[Plugin] SketchUpBIM: Building Modeling made easy!

d_e_x

i have uploaded a sample video on YouTube. It demonstrates the usage of SketchUpBIM tools for the design of a 3 bedroom residential building.

Check it out: http://youtu.be/0cnSoXKUX6Q

d_e_x

let's see if this works

[flash=640,480:3l5ebjvk]http://www.youtube.com/v/0cnSoXKUX6Q[/flash:3l5ebjvk]

thomthom

Seem to work - if you mean embedding. Though the video doesn't seem to do anything new after 3:45.

d_e_x

Yep, thanks. I can see it as well

The video completes at 3:45. However, I recorded the text for the remaining time as I planned to keep it along-side a normal sketchup window and demonstrate the difference in efficiency. It took me approx 9 minutes to construct the same building in SketchUp without the plug-in.

bigstick

If you could add IFC export to this, you've got a solid gold winner!

ZFRPS

sketchupBIM,good idea !
Go on

klawhammer

This is the best free plugin i have used.

unfortunately it is scrambled so I cannot switch the units to metric.

Pixero

Yes, we want a metric version.

thomthom

@d_e_x: If you use the Length class then SU will do the unit conversion from SU's internal inches to the user's current unit setup for you.

Then you use Length.to_s it converts it to a user friendly string.

To convert user input from user format to SU's internal unit, use String.to_l.

See the extension of the core methods that's included in SU:

http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/length.html
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/string.html
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/numeric.html

thomthom

@pixero said:

Yes, we want a metric version.

Come on, you mean "We would like". It's a free plugin after all. I know you mean good, but I feel it's done too much around here, just want to make it clearer to everybody.

mitcorb

Hi d_e_x:
This tool looks very promising! I am amazed at your skills.

d_e_x

WoW! Thank you for the response and suggestions. I have a pretty long and well thought-off roadmap for this plug-in. In this initial version, it was important to get the basic process-flows right - so that on-going development is possible.

Units: Yep, Metric is important. and T, thanks for the tips/suggestions on the Length class I have a few ideas on this myself: after all, my 8 years in the CAD industry should come to good use
IFC Import/Export: Another important feature. Allowing seemless import and export is probably the main vision of this plugin. There are some other ideas in our team - like using the apis provided by BIM software (like REVIT, and ARCHICAD) to import parametric geometry. I have seen this method to be more reliable in terms of preserving the element types and element properties. But we'll see; IFC seems to be equally important.

Please feel free to add to the list.

d_e_x

b/w I am doing the final reviews of the "Basic Tutorial" video. It should be uploaded by EOD today.

mitcorb

I just have a couple of questions as a potential user:
Could one start with an initial floor plate on the ground plane and do the same workflow as shown in the video?
Is it best to work in orthographic view?

bigstick

I don't want to risk sounding pushy, because I'm really excited to see someone add this functionality to SketchUp, but as I see it, IFC is the de facto standard for BIM interoperability.

ArchiCAD and Revit are great products, but there are Microstation and Vectorworks as well in the BIM market. IFC ought to be completely independent of any of this, and I think all the apps support it.

My greatest fear with BIM is fragmentation and lack of interoperability, which will mean that the industry could take 2 steps forward, but 3 steps back.

Having said that, it's fantastic that you're doing what you're doing, so please keep it up

[Edit: there is already an app called ifc2skp, and I can put you in contact with them if you want]

thomthom

@d_e_x said:

Units: Yep, Metric is important. and T, thanks for the tips/suggestions on the Length class I have a few ideas on this myself: after all, my 8 years in the CAD industry should come to good use

I've seen quite a few people new to SketchUp Ruby scripting trying to do the unit conversion manually, which just complicates things. The methods are there to let SU do the work. One just need to beware if one handle Float or Length objects. As some SU's methods returns units as regular floats - in which case it's a float representing inches. Just convert that to a Length - Float.to_l.

d_e_x

@mitcorb said:

Could one start with an initial floor plate on the ground plane and do the same workflow as shown in the video?

All SketchUpBIM elements (walls, beams, slabs etc) belong to a particular floor. Also, they are drawn downwards from that particular floor. So in the appended example, 2 walls are drawn on "Elevation 10 ft" (first floor). These wall automatically extend downwards till they hit the level below. In this case, the below level is the ground itself. Hence, there is no need to explicitly draw an additional floor plate.

@mitcorb said:

Is it best to work in orthographic view?

It is recommended: to avoid confusion with the below levels and provide a clean drawing board for each level/floor. However, this is not mandatory, you can rotate the view and keep using the tools. Important thing to keep in mind: the SketchUpBIM tools will always draw on the selected level on the layers dialog. In this case, as "Elevation 10.0 ft" is selected, the tools will snap automatically to draw at this particular level only. I call this a feature, hopefully it will be accepted as one

I will upload a tutorial video by EOD today. This should clear up the process-flows and methodology.

Bob James

I'm definitely interested.
I never heard of Building Information Modeling "BIM" before this thread (and Googling it to find out what BIM meant ).
Certainly for it to be of use it would have to have the capabilities described by pbacot, but as far as I can tell, this is a great start
Directly cutting windows and doors into thick walls

pbacot

Looks exciting. The wall layout looks good. The way you cut the windows in the walls is fantastic.

I imagine this is the basis for many more things.

However I have to ask: Does this video really represent the way Revit would do things? That you "eyeball" cutting holes into your envelope to create windows? I would think that with BIM I could insert windows by giving the size (or selecting a window from list) and it would be placed at the correct (default/designated) height and might even have some horizontal placement parameters that I can define and use. I would expect the door and window types, complete with casing etc., would become automatically a part of the file (from default designation)--not just holes. Is this actually "next steps" in your development or is BIM different than I imagine?

Thanks for the posting and the hard work!

Signed, Not a BIM user--so far.

Are we ready for a BIM subforum? I See d-e-x has bumped other posts to generate interest

jolran

D_e_x.

It's very nice thing to see your enthusiasm and willing to share your plugin. Thanks
Haven't tried it yet. Little time, no play. But sure looks tasty.

Something like pbacot wrote, one would expect parametric blocks as a result.
But that's a different subject. Dynamic Comps are little sketchy to code. Possible to do, but buggy with units if I recall.

Keep up the good work!
PS. I wish I could see the code man.. On the other hand I understand why scrambling code.
It might be the trend to follow.