[TheForge] Sketchup Help

[don schad]

Frosty -
On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 1:21 PM, Jerry Frost <akfrosty at mtaonline.net> wrote:
> 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.

Not sure exactly what functions are are looking for, but the free
Sketchup does have a number of handy-dandy copy functions.  I forget
the exact terminology, but I think it is "array" copy.   For e.g., if
you want a wheel with 27 spokes you can put the first one out, copy
it, put up the impossible-to-use rotate tool, press
SHIFT-META-CTL-ALT-DELETE-x27 (or similar key combo ;)) and you will
get 27 evenly spaced ones.  Or you could do them at 13.5 degrees, or
evenly space linearly, etc.    Search the documents for "Array copy",
maybe those are what you are looking for.  Also, there are probably
various addons that will do similar (like the drawmetal.com package),
or you can write your own.

All that said, I am not really sure if I like Sketchup myself, just a
tyro hacker trying to make it work.  It is painful to navigate in and
I find it hard to work with curves.  Make stuff out of boxes is pretty
easy though.  I believe that in theory it would be a good tool once
learned well, but the investment in time is not trivial.

Paul - Videos are worth-while.  Making Components is key, otherwise
you keep breaking things apart.

don