Sketchup... Like.. Hate... Love... LoveHate...

[Neomorph]

Well when I started to use Sketchup I thought it was great as it looked simple... then I got narked off because I kept thinking like it was other 3D programs and I began to hate it but carried on trying as I knew it could do what I wanted for designing my woodworking projects.

Well after arguing with the program, yelling at the tutorials and generally beginning to hate the damn thing along comes Dave R with his wonderful tutorials and tips.
(See here at Sketchup for Woodworkers)

I finally got to grips with the program and it was then that it started going pear shaped. I began to love the program... and it got worse as I found I was designing stuff through the night and not getting any sleep.

"Hmmm that bit could be better... no that's not right... nope.. need a new component... where's me vernier gauge so I can measure it to put in as a component... OK... that looks ok but this other bit could be replaced by a widget..."

I've now passed the "love the program" phase and now am in what I call the LoveHate phase. I love the program but it's just too damned addictive that I'm spending all my time fiddling with the design that I'm not doing any woodwork. :roll:

So be warned... if you do get over the learning hump don't be surprised if you then get chained to the PC over-designing stuff.

Is there anyone else out there who have a similar story?

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Ha, ha, ha! :twisted: It's got you now! There's no turning back for you.

Just wait until you are looking at some 2D photo or drawing and try orbiting it like you do your models in SU. DAMHIKT.

 

[Neomorph]

Ha, ha, ha! :twisted: It's got you now! There's no turning back for you.

Just wait until you are looking at some 2D photo or drawing and try orbiting it like you do your models in SU. DAMHIKT.

Yup... already done it... When I was adding the text box in Photoshop I found the model wasn't quite where I wanted and was narked when holding down the scroll button refused to rotate it. :roll:

Oh crap... I just looked at the time too... and I was going to go to bed early so I set my alarm for 11 and it didn't go off. I just looked and I set it for 11am instead of 11pm.

Nighty night... hmmm... I wonder if I can get that compon.... arrrrggghhh!

:-#

 

[houtslager]

lol thank you for parting this sorry tale to us.
After downloading the trail 3 times onto different pcs and even having the cheek to get an extra extension from SU thereby getting 1200

minutes free \/ . I managed to finish my design for my FINAL and new workshop I finally swallowed the "BAIT"and bought SU. So , what happens to me - I bought it last Friday and had to wait ALL weekend for the authorising

code to be able to use SU (homer) #-o I then got the code, and ended up last night working on a SIMPLE design for a quick job.

Then this morning I get a email inviting me and more then likely 1000's
of others to a w/s demo here is the url - http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=114
so now one could say I am a SU addict.
Need help so, Dave, advice will gladly be taken
On another topic, how does one post SU drawings to this forum, when many people may not have the viewer ?

All the best from a very tired HS in Germany

 

[Neomorph]

You can export a 2d graphic from the program. File>Export>2D Graphic. I then put it into photoshop and reduce the size to 800 pixels width so as to make it fit the forum page easier. I then upload it to my own website space and post the link here.

I'm really having probs sleeping at the moment and keep finding myself loading up SU to fiddle with my router table fence. It's a good job that I hadn't started fabrication yet as I made a right ****oo with the center of the fence and the vacuum box. It didn't take into account the size of the panel raising bits so I had to do a quick bit of shifting faces another 10mm each side of center to make sure I don't end up routing the actual fence itself.

 

[houtslager]

well thanks Neomorph, finally worked it out, and thanks to PB here are some drawings.
mark 1.

mark 2

hope these are not too big , any comments from SU and non SU users welcome :wink:

 

[Neomorph]

The size is fine mate. Only a couple of comments...

1. Is that a pic of your workshop?

2. Get a new gardener... the trees are planted upside down :wink:

It took me a while to master the rotate tool but the key to it is to this. Say you want to rotate the trees the right way up

• Select the item you want to rotate.
• Select the rotate tool.
• Move the rotate circle around the screen until you see it in the correct plane (using the view left, front or top helps if you want to rotate in a certain plane.)
• hold down the shift key to lock the circle into that plane.
• click once on the tree at the point where you want to rotate it. If you click the component center it will mean that once you complete the rotation that it will automatically be in the right position. :wink:
• Move the mouse pointer out from the component at 90 degrees to the required rotation. This time just move the pointer parallel to the horizontal axis.
• Click once again to lock the line you just made and then use the line to rotate the tree. You can either manually rotate it 180 degrees or just move it slightly and then type in 180 in the text box at the bottom left.

I used to have real problems with rotation in that I would always be on the wrong plane or rotated it from the wrong point. Also if I rotated it from the base of the item, group or component that I could never get the silly thing aligned where I wanted again.

 

[houtslager]

1. Is that a pic of your workshop? :wink: Well work shop to be I should say.

2. Get a new gardener... the trees are planted upside down :? well not according to SU, they're plants. The trees were too BIG - couldn't reduce them.

 

[Adam]

any comments from SU and non SU users welcome :wink:

The window down the far left side (in the bottom picture) is a security risk? It allows people to be looking in, without you seeing them from the house.

And can't see any skylights - are you going to let additional light in - it looks like it'll be dark in there.

Adam

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Looks to me like you have your priorities straight anyway. Shop is bigger than the house. Good. Less house to keep clean and room for more tools.


Good drawing work, too.

 

[houtslager]

The window down the far left side (in the bottom picture) is a security risk? It allows people to be looking in, without you seeing them from the house.

mmmm possible but that's where I want my timber store, so more then likely I'll have the racks there.So if the want in, then they will have a couple cube timber to get through after the window. :wink:

Good drawing work, too.

shucks thanks Dave.You should see the first version god it took nearly 800 minutes to do.then the architect gave it the thumbs down #-o

 

[Neomorph]

I wonder if Doctor Who builds workshops... I need his TARDIS technology to get some decent kit like a panel saw and moulding machines and assemberrrly table (Norm voice there) and... etc, etc, all into a 10'x6' shed. To say I'm envious of your workshop to be is an understatement.

I wonder what kind of plants those upside down tree things are. I cant seem to find them in my components library (I downloaded a load from the @Last site)... :?