Google Sketchup - Come Along for the Ride

Betsy said:

Hall table project - starting out

Well - I'm still recovering from my surgery. Today is my first day/night at home by myself. I'm trying to keep busy by learning this Sketchup program. So far, it's beating me. But I'm still going to keep at it.

So my thought is that I can't just keep trying to make things up to learn how to do the program. I think I mentioned before that I would try to use the program to draw the hall table that I made a long, long time ago. I happen to have the prototype in my bedroom so I could get the measurements and work from there.

These are still baby steps but I have learned two very important lessons while tooling around.

If you are going to need more than one of anything in your project, such as a leg - make it a component.

If you need only one of something in a project, such as a table top - make it a group.

To me the two terms "component" and "group" are a little confusing. A "group" seems like it should be more than one thing. Not sure why they use the term the way they do, but it is what it is. Just remember if you need more than one - make it a component and if only one is used make it a group.

So the dimensions for my table are:

Top 42×14 x ¾
Legs 1.5 x. 1.5×28
Long aprons 36×5.5. x ¾
Short aprons 9.5 x. 5.5. x ¾

The front apron is divided into five individual parts.

The top and bottom pieces are 36×1.5. There are three small dividers that make the openings for the two drawers. The two dividers on the ends are 2.25×3.5 and the middle divider is 3.5×3.5 and is, of course centered across the length of the apron.

The legs are set in ¾" from the front and back edges and 1.5" from each side.

So here we go, we'll see how far I get this session.

First is to make the top. Select the rectangle tool and make a rectangle 14×42 and use the push/pull tool to bring it up to 3/4.

Use the select tool and triple click on the top so that the entire top is blue.



Right click and select "Make Group."

Once you've made the top a group - no other geometry, or parts/functions will change the top.

To change the top you just open the group and edit as desired.

Now we get into a bit of the confusing part for me. I'm going to put in some guide lines using the tape measure tool to place my legs. There are two ways to get to the bottom of the top - orbit around so that the bottom shows or right click the top and select "reverse face." I think that you need to orbit around to the bottom.



Next orbit and zoom around until you can adequately see the guide marks and use the rectangle tool to put in the first leg (1.5×1.5)


Select the rectangle and right click and select "make component". I'm going to call my component - "leg" - how creative!

Then while the component is selected - capture your "move/copy" tool and while holding down the control key (option on Macs) click on the leg component and move your mouse to the other corner. Repeat two more times.

There is a way to copy once and then select both copies and then move those copies to the other end of the table-- but I'm not sure how it's done.



Double click one of the legs to open the component.

Select the push/pull tool and pull to 28". Pulling one component will pull all four legs up.

Now orbit around to put the table back on it's feet.

Here's a big question that I'd appreciate help with.

I've used the measuring tool to measure between the inside of both front legs and that distance should be 36"-- I'm 1/8" off. How do I move the leg just a little bit to make that distance?

When I placed my leg copies I placed them to the guide marks. There must be a more accurate way to do that.



Well I think I'm done for now. I'm still having problems getting all my pictures to download - but I've got a few in here.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

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