Any Help With Google Sketchup

If you find such a thing, I would be interested. I tried Sketchup and it just doesn’t work for me. I’ve found some software to just feel natural, and others to be pure aggravation. I’ve never found a CAD that I liked.

-- I cut it off 3 times and it's still too short!

Well, we’ll see if this post brings any good information. You’d think that with all that computers can do nowadays, some woodworker somewhere would have found something good and easy.

-- Wood is a gift from God/Nature that maintains its beauty forever via the hand of a woodworker.

ANY CAD program will have a pretty steep learning curve – ANY of them. SU is no different.

I have used different CAD apps and while my favorite in terms of intuitiveness and capabilities is Bonzai I ended up going back to SketchUp because it’s free, and it’s plugable as well as simpler in certain aspects. from my expreience SU may not be the most intuitive CAD to use, but it actually has the shortest learning curve I’ve experienced between the alternatives.

that aside, whatever CAD program you end up using you’ll still have to draw/trace your parts/geometry. these are all design tools and not reproduction tools where you can do a 1-click and turn a plan from shopnotes into a 3D representation for you to look through.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I don’t know about the simple part but lots of folks seem to like sketch up. I’ve never been able to figure it out.

-- https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos

That “dream program” is just a dream. One price you have to pay for any CAD program is going thru the learning curve. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort.

-- Adversity doesn't build character...................it reveals it.

Well, I guess those last couple of posts say it all. Where’s my graph paper!!!???

-- Wood is a gift from God/Nature that maintains its beauty forever via the hand of a woodworker.

I was an Autocad expert in the late 80’s designing Hi-Speed Progressive dies for the stamping industry. There was no 3-D, but you could build libraries and download views of screws, springs, etc.
The views were top, side, and front view. (Precursor to 3-D)
It was very complex, but I needed it for my business.
Having said that, Sketch-up could be a great tool if I was not retired. I am not forced to make a living using it, so the little time I try to learn it is like taking piano lessons every six months. It ain’t gonna happen.
Commit yourself like a college course and you’l love it. You need to persevere.
I don’t think there is a better CAD system out there (and free) except Sketch-up PRO.
For woodworkers anyway

Thanks for your enthusiasm, Jim. Like you say, Sketch up is free and I guess you are right. I should just apply myself and learn how to use it. Maybe I should tweak this topic a little and ask if there is anyone that uses Sketchup on an ongoing basis and if they have any hints. For instance, when I downloaded and tried Sketchup, I found that for some reason that darned line would not stop. If I went to pick up another “tool” it would follow me up to the top “tool” bar. But then again, maybe by asking that I am just showing my stupidity.

-- Wood is a gift from God/Nature that maintains its beauty forever via the hand of a woodworker.

I started with Autocad back in 1984.
I have used it almost every day since I started.
I have used it so long I think in Autocad!
BUT
I tried EasyCad and TurboCad and several other inexpensive CAD programs.
They are all hard to work with.
Generally speaking, the more you pay, the better they work up to a point where they start to have so much power and so many features that they become incomprehensible.
Sketchup is a little different due to the fact it’s free.

Apple once had a program that was as close to intuitive CAD as anything I have ever seen.
You drew free hand then told the computer what the dimensions or parameters were and it created the CAD drawing from your sketch. Don’t know what happened to that program; it was called “Vellum” I think.

Another option is to buy an Autocad clone, like Cadopia. I have a copy of that to use at home. It was $350, but that’s a lot better than $3500 for full Autocad. The advantage of this approach is that there are a bazillion books out there for learning Autocad.

But I might be biased due to how long I have used it.

Well, for that kind of money, I can afford to make plenty of mistakes. All in all it seems that Sketchup is a God Sent considering the price.

-- Wood is a gift from God/Nature that maintains its beauty forever via the hand of a woodworker.

Thanks Crank49,
I’m looking into Cadopia.
Can it switch to engineering/ woodworking, fractions/decimals, and move the decimal point?

Cadopia works exactly like Autocad so it will dimension in any unit, decimal, fractional, or architectural (feet and inches plus fraction).
It just does not work in 3D. At least, the version I have does not.
I hate 3D anyway. It’s just for creating picture shows for administrators who don’t know how to interpret a three view projection drawing.

I spend half my engineering time taking 3D drawings made by some snot nosed college dork and converting them into real drawings that the guys in the fab shop can understand.

Crank, I’m a “no nothing” guy when it comes to what you are talking about, but I can fully understand your feelings about 3D. Give me a straight drawing with dimensions and that’s all I need. I can take that into the shop and make something from that.

-- Wood is a gift from God/Nature that maintains its beauty forever via the hand of a woodworker.

My good buddy…AutoCad programs are ok but when working on yothere ur own designs you have to work each piece as you make it and record it for next time around. There is nothing wrong with a napkin a nd pencil. Just think through each part one at a time and before you know ityou will have a project for the ages.

-- Measure twice and cut once.....sneak up on it! Steve Lien

crank…..andy
I can work with you guys!!!!!!!!!
HA!