SketchUp as used by architects

[Robert Pearce]

I am a licensed architect and I will be giving a seminar through my local AIA chapter titled "An Introduction to SketchUp for Architects". I am gearing the seminar towards those architects who have never used SU, or use it, but not to its full potential. It is not intended as a class to teach SU, rather an opportunity to show others how it could be better utilized throughout design and construction. I will discuss the free version, but will concentrate on the pro version.

I would like to pose some questions for those working in the profession. While I have my own process as to how I use SU in my office, I don't want to miss out on somebody else's process or ideas.

If you would like to share, I'd like input on the following questions:

1. How do you use SketchUp in your office?
2. What functions or capabilities do you use the most/least?
3. What ruby scripts/plugins do you find the most useful?
4. What other software do use in conjunction with SU?
5. What, if anything, do you do to distinguish your SU work from others?
6. What are SketchUp's greatest strengths?
7. What are SketchUp's greatest weaknesses?

Here's how I would answer those questions:

1. I use SU throughout most phases. In design I usually work with a rough hand sketch floor plan, then draft that in AutoCAD. Import the floor plan and model the exterior of the building in SU. I export images from a SU as-is or create a SU/Photoshop composite to get approval from the Owner or government agencies. From SU I export all exterior elevations,roof plan, and building section outlines to .dwg format. I then clean up the drawings, dimension and annotate in AutoCAD for final construction documents. During construction I will occasionally use SU to help a contractor understand a problem by modeling a detail. On very rare occassions I will share the model with a client, but I usually only send them images.

2. The ability to export files as .dwg is huge for me. I also use the shadows extensively to do a quick solar analysis. I use the sandbox feature infrequently, but it is a huge time saver when I do use it. The new texture features in Pro 7 are great. I don't use Layout yet, but I can see the huge potential. If I could get the same 2D presentation from Layout that I get from AutoCAD (i.e lineweights, dimensions, annotations), I'd use it in a heartbeat.

3. Windowizer is probably the most used. While I like House Builder, I don't really use it often.

4. Primarily I use AutoCAD and Photoshop. I'm starting to play with exporting into 3D Studio Max.

5. I make extensive use of my own textures and entourage (people and plants). I've made some custom Styles, but have not used Style Builder to create my own strokes.

6. SketchUp's greatest strength are it's simplicity, ease of use (fun!), accuracy, and reliability, and general output.

7. SketchUp's greatest weaknesses are it's lack of simple-to-use complex curvilinear forms, high-poly limitations, and the famous shadow bug.

Thanks in advance to all those who respond. I just found out this morning that the first seminar is filled up (in only four days!), and we've scheduled a second. Any insight you can provide to help me make this a better presentation for the architectural community would be appreciated.

[thomthom]

1. I'm a modelmaker. I use Sketchup for the digital models. In our office we have Sketchup models for every projects. It's used from the very start of the projects when we're planning and massing to the final result. It's used to visualise the CAD plans and detect issued which are hard to catch in 2D. I also often do speed modelling while the architects look at the model brainstorming. Often with the clients present. It's prove to be of great help to visualise the project to clients and city officials.

2. Plugins. Without them SU would not be so powerful. My most essential tools are plugins.

3. Profile Builder, 1001bits, Joint Push Pull, Tools on Surface and other plugins which automates repetitive actions and extends the drawing tools in SU. I also write my own plugins when I need to. (i.e. plugin which takes an imported .dwg from Revit and paints it.)

4. Plans are drawn in AutoCAD. Often models are based on these. But we have recently adopted Revit. On occasions I use 3D Studio Max for tasks such as generating stepped terrain or bridging Revit via .fbx to .3ds format.

5. Photoshop post processing and V-Ray renders.

6. Plugins! And the speed of the mesh modelling.

7. It's slowness with large models and problems with creating very small faces.

[honoluludesktop]

I completed your questions, but then wasn't too sure if my answers, or lack of answers would help you. Decided to post anyway.

1. Sketches become Cadd plan. The Cadd plan is used to create a 3d model (with sub blocks of all interior and exterior elevations). The Cadd model is further organized as blocks (SU components) to organize textures. The model is ported to SU for visualization, and presentation. Typically some kind of animation, and quick renders.

All design revision are done in Cadd then ported to SU (as revisions to components) so that the Cadd database is preserved for production drawings. I find this process faster then designing in SU in order to port to Cadd.

3. I do not depend heavily on plugins, and try to use SU as it was created to aid in visualization, and presentation.

4. Various render, and post processing software.

5. Nothing, except for a small library of components, and materials that I like to use.

6. Inexpensive software, intuitive interface, and easy to use. Photo match, shadow, and style features.

7. Don't know if its a weakness, but it would be nice if some of the editing tools were more like my Cadd system (especially the stretch window, better window controls inside a command, and selective unselect). Also nice if SU could dde with a spreadsheet, but not if it slows the app down.