Thread: How to get started on this?

Originally Posted by garfield

Hi everyone,

I'll get to the bottom of it. I want to be able to draw things like this (attached picture) I've been given a heap of video tutorials links and none of them give you a basic starting point for drawing something like this! Is it just me, am I missing something? I know how to draw a rectangle and use the push pull tool and some other things but how would I start a drawing like the bed picture? Would you just draw the legs, then the slats, then the side supports and then just move them all together to create the bed - or would you start it out of one massive rectangle and cut your pieces out of it? I'm stuck!

Is it possible for one of you sketchup gurus to be able to draw this in a couple of scenes and then post it so i could then watch it and watch what tools are used and how you would star it?? Please




Attachment 66902

The correct way to draw it, is to draw every component as it will be in real life.Legs, rails and slats. You only have to draw 1 of each as you can copy them. So with that drawing, you would draw 1 leg, 1 slat and 2 rails (1 short, 1 long) and then copy & assemble it together.

Start by drawing the individual components.

I got started using a few tutorial files.

They can be found here: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...75&prevstart=0

or through the help menu in SketchUp under "self paced tutorials -> get more tutorials" (opens the above web page)

These tutorials are interactive rather than videos, so you get to try each thing as you see it.

I'd also agree with matrix that copy/paste are your friends and building your model one component at a time it a good way to go.

Best of luck,
Gumbatron

I don't see it as an easy progrma to use

I agree that sketchup can be difficult to learn, but the more I learn the easier it gets, although drawing any picture with lots of components still takes me quite a bit of time. I've found it a very useful tool and I've used it quite a lot but there is still a great deal that I dont know.

Anyway I've had a go at drawing the sketch myself but cant do video's so will post a couple of pictures with explanations. If that's useful I'll finish the sketch off for you later. If the instructions dont make sense please ask and I'll try to explain better.

Sketch 1 - draw a rectangle the length and depth of your bed [makes it a bit easier to mark where the legs go].
- draw 4 rectangles in the corners for your legs
- use push/pull for height of legs.

Sketch 2 - using eraser remove the large rectangle on the base
- using tape measure mark starting points for the end rails
- draw rectangles for end rails.
- use push/pull to make end rails
- can copy this end of the bed and paste on top of the other ends legs, or else just repeat the above steps on the other end.

Sketch 3 - mark and draw rectangles for side rails.
- use push/pull to make side rails
- I would just make the back rails for now as it will be easier to draw the inside bed slats, and slat support rails without the front rail in the road.

Sketch 4 - I would now draw in the front and back support rails using the rectangle tool or the draw tool.

Anyway, Garfield, dont give up on sketchup yet!

that is helpful for me aswell. i am not making a bed, but i casn use the steps you showed in Step 1 with the rectangle on the bottom for positioning the legs. never thought of that.

Rhys

You might also find the tape measure tool very useful. I use it all the time to mark out many details of a design by placing guides where I need them. Then after you're finished the guides can easily be removed "Edit->Delete Guides"

Thanks heaps guys, this information really helps.

Can anyone please tell me why my picture (attached) that I have started in sketch up looks so chunky? looking at JMB's picture above, it looks quite slender.

Cheers
Geoff

Attachment 67033

Very glad to hear that sketchup is making a bit more sense. Your drawing probably looks a bit chunkier because your legs are 90 x 90mm instead of those in Geoff's bed which are 60 x 60mm, and your rails are 150mm and 196mm wide instead of 100mm.

Originally Posted by JMB

Very glad to hear that sketch up is making a bit more sense. Your drawing probably looks a bit chunkier because your legs are 90 x 90mm instead of those in Geoff's bed which are 60 x 60mm, and your rails are 150mm and 196mm wide instead of 100mm.

Yeah thanks for the help JMB.

I made the measurements for the post 60x60x1200 and the rails 130, well at least I thought I did.....

I'll try again.

Dont know if you are aware of this or not but, for eg. to make the bed legs the size you want you can -

1- left click on rectangle icon, then start your rectangle where it is to go on drawing. Dont worry about the size yet.
2- in bottom right hand of your screen is a box with Dimensions xxmm, xxmm.
3 - hit backspace, then type in the dimensions you want for your legs seperated by comma ie 60,60 then hit enter
4 - rectangle should then be 60mm x 60mm
5 - click on push/pull icon then left click on your rectangle to pull it up.
6 - hit backspace then type in 1200 then hit enter

Hope that makes sense. I use the above steps for nearly all measurements.

Hi,

To avoid the "chunky" look, you have to switch of Profiles in the View, Edge style menu. See attached screengrab. You then have much clearer picture.


Kayu

Originally Posted by kayu

Hi,

To avoid the "chunky" look, you have to switch of Profiles in the View, Edge style menu. See attached screengrab. You then have much clearer picture.


Kayu

Thanks Kayu