Sketchup for Woodworkers.com

Thanks!!

I need all the help I can get!!!

-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the Universe's finest custom rolling pins.

Hi Dave,

Everything you brought up (except for components) are covered in the new video going up today. :)

I didn’t want to just drop all of those techniques on people in the getting started tutorial, I thought it would be too much info all at once. I don’t worry about the nitty gritty details of selecting and shortcuts just yet so people can get used to building first and how the basic tools work. The simpler techniques (triple-click to select) do work, they’re just not the most efficient way to do things. I think it’s much easier for a beginner to have something fool-proof to fall back on—“I click the icon that looks like a hand to move my view”—rather than try to remember “hold the mouse wheel and press shift” every time you want to move. And if you never show them the long way then they don’t have that fool-proof fall back and frustration sets in when they can’t remember they mouse/keyboard combo.

I see it as teaching someone to drive automatic versus a manual transmission. If you teach them automatic first then they can focus on the fundamentals of driving (staying in your lane, steering and braking, using your blinkers). Once that becomes second nature then learning how to drive stick is no big deal – your brain automatically handles all of the other stuff for you and you can focus on how to work the clutch. If you do it the other way around then your brain has what feels like 10 times as much information to absorb all at once.

Components will probably be in the next tutorial. I don’t always find them AS useful as everyone wants to believe they are, but they do have their place. Have you used the new dynamic components in 7? Now those are hot. Too bad you can only create your own with Pro. :(

-- Sketchup for Woodworkers.com : Simple tutorials and resources to help build your next project with Google Sketchup

Thanks for the tutorials, Cannikin. Your contribution is appreciated. I like the /4 trick in the second tutorial. Keep em coming.

May I request a tutorial on making a cutting diagram from a model?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a plugin that does that? Something that automatically generates a cutting diagram from a model/project. It would also be nice to extend the “Cost” plugin to compute bdft :D

There already is a plug-in for this! And it was announced on this very site! :)

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/daltxguy/blog/5143

It’s amazing!

-- Sketchup for Woodworkers.com : Simple tutorials and resources to help build your next project with Google Sketchup

Wow thanks. There is one reason to use components ;)

Cannikin, I for one appreciate the time and trouble you went through to help us beginners in sketchup. I’m not sure I would have tried working with groups, I used groups in cad programs and was not impressed but I can see how useful they can be. The /4 and x4 were sweet :) Keep up the good work and know you have a fan here.
Later,
Doug in AZ.

-- If you need craft books - please visit our small business at http://www.wittywife.com

Great tutorial Cannikin, I just watched all 3 and they really help explain how to get started.
Keep’em coming.

-- Seldom wrong, but never in doubt. My Blog site: www.sawdustdispatch.com

Hey Cannikin, Are you going to do a tutorial on miters and dovetails? Now that would be cool.
Later,
Doug in AZ.

-- If you need craft books - please visit our small business at http://www.wittywife.com

Rob,

I have enjoyed working with your tutorials. Question: You use Alt to make copies. I do not get the ”+” when I have selected the move/copy tool. However, pressing the “Ctrl” button accomplishes that. I am running windows Vista HP and Skecthup version 7.0.8657.

Dick

-- It isn't as easy as the demos make it seem.

Doug – Yep, I’ve got a tutorial planned just for different joints. I have to introduce one or two more tools first, then that one’s next!

Dick – That’s the first I’ve heard of that! Usually pressing ctrl on Windows is supposed to enable “auto-folding” which I haven’t talked about yet…you get a little icon next to the move tool that looks like two tiny pieces of paper. Does either alt or shift bring up that mode?

-- Sketchup for Woodworkers.com : Simple tutorials and resources to help build your next project with Google Sketchup

Nice tutorials Cannikin. Looking forward to the next one. I’ve added a link to your site from the Sketchup resource area of my webpage … Thanks for sharing.

The Kraftsman – www.kyserikekraftsman.com

-- Chris, The Kyserike Kraftsman - www.kyserikekraftsman.com

This is going to be interesting anyway.

Rob,

I would venture to say that most of us are not as well versed in the use of Sketchup as others may tend to be. I’ve worked through your videos a couple of times and have those moves down pretty well. I understand that you are on a Mac, so an occasional issue is no issue with me. I want to tell you that you are doing an awesome, and appreciated job on getting non users hooked on the program. I’ve had the program downloaded for a long time, but would give up on it too easily. Once again, thanks for bringing it down to a very understandable level and keep up the good work!!

-- Don, San Antonio, TX

I watched the video tutorials and had one the great “Ahh Ah” moments when Cannikin explained how to use the dimension tool. I had been working through the tutorial located on Wood.com and was struggling. However, after watching these videos I had a break out event. Below is the results and my current project in process. It is a storage cabinet for the Stanley organizer trays. I have 7 of the shallow ones 6 of the deep ones.

-- Seldom wrong, but never in doubt. My Blog site: www.sawdustdispatch.com

Thanks Don, it means a lot that you say that. Those are my favorite comments from people—they gave up on Sketchup but are going back to it after seeing my tutorials!

Harley – looking good! Now, did you mean the actual Dimension tool (which I haven’t covered yet!) or the Tape Measure tool? I think my next tutorial will cover the dimension tool, views and printing.

-- Sketchup for Woodworkers.com : Simple tutorials and resources to help build your next project with Google Sketchup