Old timer trying new stuff!
-
Hi
Mark Simpson from the UK here.
Back in the Early 1980's I took Engineering Drawing at school, it was nothing like this, but as I was studying Computer Studies as well, I dreamt that one day I could use these new (in 1981!) "Personal Computer" things to do the drawings it took weeks to complete and make perfect. When 3D modelling came out(Disney's "Tron"), I knew propelling pencils were nearly obsolete!
I am a compulsive sketcher, on beer mats, cigarette packets, post-it notes, envelopes, ideas coming at the most awkward times, as the wife will testify
But even though the ideas are there I have, until now, not had the tools to realise them. Now I have a free version of SU6.0 on a new Vista platform, and I am champing at the bit.
I have tried a couple of drawings, with a spanish villa in mind, but my visions seem to exceed my ability! I need a mentor to show me where I am going wrong. The latest practice piece was a vaulted hall, perfect in every way, except for one small hole in the inside roof that I can't get to behave and close like all the other facets of the ceiling.
Obviously, I've deleted a section at some point and this section refuses to be restored!
Can anyone here take a look at the piece, cast a critical eye over it, and suggest a way of correcting my gaff? (Before my frustrated verbal abuse, offends the neighbours and loses me a wife!)
-
Sure can, Mark, just post the model...or a portion of it if it's too big. (Now I'll go to bed, you'll come back from lunch and post, and when I get up in the morning several others from over on your side will have already helped...oh well, I tried :`)
-
Hi Mark,
Welcome to the forum!
You will get lots of help here and will learn plenty. Post your model as Tom said and we will take a look. -
Hi Mark and welcome. As the others above said; we'd need the model (or at least the problematic part) to look at.
You can select the problematic part then copy it onto the clipboard, open a new file and go "Edit" > "Paste in place". When we managed to help, you can copy it back where it was the same way.
-
@gaieus said:
Hi Mark and welcome. As the others above said; we'd need the model (or at least the problematic part) to look at.
You can select the problematic part then copy it onto the clipboard, open a new file and go "Edit" > "Paste in place". When we managed to help, you can copy it back where it was the same way.
Huh??!
I've duplicated parts before but never taken them out of the PC, so where do I send these pieces? And how do I do it? (feels a right imbecile about now) -
Mark,
What Gaieus meant was, open 2 instances of SketchUp, select and copy (ctrl-c) the problematic part of the model and paste (ctrl-v) it in the second SketchUp. Then, save and upload the second, smaller file here.
-
I'm hoping this works.
look at the underside of the piece you'll see the missing panel. I've scratched my head and can't make it fill in like then rest. Do I have to start over?
look at the underside of the piece you'll see the missing panel
-
One way is to draw a line between two of the opposite corners. That will fill the gap in with two triangles. You can then soften the lines by right clicking on them and the selecting Soften/Smooth Edges.
-
Dear Mark,
Go to Windows>Model Info and then change the setting to decimal mm, and then set the precision to 3 decimal places. Deselect Enable length snap.
Then go to Tools>Utilities>Query Tool, then place the pointer on the end nodes of the lower line. You will find that the X co-ordinates (which should be the same - red direction) are different. This the reason why the face won't form.
You could also go to Windows>Styles>Home (little house)>Edit>Edge Settings>Colour>By Axis. This will show you that the line is not parallel with the Y (green) axis. You could use the Move tool on the offending node, but you will need to drawing some construction lines so that you have something to snap to.
This is a good exercise in trouble shooting.
Regards,
Bob -
Yes, definitely there is an endpoint there out of place. Do either what the above gentlemen advised (John's solution is a quick one to fix this particular problem but you will still end up with a sloppy model). Bob's solution would fix it perfectly although it is not easy to do.
Finally, you may want to redo the whole thing. Go to View > and turn on hidden geometry. You will also see that in the middle of the cross vault, there are some lines unnecessarily hidden/softened. Use the Shift+Ctrl+Eraser tool to unhide/unsoften them. This would separate the the vault parts.
What is this going to be anyway?
-
So many thanks guys! ....What a friendly bunch!
I can't get my 1st effort at a villa up here, apparently 18.4Mb is too big a file!?
Here's my latest "work in progress" with a seperante helping of "botched staircase". I think I'll have to start that again as well.
The Villa has a mezzanine over the main entrance, vaulted hall, barrel roofed kithen/dining area, and the master bed has yet to be added to the end of the main hall.
Messy, maybe but getting the main idea down, at this stage seems more important. I can't find a standard staircase to fit, so I've had to start building my own. I'll rip it out and insert a better one later, but I wanted to include central positioning, understairs storage and a display cabinet/bookcase on the rear (facing the front door).
-
Hi Mark,
My first advice on building such things (with repeated elements of the same, rather compound geometry) is to use component as excessively as possible. This will give you several advantages;
- when you edit one, the changes will be reflected on all instances in the model
- since SU needs to remember geometry only once (and only some other parametres of the instances), file size will considerably be smaller using conponents
- you can save them for further use, reload them from other components etc.
Your challenge seems to be exciting, reminds me when I was building my first "real model" (I modeled the spiral staircase within the minaret of a mosque for instance).
Kepp up the good job (though I am pretty sure you will later revise your model)
-
Final instalment of the Vaulted Villa saga (I hope!)
The files too big though (2.26Mb), so I've had to post it in Google's 3D Warehouse, ( http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?q=vaulted+villa&btnG=Search&styp=m&reps=1 )I finally finished the staircase, including slide-out storage, bookcase and display cabinet, added handrails and installed by scaling to the height of the mezzanine floor (is this the right method?).
I've labeled each living area, although fitting a kitchen and adding furnishings would be too big a job, at the moment, I think. I'll install a spiral staircase in the master bed for private access to the roof terrace,(the wife loves sleeping under the stars!) at a later date or when I find an adequately ornate sample to import. The same goes for floor level doors and windows (gotta include shutters or bars for security!
).The more observant will notice the roof-lights with circular windows. If you google "indalo man" you'll see the reference tips a hat at Andalucian culture whilst keeping the overall design light and contemporary (I hope again!).
I feel proud of this first "proper" attempt at design, but will welcome any profesional critique, as I need to know I'm on the right track, as it were. If all is well on a basic design level, maybe a more detailed and thorough project will be attempted, including plumbing, wiring, footings and bespoke items such as window framing for the roof-lights.
Hey! This could become an obsession!
-
Hi Mark,
As I wrote in my previous post, there are so many repetitive elements (vaults, wall sections etc) in your model that the use of components would really enhance your modeling workflow. Then you could put them on different layers and only work with the parts shown while keeping the rest of the model hidden.
Another thing is that you have quite a lot of back (blue) faces in the model - these should be reversed (select a bunch of them, then right click any of them and select "reverse faces" from the context menu).
I think that to work "inside" the building, you could use section planes successfully.
Advertisement