How would you build this?

bupaje · 23 Apr 2011, 00:36

Quit work a little early today so I could play with SketchUp before my ride got here (yes I am an addict).

I decided to build a 'simple' radio tower. Well, not so simple. I tried several ways. First with 3 upright legs angled to meet at the top, tilted them and draw the cross pieces. Then I tried doing two cross sections - like those cardboard cut outs, intersected them at the center and add the details. I tried a build each part and snap together approach and finally (in the image) I drew the horizontal support 'triangles' and stacked them, then tried to add the legs.

Since my ride just beeped I'd keep it short.... if I am not looking for architectural exactness, so not going to want to build beam by beam, what would be your process or workflow?

Trying to find a 'balanced approach' that will give good results without assembling each screw and bolt. Hope this is not too vague a question (I know what I mean in my head).

pilou · 23 Apr 2011, 00:44

Seems you want an infinite tower with regulate scale
So try Grow by TIG a very powerful plug who makes in the same time Scale, Movement, Rotation and some other little things !
Make the first level and call the plug!

bupaje · 23 Apr 2011, 01:16

Thank you! I have Grow and previously used it to make leaves as in your 'palm tree' example. I didn't think to use it here.

Alan Fraser · 23 Apr 2011, 07:53

I haven't used that script, so I don't know if it actually scales the beams and connectors as in your model...which would probably not be the case in reality.
To maintain the same-size parts...just shorter lengths, I'd suggest constructing a triangular prism as a guide. Delete the faces, just leave the edges. You could then construct the bottom set of connectors, then copy each one a regular number of times up each guideline....so they stay the same size all the way up. If you've made each connector with a square face on the side, this could be used to quickly Push/Pull beams between each set of connectors all the way up. If you've made the connecter a component, this would obviously need to be done on the outside, so as not to affect all the other ones.

bupaje · 23 Apr 2011, 16:14

That's a great idea Alan - it never even occured to me to do it that way. Thanks!

Will be trying both methods in a little while.