New member
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Just joined today to start learning to use SU. I've used VectorWorks for over 10 years as my 2D drawing program but found the 3D in VectorWorks to be more difficult to use so I never bothered to learn it. SU seems to be a better option so I want to try my luck at this. I like the idea that there is a lot of on-line support and I'm used to the forum format so this seemed like a natural way to learn.
Just saw and article in Fine Woodworking about using SU to do exploded views of furniture and I was sold. Looking forward to becoming a part of this community. -
Welcome Charlie, you are now another member of this very happy and informative community.
Cheers, Bill.
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Charlie, welcome. There are quite a few woodworkers here, me being a closet (garage) one myself. SU is the best thing since the joiner as far as visualizing your project IMHO.
Again welcome and ask questions galore.
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Thanks for the welcome guys. Once I get time to use the program I'm sure I'll have questions. In the mean time I'm reading old posts to catch up.
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Glad to have you aboard
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Welcome, Charlie. Always good to have another sawdust maker on board.
While I had tried several other CAD type programs previously, the learning curve was way to long and many were remaniscient of the early DBase command driven data base programs. Yuck! So I generally reverted back to very simple scale sketches of furniture mostly to get proportions pleasing. I started using SkethUp several months ago and find that doing detail, down to the joinery, drawings make projects move along more quickly and with less aggravation over working around the little snafus that pop up. All that stuff gets remedied at the drawing board now before a saw cut has been made.
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Welcome Charlie!
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Thanks Jerry, I have been getting along with 2D for about 12 years or more but after reading the article in Fine Woodworking it really got me to thinking about the possiblites of 3D and it's free for crying out loud. I'm trying to get a little support group for learning SU started in our county but there's only 7,000 people in the whole county but I have mangaged to get a woodworking guild started here and from that I hope to get a SU group started. Will let you know how it works out. First I have to get some seat time so I'll know what I'm talking about.
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Charlie
welcome to this very friendly community. Nice to see a fellow woodworker, Really enjoyed you web site and the links.
With the help of Bruce (Modelhead) from this forum I managed to get my own web site up and running. (it is still a work in progress.I’m away from the computer for a few days so will not be able to reply for bit.
cheers
Alan
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Thanks Alan I already checked out your site when I saw it on another thread you posted on. I reconizied your white oak box right away because I had seen it some where on the web and downloaded to my boxes folder where I keep interesting ideas I see. I said to my self "So that's who made that". I really love the handles, I like the whole box and the dovetails are wonderful, but the handles are inspired.
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Hi Charlie
Thanks for the comments. Its amazing the help so many people have received from this forum.On the sketchup side of things from my experience I found that sketchup is an excellent tool to assist in the design process and very easy to learn from the excellent video tutorials.
I basically printed out the pdf document and worked from page to page, and if I got stuck, I posted on the old forum. This forum in my opinion is much better.
As a woodworker, I would often want to smooth the edges off, or on occasions ‘intersect with model’, or use the ‘follow me tool’. I found that sketchup did not like small measurements, so I made the model in actual size. In my case millimetres first, without any curves.
I would then grouped the model, then used the scale tool to increase the size by 100. At this scale the above tools worked. If I failed to scale them
they wouldn’t.When I return form holiday I’ll check this thread and my pm’s if you have any questions. After all of the excellent help I have received on this site I would love to be able to help.
cheers
Alan.
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Alan,
After going through your web site front to back I've seen a lot of your use of SU. Very impressive, you really do have the hang of it don't you. Enjoyed all the info but wondered if the Sharpening the Japanese marking knife on the Techniques is supposed to link you to the page like the picture below does to face marking page. If so the link is broken because I couldn't get it to work.
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Hi Charlie
Back from my holiday in Nice, France hence the delay in replying. What weather and what a lovely location. Will certainly be returning.
Thanks for the comments about the models. Sketchup certainly does the job for me.With regard to the Japanese marking knife section. Originally there was a link to those pages but since I have been paid by British Woodworking for the information I felt that it would be wrong of me to then provide the information for free.
The method of using the front edge of the knife I came upon by pure accident whilst working away one day. For me it is the most efficient method of marking a shoulder line.
If you want further info on this I would happy send the stuff through via private email.
cheers
Alan
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