Pencil or SU?

remus · 15 Dec 2007, 12:53

so what do you all prefer for doing quick sketches and ideas? SU or the good old fashioned pencil and paper?

personally im a fan of the pencil just because its quick and more styilistic, but thats probably just because im not very good with SU.

Mike Lucey · 15 Dec 2007, 13:40

@remus said:

personally im a fan of the pencil just because its quick and more styilistic, but thats probably just because im not very good with SU.

Hi Remus,

I've been using SketchUp since V1 and I still like to grab my thick lead clutch pencil and get those initial free flowing doodles on paper before jumping into SketchUp.

I really think that the act of holding a pencil or even a stick and drawing in the sand is second nature to us! Hopefully in time computer input will move in this direction and allow us to use our hands / wrists more. This is happening with some new technologies and they look very inviting.

A Wacom tablet input could be the answer but the reaction times are just not there yet. Its annoying moving your hand at a rate that suits the tablet but I understand Wacom are to bring out much faster reacting tables in the coming year.

So we will have to wait and see, but for the time being for me also it has to be the pencil and paper for those initial doodles.

Mike

remus · 15 Dec 2007, 14:53

thats an interestign point you make about using a tablet. i've got one but i've never really thoguht of it as a way of gettign ideas down quickly, mainly because i haven't yet found a piece of software that allows ou to do this.

I also find when you pick up a pencil and draw somethign, it seems a lot more tangibile than soemthing you've done on a computer, perhaps it's just me

AdrianM · 15 Dec 2007, 14:57

I reach for SU everytime unless it's for something very, very quick in the workshop and the CNC pc is turned off.

I've been using computers everyday since the age of 11 so I find it far more intuitive to reach for the mouse and keyboard than pencil and paper.

Writing more than a sentence or two these days give me terrible cramp. Mind you that may be more to do with the RSI from too much keyboard use!

Edson · 15 Dec 2007, 15:25

i always start any project sketching freehand on paper. then i move to the computer (sketchup and vectorworks) and test it in 2D and/or 3D. during the entire definition phase i go back and forth between hand drawing and computer.

it is only when all the main decisions are taken that i go exclusively digital. even then there may a need to sketch some little change before trying it out on the screen.

alan wood · 15 Dec 2007, 15:32

Hi Guys,
I love starting with a pencil and paper, then because at present I am working on a small jewellery box, I'll make a very rought balsa wood model, then its off to sketchup to get an idea of what colour woods look good together.

I then use a 2d package for a scale printable model for the dovetail joints that i require.

cheers

Alan

solo · 15 Dec 2007, 19:38

Alias sketchbook pro is a great tool to use with a tablet for getting ideas down.