Google SketchUp Discussion!

[717CRAWLERS]

Here are 2 things I drew up





Incase you don't know what Google SketchUp is, here is a link:
http://sketchup.google.com/

Post up some of the things you have made, any tips you may have ect. ect.

Let's get a little discussion going about this awesome user friendly CAD program!

[slowngreen]

Good job bro, I have trouble using it.

[717CRAWLERS]

What do you have trouble with?

[ib99rt]

I installed it, but haven't had time to play with it. I need to draw a chassis..

[62PYRO]

I haven't played with it much.I just use mastercam when I need to draw something up.

[Harley]

Sketchup is alright for visualization but if you actually want to design and build something I highly suggest a different program, such as Alibre. There are many free 2D drafting programs out there that will do what 90% of people need to do.

[bmx_ican92]

autocad 2010

[Harley]

Originally Posted by bmx_ican92

autocad 2010

For most people here there about 10 programs available for free that will do everything ACAD10 would do for them..........LEGALLY.

[LAV25]

I love sketchup, for some people it may only be good for visualization, but my fabbing skills aren't so great, so visualization is good enough for me. Here are a couple of my projects:

2.2 Clod crawler, designed in sketchup and built in real life:




The real thing, under construction:





and built:


Clod super, again designed in sketchup and built in the real world:





The model of a Clod axle used in the above, not perfect but good enough to work with:




A Wild Dagger based 6x6 that I designed and built:






A visualization of a 2.2 6x6 that I'll get around to fleshing out and building some day, using a Bullhead body:




I'd love to see what others are up to, I love this program!

-val

[bmx_ican92]

I like autocad because that is what my school teaches havent tried any others...

[Harley]

Originally Posted by bmx_ican92

I like autocad because that is what my school teaches havent tried any others...

I started with AutoCAD way way back. Got a refresher when I started my internships in college. I learned 3D modeling in ACAD before switching to Solidworks. ACAD and Solidworks are so polar opposites though there is hardly any techniques that transfer. We use Solidworks for some really interesting projects at work, hands down my most favorite program.

[bmx_ican92]

I use sketch up for designing skateparks haha

[Harley]

Originally Posted by bmx_ican92

I use sketch up for designing skateparks haha

When I was a kid I used to love to design mini-golf courses on good ol' graph paper I imagine I would have used Sketchup if it existed then...

[Duuuuuuuude]

I was having lots of fun with sketchup untill it started crashing on me tonight.

Now its not so entertaining.

[717CRAWLERS]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

I was having lots of fun with sketchup untill it started crashing on me tonight.

Now its not so entertaining.

Mine did that a few times as well!

[flowingmotion]

I've been using Sketchup for quite a while for my woodworking projects. As the name implies it's more of a sketching tool than a drafting tool. It's great for quickly sketching out an idea and seeing it in 3D perspective. It helps me to see my design so I can spot flaws in proportion, see how things line up, etc. It took a few hours to get used to how it works but once you get the basics down you can whip out a design very fast.

[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by LAV25

I love sketchup, for some people it may only be good for visualization, but my fabbing skills aren't so great, so visualization is good enough for me. Here are a couple of my projects:

I'd love to see what others are up to, I love this program!

-val

Sketchup may not be the best for serious fabrication, but if you gave me a top-down view of those sideplates, with all the dimensions needed, I could have machined that.....if you sent me the file so that I could put dimensions on it if you left some off, that would be even better. If you found a machinist that was willing to work with you, Sketchup can make models that can be machined, but like Harley says, there are other free programs out there that will do a better job.

[717CRAWLERS]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

Sketchup may not be the best for serious fabrication, but if you gave me a top-down view of those sideplates, with all the dimensions needed, I could have machined that.....if you sent me the file so that I could put dimensions on it if you left some off, that would be even better. If you found a machinist that was willing to work with you, Sketchup can make models that can be machined, but like Harley says, there are other free programs out there that will do a better job.

Do you know of any that run on OSX?

[LAV25]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

Sketchup may not be the best for serious fabrication, but if you gave me a top-down view of those sideplates, with all the dimensions needed, I could have machined that.....if you sent me the file so that I could put dimensions on it if you left some off, that would be even better. If you found a machinist that was willing to work with you, Sketchup can make models that can be machined, but like Harley says, there are other free programs out there that will do a better job.

Very true, what I did was work the plates out in sketchup, print them 1:1 size, cut out the printout and rubber cement it to a piece of cutting board, and cut the piece with a Dremel wallboard bit. For machinists or folks willing to pay for them, sketchup might not be so hot, but for amateurs with more motivation than technique it's a pretty powerful tool.

-val

[team3six]

Well here is my issue, I would love to use a program like any of that stuff, But I do not understand CAD all that much. CAD is seriously outdated stuff with Engineers in land and homes. so much so that a lot of engineer dept's at schools are now switching to other programs.

For me, Yeah I can go to school and learn it, but I would be like the half million other CAD users who draft out of work!

Personally for my own use, I would like to find a free program that I can do engineer projects on and design my own parts. But then its finding someone that can do that stuff which as has been already discussed before. getting parts machined that are one off parts costs mulah.