Sketchup For Woodworkers

[Brentingby]

That's nice Shultzy.

Those who do claim SketchUp can only draw boxes should look at the images here. there are many that show SketchUp is capable of much more. It does require learning how to use the tools but so does anything you do in the shop.

it is easy to say you are surprised when you know how to use it - maybe the you tube tutorials i have used before have not been sufficient but i have found trying to design things like fitted cupboards and the like where you have to add in skirting and other bits of trim etc already in place a bit difficult. it could also be down in part to something as stupid as using my Mac Book pros track pad rather than attaching a mouse. Hopefully the previously mentioned DVD is exactly what i need and i'll be designing love pieces of complex furniture in a few weeks time.

Petey83, you should get yourself a proper mouse. Using SketchUp with a track pad is certain to cause frustration.

 

[Shultzy]

The secret is to ask specific question about how to construct a part on the forum. There are lots of experienced users who would be willing to help. As for designing with bits already in place, not an issue as Sketchup works in actual size. Just create the existing location and store as a component or on a different layer. The "New Kitchen" in my sig has the sketchup design about 3 pics down. It is in incredible detail as I even drew the drawer mechanisms to make sure they fitted in the carcases. If you need any help let me know.

 

[Shultzy]

Brentingby, I'm very familiar with Dave Richards work, he helped a lot when I was learning Sketchup. I'm hoping to build the truck later in the year.

 

[RogerS]

Definitely get a mouse with a roller ball. I have a cheapie Logitech that I use with my Mac it it works just fine.

 

[Petey83]

i have actually got a fancy logitech gaming mouse i bought a couple of years ago but never bothered to set up as sold the gaming laptop shortly after so i'll dig that out and give it a whirl in conjunction with the dvd download

 

[Steve Maskery]

Sketchup for Woodworkers - Advanced Techniques been out for a long time hasn't it?

No, this DVD and eBook have been out only a short while. Just this year.

 

[Brentingby]

http://www.tauntonstore.com/sketchup-gu ... 77547.html

 

[Steve Maskery]

Just for the avoidance of confusion the new DVD and eBook I am talking about is called "SketchUp Guide for Woodworkers: Advanced Techniques".
Here as an eBook
Here as a DVD.

No, I'm not on commission!

 

[jdeacon]

And regarding the mouse, do get used to using the wheel/middle button, it makes it so much easier. Wheel = zoom in/out; Middle-button plus drag (i.e. click and hold down the wheel then move the mouse) = orbit; Middle-button held down followed by left button held down plus drag = pan.

(And getting used to the shortcut keys makes things easier still, e.g. P for push/pull, M for move, Space for selection pointer, etc.)

 

[Woodmatt]

Here is a free version

http://sketchupforwoodworkers.com/

 

[Brentingby]

Here is a free version

http://sketchupforwoodworkers.com/

Entirely unrelated to the other SketchUp tutorials mentioned above. It is good material if you like to learn bad SketchUp habits, though.

 

[RogerS]

Here is a free version

http://sketchupforwoodworkers.com/

I'm sorry but I cannot recommend this series as you will end up going down a blind alley as he uses Groups and not Components.

Using Groups is not best practice.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The thing about SU is that it is very easy to get going. Drawing a frame and panel door, for example, is achievable in a very short time even if you have never used the program before.

However, it is very easy indeed to learn how to model that F&P door badly, in an inefficient way, that will make the file size much bigger than it needs to be, which in turn will slow down your computer. File sizes can very enormously, and whilst it might not matter very much for a single F&P door, it starts to make a big difference when that project is scaled up to an entire kitchen, for example. And if you model it poorly, and you decide later on that you want to change that model, the way you defined it originally can greatly affect the ease with which you can make those alterations, model-wide.

Dave is an accredited Sketchup trainer and no-one in the world knows more about how to use it in the context of woodwork than Dave does. Do yourself a favour and start right from the get-go. You will save yourself an awful lot of grief later on.

It's not as if it is expensive!

 

[RogerS]

+ 1

Steve has put it far more eloquently than I could.

 

[Woodmatt]

Thanks Brentingby and SM for the advice,I had better go with Dave's DVD/Video.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Good, I'm glad we have persuaded you.
Just bear in mind that the second one, The Advanced Techniques, does assume a good basic understanding. For example, where he uses PlugIns (which appear to have been changed to Extensions in SU16 - maybe earlier, I've been using SU8) he tells you which ones you need, but assumes you know how to find and install them (it's not difficult, of course). Basic is Basic, Advanced is Advanced.

Just so that no-one is misled, you understand.