sketch up

[Coleman Becker]

is anyone using google sketch up???

[CNYDWW]

I do a lot with SketchUP Pro 8

[adrianm]

Not as much as I used to but still every day since the @Last days.

[bill.young]

I use Sketchup on just about every project in some way.

[geneb]

Bill, do you export from SU to some other tool in order to create toolpaths? What workflow do you use?

tnx.

g.

[dlcw]

I use it mainly to help customers who have a difficult time being able to envisions what a project will look like. The 3D makes it really nice. Still getting a handle on all the material and texturing capabilities to make models realistic for customers.

I haven't found anything that will take what I've done in SU and output to anything useful other then some pictures prints of construction and dimension details (if I've gone to that extent in the model). I've tried the Cutlist add-on but since SU is tied internally to IE as its browser interface (I use Firefox) Cutlist (requires a browser interface) won't work on my machine.

[michael_schwartz]

I use sketch up for mockups, basic renderings, and some design/drafting work. It is great for making quick conceptual drawings and for basic 3D cad work. I do not use it to draw, or model parts which I will cut on the shopbot.

I cheat and do not take the time to break down an assembly into individual components (parts). This will prevent you from taking full advantage of the software but it is much faster. I will also approximate whatever I can when the drawing does not need to be accurate.

Time is money so getting lost in the drawing process trying to illustrate detail you don't need can get expensive. The goal is to keep the drawing process as casual as possible. Sketch Up does this well as long as your expectations are within the capabilities of the software.

If you play around with the styles, shadows, and soften edge features you can create some impressive drawings.

[jdervin]

In addition to drawing with it, I've used Sketchup to import 3D models from the Google 3D Warehouse and then export them as an .stl where I can then work with them in ArtCAM. A plugin is necessary to export Sketchup files to the .dxf or .stl formats. Here's where I got mine:

http://www.guitar-list.com/download-software/convert-sketchup-skp-files-dxf-or-stl

[sam_harbold]

Here are a few Sketchup plugins that may be helpful.

Basic CAM plugin
http://www.phlatforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=2

TBone plugin
http://www.phlatforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=185&t=2453

G-code plotter
http://www.phlatforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=185&t=1128&hilit=g+code+Viewer+plugin

Sam

[michael_schwartz]

That is interesting. I was not aware that you could export STL with a plug in using the free version.

[tgm]

I tend to agree with Michael, for presentations and design ideas nothing is quicker than SU once you have some good practice under your belt. The renderings you can produce when using one of the free renderers is amazing.
Granted you have to master working in 3D space, which is not an easy adjustment, I can tell you, but once you start working in 3D, 2D just seems so 'plain'.

We also use it to export 3ds files directly into Aspire, from our base model and it works perfectly. Granted you need the Pro version but for the small cost it's definitely worth it. After using SU for the last 4yrs or so I wouldn't be without it, at any cost.

Every rendering we put out to our customers is unique and changes can be made on the fly very fast. watch any of the hundreds of video tutorials online and you will be amazed. There are plenty people out there that think it's some sort of 'fly by night' kids program when they start comparing it to mega programs that cost tens of thousands but SU has a very big following of professionals that turn to it everyday for presentation use because of its speed and simplicity.

Tom in PA

[jdervin]

Not sure of the truth, but the story as told to me was that a couple of AutoCAD employees came up with and pitched the idea of Sketchup to their company. Suposedly, AutoCAD wasn't interested and allowed them to sell it to Google.

Again, I have no idea if this is true, but if so, it speaks to the credibility of the Sketchup developers.

[adrianm]

Sketchup was developed and owned by a company called @Last which was doing very well with Sketchup for seven years before Google bought them out.

Not sure if the AutoCAD story is true but Brad Schell, the co-founder of @Last, actually sold his previous company to Autodesk. Joe Esch, the other co-founder, worked for them as well.

I bought my copy in 2005. At that time there was only one version and it cost me £315.

Back then @Last reminded me a lot of Vectric and ShopBot, the customer service was great and you always felt involved in the project. It lost a lot when a giant like Google got involved.

The arguments on the @Last forums when the free version turned up raged for quite a while as it was mostly used by architects at the time and they felt Google were only interested in the Google Earth capabilities above all else.

Fortunately I bought it from the start with the intention of using it for woodworking so the changes have been good for me. Especially dynamic components which are fantastic for what we do.

[c_kling]

How are you getting the .stl into artcam?

[bleeth]

Christian: This is a pretty old thread but both Adrian and John are still active on the forum. But in the meantime, Artcam Pro both imports and exports stl format, as well as others.

[jdervin]

Try any of these links and see if they give you enough information:

http://www.3dmodelclub.com/cmsj15/resources/tutorials/how-to-import-an-stl-file-into-artcam

http://forum.artcam.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19813

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/artcam-pro/145348-cnc-software.html