A Welcome Message to New SketchUcation Members

rlcgrn · 16 May 2011, 05:26

Just saying "Hello" as a new "noobie". I'd really like to learn to use SketchUp at a reasonable proficiency and use some of the hacks I've come across to convert SketchUp drawings to .dxf format for use at my company. I'm running Sketchup 8 with WINE on Ubuntu and am not what you'd consider computer savvy, so it's been a huge learning curve all around. I'm currently working on a design for a tomahawk I plan to have produced as an initial entrepreneurial endeavor; I also have some initial designs for some other products, but I find getting the results I want are cumbersome with my limited knowledge so far of SketchUp, so it's all about finding tutorials for me to learn from.
Thanks in advance for all the resources here!

PauloFlatland · 16 May 2011, 07:09

Hi Everyone..

Im Paulo Gepulango from philippines.. a new member of this forum.. just want to ask if how can i render my drawing with thick shadow? or and what is your advice on this drawing? heres my previous render.. thank everyone..

cheers!!!!

Gaieus · 16 May 2011, 07:40

Hi Galt and Paulo and welcome!

Galt; whenever you have any particular question, do not hesitate to ask. There are some folks with quite some experience with Linux here (not myself though...)

Paulo; and what are you using for rendering?

mitcorb · 16 May 2011, 11:19

@Galt:
Welcome. There are tutorials available here in this Forum. You may also find the series of tutorials by Aidan Chopra helpful. They are posted on YouTube. Google has a series of tutorials, too. Enjoy your journey.

PauloFlatland · 16 May 2011, 14:57

@gaieus said:

Hi Galt and Paulo and welcome!

Galt; whenever you have any particular question, do not hesitate to ask. There are some folks with quite some experience with Linux here (not myself though...)

Paulo; and what are you using for rendering?

Thank you sir.. i am using sketch-up pro 8 and vray 6 for rendering.. i know that i am amature to this any tips sir?

Gaieus · 16 May 2011, 15:21

@pauloflatland said:

...any tips sir?

Well, since I do not use V-ray myself, my "best" tip is to scroll down on the main forum index and post your V-ray problem in our special V-ray subforum under the Extensions... main forum:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewforum.php?f=322

PauloFlatland · 16 May 2011, 15:27

@gaieus said:

@pauloflatland said:

...any tips sir?

Well, since I do not use V-ray myself, my "best" tip is to scroll down on the main forum index and post your V-ray problem in our special V-ray subforum under the Extensions... main forum:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewforum.php?f=322

oh ok sir.. thank you so much.. ill go tour around this site for any help tips..

cheers!!!!!

Gaieus · 18 May 2011, 10:00

@greenbelt said:

Hope this helps other Newbies like me. Could a forum member (me?) edit someone else's post to add the updated link? Is that allowed?

No way. Imagine hat would happen if members started to edit each other's posts!

greenbelt · 18 May 2011, 10:25

Hi. Decided to spend this morning re-reading some forums and tutorials. I was having trouble with finding Materials/Textures and am still learning. Found an old link in this post %(#0000FF)[**
@unknownuser said:

**.] - here is the new link.

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=94956
Sketchup User's Guide - Paint Bucket Tool

Hope this helps other Newbies like me. Could a forum member (me?) edit someone else's post to add the updated link? Is that allowed? Or is this way better?

P.S. Answered my own question. Cannot edit other posts. Here is a link to a list of textures elsewhere on the forums.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=486
I am still a little confused about adding my own textures.

One way is to go on-line and copy images from the web (mindful of copyrights, etc.). I use IrfanView. I save these jpgs in an organized set of folders with my other Sketchup Stuff. Then using File -> Import dialogue window, I browse over to my previously saved jpg file and open it. In Sketchup, my curser becomes a paintbucket and I'd better have a face ready to paint or I have to do it again. (annoying)
Second way that sometimes works is to use the Window -> Materials dialogue -> Open or Create Collection. Again I browse to where I keep my collection of textures. But this time I can only open a folder/directory containing .skp files. I cannot go to one specific jpg file nor can I successfully open a folder containing jpg files.

So more experienced users out there... am I doing this correctly. Is there a better way?

FYI: Learned something new at one of the about listed sites for textures. Creating textures to be used on models is an art in itself. hoo neeoow (who knew?) (my old Wisconsin accent) There are issues regarding tiling etc. Amazing!

Thanks for reading and answering my doubts.

justinplunkett · 20 May 2011, 08:48

Hi everyone.
I'm an illustrator and often use SU for my work, love it. I also use SU-podium for my rendering. Thanks for the plug-ins - have tried out a couple and will try out some more.
Cheers
Justin
http://www.justinplunkett.com

Avi Sacks · 26 May 2011, 14:38

Hi,
I would like to know how to superimpose more than one building onto a photograph using photomatch (each building is not parallel to the next building - i.e. each one is set at a different radius). Thank you very much for your help.

All the best,
Avi Sacks

CHEVOTA · 1 Jun 2011, 01:05

Hello,
I was introduced to sketchup through the company I work for. We are a startup company and we have had to learn things as we go and keep cost's down. Sketchup is great for that. We have begun to do our own shop and architectural drawings and I found this forum looking for line weight help. However the rendering that I have been seeing here is really good stuff! I sure I will find more information here than I can handle.

Cheers,

Gaieus · 1 Jun 2011, 05:34

Welcome Chevota and enjoy your time here!

Giganaut · 2 Jun 2011, 05:52

Hi. everybody! Greetings from Brunei Darussalam. you can call me Giggs for short

i may be new to this place but im very fimiliar to Sketchup X3
got hooked p to this program a year before and i used this program to model my work ever since.
if you want to see my recent works. you can go to deviant art to see hehehe.

here are one of my recent stuff i made:
http://giganaut.deviantart.com/art/Tiger-IV-A-B-211236738

since i stumbled upon this site last week. it opened me to new ways too model and develop designs.

Rich O Brien · 2 Jun 2011, 07:47

Great to have you here

sgcollins · 4 Jun 2011, 08:01

i'm not an architect, i'm a small time filmmaker -- but in the last few years i've taken up 'amateur urbanism' as a hobby. i started learning sketchup to try and visualize some of my ideas about city design. this looks like a good place to learn stuff! thanks for having me.
love
s g collins

Gaieus · 4 Jun 2011, 08:12

Hi Collins and welcome!

There are a bunch of urban planners here so I am sure you will enjoy the forums!

Gwyatt · 6 Jun 2011, 00:13

Greetings all

My name is Gavin, Big fan of Sketch-up since v6 very handy to build simple concepts rather than a sketch on the back of a scrap of paper,
over the past 3 months have done a crash course in 3D rendering with the help of Kerkythea, (forums) out standing power brining a poor bland 3d to life
Hope to share and learn some enhancements to my use of Sketchup

/wave's hi to all

Rich O Brien · 6 Jun 2011, 07:38

Nice to meet you Gavin. Post some stuff up in the gallery so we get see

macjohnw · 7 Jun 2011, 11:56

Hi fellow SketchUp users, I am new to the program and loving it lots. Looking forward to learn from others around here.

Greetings

John