Drawing plans - what do you use?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

YorkshireMartin

Established Member
Joined
31 Aug 2015
Messages
790
Reaction score
1
Location
Yorkshire
I've wrestled with Sketchup for a number of months and despite having some experience with the likes of autocad and 3dsmax, I just cannot get anything close to the results I want. Why this is, I've no idea.

I'm strongly considering giving up on software altogether, as all this time I'm spending trying to learn it could be put to better use in making a hash of my projects.

What does everyone like to use to lay out their designs prior to commencing a project?
 
Quilted%2BScissor%2BHolder%2BTutorial%2B01.jpg
 
Sketchup. I found it a bit of a pain to start with, as things would gradually become slightly out of alignment as I went along, and I'd spend ages correcting everything.

Then I watched a few videos about using inferences, and now it's much easier to be accurate
 
skipdiver":3a24xpdc said:
Graph paper, pencil, ruler, pencil sharpener, eraser.

My old Tech-Drawing teacher would have b*ll*cked you for using an eraser. :-D
 
Yep, wasted a lot of time with Sketchup - I just don't need what it does. It's really hard to find a 2D drawing package that isn't a 'wannabe' CAD program or for 'artistic' drawing; I just want simple line drawings, to scale, sometimes with the option to have old-school isometric drawings. If you're on a Mac then Omnigraffle is OK - it's what I use, though it's far from perfect, and really isn't intended for what I want to produce. Sigh.
 
I don't have an O level in Engineering Drawing for nothing.
I can usually draw out on paper what I want quicker than getting the computer switched on :D

With it drawn out by myself it always makes sense, no matter how long ago I drew it.
 
Hello,

Clients seem to like, be impressed with, CAD drawings. I really don't know why; the talentless and the gifted all produce drawings that look exactly alike to those who do not know what they represent! If you are drawing for a client, and they really must have them, then learning to draw with some sort of CAD might be useful. If you are designing solely for your own purposes, then pencil and paper are the best way by far. You will be more creative, as drawing is an iterative process, which is suppressed when navigating the computer. I have to use CAD in the school environment, but would never dream of designing with it or rendering my design ideas with it. Sketching with pencil and paper might be as far as I go, followed by a mock up from cheap materials to resolve final proportions, thicknesses and volumes. It is surprising how much these need to change from a drawing when a 3 dimensional model is viewed critically. So much so, that a CAD drawing is all but useless. Drawn up after the fact to keep a permanent record if you need to make a piece again, it may be useful, but then you'll have something to photograph, which is better. Coupled with an orthographic drawing, which I still find quicker to do with a pencil anyway, you have a record better than a cad drawing. I find sketchup really rather useless. You cannot draw with it the way you want to draw, you have to use it the way it wants to be used and it is not an organic process. I still do drawings with a drafting table, tee square etc. Which I know is old fashioned, but it is surprising how ideas percolate when 'drawing' that otherwise don't when being a slave to the software. When asked for a top tip to being creative, Gary Knox Bennett replied, ' never use a computer!' I know younger people will disagree, but that is often because they cannot draw and haven't put enough effort in to learn. When you do draw, you never think of it being easier better or more convenient on a machine.

Mike.
 
NazNomad":34hmsh8k said:
skipdiver":34hmsh8k said:
Graph paper, pencil, ruler, pencil sharpener, eraser.

My old Tech-Drawing teacher would have b*ll*cked you for using an eraser. :-D

Mine too but hey! i'm all growed up now and can do as i please. :)
 
If you can live with the learning curve of sketchup, it is worth it. I recently did a chair design with it and it helps visualise what things look like from all angles - which is important with a chair.

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk
 
YorkshireMartin":33quimb6 said:
I've wrestled with Sketchup for a number of months and despite having some experience with the likes of autocad and 3dsmax, I just cannot get anything close to the results I want. Why this is, I've no idea.

I'm strongly considering giving up on software altogether, as all this time I'm spending trying to learn it could be put to better use in making a hash of my projects.

What does everyone like to use to lay out their designs prior to commencing a project?
Pencil, drawing board etc.
You really need to master the basics before beating yourself to death with a computer.
 
An A4 size notepad and a sharp pencil. A0 packing paper for larger drawings.

I used Autocad a long time ago. Some devious clients thought it was ok to take the drawings
I emailed them to other firms, asking for quotes.
It never crossed their minds to pay for my intellectual efforts. So, for quite some time now, all my drawings stay
in my notepad.
 
I use different methods depending on what I am making, Rough idea in my head, Paper and pencil, Full sized drawing.

They all seen to work.

You need to break down what you are making into basic shapes and then think how to make them and connect them together.

Pete
 
Pen and paper to get the rough idea down and then sketchup. If it's really simple, just pen and paper.

I know sketchup has a learning curve, but it makes far more sense to spend the time learning it than doing it all by hand. Being able to quickly view the project from different angles is extremely helpful. And making changes is obviosly so much easier. When you become proficient with it (couple of months use), you can knock things up in no time.
 
I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood
 
I use Revit :lol:

revit.jpg


I do use autocad which is obv not free, you could try Draftsight if your just after 2D :)
 
MattRoberts":sdjarsvu said:
I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood
I find the rule of thumb is great for cut lists - it's instant, requires no computers, computation, hardly any thought at all:
basically you cut stuff from the list in descending order of size (length and/or section) start with the largest - but from the smallest possible bit of stock. Not always but often is spot on. You can get caught out with sheets and orientation so may need to think briefly.
 
Interesting question. I have learnt sketchup and also some architectural and landscape design software. But in truth I prefer to use my drawing board and manually produce a technical drawing and visualisation sketches. I find it frees my mind more and I enjoy it more as well - there is no real sense of creativity or craft skill for me in using software.
 
Back
Top