[TheForge] Sketchup Help

[Jerry Frost]

A couple things:

The free download isn't a complete version, naturally, 
some of the most important (to me anyway) features 
aren't included. One of the features I use the most in 
cad drawing is various "copies". The free version nly 
has one "copy" function. No; multiple, radial, spline, 
etc. etc. There are other missing features as well.

It draws in 3D, not 2D and add the third. Some features 
work this way though but in general you're drawing in 
3D.

Keeping orientation is always the toughest part of 3D 
drawing and Sketchup is WAY easier than Autocad. There 
are a couple tricks to snapping to a point:

Learn to use layers and keep components on their own 
layer. The simpler the drawing the easier it is to 
accurately place things. One way this works is by being 
able to hide components so you can see what you need 
to. The tough thing is remembering to change layers 
when you want to make a mod on the fly.

For instance you're drawing a cart and you're working 
on the fender. You discover you can't put the fender on 
the cart body without it hitting the tire so you move 
the tire out an inch. Now you have to stretch the axle 
so you do. Later you discover you forgot to change 
layers and now your brackets holding the fender are 
pinned to the axle and rotate when the cart moves. 
Don't worry though you accidently changed layers on the 
tires and they're pinned to the ground back in St. 
Louis. <grin>

What I've found handy is assigning each layer a color. 
This also helps keep components straight in a finished 
drawing, say the frame from the hydraulics from the 
electrical, etc. It's not so good if you're drawing a 
house for the wife but you can change colors, textures, 
materials, etc. any time as well as reasign layers, 
lock or unlock things, etc.

Ayway, layers is one of the most useful features of any 
cad program.

If you make an object a "Component" you can lock it's 
orientation and plane, a menu will come up when you 
make a component and ask your preferences. This can be 
changed as necessary too. For instance you draw a bolt 
and want it locked to a particular plane. later you 
discover you need more on another plane. "Copy" a bolt, 
"make it unique," "edit component," reorient it, make 
any other changes, give it a new name and make it a 
component of it's own and glue to the desired plane.

You can also "group" components and objects. For 
instance you're drawing a tire hammer. The main shaft 
is a component, it's pillow blocks are distinct 
components because you may ned to reposition them on 
the shaft or copy them to another place on the hammer. 
However you're going to want these two permanently on 
the main shaft somewhere so you "group" the shaft and 
bearings. If you made them a component it's harder to 
edit later, possible but harder. A group also doesn't 
have to be in one spot. Perhaps you're drawing a castle 
and "group" all the wall towers. Now a change to one 
tower will effect the others. This will work if the 
towers are copied components as well but differently. 
(don't ask, I haven't figured out how and why but 
they're a genuine "same difference.")

I think snap is another feature that's incomplete in 
the free version though there are quite a few. If I 
have a persnickety placement I'll sometimes create an 
offset snap point. For instance I forgot a bolt in the 
middle of a widgit and the widgit has 39 components on 
top of and in between me and the bolt hole. I pick a 
point of reference on the bolt hole and draw a 12" 
vertical line. (the line can be whatever length you 
need to clear everything) Then I draw the same length 
and orientated line on the bolt. Highlight the bolt, 
click "Move" click the end of the reference line and 
move it to the end of the other reference line. The 
bolt will go exactly where you sent it. (Not always 
where I wanted it though.<grin>) Then erase the 
reference lines.

I know there are proper ways to do offset snaps but 
I've never been able to figure them out.

I followed the tutorials when I started using Sketchup 
but soon discovered they're for the Pro version and 
there are lots of things I can't do with the free (what 
I can afford right now) version. Still, they'll show 
you the ropes a lot faster than trying to figure it out 
without them, even if you've been using cad for years. 
Heck, the turorials are even faster if you have cad 
experience.

My problem learning these things is trying to use the 
demo drawings or just play around. I learn MUCH faster 
if I have the incentive of a personal project on the 
board. That's why I drew up and built my new Variable 
Volume forge. I've drawn up a couple other things 
during and since but the forge leveled the major part 
of the learning curve for me.

I think I've covered this group of questions as well as 
I can. I'm self taught and know for a fact there's lots 
I don't know and much I have wrong.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


From: "Paul Novorolsky" <crosspein at sbcglobal.net>


> The Google Sketchup tool was mentioned here a while 
> back.
>
> After reading some more about it in the "Hammer's 
> Blow", I downloaded the plugins from drawmetal.com 
> for making scrolls and tapers (very, very cool stuff) 
> I've found myself struggling on a few concepts.
>
> I'm finding it cumbersome to keep objects in the same 
> plane. While I can accomplish this by moving my view, 
> and rotating and  moving pieces, I have this feeling 
> that I'm "doing this the hard way".
>
> I'll admit that I need a lot more practice, but I'm 
> hoping that someone here can provide some help, and 
> save me some time as I muddle through this.
>
> Is there an easy way to keep things in the same 
> plane?
> Is there an easy way to "snap" (join) pieces together 
> so I can easily group them?
>
> There's probably more, but I don't want to be greedy 
> :-)
>
> I'm looking forward to using the drawmeteal plug in 
> components to give me material lists and weight for a 
> gate I'm designing (I consider myself an 
> "Intermediate" level smith, and this will be the 
> biggest project yet for me.
>
> Thanks,
> **paul
>