Page 1 of 1

Floor plan question

PostPosted: 14 Jan 2018, 16:49
by techauthorbob
I am fairly new to Sketchup and I would like to model my own house (hipped roof dormer bungalow) .

I have looked at quite a few others attempts and they all seem to use single lines then offset and trim to suit.

Is this the best way or is there a way to draw double lines of the required thickness? It just seems cumbersome to me.

I am using the free 2016 version until I decide if the latest is worth it, so if single lines is the best then that's what I will use.

Thanks in advance for any advice ( even THAT, it's called Constructive Critisism).

Bob

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 14 Jan 2018, 17:08
by Malc2098
The main man is Dave R, but until he can answer in much more technical detail, let me try.

It took me a while to 'get' the concept of SU, but when the penny dropped, I loved it. I modelled my workshop basically by modelling a brick and then making a wall, modelling an 8x2 joist and then making a floor, then sheathing then wall frames etc.

I've seen SU draw the house/building itself as a model with out the detail of construction, but the overall shape.

Making the wall was just copying and pasting a single brick multiple times. Rafters were an 8x2 rectangle extruded to the length required then copied multiple times.

HTH.

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 14 Jan 2018, 19:06
by Robert
You can't think of drawing in sketchup the way you do for say autocad. Sketchup is 3D from the off. If you do draw lines it is to make a 3D object - you don't leave odd lines around on the drawing or the next object you work on could join itself to the lines.

draw an object - say a table leg... triple click the leg you just drew to select all then right click and choose make component. That wraps the leg in virtual cling film. Now you can start drawing the rails for the table without the lines joining to the leg. As soon as an object is created make it a component. Double click a component to edit it.

As you can guess there is a whole learning curve associated with sketchup. i found it hard to understand at first as my head was thinking in autocad terms. Now it is easy. Good luck.

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 14 Jan 2018, 19:12
by RogerS
I can wholehearted recommend DaveR's SketchUp book. You will save yourself a lot of grief. There is stuff on the web to look at but a lot of it is not very good and teaches you bad practices. Dave is THE Go-To man when it comes to SketchUp and woodworking.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodworkings-G ... 1621134288

And his DVD is also well worth the money - review here

Remember the Golden Rule - components, components, components.

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 18 Jan 2018, 17:51
by Dave R
Thank you gentlemen for the nice recommendations.

Bob, the best method for modeling your hose depends a great deal on what you need of the model once it's completed. If you just want to show the exterior of the house there's probably no point in giving the walls thickness. The same applies if you are only going to use it for interior views. If, on the other hand, you want to show construction details or perhaps you are going to add on to the lounge, you'll need to do other things.

To make the walls with thickness, Offset really isn't a bad way to go. Draw the exterior shape of the house and use Offset to create the inner lines. It's really not a difficult thing to do. You can add the other required lines for interior walls while it's all 2D and then extrude the walls up to make them 3D.

Take careful measurements all around your house. You might discover that secret chamber where the previous own hid all his gold. don't get to crazy about following the dimensions exactly when you are drawing. The walls likely have subtle bends and twists which could be drawn in SketchUp but would require extra work that might not pay out.

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 10 Feb 2018, 15:38
by techauthorbob
Thanks Dave,

That sounds like the way to go for me, will try to get some practice soon in between travelling to both sons and wedding Preparations (not mine!).

I am just doing initial sketches for a shepherds hut so that will be good to try it out on!

Bob

Re: Floor plan question

PostPosted: 10 Feb 2018, 16:44
by oddsocks
RogerS wrote:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodworkings-G ... 1621134288

And his DVD is also well worth the money - review here

.


That's another impulse Amazon order placed!

Dave