Accurate buildings from CAD drawings *easy way*

MrMikeEsq

This isn't very impressive to long time SUers, and I'm sure many of you already do similar or don't need to! But for people just looking into applying SketchUp to their current job (like me ) this may be a handy starting technique.

We already produce construction drawings in AutoCAD, and this is the way I currently ensure I create a base model that is accurate and idiot-proof to make:

Firstly take a floorplan and elevation drawing in your chosen software, deleting unwanted lines (such as sockets, doors etc.) and export as .dwg, then import the .dwg into SketchU
(1st and 2nd images)

Then rotate the elevation to be on the correct axis, pick 2 points that are the same and connect the 2 drawings
(3rd image)

Now you can fill in faces, and extrude them in a very fool proof way:
(4th image)

So as usual SketchUp doesn't require you to use very much brainpower

This is obviously not relevant to certain jobs, some may be quicker just from a few dimensions, but if you want to easily create both internal and external geometry then this works well. Also if you've made the exterior of the building in 3D you could sort of shell it in. This works well for me as I do lofts which sometimes have funny angles

Hope someone appreciates this

Gaieus

Thanks Mike and indeed a useful technique but of course, needs accurately drawn plan/elevations. Unfortunately I have seen some that did not match perfectly. Certainly that's not the problem of the above technique but of whoever drew them in cad.

One thing however; could you rather attach the images straight to the post? It takes those rounds of clicking to finally see them full size (or at least embed the full size images with the [img] tags here).

MrMikeEsq

Hope that's better
Ah yes you have to be sure the drawings are the same, but as these are drawings from within my office I can trust they are

EDIT
well usually

Gaieus

Thanks!

(And yes, if they are not accurate, the other person can be sacked! )

MakerCat

Very cool stuff, Mr. Mike! Cool name, by the way.

As someone who's really new to the world of 3D design (Sketch Up, AutoCAD, Maya, etc.), I can definitely appreciate small tutorials like this. One of my self-assigned projects is to develop the outline of a building -- mainly a home! I suppose my only downfall is that I'm atrocious at math (measurements, mainly) and that my perspective drawing stinks. However, I think I can manage.

Thanks for sharing! I know I'm on here over a month later. . .so I sincerely apologize for that.

rspierenburg

I've found that using sketchup to model building from CAD files a -GREAT- way of finding issues with cad plans. I usually model each floor as a group and then stack them. Its a lot easier to see where walls don't line-up 100% or where certain details are missing in elevation from a 3D model than from trying to line-up cad drawings.