Help with Sketchup please

[philpolish]

Hi all I have downloaded google sketchup I am very keen to do a few designs. I have looked through all the help topics but I just cant seem to be able to get very far with it. I would like to start with a simple chest of drawers. Should I start with something easier just to get the hang of things. All I can manage to do at the momet is to make a rectangle, type in what size I want it. When I do that say A 600mm x500mm rectangle it is so small I can not add anything to it . I tryed to change the scale but no joy.
If you have not used anything like this before does it take a long time learn how to use it.I have also done the tutorials and learnt to do basic things with the tools but now I am stumped.

Would be very grateful if for some pointers.

Cheers Phil.

 

[Alf]

Phil,

For the size issue follow Dave's advice here (it doesn't have to be metric if you'd prefer imperial). Then try Dave's most helpful beginner's step-by-step here - with the Sketch-Up help pages open! Although many of the pics seem to have gone awol - hope it's just a glitch at my end. I'm still struggling along with very basic stuff, but only because I haven't devoted the time to it and forget everything in between my attempts. It is a useful tool though, and like many useful tools has a learning curve, but stick with it.

Cheers, Alf

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Phil, welcome to the world of SketchUp. Alf has give you some good pointers to start with. I need to edit the tutorial she pointed to in the second link. I had to move the images. I'll try to get going on the editing shortly.

As to your specific problem with the object being so small, I expect it's a case of the camera view being too far away for the size of the object you're drawing.

Try this: After you draw the initial rectangle at 600x500mm, click Zoom Extents (

) That should fill up the drawing window with your rectangle. Then you should be able to edit it as needed.

I've written before about making a template for SU to start in. Some of the locations for settings have changed but not many. Do a search on "template" and you should find my babbling. You should make a template that sets up SU to start the way you want it to.

As far as where to start, I would start easy. Look at the stuff I've written before about components and groups. Work through the tutorials that are included with SU. Then just start drawing. I wouldn't worry too much about trying to make something useful. Get the hang of the tools first.

That reminds me, print out the PDF document included with SU. It gives you a list of the tools, their functions and their modifiers.

If you have specific questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[Scrums]

Hi Phil,

I'm far, far from being an expert - DaveR is ours. If it's any consolation I was floundering around for ages with SU before I started to get anywhere.

My problem is I never read the instructions on the tin, just launch into it assuming I'll get the hang of it straight away.

You've got the idea by now of zoom extents I presume. As to your simple chest of drawers, I'll give you a brief idea of how I'd approach it:

I didn't really get anywhere with SU until I started 'assembling' the piece of furniture on the computer screen, just as I'd do with the real thing in the workshop. In my way of drawing this involves 'grouping' components as you draw them.

Back to your simple chest of drawers: lets assume you're going to make these with a sheet material carcass. First draw a side in outline as you mentioned, drag the mouse cursor round it to select it and right click, select 'group'. Whilst it is still selected right click again and select 'edit group' you will then be able to use the push/pull tool to pull it out to say 18mm. You then have one side of the carcass sitting there in front of you, next - control+move (gives you copy)and select an end of group marker on this side, drag this side over to the right and release ( it doesn't matter where - just in the right direction and plane) - type in the width of the chest of the chest in the dialogue box. You now have 2 sides the right distance apart.

Base:Next I would go back to the left side and draw a small rectangle locked onto it's bottom inside leading corner, again any size will do - just the right sort of shape in the right direction. Back to the dialogue box, type in the thickness of the base(18mm) and the depth of the carcass. Group this shape! Then 'Edit group' and type in the internal width of the chest. Hey presto - you have a 3 sided cabinet!

All you have to do now is copy the base to use as the top and or dividers.

Next Drawers: Measure up your openings, put in some central dividers if you want smaller drawers. Pan the main drawing across the page a bit to give yourself some free screen space. Draw a drawer front and push pull to get the required thickness. Yo then need to 'orbit' the drawing to put drawer sides on it, again put a rectangle on, group it and pull it out to the required length. You can then copy this one to the other side. The back you can manage by now. Orbit the drawer to look at it's base.....draw a square on the internal corners, and push this in by say 12mm, then having 'clicked off' push it in again by 6mm. You now have a 6mm drawer base set in 6mm.

Group the drawer as one piece! You can then move or copy the drawer by selecting an outside corner and taking it over to the carcass assembly and selecting a corresponding corner of a drawer opening. I tend to then pull at least one drawer open by about 50mm just to ....well, just because I do.

Wooden turned knobs are easy too......but that's another day.

hmmmm......hope some of that made sense, it did when I was thinking it through.

Chris.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Chris has given you some good advice. Once you get the hang of drawing with SU, think about what you need for detail and draw based on that. If you only need to convey the general appearance of the project, don't worry about drawing a lot of detail. See the first image of the armoire in the SU for Beginners thread. It is only a hollow box, no components used, everything indicated with simple lines and Push/Pull.

Once you've settled on a design, draw the individual parts as if they were the actual pieces of wood. In order to aid in adding joinery, if you want that detail, draw the parts to the size required to allow you to cut away the waste for the joinery. Think of it as if you're actually working with pieces of wood. You wouldn't glue on the pins for dovetails, you'd cut away the waste between them. do it the same way in SU.

Be sure that as you make your pieces, you create components of them so that additional joinery doesn't stick. Copy components (Ctrl+Move) when you have multiples of the same part. Don't draw each one separately.

there's more but I think you've got a pretty good base to start with. Besides the other SU experts here and my long-winded tutorial and other blathering, you ought to be able to work it out.

 

[philpolish]

Hi all thanks for all your posts very helpfull. Just after I posted my original I searched for sketchup tutoials and found some very good videos. One other problem I have like many others is finding the time to learn the programme. Working full time, working for myself every hour god sends finding time to sleep etc etc.
I will pop back when I get stuck.

Thanks again for your times.
Cheers Phil.