sketchup vs. autocad/solidworks/inventor/3d max...etc?

[Davo]

I notice many cnc people use sketchup, is there a reason?

Easy to use vs the others, works better with cnc...?

I've been doing 3D work for 15yrs but have not used sketchup since I've always used the other programs.

[steve_g]

Davo…
The only reason I use SketchUp is to be able to show assembled parts to my customers. Yes, You can then import vectors into VCP/Aspire but all those arcs are line segments. SolidWorks lets you articulate assembled parts but It’ll set you back a year’s wages!
The best solution would be if Vectric would allow rendering of assemblies in version 10… and skip 9 :)
SG

[Ger21]

Most people use Sketchup because it's free and relatively easy to learn.
Personally, it would be my last choice for a CAD rogram for CNC use.

[Brady Watson]

I tried it out early on and never really 'got it' as it related to CNC. There were a few guys out there hammering on it & writing custom Ruby scripts to get it to do certain things - like unfolding tetrahedrons etc, but for my work it doesn't/didn't have a lot of allure.

I've always thought it was good for large 'boxy' projects where you can cobble together a visualization quickly. A lot of functionality has been added over the years and lots of guys use it for sheet good projects etc. I think it's cool that Vectric has added import implementation to their software - I didn't think that there was much call for this.

I too am not a big fan, but some swear by it. I feel that they have forced some of the functionality for the sake of saying it 'can be done' in the software, but the truth is it leaves a lot to be desired compared to even cheap CAD like TurboCAD etc. Again, it is great for 3D visualization, but if you have a good "mind's eye' you can do all your files in VCP/Aspire - then toolpath.

-B

[jTr]

Davo,
I've been making a living with Sketchup for 8 years. Three years ago I got my 'bot and set to getting them working together. I paid for a pro version, and now gleefully pay a mere $100 a year for maintenance/update and full service. As time goes by, I see more and more references to Sketchup in many surprise ways. Just noticed yesterday that Parts Express sells speaker building kits, and offers Sketchup files for free download at their site.

It is a good idea to stick with what you know. It is also wise to select a product that has widespread acceptance/ recognition, as it will likely have staying power. This is important as the years tic by and your library of projects grows. Due to the profile gained by Sketchup over the years, there are a number of training dvd's available to ease the relatively gentle learning curve.

Why I love it:
- Blank slate for the most original projects
- 3D warehouse library continues to expand, including major companies offering models of their products you can swiftly download and plug into your model. (Kholer, Sharp, etc. for appliances and fixtures when drafting kitchens and baths)
- Plugins, which are now called "Extensions" give users like us:
1. Cutlist Plus - I can highlight all parts in a model, generate a cutlist and import into my Cutlist fx software for management of lumber and sheet goods bill of materials
2. DXF export - self explanatory, but worth noting it is easier (cheaper) to load this than buying the full pro version
3. Bezier curves - for drawing more advanced/complex curves

- Automatic measurement conversion - I can work in imperial measurements, yet enter "5mm" and it will generate a 5mm circle as I'm drafting cabinets utilizing the Euro style pin/hinge/slide holes and their metric spacing.

Common flaw cited against Sketchup is the segmented curves. Two easy work arounds:
1. In Sketchup you can divide into smaller segments, up to 100 lines. On most small circles, this is enough to negate the effect of having flats on your circles as cut on your cnc.
2. After joining the segments and assigning to layers in your VCarve software, you can "fit curves" to larger sweeps that may still display the flats prior to toolpathing.

Yes, I am obviously a fan. It's what I converted to 8 years ago, and am more convinced as the years go by that it was the right decision. There is a level of intuitive behavior with it's inference engine that just "clicks" for me. Not a day goes by without some work in it, so it's become very fluid, not just because of my experience, but it has a more natural flow than any other similar software I've tried. From concept to proofs for clients to shop forms and part files it is extremely efficient for me now, and I would not hesitate recommending to anyone just starting out, or who may feel "stuck" with their current CAD software.

If anyone is concerned about the conversion from Sketchup to VCarve with dxf's, just ask.

Oh by the way - VCarve recently introduced an option to import Sketchup drawings directly...


jeff

[EricSchimel]

The updated versions of VCarve and Aspire recognize curves from Sketchup now and smooth them out. There is also a way to import your 3d model from Sketchup and have it flattened automatically in these programs. No Ruby required.

http://www.sketchthis.net/blog/sketchup-import-into-vcarve



Davo,
I've been making a living with Sketchup for 8 years. Three years ago I got my 'bot and set to getting them working together. I paid for a pro version, and now gleefully pay a mere $100 a year for maintenance/update and full service. As time goes by, I see more and more references to Sketchup in many surprise ways. Just noticed yesterday that Parts Express sells speaker building kits, and offers Sketchup files for free download at their site.

It is a good idea to stick with what you know. It is also wise to select a product that has widespread acceptance/ recognition, as it will likely have staying power. This is important as the years tic by and your library of projects grows. Due to the profile gained by Sketchup over the years, there are a number of training dvd's available to ease the relatively gentle learning curve.

Why I love it:
- Blank slate for the most original projects
- 3D warehouse library continues to expand, including major companies offering models of their products you can swiftly download and plug into your model. (Kholer, Sharp, etc. for appliances and fixtures when drafting kitchens and baths)
- Plugins, which are now called "Extensions" give users like us:
1. Cutlist Plus - I can highlight all parts in a model, generate a cutlist and import into my Cutlist fx software for management of lumber and sheet goods bill of materials
2. DXF export - self explanatory, but worth noting it is easier (cheaper) to load this than buying the full pro version
3. Bezier curves - for drawing more advanced/complex curves

- Automatic measurement conversion - I can work in imperial measurements, yet enter "5mm" and it will generate a 5mm circle as I'm drafting cabinets utilizing the Euro style pin/hinge/slide holes and their metric spacing.

Common flaw cited against Sketchup is the segmented curves. Two easy work arounds:
1. In Sketchup you can divide into smaller segments, up to 100 lines. On most small circles, this is enough to negate the effect of having flats on your circles as cut on your cnc.
2. After joining the segments and assigning to layers in your VCarve software, you can "fit curves" to larger sweeps that may still display the flats prior to toolpathing.

Yes, I am obviously a fan. It's what I converted to 8 years ago, and am more convinced as the years go by that it was the right decision. There is a level of intuitive behavior with it's inference engine that just "clicks" for me. Not a day goes by without some work in it, so it's become very fluid, not just because of my experience, but it has a more natural flow than any other similar software I've tried. From concept to proofs for clients to shop forms and part files it is extremely efficient for me now, and I would not hesitate recommending to anyone just starting out, or who may feel "stuck" with their current CAD software.

If anyone is concerned about the conversion from Sketchup to VCarve with dxf's, just ask.

Oh by the way - VCarve recently introduced an option to import Sketchup drawings directly...


jeff

[adrianm]

Despite being someone who has used Sketchup since the @Last days (before Trimble and before Google) when there was no such thing as a free version and it cost over £500 I rarely use it these days.

Sketchup is a good tool for visualisations for clients but, like Brady, I can design far faster and easier directly in VCarve.

[Ger21]

Another thing that most new people don't realize is that you DON'T NEED 3D for most of the parts being cut on routers.
If people learned a 2D CAD program instead of Sketchup, they'd have more control over their parts, and get them out a lot faster.

[Simops]

Depends what I'm doing......if it's CNC (subtractive) I use Aspire. If it's 3D printing (additive) I use DesignSpark Mechanical, which is a free version of SpaceClaim but has most of the features and good enough to model complex plastic parts and export in STL. I couldn't get my head around Sketchup but found DSM to have a very quick learning curve. I think Sketchup is more suited to architectural 3D visualisation and woodworking furniture assemblies. For me DSM is more suited to designing mechanical based parts in plastic that I use in my work.

Cubify3D is another similar product to DSM but has a parametric basis which is even better......have tried the 14 day trial but that wasn't enough time for me to 'learn' it enough. It's worth $199 US so may look at it if DSM becomes lacking in features or if I want to animate complex assemblies to check fit.


Cheers

[EricSchimel]

I design differently than a lot of you folks that stick to VCarve and other 2D programs. Not saying my way is better, but I love to see things in 3D and make decisions that way before milling. It was really hard to do that before Vectric had SketchUp import, and now that they do it's much easier for me.

I agree that for the simple stuff people can whip out parts faster in VCarve, but for the example I posted of the 3D milled house, being able to visualize and solve problems in 3D is essential to being able to pull that off.

[kenkelsey]

I have revisited Sketchup with Version 15 and I'm sold on it for designing simple cabinets. Really neat to get the dados properly aligned from one side of the cabinet to the other. Importing into Aspire is sweet. I have found that Aspire does get confused about the rectangles that form the side of the cabinet and the rectangles that form the dados, but the rework is not that bad. If someone knows how to avoid or solve the problem I would love to know.

[EricSchimel]

Can you post up pictures of what is going on? I can probably figure it out for you.

[kenkelsey]

Can you post up pictures of what is going on? I can probably figure it out for you.

High Eric. Did you want to see a photo of what I was making or the Sketchup file. I don't think the forum will accept Sketchup files, but I could create a PDF of the design. Let me try to describe in words. For example if I have the side of a box which is a 12 inches tall and I design a dado at 6 inches from the top, when I import into Aspire I end up with two 6 inch rectangles and the dado with is a 3/4 rectangle. In other words, I end up with three rectangles rather than two and the rectangles are mixed up. If I select the dado, I may get the top rectangle or the bottom rectangle, but not just the 3/4 dado rectangle. If this does not make sense, next time I will draw a sketch.

[EricSchimel]

I believe I understand what you're asking.

Here's what is going on: Aspire (and VCarve) take SketchUp models which are 3D and turn them into wireframes and then lay them out for cutting. The repeating rectangles are there because you've got two rectangles at different z depths to make that wireframe box in SketchUp. In particular that dado will have two rectangles as well.

In SketchUp you could flatten it and export if it's a problem. I don't think there's a good way to do it in Aspire.

I think you're supposed to be able to use this to your advantage.. By milling to the Z depths that came in from your model, but I haven't had a chance to try it out just yet.

[adrianm]

What you should be getting is three rectangles each of which has a common edge. The selection of which one you get is most likely caused by clicking on the overlap edge. Click on a non-overlapped edge and you should select the correct rectangle. There should be only one rectangle for each part not multiple for each depth.

[kenkelsey]

What you should be getting is three rectangles each of which has a common edge. The selection of which one you get is most likely caused by clicking on the overlap edge. Click on a non-overlapped edge and you should select the correct rectangle. There should be only one rectangle for each part not multiple for each depth.

Yes, I think you may have the solution. I will give it a try. I think I should select in an area that does not overlap the dado and then move to another layer. I'll give it a try. Thanks. Good tip.