on. Which now brings up the next parameter of your TEMPLATE.
There are many "parameters" that can be setup, to make different aspects either easier, or automatic, or in different "units" etc. The first one to set is your UNITS. This tells Sketchup if you are working in FEET, INCHES, MILLIMETERS or what. Also what type of fractions, either Decimal, or actual Fractions. Since I have been a "CAD detailer" for many years, using Autocad, I became accustomed to working in DECIMALS, which makes entering fractional line LENGHTHS and Dimensions very easy. Although it takes a while to memorize the conversion factors. But once you do, believe me, it makes drawing in fraction of inches, very easy.
Also is the PRECISION parameter. Sketchup has a PRECISION factor of 14 decimal points, which means you can draw in as precise space as you want. My precision is usually within 1/32", as that is as close as I need for pro woodworking. Although, in Metal and "gauges", you might need a precision as close as .0005". So, in 1/32" increments, the DECIMAL equivelents work out like this:
1/32"= .0312 Each successive increment increases by this much.
1/16"= .0625 From this point I work in 1/16" increments.
1/8" = .125
3/16" = .1875
1/4" = .25
5/16"= .3125
3/8"= .375
7/16"= .4375
1/2" = .5
9/16" = .5625
5/8" = .625
11/16" = .6875
3/4" = .75
13/16" = .8125
7/8" =.875
15/16 = .9375
and then...1" = 1 :laughing:
Print those out and keep them by your keyboard, untill you memorize them. That is if you want to work this way. Some people, who just want to design in a less precise format may sellect FEET AND INCHES. But first, you need to select the UNITS of choice for your TEMPLATE.
To set the Units, click on WINDOW(in the top tool bar), and a dropdown menu appears. The first selection is MODEL INFO. Click on this and a seperate window with a list of "preferences" on the left side appears.
At the bottom, select UNITS and this "field" appears.
Select FORMAT. A drop down menu with a list of "formats" appears. I select DECIMAL.
And to the right is another field which when clicked on, has a list of UNITS. I select INCHES.
And below the Format field, is another field called PRECISION,which when
clicked on displays a list of Decimal points. I select .0000 as this is the maximum decimal points for increments of 1/16". See my conversion list above. Only 4 decimal points are used.
Ok, I'm outta time at the moment. However there is much more to drawing in Sketchup, and I have many tricks to make drawing very simple and fun.
I'll be back to show you if you so desire. One last thing. When you draw ANYTHING, like a square, rectangle, circle or anything that is a PLANE, always select the ENTIRE object, then while the curser is still on the object, RIGHT CLICK, and a menu appears. Select MAKE GROUP. Now, all the lines that make this polygon become an object, instead of a bunch of seperate lines. ALWAYS make a group of a polygon. Then you can "select" this polygon, RIGHT CLICK on it, and the menu appears again. Select "EDIT GROUP". Now you can do ANYTHING to this group, without affecting any other entity. Like PUSH/PULL, add lines or other objects, move lines and objects, rotate things etc. You can even make groups within groups...within Groups....within Groups. However, the more groups you make within other groups, it becomes very confusing which group you are editing. More on that later.
I would suggest joining the Sketchup forums too. There are literally TONS of tutorials ....AND...PLUGINS!! Which once you download expands the toolbar capability of Sketchup many times over.
There is a window in the bathroom- right above the existing tub. 41" wide. And my wife wants to keep a window. Would it be major work to move it?
Not in Sketchup.
:laughing: Hahahaha! Just kidding. Well, it depends on many things. The existing construction, pipes, exterior materials, your skills and tools, money.....explain a bit and maybe post some pictures and I'm sure either me or others with more construction experience can tell you whether you can or not, and if so, how to do it.
OR, simply remodel the MODEL....in Sketchup!
If you want, I'll post the .skp file and since most of the elements are GROUPS and COMPONENTS, it will allow you to experiment with a pre drawn model. Plus, if you save a second file and rename it, you can erase everything, and then...SAVE IT AS A TEMPLATE! Voila...everything will be the same as mine when you start up Sketchup. Simple. Ha!
Ok, gotta go for now
Hope this helps a bit. I do have MANY MANY other tricks too. Just ask and I'll try to show you them, but it may take a few days to do it.
fitZ