Help with Sketchup- Please

[garfield]

G'day everyone,

I've had no joy posting this thread in the sketch up thread, so I'll give it a go here. I'm fiddling around with sketch up and I see if you know how to use it it can be quite a good program to the woody who wants to sort of see something before its built to an extent. Well I'm in the process of drawing up some loft beds I wanna build and I'd love to be able to 1: get a look at them in a 3D drawing and 2: Start saving the drawings to my computer in case down the track I'd like to build another and replicate them. I have caught onto a couple of things with it but not very much. Is there a better more user friendly program available out there somewhere that is free? Or can someone suggest a link that actually helps you learn about how to use sketch up?

Help much appreciated
Geoff.

[martrix]

Have you looked at these (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=46736)? I highly recommend you do the tutorials.

[garfield]

Thanks Martrix.

[Wood Butcher]

Is there a better more user friendly program available out there somewhere that is free? Or can someone suggest a link that actually helps you learn about how to use sketch up?

Google sketchup is one of the easiest CAD programs to use. I know of severals schools that have started using it in the junior introductory graphics courses because of its ease of use. The links in the post Martrix mentioned are worth the time to look at, and once you get the hang of it, it is amazing what you can do.

[garfield]

Google sketchup is one of the easiest CAD programs to use. I know of severals schools that have started using it in the junior introductory graphics courses because of its ease of use. The links in the post Martrix mentioned are worth the time to look at, and once you get the hang of it, it is amazing what you can do.

Mate I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not the bluntest either and I don't really think it is that easy to use!! It's quite complicated in some aspects of its use. Sure wish I did know how to use it coz some of the other members drawings look awesome:U

I'll plug away and keep practicing though:C

[zenwood]

Invest some time in the Sketchup video tutorials. Well worth the effort.

[garfield]

Invest some time in the Sketchup video tutorials. Well worth the effort.

Is that how you learnt Zenwood?

[zenwood]

Is that how you learnt Zenwood?
Yes.:)

[garfield]

Yes.:)

Got some of your work handy?

[zenwood]

What are you after garfield? Here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=65487)is an example of a recent set of drawings I did with sketchup.

[garfield]

What are you after garfield? Here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=65487)is an example of a recent set of drawings I did with sketchup.

I'm :D with envy! Do you have a computer or software background? I don't even know where to start. I know how to draw a rectangle and stuff but putting it all together to make a bed is a lot different. I don't know if it's just me (probably is) but I get the feeling that I'll never get the hang of it.

[zenwood]

I have been working with computers since the 70s, but I'm not a computer specialist. Have you worked through the video tutorials? It will take a few hours, but unless you get yourself some kind of training, you won't be able to just sit down and pick it up by osmosis.

When you say 'rectangle'---I hope you realise that SketchUp is a full three-dimensional drawing package. You can create models of solid obects, for example you can extend your rectangle into the third dimension to produce a solid block. Other editing functions allow you to produce curves, holes, tapers, steps. Objects can be combined, intersected, partially deleted, scaled, skewed, twisted, rotated, etc. They can be defined as 'groups' or 'components', so they can be easily duplicated and reused, e.g. 4 identical table legs only need to be drawn once, then simply copied to different positions.

A brilliant implementation of mouse interactions allows you to draw in three-dimensions by infering positions in space with reference to objects you have already drawn.

Objects can be viewed from any angle and distance. Perspective can be turned on or off. Textures and colours can be applied to object surfaces.

All of these operations are described in the video tutorials. You really should do the video tutorials.

And did I mention that there are a helpful set of video tutorials?;)

[zenwood]

By the way, I thoroughly recommend the video tutorials:

http://download.sketchup.com/downloads/training/tutorials50/Sketchup%20Video%20Tutorials.html

[garfield]

By the way, I thoroughly recommend the video tutorials:

http://download.sketchup.com/downloads/training/tutorials50/Sketchup%20Video%20Tutorials.html

Ok thanks Zenwood.

[Sprog]

Some helpful videos here

http://go-2-school.com/podcasts

and here

SketchUp For Dummies
(http://www.aidanchopra.com/)

[garfield]

Some helpful videos here

http://go-2-school.com/podcasts

and here

SketchUp For Dummies (http://www.aidanchopra.com/)


thanks sprog.