just got it

[Rhys Cooper]

ok i just downloaded sketchup version 6. i am having a bit of difficulty with it. i have some questions:

*Is it possible to draw a 2d picture with front, side, top, bottom view and then convert it to 3d using this program?

*Is it possible to convert a 3d drawing into 2d using this program?

i am also a bit confused about the tutorials. they dont seem to help me much??

*also, is it best to draw each individual component or draw a block and take away from it??

P.S i am drawing to few diferent types of chairs and a few different workbenchs if you could all sugges tthe best way to do it.

sorry as i know it has been asked a gazillion times but i am stuck.
rHys

[Brown Dog]

ok i just downloaded sketchup version 6. i am having a bit of difficulty with it. i have some questions:

*Is it possible to draw a 2d picture with front, side, top, bottom view and then convert it to 3d using this program?

Yes...but that is the hard way to do things....sketchup is best used by drawing each seperate component individually then assembing them as you would if it where a real project


*Is it possible to convert a 3d drawing into 2d using this program?

Yes...but you dont actually "convert" the drawing you just view it from different perspectives. You can view a 3d drawing from the front, sides, rear, top or bottom which will give you a 2d perspective of any view of your project you would like.

i am also a bit confused about the tutorials. they dont seem to help me much??

Sorry cant help much there except say there are apparenlty many instructional videos on the web....check out some of the other sketchup threads in this forum for links posted by others

*also, is it best to draw each individual component or draw a block and take away from it??

as I mentioned it is best to draw each part individualy....for a couple of reasons.
1. if you have multiple parts you only need to draw them once

2. when creating working drawings for more complicated pieces its easier to get dimensions right and figure out details for joints etc.

3. if you create each part seperately you can hide some and just print out others or create an exploded drawing (like the drawings they show in woodworking magazines for projects ) which show how all the pieces fit together.

it is quite easy to do a drawing of the project that looks good...however its another thing to create a set of plans you or others can actually work from.


P.S i am drawing to few diferent types of chairs and a few different workbenchs if you could all sugges tthe best way to do it.

the best way is to keep practising until using the program becomes intuitive. Watch or read all the instructional stuff you can find on the internet.

Years ago I taut myself to use a much more complicated and harder to use CAD package than Sketchup, but now i can pick up most (well any i have tried so far anyway :D) CAD software fairly quickly.

If you get stuck ask more spefic questions. Its kinda hard to answer questions like "how do i draw a chair ?"....its sort of a "how long is a piece of string ?"type question...everyone will have a different answer.

sorry as i know it has been asked a gazillion times but i am stuck.



rHys
good luck

[Rhys Cooper]

thanks Brown Dog. i just had a go and i drew my firsat chair on sketchup. man that program is good. i just was fidling round with it and through trtial and error i just did it. only problem was i couldnt get the rail to go from back to front legs with the legs at the 10 Dsegree recline i wanted, but many late nights ahead.

thanks for answering my questions

Rhys