[ChefHDAN]

First is another vote for using a quadrille pad and pencils. (I do not classify woodworking and software applications as the same hobby or skill.)

- jimintx

Jim, my very first shop class when I lived in Dallas, started with learning to draft before we cut a single piece of wood. I really value the knowledge gained from that very patient shop teacher that spent the time with a roomfull of a-hole 8th graders to teach such a valuable skill. It's only in the last several years that I found and learned how to use SU. I think, IMO, that having the knowledge of how to do it on paper aids my work on the screen. Its much simpler to scale, cut, paste copy & rotate the components in SU than pulling out the eraser which is why I rarely grab a pencil to design a project. I also find that my plan is also alot like a recipe, I know what supposed to go where and how it should be but most often, I'll adjust and alter on the fly. Sometimes a good screw up leads me to find a cool solution.

 

[MrRon]

I started life as a pen/pencil/eraser drafter, but after learning Autocad©, as part of my employment, I've never looked back. I am now retired and use CAD for all my drafting projects. My hands tremble, so trying to draw by hand is impossible. Thank God I can do CAD.

As far as Sketch Up is concerned, I haven't had much experience with it; actually I have no need since I have Autocad. As others have suggested, start with the free version. There are online forums for Sketch Up and I would suggest asking your question there in regard to a CNC transfer. Fusion 360 may be a better platform to explore as Autocad is the industry standard with a large following.

 

[TimLanier]

Let's get this out of the way right off the top: I work for SketchUp. I'm a lifelong woodworker and have been reading (but apparently not contributing to) LJ for years. My advice below isn't a sales pitch, just what I hope will be some helpful info.

SketchUp Shop is another option. Bob's helpful blog post mentions this. Shop is a web app (as compared to Make and Pro that you download and install on your Windows or Mac machine) but Shop is more capable than the free web app. Shop is cheaper than Pro but less capable, so you kind of get what you pay for. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here as a selling point for Pro is extensions. These can be very powerful tools that are often free. Pro is the cheapest version of SketchUp that supports extensions.

There are a lot of options and I highly recommend taking advantage of the "try before you buy" to figure out what version is best for you.

 

[jimintx]

As a result of this thread, I clicked the link given above in post # 8, and download the 2017 basic SU program on my Macbook. After the download I loaded the program into the Mac Application folder, and when i opened that SU application, I was confronted with several options for what i wanted to open next. I had no idea which to pick. Then I picked one anyway and was asked if i wanted to open template. As first time user, I really wanted to see if i could do anything simple like drawing a box, but i wasn't able to spot any templets to select from. With that i just quit messing with it.

Maybe if there was a quick class to go sit in I would get this figured out, but I already know how to draw, and moreover, I make almost anything on the fly with only my mental image of what is taking shape.

I went through all this about 3 years ago with the same outcome. I think I am just a failure with these drawing programs. But I am sure those who use them benefit form the features.

(FWIW, I am not a complete computer klutz. I'm a person working in professional office environments including offices and computer control, process control rooms - as a chemical engineer - since before the PC evolution ever took place. And that includes a number of years in the IT-based, management consulting environment of one of the Big 4 CPA firms. Let's just say that I do not struggle to use my computers, smartphones and so forth.)

 

[Lazyman]

Jim, I recommend watching the getting started videos on the Sketchup website at least. The program has a lot of capability and that means it is more complicated than your typical mass marketed software that has to be dumbed down. There are some things that are annoying and frustrating for me but once you understand its quirks, you will find it worth the time to learn, though if I were starting from scratch I would definitely look at Fusion 360 first. I have not explored BobLang's info but the most helpful videos that sort of kick started me were Mathias Wandel's Sketchup tutorial. It's is fairly old but still applicable to the basic features you need to get started.

 

[MrRon]

Most people who use Acad or other professional CAD software had to due to their job. They are expensive programs, so hobbyists are not prone to invest in them. Sketch Up was designed for the layman who was not in an industry that required visual design skills. That has been a win fall for many, especially the free version. With SU, anyone can now produce accurate drawings that he can take to the shop. As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words" and a SU drawing can make the difference between a well turned out project and a haphazard attempt. I love my Autocad©, but thank goodness for Sketch Up. Actually SU can do things my Acad can't

 

[Mainboom]

fww has dvds you can buy on sketchup. they are good dvds I thought it was worth the money but most of the info is for the paided version of SU. I use the free version to rough out most things I do just to keep it on a path so I don't go off course to far. then I screen shot my design with dimensions

 

[dcg4403]

Get the free version. It has all the features you will use except being able to print to Layout for engineering drawings. We also run AutoCAD with Fusion but it is serious overkill for most. Google Sketchup has a ton of support online and it very user friendly.

You can also get versions of Ebay for $30-50. But they are not web based, can't be updated, etc. The seller claims they are legal through previous licenses. So buyer beware of pirated software.

My go to is Sketchup as I'm much quicker with it for furniture designs. I then switch to AutoCAD when creating DXF files for our CNC. Google Sketchup works for this too. But it isn't as easy to export DXF or DWGs. We operate Refined Elements and Texas Urban Sawmill of Austin. We mainly use our CNC to plane huge live edge slabs so we aren't running extremely complicated programs. We do all that stuff with Aspire software.

In summary, most woodworkers that I know are using and happy with Google Sketchup. Update to PRO only after you see the need for it.

 

[RichT]

SketchUp 2019 sounds like a bust for the average woodworker.

https://jeffbranchww.com/2019/02/17/changes-for-sketchup-pro-2019/