Google Sketchup

[redidbull]

Here is a pretty cool program for making drawings and figuring dimensions. Best thing it is free. Jim

http://sketchup.google.com/#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=sketching

[Tom Kroscavage]

I like the way you can draw a square and pull it into a box.

[Sparky#1]

It's not free but a demo,the full program is almost $500.:laugh:

[headwork]

I wouldn't let the "demo" tag fool ya. There are definately features that are left out of the free version, but it is still a pretty handy and cool little tool for making a 3D sketch. And from what I can tell, it's not a "free" version that bugs you every 10 minutes to upgrade to the $500 pro version. I would say that anybody looking for a relatively easy to use, free 3D sketch tool should give it a shot! And yes, the way you can pull a 2D shape into a 3D object is pretty cool!

Josh

[-olllllllo-]

extremely good program for a freebie. as said, no bugs about buying the pro version.

im designing an off road trailer for behind the jeep with it. very cool.

[ScaledTankBill]

SketchUp is the tool of choice at Scaled Tanks for most of the members. It has it's quirks but overall, it's pretty good and easy to learn. There are numerous tutorials at youTube and at the SketchUp website that are well worth the time to go through if you are wanting to use the program. One Scaled Tank member (Muddydigger) has it down to an artform and produces some amazingly detailed armored vehicle images with it.

Bill

[jeeper]

very vool!

[chenry]

so powerful a tool the big boys have made competing software .

sketch up is very nice.

( still sticking with Inventor and Autocad though. course i get @ 15k worth of software for free every year so i am biased

[slow6i]

I just found this and am playing around with it.

Its a plugin for sketchup. it would seem that all the piping fittings they have are to actual standards and what not. i would imagine being engineers toolbox that all of the items in it are. Im sure ill use it at some point. Just playing for now.

http://sketchup.engineeringtoolbox.com/

download this to your sketchup/plugins directory:
http://docs.sketchup.engineeringtoolbox.com/sketchup_plugin/engineeringtoolbox.rb

restart sketchup
start a project
click on plugins > engineering toolbox and it will open a window (with javascript errors!!!! argh!) but you find what you want, then click insert, and it drops the item into your sketchup window at 0,0,0. pretty cool!

[markfuga]

I've been using sketchup for about 2 years for a variety of things from basic design to actual physical operation, all with the free version. I've recently begun using it for movie creation and photo-realistic rendering. A year ago I was designing a small backhoe with a 9 foot digging depth and used sketchup with the physics plugin to find design flaws and areas of potential bindings in my design. I created a short movie of it in motion, all using only sketchup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz-xo8f0hR0

[oxygen454]

I just found this and am playing around with it.

Its a plugin for sketchup. it would seem that all the piping fittings they have are to actual standards and what not. i would imagine being engineers toolbox that all of the items in it are. Im sure ill use it at some point. Just playing for now.

http://sketchup.engineeringtoolbox.com/

download this to your sketchup/plugins directory:
http://docs.sketchup.engineeringtoolbox.com/sketchup_plugin/engineeringtoolbox.rb

restart sketchup
start a project
click on plugins > engineering toolbox and it will open a window (with javascript errors!!!! argh!) but you find what you want, then click insert, and it drops the item into your sketchup window at 0,0,0. pretty cool!

Thanks! bookmarked!

[oxygen454]

My turn lol...

In Sketchup, if you draw a object and want to flatten it to transport to a cad file or to a nesting and burning program, there is a handy "unfolding" tool you can download. It takes some patients and a small amount of practice but once you get the hand of it, it works great!

Check it out HERE (http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2007/08/plugin-unfoldrb.html)

Oxy

[yyc_tbird_sc]

SketchUp is a pretty nice program....especially for a freebie. Easy to learn, and tons of great help available for it. I'm just learning about some of the plug-ins for it now.

New workbench...
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180679_10150416352675529_670780528_17280173_683773 5_n.jpg

Log splitter...
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180172_10150416352460529_670780528_17280168_367318 3_n.jpg

Winch fairlead...
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183084_10150416352360529_670780528_17280167_649515 3_n.jpg

Walking beam trailer...
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183931_10150416356420529_670780528_17280201_308271 2_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183635_10150416358530529_670780528_17280209_773812 5_n.jpg

[slow6i]

I've been using sketchup for about 2 years for a variety of things from basic design to actual physical operation, all with the free version. I've recently begun using it for movie creation and photo-realistic rendering. A year ago I was designing a small backhoe with a 9 foot digging depth and used sketchup with the physics plugin to find design flaws and areas of potential bindings in my design. I created a short movie of it in motion, all using only sketchup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz-xo8f0hR0

Cool! I wonder how long its gonna be until they create a material stress plugin (cant remember what the name of the progra for use with the physics program. (Google has a tendency to find ways of doing things for free what others charge thousands for ;) )

[feetfats]

I like the way you can draw a square and pull it into a box.

Lol, you can also draw a box and push it to a square :)

[Thurstan]

I am planning to delve deeper in to design software. What do you think would be the better choise? Sketchit or autoCAD? I have both the programs and have books about both of them.

What 1 of these 2 is the best for welding designs and construction designs?

[SEAR]

my first impressions of sketchup: its just a 3d drawing program
i would go for autocad for designing things to be built with blueprints.

[markfuga]

Thurstan, it depends on what you plan to do with the finished product from the design software. For us, we do almost all our design work and blueprint generation from Autocad. The prints from that program are easily distributed and understood by any fabrication/machine shop we send them too.

We use Sketchup more on the front/sales side of a job when we're meeting with a customer to demonstrate what we intend to build for them. The audience in those meetings is usally the execs and decision makers who can't quite "get it" from a 2D model. With Sketchup we can detail the relevant parts of the item being designed, navigate the model "real time" during a sales presentation and show an exploded view. This has helped us win many jobs simply because the client understands what we're proposing versus the competition.

From a personal use perspective I use Sketchup because it's what I'm most proficient in and I have fun with it.

[Kevin Morin]

Thurstan,
a few things not mentioned yet, about the two software packages, that may help inform decisions on learning time?

Files can be exchanged between the two pieces of software.

So you can draw in one and 'import' or open an exchange file in the other by using the Drawing Exchange Format (*.dxf).

What this means is that a model in SK'Up can be exported to Acad and further work or displays can be expanded or edited and printed.

Likewise, Acad files can be opened in SK'Up to work with those 'tools' or software controls to do more editing of the Acad file.

The two programs are not exclusive of one another. They both have areas or features that are helpful and are considered 'faster' than in the other package.

Also for consideration is the fact that SK'Up was intended to help building architects quickly get images on screen for conceptualization and visualization. It still retains this primary focus even as it's used for countless other tasks in the current version.

Acad was and is intended as a 'graphics engine' -like a frame and engine truck builder. Anyone can add the body and cab, bed or box and make whatever type of vehicle (graphics software specialty package) they want from Acad's core software.

There are "countless" graphics software packages that use Acad as their core- so learning the native Acad tools is not the easiest/simplest/fastest way to learn to use that software. Most times there is a front end package that uses Acad so buying and using the combined software can be the fastest way (not the least expensive) to get going with Acad.

http://www.tenlinks.com/CAD/users/autocad/addons/general.htm

http://autocadadons.blogspot.com/

http://www.ccadinc.com/software.html

http://www.cwattsdesign.com/

just to list a few links that help make the Acad 'engine' idea more clear.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

[markfuga]

Here's the latest stuff I've been doing with Sketchup, creating models and then doing "fly arounds", "zoom ins" and animations within the models. This was done for our marketing department to help promote our new product offerings. I learned alot on this one and can't wait to get started on the next. The only things that were not done in Sketchup is the "text titles" and the "voice over" by my lovely assistant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VtJRwocAUw

[Thurstan]

Well i would use the things i draw as a plan how to make them. It would be awesome ofc if you have to build something for someone it would be nice to do the conceptual design in sketchup first since its so easy to make the models and modify them for the customers needs.

Ill start with both packages. Cad for the blueprints and sketchup for the models. Looks both like very fun packages to learn. Altho cad looks alot harder :D, but i like a challange :).

Thx for all the advice guys.