Comments on: 10 Tips To Get You Started With Google Sketchup http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/ Taking All Your Base Since 2002 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:48:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kris http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-159400 Kris Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:42:24 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-159400 This is a great writeup on SketchUp. I really like the "Dynamic Components". I created a model once with intricately customized components, including floor joists. Now I can set parameters in Google's Floor Joist Component (or whatever it's called) and quickly create an entire floor of 2x10s. I also created a walk-in closet with those wire-frame shelving units, and Google's dynamic component version of the shelves make it easy to trim out modeled closets. I've been using SketchUp for years now, and I still can't believe it's free (non-"pro" version, anyway...) This is a great writeup on SketchUp.

I really like the “Dynamic Components”. I created a model once with intricately customized components, including floor joists. Now I can set parameters in Google’s Floor Joist Component (or whatever it’s called) and quickly create an entire floor of 2x10s.

I also created a walk-in closet with those wire-frame shelving units, and Google’s dynamic component version of the shelves make it easy to trim out modeled closets.

I’ve been using SketchUp for years now, and I still can’t believe it’s free (non-”pro” version, anyway…)

]]> By: Orville http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-159026 Orville Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:02:21 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-159026 Some good starting tips John. I'm a keen amateur draughtsman and have been using SU for a while now and agree with your advice and would like to add a few of my own thoughts. Layers are very useful but slightly confusing if you are used to Autocad etc. I would strongly recommend the use of components, gets you out of a 'sticky' situation when moving geometry, (for those just starting out 'stickiness' is a feature of SU) however care is needed to ensure the correct layers are selected for building them. If you can get your head round it, a component can be on one layer and the lines and faces on any number of other layers leading to some 'interesting' effects/errors. The use of x-ray face style can also reveal some otherwise hidden errors. (Be very careful when making selections during x-ray display) If you find yourself disorientated during panning, orbiting and zooming the shift+z zoom extents and the standard views shortcuts get you back on an even keel. I'm a iMac user so my key combinations are occasionally, slightly different to Windows users but there is an oddity, of limited use I would think, usually during orbiting the model stays oriented upright, however if you hold down the alt key on the mac the constraint is removed. Finally, as usual if all else fails and you inadvertently delete, move or mess up your model there is always the undo (Ctl+z windows, cmd+z mac) sometimes better to use it from the menu as this gives you a hint as to what it going to undo. Oh, and my advice would also be save your models frequently, nothing more annoying than toiling into the wee small hours only to lose your prize winning design. Some good starting tips John.
I’m a keen amateur draughtsman and have been using SU for a while now and agree with your advice and would like to add a few of my own thoughts.
Layers are very useful but slightly confusing if you are used to Autocad etc. I would strongly recommend the use of components, gets you out of a ‘sticky’ situation when moving geometry, (for those just starting out ‘stickiness’ is a feature of SU) however care is needed to ensure the correct layers are selected for building them. If you can get your head round it, a component can be on one layer and the lines and faces on any number of other layers leading to some ‘interesting’ effects/errors.
The use of x-ray face style can also reveal some otherwise hidden errors. (Be very careful when making selections during x-ray display)
If you find yourself disorientated during panning, orbiting and zooming the shift+z zoom extents and the standard views shortcuts get you back on an even keel.
I’m a iMac user so my key combinations are occasionally, slightly different to Windows users but there is an oddity, of limited use I would think, usually during orbiting the model stays oriented upright, however if you hold down the alt key on the mac the constraint is removed.
Finally, as usual if all else fails and you inadvertently delete, move or mess up your model there is always the undo (Ctl+z windows, cmd+z mac) sometimes better to use it from the menu as this gives you a hint as to what it going to undo.
Oh, and my advice would also be save your models frequently, nothing more annoying than toiling into the wee small hours only to lose your prize winning design.

]]> By: Omar Khan http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-155352 Omar Khan Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:07:01 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-155352 I am an Architect. I am unable to understand this thing . I can work well on Autocad Architecture 2009. I am an Architect. I am unable to understand this thing . I can work well on Autocad Architecture 2009.

]]> By: Barrie http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-130163 Barrie Thu, 14 May 2009 06:46:02 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-130163 I don't know if this changed between versions but with Sketchup7 you don't hold down the arrow keys (item 8) to force an inference, the arrow keys act as a toggle. Holding them down causes (apparently) inconsistent behavious which is most frustrating. Toggling when using the Move tool causes the cursor to change. There is no cursor change for Line and Tape Measure. I don’t know if this changed between versions but with Sketchup7 you don’t hold down the arrow keys (item 8) to force an inference, the arrow keys act as a toggle. Holding them down causes (apparently) inconsistent behavious which is most frustrating. Toggling when using the Move tool causes the cursor to change. There is no cursor change for Line and Tape Measure.

]]> By: axelnelson http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-71182 axelnelson Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:33:55 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-71182 pps. uh it's ok i think i just found the answer The "Value Control Box" (VCB) is located in the lower-right corner of the SketchUp window. If you can't see it, the most likely reason is that your SketchUp window size is larger than your available screen viewing area. In that case, the bottom status bar of the SketchUp window, which includes the "VCB" box, can be hidden behind the Windows taskbar (the bar that contains the "Start" button). To recover your view of the VCB, maximize the SketchUp window by clicking the "Maximize" button, which is in the upper-right corner of the SketchUp window, to the left of the "Close" button (the red button with a white "x"). http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=36229&useful=1&show_useful=1&comment=en%20:%20solved%20the%20problem%20&#helpful pps. uh it’s ok i think i just found the answer

The “Value Control Box” (VCB) is located in the lower-right corner of the SketchUp window. If you can’t see it, the most likely reason is that your SketchUp window size is larger than your available screen viewing area. In that case, the bottom status bar of the SketchUp window, which includes the “VCB” box, can be hidden behind the Windows taskbar (the bar that contains the “Start” button).

To recover your view of the VCB, maximize the SketchUp window by clicking the “Maximize” button, which is in the upper-right corner of the SketchUp window, to the left of the “Close” button (the red button with a white “x”).

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=36229&useful=1&show_useful=1&comment=en%20:%20solved%20the%20problem%20&#helpful

]]> By: axelnelson http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-71177 axelnelson Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:17:43 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-71177 tnx but where are the shortcuts for the protractor and the follow me? tnx

but where are the shortcuts for the protractor and the follow me?

]]> By: Lie Ryan http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-59833 Lie Ryan Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:29:52 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-59833 I'll have you add some other tips. 1. Create shortcuts I don't know if I can live in Sketchup if I can't create shortcuts (Windows > Preferences > Shortcuts). Create shortcuts for all common things you do that isn't assigned shortcuts by default. 2. Realize that in Sketchup, the polygon tool and the circle tool IS THE SAME TOOL. The circle tool just have high number of polygons so it looks like a circle. And be aware that you can change the number of polygons used to draw a circle. 3. You don't need the "Standard Toolbar". Most Windows users know (or should know) by heart what Ctrl-N, Ctrl-S, Ctrl-O, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-Y, and Ctrl-P means. 4. Learn what each slight movements means to the "inference guesser". This is what differentiates Sketchup from other 3D tools, the inferencer detects some movements (movements that you mightn't notice you've done) and would infer where you want to go. All of the regular movements like going parallel to the axis (Red, Green, Blue) and parallel to the current line (Pink) might be noticed without reading the manuals, some like the inferencer would infer your line parallel to an arbitrary line by pausing the mouse a few seconds over that line isn't so obvious (but could speed up sketching by a lot). 5. Learn/notice what each change of line color and dot color means. (I'm pretty sure this last tip isn't needed since most user should be able to notice it pretty fast and make use of it in a glance) I’ll have you add some other tips.

1. Create shortcuts
I don’t know if I can live in Sketchup if I can’t create shortcuts (Windows > Preferences > Shortcuts). Create shortcuts for all common things you do that isn’t assigned shortcuts by default.

2. Realize that in Sketchup, the polygon tool and the circle tool IS THE SAME TOOL. The circle tool just have high number of polygons so it looks like a circle. And be aware that you can change the number of polygons used to draw a circle.

3. You don’t need the “Standard Toolbar”. Most Windows users know (or should know) by heart what Ctrl-N, Ctrl-S, Ctrl-O, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-Y, and Ctrl-P means.

4. Learn what each slight movements means to the “inference guesser”.
This is what differentiates Sketchup from other 3D tools, the inferencer detects some movements (movements that you mightn’t notice you’ve done) and would infer where you want to go. All of the regular movements like going parallel to the axis (Red, Green, Blue) and parallel to the current line (Pink) might be noticed without reading the manuals, some like the inferencer would infer your line parallel to an arbitrary line by pausing the mouse a few seconds over that line isn’t so obvious (but could speed up sketching by a lot).

5. Learn/notice what each change of line color and dot color means. (I’m pretty sure this last tip isn’t needed since most user should be able to notice it pretty fast and make use of it in a glance)

]]> By: Lowell http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29764 Lowell Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:26:47 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29764 Thanks for the ten tips – they have helped me significantly. I am particularly grateful for your tip 4 with the link to the PDF version of the User’s Guide – I had only come across the html links for individual topics. Reading the manual is so much easier than trying to read individual topics. In tip 7 you describe one way to create a triangle using the polygon button. Another way to do it with this button is, after you click on the button, type “3” and [Enter]. This replaces the “6” in the VCB – the value control box located in the lower right corner of the screen – with a “3”, thus designating a triangle. Now, click on the drawing area and you will see that the polygon is in fact a triangle. If you want to create, for example, a dodecagon, simply enter a “12” rather than a "3". Thanks for the ten tips – they have helped me significantly.

I am particularly grateful for your tip 4 with the link to the PDF version of the User’s Guide – I had only come across the html links for individual topics. Reading the manual is so much easier than trying to read individual topics.

In tip 7 you describe one way to create a triangle using the polygon button. Another way to do it with this button is, after you click on the button, type “3” and [Enter]. This replaces the “6” in the VCB – the value control box located in the lower right corner of the screen – with a “3”, thus designating a triangle. Now, click on the drawing area and you will see that the polygon is in fact a triangle. If you want to create, for example, a dodecagon, simply enter a “12” rather than a “3″.

]]> By: Funny Guy http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29233 Funny Guy Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:30:14 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29233 I've had a hard time learning that program compared to most... Maybe because it's the free version w/ less features? Not sure... I think this may help though! I’ve had a hard time learning that program compared to most… Maybe because it’s the free version w/ less features? Not sure… I think this may help though!

]]> By: Forest Parks http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29126 Forest Parks Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:33:59 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29126 I completely forgot about this program. I must download it soon. So do we get to see any of your fine handy work? I completely forgot about this program. I must download it soon. So do we get to see any of your fine handy work?

]]> By: K http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29117 K Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:20:42 +0000 http://www.dyers.org/blog/archives/2007/11/15/10-tips-to-get-you-started-with-google-sketchup/#comment-29117 I'm convinced that Google will be the next skynet. I had no idea that they had their hands in modeling software. Curious, I decided to see what all google had which lead me to their wiki page. WOW. Everything from image labeling games, music trending ... What next? Fast food? -kc I’m convinced that Google will be the next skynet. I had no idea that they had their hands in modeling software. Curious, I decided to see what all google had which lead me to their wiki page. WOW.

Everything from image labeling games, music trending … What next? Fast food?
-kc

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