Looking for some help learning sketchup

hbeane · February 08, 2016, 11:00:14 PM

I have scanned this forum looking for some sketchup info. I was wondering if anyone out there has a good source of learning sketchup to make plans for timber house. I want to learn it for wood working also. Maybe someone knows of a thread out there that is a good one for learning. I have done some of the you tube videos and watched the tutorials within sketchup. But I just have done enough to get started. Drew a little simple shed and it was very basic. Don't even know if I would be considered a beginner yet. Thanks for any info you might have.

Ljohnsaw · February 08, 2016, 11:11:30 PM

The learning curve is STEEP with SketchUp. I probably spent 2 months before I was good. I used the YouTube tutorials (over and over) and finally got good at copy/replicate which is really important as you do things like rafters and stairs. For the timberframe joints, make sure you have the TFRubies installed. That is a whole 'nother learning curve there as well. The problem with the tutorials is they are using keystrokes and different mouse clicks. You need to understand those before you will get everything out of the tutorials. I'd do a 1-on-1 if you were near me. Great product - once you learn it! Good luck.

beenthere · February 09, 2016, 12:16:22 AM

There are forum members here into sketchup, and a depository for the files. Have you searched and found those ??... IIRC, Jim Rogers has helped that effort along and into the archives here. Others may know better.

dukndog · February 09, 2016, 06:58:29 AM

"Timber Frame Design using Sketchup by Clark Bremer" is the book I bought to help me learn sketchup. I believe he is responsible for the TF Rubies add-on for that program as well.
You can purchase it from the TF Guild bookstore.

The best teacher is experience, of course!! It does take time to grasp the concept of 3-D modeling using sketchup, but once you do, it is a very easy to use the program.

Good Luck!!
Rich Miller

Heartwood · February 09, 2016, 09:33:58 AM

Mike Beganyi is an excellent instructor and offers a 3-day course at www.heartwoodschool.com specifically geared towards timber framing and joinery. May 26–28.

hbeane · February 09, 2016, 01:47:25 PM

Quote from: ljohnsaw on February 08, 2016, 11:11:30 PM
The learning curve is STEEP with SketchUp. I probably spent 2 months before I was good. I used the YouTube tutorials (over and over) and finally got good at copy/replicate which is really important as you do things like rafters and stairs. For the timberframe joints, make sure you have the TFRubies installed. That is a whole 'nother learning curve there as well. The problem with the tutorials is they are using keystrokes and different mouse clicks. You need to understand those before you will get everything out of the tutorials. I'd do a 1-on-1 if you were near me. Great product - once you learn it! Good luck.

I have read a lot about the TF Rubies but have not actually installed them. I am trying to learn this. I am pretty computer savvy but I have never been good at these types of programs. When I was in High School I thought I was gonna loose my mind in an Auto cad class. But I am determined to learn this. Been watching YouTube videos and they are a little better than the tutorials...They just don't seem very good at starting you at ground 0..Thanks for the offer of the help I wish I was closer and I would love a lesson. But I am sure I will be asking questions.

hbeane · February 09, 2016, 01:56:38 PM

Quote from: dukndog on February 09, 2016, 06:58:29 AM
"Timber Frame Design using Sketchup by Clark Bremer" is the book I bought to help me learn sketchup. I believe he is responsible for the TF Rubies add-on for that program as well.
You can purchase it from the TF Guild bookstore.

The best teacher is experience, of course!! It does take time to grasp the concept of 3-D modeling using sketchup, but once you do, it is a very easy to use the program.

Good Luck!!
Rich Miller

Thanks for the information on the book. Going to order that I just looked it up and read some reviews about it. Seems good. I have been working on it and I am getting better I just get inpatient with this type of stuff. Going to build a log house and I am new to that as well. I have done a lot construction and confident with my abilities but I have never worked with timber in this form. And I am wanting sketchup to help me with my build. I know it can help I just have to learn. After I learn I will love it. I have been saying for a long time I am gonna learn sketchup for wood working and other projects and I never have.. Just been a Pencil and paper man til now I hope. This new project I hope makes me learn this program. Thanks for the help on the book. New to the Forum and I love it hear. Everyone is so helpful. Thanks to all. I hope someone else gets some help out of this thread and learning and learn something. If you are out there and new to it like me give me a yell maybe we can share some resources for figuring this aggravating program out.

hbeane · February 09, 2016, 01:59:57 PM

Quote from: beenthere on February 09, 2016, 12:16:22 AM
There are forum members here into sketchup, and a depository for the files. Have you searched and found those ??... IIRC, Jim Rogers has helped that effort along and into the archives here. Others may know better.

I am not sure what you mean but I would love to understand. What do I need to search for? Are there files I can download? Thanks for the reply. I love being pointed in a new direction.

Jim_Rogers · February 09, 2016, 02:58:40 PM

I don't use sketchup so I can't help you with learning that.

Above this regular section of the forestry forum is a section where others have posted plans. That's what he's talking about.

You can download a plan there and view it in x-ray or see through mode and see what's going on inside the joints.

Jim Rogers

witterbound · February 09, 2016, 10:04:02 PM

Buy a 3d controller and use it. It is a wonderful and easy way to move around in sketch up.

jander3 · February 13, 2016, 12:23:48 PM

I learned sketch up and find it very useful for projects. TF rubies makes developing plans very easy. I suggest before you start on TF rubies, spend time with the online tutorials and learn the sketch up basics.

btulloh · February 26, 2016, 08:59:19 AM

This book was very helpful and flattened the learning curve considerably.

http://www.srww.com/sketchup_a_design_guide_for_woodworkers.html

It's specific to woodworking but I found his method of teaching to be extremely effective. After a couple hours I was able to do useful things in Sketchup.

Sketchup for me was hard to get started probably because I used very formal solid-modeling CAD and CAE tools for a long time and the general philosophies were so very different. I did not find the online tutorials from the Sketchup site to be very helpful at all.

I do find sketchup to be very useful and I'm glad I got over the hump. It doesn't compare with the true solid-modeling tools, but it doesn't cost $10,000 or $20,000 either. I find it a good tool to have in the tool box.

Ljohnsaw · February 26, 2016, 11:03:38 AM

Quote from: btulloh on February 26, 2016, 08:59:19 AM
<<snip>> It doesn't compare with the true solid-modeling tools, but it doesn't cost $10,000 or $20,000 either. I find it a good tool to have in the tool box.

No, not expensive but I found their upgrade policy pretty annoying. I used the free SU to develop my cabin and then had to buy the full package to use Layout to develop the pages for my permit submital. About a month or two later they came out with a new version. If I wanted that, I had to pay full price. :-[

btulloh · February 26, 2016, 05:40:45 PM

Quote from: ljohnsaw on February 26, 2016, 11:03:38 AM

. . . and then had to buy the full package to use Layout to develop the pages for my permit submital. About a month or two later they came out with a new version. If I wanted that, I had to pay full price. :-[

Really annoying. I was unaware of that. The free version works ok until you need real shop drawings. That's the hook I guess. The upgrade situation is the barb on the hook, it seems.

I get by with the free version. I save as a .dwg file and then do the dimensions and annotations in a free Autocad-like thing called DraftSight. Sounds a little cumbersome, but it works for me. I think it only works if you already know Autocad though. I wouldn't recommend trying to learn Autocad or Draftsight from scratch for this purpose.

Maybe this will evolve into a discussion about reasonably priced design programs that are fairly comprehensive. Since I left the corporate world I can't justify the cost of the really pro tools. They are a bargain compared to what we were buying 25 years ago, but pretty pricey for personal use unless you are generating income from them.

Ljohnsaw · February 26, 2016, 05:52:45 PM

Quote from: btulloh on February 26, 2016, 05:40:45 PM
Quote from: ljohnsaw on February 26, 2016, 11:03:38 AM

. . . and then had to buy the full package to use Layout to develop the pages for my permit submital. About a month or two later they came out with a new version. If I wanted that, I had to pay full price. :-[

Really annoying. I was unaware of that. The free version works ok until you need real shop drawings. That's the hook I guess. The upgrade situation is the barb on the hook, it seems.

I get by with the free version. I save as a .dwg file and then do the dimensions and annotations in a free Autocad-like thing called DraftSight. Sounds a little cumbersome, but it works for me. I think it only works if you already know Autocad though. I wouldn't recommend trying to learn Autocad or Draftsight from scratch for this purpose.

Maybe this will evolve into a discussion about reasonably priced design programs that are fairly comprehensive. Since I left the corporate world I can't justify the cost of the really pro tools. They are a bargain compared to what we were buying 25 years ago, but pretty pricey for personal use unless you are generating income from them.

I played with AutoCad YEARS ago. I think SU/Layout is a great tool at a great price. However, for them to sell me something that had a new release pending without a reasonable upgrade price was just plain wrong. So I'm just a version or two behind but it still works great. The only issue is if someone posts a drawing with the latest version, I cannot open it.

Fundyheather · February 27, 2016, 07:20:18 PM

The free Sketchup is great for dreaming up and gawking at something in 3d to understand what you are up to; but eventually most everything kind of gets built 2d with a tape, square or lazer and then gets 3D tipped up, paved over, excavated or what have you. So really, why be bothered with wrestling with the the moving target 3D learning curve at this point in that software types evolution?

Most people need a paper shop drawing, map or disposable paper product that a good Cad package (or a bootleg) provides like none other. You know the one, it's worth learning because it faultlessly throws paper to scale out of any old plotter you can drag out of the basement, including pre Windows pen plotters, vinyl cutters and will cut steel on an xy table. You can open it in Landdesk if you need to move it on up the food chain.

To me, anything that won't plot flat on the shop bench in perfect scale every time is a cartoon.

jander3 · March 03, 2016, 12:07:53 AM

Shop drawings is where TF Rubies comes into play. This is a free extension for sketchup created by Clark Bremer. Clarks' extension allows you to convert your model pieces into shop drawings with one click. Then, you snap on the dimensions you need for your drawing.