3D Truss Models

medeek · 4 Feb 2016, 04:02

Testing the real world application of the Medeek Truss Plugin. This model combines a double fink truss, raised heel fink truss, monopitch truss and shed roof with ledger. While creating the shed roof special attention to the birdsmouth cut was required to ensure that the fascia height of the rafters and trusses lined up. Also note the use of the raised heel type truss on the upper roof portion. Structural outlookers were specified for all gable overhangs.

5:12 pitch roofs with rafters and trusses 24" o/c. I did not apply a level cut to the rafter overhangs but that would probably be a given. Span of the double fink is 48 feet with 2x6 top and bottom chords.

View models here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

If anyone has some real world applications using the plugin that they are willing to share I would be very interested to see how it is being used and it would also give me some direction for further development and improvements.

pilou · 4 Feb 2016, 10:11

What a plugin!

Sorry for the diversion!

medeek · 4 Feb 2016, 17:33

I've ran into this structural question before, where you have a stairway next to an exterior wall. My first thought is to call out a balloon framed wall up to the 2nd story top plate(s) but then that makes the rim board and double top plate of the first story discontinuous. What is the preferred solution or how have you seen this done in similar circumstances.

Here is a quick mock up in SketchUp to better explain what the two options are:

You can also view and download the 3D SketchUp model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

juju · 5 Feb 2016, 11:42

Hi Nathaniel,

I noticed that Extension Warehouse has two links for your plugin, the one should be removed, not so?

SketchUp Extension Warehouse

Your library of custom third-party extensions created to optimize your SketchUp workflow.

(extensions.sketchup.com)

SketchUp Extension Warehouse

Your library of custom third-party extensions created to optimize your SketchUp workflow.

(extensions.sketchup.com)

medeek · 5 Feb 2016, 16:35

For some reason there are two copies on Extension Warehouse, you're right. I'm looking into it.

medeek · 5 Feb 2016, 19:26

Example of a porch roof using the hip roof and shed roof primitives. I'm wondering if it might not be worthwhile to add in a feature to create this type of combination roof automatically. Shed Roof w/ ledger & hip ends.

View updated model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

pbacot · 5 Feb 2016, 23:10

Both shed and hip add-on roofs would be useful, porches and partial 2-story structures.

medeek · 7 Feb 2016, 23:36

medeek · 8 Feb 2016, 08:00

Started the manual as a MS Word document however that doesn't work so well for hyperlinks. Starting over with an html manual page:

Medeek Design Inc. - Medeek Truss Plugin Manual

(design.medeek.com)

Medeek Design Inc. - Common Trusses

(design.medeek.com)

Couple of pages up, only about 25 more to go...

medeek · 13 Feb 2016, 06:59

Version 1.2.9 - 02.12.2015

Added Shed Rafter Roof (all advanced options enabled).
Added ceiling joist option for Shed Rafter Roofs.
Initial menu now defaults to last picked option of session for that sub-menu item.

A typical application might be a clerestory roof with a upper shed roof and lower shed roof with a ledger board:

View model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

medeek · 14 Feb 2016, 14:20

Version 1.3.0 - 02.14.2016

Added tail bearing truss type, configurations: (Fink).
Metric input enabled for tail bearing truss type.
Advanced options enabled for tail bearing truss type.

View model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

I have shown 3 configurations of the same roof to display the differences with non-structural vs. structural outlookers (horz. & vert.). I am not exactly sure how to treat the gable end truss for this truss type since I have never dealt with this type of truss before. Specifically, where structural outlookers are employed. Any sample outputs showing the gable end truss with a dropped top chord for a tail bearing truss would be very helpful.

Theoretically, one could forego the gable end trusses altogether and just balloon frame up to the roof diaphragm but I would like to provide the option for gable end trusses if it is a typical method used in real construction of this type of roof.

medeek · 14 Feb 2016, 23:55

I am currently investigating the best method to construct the gable end wall and truss with a tail bearing truss. Show below are 3 different possible configurations:

1.) Structural Outlookers (Vertical)

2.) Non-Structural Outlookers (Horizontal)

3.) Structural Outlookers (Horizontal)

This is just one possible method of framing the gable end wall into the gable truss with a 2x4 outlooker. Option 3 shown above is somewhat of a question, not sure how that heel joint would come together.

View the model here to analyze the different configurations:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

medeek · 15 Feb 2016, 02:55

Alternatively one could balloon frame the wall at the gable ends and attach a ledger for the ceiling:

View model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

In my opinion a partially sloping wall gets complicated to frame. From an engineering standpoint the balloon framed wall is also the strongest option.

This method of framing the gable end wall may make the most sense. I'm trying to form a consensus though on the best way to frame this so that users of the plugin are presented with adequate options that cover 90% or better of design situations they will come across in practice.

For those of you who are particularly interested in the the tail bearing truss please weigh in and let me know which option(s) works best for you.

medeek · 16 Feb 2016, 09:53

Version 1.3.1 - 02.15.2016

Added Triple Fink and Quad Fink common truss types.
Structural outlookers (vert. & horz.) enabled under advanced roof options for Common (Triple & Quad Fink) truss types.

Triple Fink @ 70' w/ 2x6 chords
Quad Fink @ 80' w/ 2x6 chords

View model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

JQL · 16 Feb 2016, 10:15

Medeek, I've been following this thread from time to time. It's an impressive plugin you've been pulling together here! Congratulations!

medeek · 16 Feb 2016, 10:28

@jql said:

Medeek, I've been following this thread from time to time. It's an impressive plugin you've been pulling together here! Congratulations!

Thank-you for your interest and the vote of confidence. I'm still plugging away at it every free moment I get, it is incredibly addictive and still amazes me what one can do with a little code and a well written API.

With the tail bearing trusses I'm still waiting on more responses from architects, engineers and contractors so I can finalize the gable end truss for that specific truss type.

It looks like I was featured in SketchUcation's latest newsletter, thank-you for that. I will say I need more feedback though, a lot of what drives this is the requests from users or potential users of the plugin.

I haven't had the time to get back into the complex hip roof framing stuff but I would like to seriously attack that again as soon as possible.

medeek · 16 Feb 2016, 12:53

I've been looking at a number of garage designs recently that employ an attic or storage truss. I'm finding that a lot of them tend to use raised heels to allow for more head room while having a lower roof pitch (ie. 6/12 - 8/12). I'm thinking about adding in raised heels for the attic truss type in the plugin.

A quick mock up would look something like this:

View model here:

3D Warehouse

3D Warehouse is a website of searchable, pre-made 3D models that works seamlessly with SketchUp.

(3dwarehouse.sketchup.com)

Ignore the unbalance in the panel lengths, in practice and in the plugin they will be properly balanced.

What I do have a question on is the use of a top chord splice as shown in the above image so that the overhangs do not have to be as deep as the top chord in the non-triangulated region of the truss. I have never seen a splice used on a attic truss with a raised heel, I don't see why it can't be done but it is always nice to have a confirmation that someone else is doing this sort of thing in practice.

pilou · 16 Feb 2016, 14:43

Do you think adapt your plugin for this sort of thing ?

juju · 16 Feb 2016, 14:59

@pilou said:

Do you think adapt your plugin for this sort of thing ?

haha, pilou, always pushing the envelope, I'd dare to say I think that is far beyond the scope of the plugin and perhaps beyond the liablity framework Nathaniel is willing to work in...

but let's see what he says...

JQL · 16 Feb 2016, 15:30

medeek,

I have a couple of questions rather than requests but they might point in a different direction than the one you're facing right now.

I'll put them for your consideration anyway:

I see your plugin is very interesting to people who use trusses daily. But, as complex as it is to be able to generate all this kind of trusses, I think the plugin would be more useful if it would also fill more aspects of an architectural project.

I mean, as an architect I know how I want a truss to look like, and I know the theory of how it works generally speaking... so if I have an engineer working with me (and I must have) I can fairly easily assemble a specific truss on my model and have all required details and textures on it and spend not so much time.

So where would I really benefit from using this plugin then?

1 - What about materials and mapping those beams with wood materials, or simply pre UV map the beams so they are easily paintable with one click? A lot of Sketchup users use SU not to design, but to present stuff. Maybe this could help you get the interest of more people and even of people like myself that like sketchup because it's good at designing AND presenting stuff.

2 - A rectangle in design is actually chanfered or rounded in real life. Render people need that and it's hard to achieve it with complex trusses like these as there are a lot of components to round corners and a lot of iteractions until we get the design right. Could the profile from your trusses be a chanfered/beveled?

3 - What about details for fittings and joists and all those steel and wood details that trusses have? Do you think that could be done? That would be incredibly technical, (and hard to acomplish), but would allow for great technical drawings and renders.

4 - Finally, this plugin seems to require a lot of truss knowledge and a lot of technical english knowledge for us to effectivelly use it... I haven't tried it because I feel that I wouldn't know what I would be doing. I'm not a native english speaker and I'm a generalistic architect that rarelly deals with trusses. (Though I've got two refurbishment projects with preexisting trusses right now wich I'm hand modelling as they are very intricate...) Have you thought about this? Is this effective even for me... Is the UI friendly?