Woodworking tools in SketchUp

Carlosq · 29 Apr 2008, 18:04

Hi,

Being that I am a newbee on SU and woodworking, a good tool for me would be something that creates a shopping list from a parts list, that way I could just print it and take it to home depot.

Thanks,

Carlos

Dave R · 29 Apr 2008, 18:08

FWIW, there already is a very serviceable cutlist generator avaiable. The file is CutListandMaterials3.3 and is available on the the Google SketchUp Pro Groups Files page.

I do hope Gidon's tool includes one but in the meantime, there is an option for this one.

yugami · 16 May 2008, 16:40

Dave R

I'm trying to install that cutlist script and launching Sketchup says theres a syntax error. Anyone have any ideas?

I'm running Sketchup version 6.4 something (current), the free version

Error Loading File CutListAndMaterials.rb
C:/Program Files/Google/Google SketchUp 6/Plugins/CutListAndMaterials.rb:33: syntax error

model. Volumes are given in board

^

Dave R · 16 May 2008, 16:44

I'm not a Ruby wizard but I think there's something wrong with the way the file is named. Check to see that it is named CutListandMaterials.rb I wonder if the ':33' is screwing it up.

yugami · 16 May 2008, 16:48

@dave r said:

I'm not a Ruby wizard but I think there's something wrong with the way the file is named. Check to see that it is named CutListandMaterials.rb I wonder if the ':33' is screwing it up.

Looking at it, it looks like the :33: means the line number in the file. which is exactly what shows up after the :33:
which is weird as I'm assuming that other people would have this problem if that was an issue.

Dave R · 16 May 2008, 16:53

Perhaps someone looking at the plugins forum can give you a smart answer. Sorry but I'm not the guy for that.

yugami · 16 May 2008, 19:22

@dave r said:

Perhaps someone looking at the plugins forum can give you a smart answer. Sorry but I'm not the guy for that.

Found the answer in the Ruby area, thanks.

aadbuild · 31 Jul 2008, 10:49

I have few sugestions, job sheduling by phase. e.g phase 1 footings, phase 2 piers, phase 3 beares and joists etc. automated wall numbering & window numbering would be useful. If you are yet to check out housebuilder.rb, this ruby has some powerful house building uses. If you need anither beta tester please let me know.

Mike Lucey · 31 Jul 2008, 11:37

Great idea Gidon I'll be watching the progression with interest.

Mike

Jim57 · 26 Aug 2008, 17:16

Wow, is this a wish list or what?

I'm way into the idea of a board stretcher. Perhaps it could have better size controls as well. It would be nice to know what the final size is, not just the difference between original and final versions.

I have a lot of trouble designing furniture in Sketchup because there is so little control of curves. How about the SU equivalent of Beziers? I also have a lot of trouble editing what I've done. Often I trash a work in progress because it's easier to start over than to edit. I'm sure the skill will grow on me, but as a newbie I find the learning curve starts easy but quickly gets steep, at least for anything with delicacy or intricacy.

Another tool I would like to see is a Molding Maker. It would be a specialized hybrid of a components manager and a Follow Me Tool. From a library of cutters (negative shapes) or patterns (actual moldings) you could extrude shapes along lines. Store anything from casing patterns to panel raises to tabletop edges and apply them to selected lines. Ideally, you could control where the profile hits the wood by dragging the shape into the rough stock, thereby setting the depth and height of the cutter relative to the stock.

And as everyone else here has said, put me on the list of beta testers!

Icarus Furniture

(www.icarusfurniture.com)

Dave R · 26 Aug 2008, 17:32

@jim57 said:

I have a lot of trouble designing furniture in Sketchup because there is so little control of curves. How about the SU equivalent of Beziers?

Already exists in several plugins.

Matt666 · 29 Aug 2008, 11:33

Hi all !
I gave an idea of a script here !

Sparky977 · 1 Dec 2008, 17:05

Any progress on this by chance? Specifically, the "board stretcher" option. That would be tremendously helpful! It would be nice to be able to make a small section of door stiles and rails for any cope and stick pattern I use, and then just be able to stretch those into whatever size door I needed.

Dave R · 1 Dec 2008, 17:34

@sparky977 said:

Any progress on this by chance? Specifically, the "board stretcher" option. That would be tremendously helpful! It would be nice to be able to make a small section of door stiles and rails for any cope and stick pattern I use, and then just be able to stretch those into whatever size door I needed.

You can do this already, Sparky, using the basic SketchUp tools. A plugin would be nice for it but it is possible without. Now with SU7Pro, you could make dynamic components to do the same thing although the components wouldn't be very useful for a cutlist later.

Sparky977 · 1 Dec 2008, 18:46

@dave r said:

@sparky977 said:

Any progress on this by chance? Specifically, the "board stretcher" option. That would be tremendously helpful! It would be nice to be able to make a small section of door stiles and rails for any cope and stick pattern I use, and then just be able to stretch those into whatever size door I needed.

You can do this already, Sparky, using the basic SketchUp tools. A plugin would be nice for it but it is possible without. Now with SU7Pro, you could make dynamic components to do the same thing although the components wouldn't be very useful for a cutlist later.

Mind telling me how?
I've been trying to figure out a good way, and everything I've tried has been extremely inefficient. The scale tool doesn't work for what I'm talking about, because it scales the edge profiles as well. I just need the length changed, not the scale.

Dave R · 1 Dec 2008, 19:52

@sparky977 said:

@dave r said:

@sparky977 said:

Any progress on this by chance? Specifically, the "board stretcher" option. That would be tremendously helpful! It would be nice to be able to make a small section of door stiles and rails for any cope and stick pattern I use, and then just be able to stretch those into whatever size door I needed.

You can do this already, Sparky, using the basic SketchUp tools. A plugin would be nice for it but it is possible without. Now with SU7Pro, you could make dynamic components to do the same thing although the components wouldn't be very useful for a cutlist later.

Mind telling me how?
I've been trying to figure out a good way, and everything I've tried has been extremely inefficient. The scale tool doesn't work for what I'm talking about, because it scales the edge profiles as well. I just need the length changed, not the scale.

Are you drawing the doors as five separate pieces? Assuming you are, here are the steps. Suppose you want to add 3" to the width of a door with a raised panel and cope and stick joints. Just for fun, we'll make the door 3" wider to the right.

Move the right hand stile 3" to the right.
Open the top (or bottom. Unless they are different as in a tombstone door, they should be instances of the same component) rail component for editing.
With the Select tool, drag a left to right selection box around the right end of the rail.
Get the Move tool and move the selected geometry 3" to the right.
Open the raised panel component and repeat steps 4 and 5.

Done.

If the rail you didn't open for editing gets lengthened at the opposite end from the one you did edit, you rotated the copy instead of flipping it. This means you'll also need to move one rail to align its ends correctly. If you flip or mirror the copy, you won't have that problem.

If you are using SketchUp for woodworking, you might find some useful stuff url=http://finewoodworking.taunton.com/blog/design-click-build ]here[/url].

Sparky977 · 2 Dec 2008, 03:10

@dave r said:

Are you drawing the doors as five separate pieces? Assuming you are, here are the steps. Suppose you want to add 3" to the width of a door with a raised panel and cope and stick joints. Just for fun, we'll make the door 3" wider to the right.

Move the right hand stile 3" to the right.

Open the top (or bottom. Unless they are different as in a tombstone door, they should be instances of the same component) rail component for editing.

With the Select tool, drag a left to right selection box around the right end of the rail.

Get the Move tool and move the selected geometry 3" to the right.

Open the raised panel component and repeat steps 4 and 5.

Done.

If the rail you didn't open for editing gets lengthened at the opposite end from the one you did edit, you rotated the copy instead of flipping it. This means you'll also need to move one rail to align its ends correctly. If you flip or mirror the copy, you won't have that problem.

If you are using SketchUp for woodworking, you might find some useful stuff url=http://finewoodworking.taunton.com/blog/design-click-build ]here[/url].

Sorry for taking this thread somewhat off topic. I am trying to do this, and I just can's seem to get it to work. I understand how the left to right selection box is supposed to only select whats on the edge you are selecting, but its not working for me. I have a custom door profile that I am trying to make work for a customer. Right now, the stiles and rails are 3" wide. I need to resize them to 3 3/8. Every time I try the left to right selection, it selects every surface and edge in the stile. This door profile is fairly straightforward on the inside edge, but the outer edge profile that the client wants is something I will have to get a custom knife made for, for my shaper. The client is a graphic designer, so he is pretty picky about how he wants this edge. Anyway, I'm wondering if the profile is screwing up the selection tool?
I am attaching the component, in case maybe its not just me screwing it up.

I had some other issues with drawing this profile to begin with, but I won't get into that here. I'm sure there are some things that I'm just not doing right with this program.

VK Door Stile.skp

Dave R · 2 Dec 2008, 03:11

I'll reply to you on this shortly via PM.

Dave

Dave R · 2 Dec 2008, 03:45

Scott, check your PMs. I did a short little video for you and gave you a link.

GUNAWAN W · 2 Dec 2008, 04:53

Hello Gidon,
i'm not a pro woodworker, sometime i had to design a cabinetery/kitchen set that need a more detail like section cut, maybe this site can give some idea :
http://www.cutlistsoftware.com/cutlist_plus_features.html
or
http://www.cabinets-plus.net/cutlistmaker.php
but is just an idea it would be perfect if it can be implemented in this release

and please release a metric version