Easiest way to create 3-D home from plan view?

mgianzero

I am not sure where to post this question or how to search to see that it has already been addressed so I apologize if I'm making experts answer a old problem for Sketchup users.

I have the original plan views of my home which I would like to model in Sketchup. I would like to create the outside walls and roof lines first (i.e. make the shell) and then go to plan view to draw the inside walls, stairs, etc. What's the easiest way to do this?

I tried drawing the insides walls as simple lines on the floor of my model and then convert them to raised walls, but this is a time consuming process using the pencil and push-up tools. I also tried such plug-ins as 1001 bit tools to draw vertical walls, but I don't see an easy way to create these walls from top-view or bottom view and get the walls to draw the walls inside the house. Instead they draw on top of the home. What's the easiest way to do this?

Gaieus

Well, I would most definitely not approach it like this but draw the whole floor plan with the outside and inside walls THEN raise everything together then ad openings and only finally add the roof.

Is there any special reason you work in a different workflow? There could be some workaround to accommodate the above workflow outlined by me but understanding the reasons may help.

TIG

[flash=480,385:39p52xy0]http://www.youtube.com/v/MtqJh-DUG30&hl=en_GB&fs=1&[/flash:39p52xy0]
There are many ways - I think this is a good one, if you have a CAD file.
If it's an image draw over some of the walls, then scale the model to a known dimension with the tapemeasure tool [pick two points and type in the know value, answer 'Yes' to rescale]...
If you have nothing 'reproduce' the CAD drawing in plan and later on you can PushPull...

mgianzero

@gaieus said:

Well, I would most definitely not approach it like this but draw the whole floor plan with the outside and inside walls THEN raise everything together then ad openings and only finally add the roof.

Is there any special reason you work in a different workflow? There could be some workaround to accommodate the above workflow outlined by me but understanding the reasons may help.

Actually, there is a good reason why I choose to do it this way. I am considering doing an "inside" remodel of my home, by reconfiguring the inside a bit. {I don't want to have to change the footings or the footprint of the home if I don't have to.) Thus, I wish to stage my designs in two stages. One is to consider some outside "cosmetic" changes. Later, we wish to rearrange the kitchen and a few bedrooms for a better flow.

So even if I draw all the walls in plan view at once and raise it to 3-dimensions, I still want to go back to plan view and redraw new or different walls. I figured I could practice this technique by drawing the original plans this way too.

mgianzero

Here's some additional information which may help in understanding what I am doing.

My home was built in 1967 and I have the original blue prints. I do NOT have any CAD files of the home.
I tried drawing over an image of the home, but to be honest, I think it's really better to simply take the dimensions off the original plans. Overdrawing the image does NOT give exact dimensions to the rooms (they can be off by some fractions of an inch). I want to maintain the EXACT dimensions as it makes a remodel more exact.

Thanks for any suggestions you may give.

Marc

Gaieus

Well, in any case, make sure to separate everything by grouping. You can have two sets of inner walls (this version and that version) but they should be in separate groups. Also put your floor plan on a separate group and your roof as well.

By grouping (and maybe putting things on different layers afterwards), you can display different design (and redesign) ideas in the same model. Have a look at some of the (very basic) examples below:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ff5e479bc33c72c1b9c95966dbc09e1
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ce32f8ecde1a3811fbe6e1bbf78628f
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=3168ed68fce69cf154cbada1da0df134

You can still use the "blueprints" of the house just adjust your drawing to the exact dimensions you take (I would also do it like that).

mgianzero

Gai,

Very interesting! I like how the different levels of building are separated by different tabs using the scenes feature.

So I've implemented this feature to make two scenes, one is the footprint and one is the plan view. Now I wish to use the offset feature as an easy way to draw the 2-D walls. Do you agree?

But how to I capture only the outside walls to make them 4" thickness measured from the outside of footprint but make the inside walls 4" thickness from center?

Here's my Sketchup file as a starting point. I was going to make "PlanView2" my true 2-D walls with thickness. Then push-pull to make 3-D walls.

lemon_hts_walls_pv.skp

Gaieus

Offset everything by 2" inside then offset the whole perimeter another 2" outside.

mac1

Also there are numerous TUTs on modeling a house here is some http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sketchup+model+house&aq=f

Mike Lucey

mgianzero,

I have been using a very simple process for bringing a house plan, section and elevations to a 3D model for some time. I only produce the external skin initially which is what you seem to need. In most cases this along with 2D plans and a section is sufficient for most needs.

Shoot me scans of the plan, section and elevation and I will produce a tut on my method as I've been meaning to do it for some time.

Mike
mike.lucey(at)gmail.com

mgianzero

Mike,

I sent you an email of my plans and a Sketchup file I made thus far. I hope you can follow this.

Thanks so much for helping. Please let me know what your shortcuts are for drawing plans with Sketchup.

Marc

Mike Lucey

Hi Mark,

I got the files okay. I see they are in imperial! It's been years and years since I worked (drawing) in feet and inches even though I still think in both metric and imperial.

I will make a start tomorrow and post screen shots of the process I use. BTW, its a nicely designed house

Mike

mgianzero

@mike lucey said:

Hi Mark,

I got the files okay. I see they are in imperial! It's been years and years since I worked (drawing) in feet and inches even though I still think in both metric and imperial.

I will make a start tomorrow and post screen shots of the process I use. BTW, its a nicely designed house

Mike

Sorry Mike, but we still, unfortunately, use the imperial system over here in the US. I wish we did use metric.

Any ways, I am excited to see your technique for drawing such plans in Sketchup.

To be honest, though, I am not so fond of this home design. The ceilings are too low and the entry way and staircase are too confining. I am hoping to try and remodel these aspects with Sketchup and show them to an architect to see if it can be remodeled fairly economically.

Gaieus

@mgianzero said:

...To be honest, though, I am not so fond of this home design. The ceilings are too low and the entry way and staircase are too confining. I am hoping to try and remodel these aspects with Sketchup and show them to an architect to see if it can be remodeled fairly economically.

This seems to be an interesting project and I will be watching it.
Come on, Mike, you are an architect after all!

mgianzero

Hey Mike.

How are you doing with those tutorials on your Sketchup method for making a Sketchup model from my 2-D plans?

I haven't heard back and was wondering what you've come up with. Post whenever you get the chance.

Thanks again for helping me with this.

Marc

gealagie

I might as well tack my inquiries to this thread as I am about to try to do what mgianzero is/was doing a few months ago. I'm about to remodel a kitchen and adjoining utility (laundry) room/garage access. Some months ago I tape-measured and created a SU model of the utility room, but only of it's inside-facing surfaces (walls without thickness) and the project went no further. Now I've found our house plans and I'm thinking (as mgian--Marc did) that raising the house from those would be easier than measuring it out manually.

So Gaieus has suggested to import a raster file (.tif? .jpg? .gif?) and to scale it. Is there a video or tutorial for that? Does it come in as a lot of pieces of a group that you stretch together to a hand-entered length? My experience with SU is limited--I have one previous thread here, where I was creating an underground geological "landscape". You folks were great help to me finishing that project. Sadly, I have not had the time or need to do anything else with SU until now.

Gealagie, also a Mark

Rich O Brien

Hi,

Import your plans as an image. Then use the measuring tape tool to measure an internal wall and then just type the actual length of the wall and hit enter. You'll be asked 'do you want to resize the model'. Choose yes, and now your imported image of the plan is to scale!

It's a case of happy modeling from here. I advise to use layers for different things like Walls, floors etc. It'll prove invaluable