Anyone experienced with Google SketchUp?

[myxpykalix]

3D has come along way since i was a beta tester for Lightwave Modeler in the early 90's with the Video Toaster. How would we take models we created in sketchUp and translate them into something we can use in any of the common programs we use for the shopbot to cut?

[mzettl]

Jack,

Do you ever go to bed? And I thought I got up early! Anyway, to get back on topic, I've been using Sketchup for a couple of years now. I build furniture, and use it for all of my design work. It's actually quite easy to learn, and is a very powerful modeling program.

On my last two furniture projects, I have use it to output vector files that I can then use to produce toolpaths for the ShopBot. The free version, generally called "Google Sketchup" lacks the abillity to export in a vector file format. Sketchup Pro can export files as .eps or .dxf. Those files can then be directly imported into Part Wizard or VCarve Pro. They usually need some cleanup, and I will sometimes import them into Corel Draw as an intermediary step, as the editing tools are more extensive.

My only disclaimer is that I have only used it for 2D export for my ShopBot puroposes. I do not have experience in exporting 3D models from Sketchup and then toolpathing them, as I don't (yet) have any 3D CAM software.

I would encourage you to download the free version of Sketchup, and give it a try. At the very least, I think you will find that it is an excellent tool to quickly draw and evaluate your designs in 3D. It is a great tool for client presentations, and is used by many architects for exactly that purpose. If you find that you like the program, then you can decide if you want to purchase the Pro version. I think the current price is in the $400-500.00 range. Even that is an amazing bargain considering what other 3D software costs.

You might also want to visit the Sketchup forums at forum.sketchup.com to get an idea of what can be done with this software. Some of the stuff that people can do with this is nothing short of amazing.

Matt

[fleinbach]

I subscribe to the Journal of Light Construction and in the February issue they did a comparison of CAD programs for less than $1000.00. The author was very impressed with Sketchup Pro. He said, "If your goal is to quickly and accurately convey 3-D design ideas to your clients, you need Sketchup-- Simple as that." He also stated that some major CAD vendors, including AutoCAD Rivet now have direct plug-ins for Sketchup. You can import 3-D shapes made in Sketchup to ArtCAM.

[paco]

I haven't found any use to cut from SketchUp "directly" yet. But it's very cool for rendering!


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When I have lots of spare time, I built my house as aid for renovations...


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...this the rear side where I'm considering solution for the porch.

I say, at the very least, get the free version!

[brian_h]

Dang, that's a fun program!!!

[paco]

Recently, someone demonstrate that SketchUp can help on special angle/trigonometry calculation too (sorry, I can't remember the person and the threads exactly now).

[rob_bell]

The previous post involving using sketchup to measure a sticky trig problem is here :

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/29/18467.html?1171904912

Sketchup is very versatile I use it almost exclusively for my cad/cam work.

[oscarg1971]

I first saw this program on www.thewoodwhisperer.com (http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com) This guy uses it to design furniture. A super woodworker with some funny videos. -Oscar

[rick_woodward]

Rob Bell
Could expand on that ? What exactly does Sketchup do for you? Got pics? I think its kinda cool, but of no use to me. Cant see it being worth $500 either. What do you do with it ? Draw pictures? Just curious. Paco's drawings are nice. Its nifty, but if it dont help me design for my bot i dont have a use for it.

[mzettl]

Rick,

As I mentioned in my post above, I build furniture, and have used Sketchup for the past couple of years for design. I think that it's main adavantage is that it allows you to quickly draw in 3D, and visualize shape, proportion, etc. You can rotate the piece in 3D space, walk around your design, evaluate shadows, etc. If you see something you don't like, you can change it quickly. For example, on a recent piece that I've designed, the original legs as I drew them were 4" square. That looked too bulky, and I changed them to 3", then 2 1/2", all in a matter of minutes.

My freeehand sketching abilities are limited, especially with regard to representing proportions accurately. With Sketchup, this is not a problem. You can change colors, surface textures, and materials, backgrounds, etc. This makes it invaluable for client presentations. People like to see things in 3D. Most folks cannnot visualize what a piece will look like if they are shown a few 2D elevation drawings and a plan view. If you can show them what the finished piece will look like, in color, with wood grains shown, etc., it can make or break the deal.

With regard to helping design for the Bot, my experience is limited to that last two pieces that I have made. Both have curved elements that I would have previously made by making a router template, bandsawing to rough shape, then using the router and template to create the final shape, a time consuming process. Instead, these parts were drawn in Sketchup, exported as DXF files, cleaned up a bit in Part Wizard, then cut on the Bot. Also, I cut all the mortises in each of these pieces on the Bot after designing the parts in Sketchup as part of the overall design process.

As I have become more adept at using the program, I now design and draw each of the joints in the piece that I am designing. The joints cannot be seen in the overall view of the piece, but if you turn on the "x-ray view," and zoom in, the joint details are visible. Many problems can be identified early on in the design process, rather than disovering them in the shop after I've started cutting wood.

For my work, Sketchup is invaluable. For my furniture work, it has become part of the process, just as the Bot is becoming part of the process. I am learning to integrate Sketchup more effectively with the processes that I use the Bot for, and new possiblities occur to me all the time.

I think it all depends on what type of work you do. If you are building kitchen cabinetry and the like, it's not the solution. There are a number of software packages that can design, render, nest parts, and produce toolpaths easily and efficiently. If you are doing one off pieces as I do, it has real value.

With regard to the cost, I think if you compare to other packages that can do 3D, you'll find that it is not at all unreasonable. The furniture that I build is expensive, and if the software helps sell one piece, it has paid for itself.

I've attached a JPEG image of an Arts and Crafts sideboard that I made for my wife a couple of years ago to give you an idea of it's presentation capabilities. If you like, I could e-mail you an actual Sketchup file with a run time version of the program that will allow you to rotate, zoom, walk around, etc. You just wouldn't be able to edit the model.

I hope this brief (??!!) description is helpful.

Matt


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[rustnrot]

OK, I am starting to come around for this. Frankly, I viewed the tutorial and it made me dizzy but I will try again. It does look great for artists in that you can quickly sketch something and then create the dimensions of it. But what about those of us that start with dimensions, i.e. a certain size part--does it allow you to enter in a defined length line, square, where you want holes drilled etc?

[mzettl]

In a word, Yes. In fact, that is how I do it most of the time. In the lower right corner is the Value Control Box that allows you to enter dimensions of a line, rectangle, circle, or any of a number of other functions directly. If you draw a rectangle for example, you can enter different dimensions, apply them, and the rectangle that you just drew will change accordingly. If you still don't like it, enter new dimensions, and keep repeating until you have what you want. You do not have to keep redrawing.

I think once you get used to the unique 3D drawing concepts in Sktechup, it all becomes quite intuitive. The real key to this concept is the "Push/Pull" function. Fool around with it a bit, and I think you'll see what I mean.

The Sketchup user forums are an excellent place to learn. The Setchup user community is much like the Shopbot community in that there are many people who give freely of their time and expertise to help others.

[bill.young]

Tom,

Check out some of the free Sketchup video podcasts at http://www.go-2-school.com/podcasts.

Bill

[rick_woodward]

Thanks Matt

[fleinbach]

I have been playing around with Sketchup since yesterday, and even though some things seem a bit difficult getting started overall it is very impressive. In my opinion, this could be one of the best 3-D programs out there. At least that is my opinion, and I think I will try to make time to learn how to use it. I went to the link that Bill Young posted above and watched the tutorial on making a lantern. To me it is simply incredible to create a 3-D drawing that quickly. It appears to me that once you have learned how to use the tools properly there is nothing you can't create. Not to mention create very quickly.

[rob_bell]

Matt has addressed sketchup's value as a cad application very well. I've been using it for about 2 years and I'm a believer that the drawing interface sketchup provides is evolving into a standard. However I've found that it's simplicity can be beguiling for many users. Its a very free form modeling environment and it's easy to get yourself into a mess. Usage of components and groups when building your model is very important.

Here are a few pics of what was very first full sheet I cut on the bot back in october. I used the ruby scripting language provided within sketchup to generate my .sbp file for this piece directly from sketchup. I'm working hard now on my scripts so that they might be useful to others here. Something forthcoming very soon.


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[rustnrot]

Rob, now we are getting somewhere! Wife wanted a low profile plasma TV stand. I did the 3D model in BobCAD by creating planer, then extruded surfaces, putting them together in the software and then breaking apart and sending 2D info to toolpath in Partwizard. All slotted and tongue and groove, took hours to create it. Looks like Sketchup is perfect for this.

I'll look forward to your Scripts! Scriptless (and without a clue how to do them) in Augusta.


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[paco]

Within minutes I learn a couples of new tricks...


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...how about a cool render!? How about this one?


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This model is part of a tutorial from the link Bill Y post above...

[rustnrot]

Paco, looks good. Now how hard is it within Sketchup to make the shelves 1/4" wider on each side and in back and also put 1/4" slots in the sides and back for the shelves?

[paco]

I would need to have a different approach than the above; making everything single components... can be tedious... still sound faster in 2D for me...

I believe you would like to have the ability to break down the model once a 3D right? Dados and stretching sides is just a few clicks away; it's just a matter of figuring the final objective. I am not very familiar with SketchUp's pluggins and ruby scripts apart from enjoying 'em but I believe (from what I saw) that they can be very powerful addons... just got to learn how to code it!

[mzettl]

Tom, that is really quite simple if you have made each "part" a component as you went along. that is the case, then you would just select the component, in this case one of the shelves, and edit it. You would pull each side and the back 1/4" using the Push/Pull tool. Not only does that change the component your are editing, but also every instance of that component in the model. So, if you had made a component called "Shelf" the first time you drew the shelf, then added the second shelf as the "Shelf" component, you would have to only edit one of them in the model the other would change accordingly. You can also choose to edit just the single instance of the component if you so desire.

To make the corresponding rabbets for the shelves, you would just need to draw lines around the ends of the shelves. This is actually quite easy to do, as Sketchup uses a drawing concept called "Inferencing" which will attach points as you draw to various refernce points in the drawing. It is diffcult for me to describe, but is explained nicely in the Sketchup Tutorials. Once you grasp this concept, it is amazing how quickly you can draw.

Using components is the key to being able to edit your model quickly. Inferencing and push/pull allow you to draw quickly. Once you understand these, the other tools start to fall into place more easily.

IMO, the time spent to learn it is well worth the effort.