Construction & Working Drawings - Discussion

watkins

One thing for sure, Stanford's Centre for Work, Technology and Organization would not win any prizes for plain English.

chrisglasier

One thing for sure, Stanford's Centre for Work, Technology and Organization would not win any prizes for plain English.

Well said, and then ... ?

fionmacool

Hi. Hopefully this adds value to the discussion. Here are some new resources for this topic that I feel are relevant/ important:

SketchUp vs Revit: A Comparison: http://bit.ly/Skp_vs_Rvt

Examples of full construction documents using only SU Pro/ LayOut (along with some photos of resulting completed projects): http://bit.ly/condocs_supro

New downloadable Course Content Sample: SketchUp for Architects Engineers and Construction (AEC): http://bit.ly/su_aec_sample

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BXLPTYnxNiS9a9usLD7cSA?feat=directlin
A Recent sample of construction document from SU Pro/ LO

3 minute video (already posted in this topic- apologies for repetition): http://bit.ly/view_vid

Feedback and comments very welcome.

tim

Nice drawings Paul. I just don't understand people that try to tell me SketchUP can't do 'real' drawings. It's simply a matter of getting some practice with making proper use of the tools. You might possibly be able to argue that more powerful tools are need in SU/LO and that's fine, but I've done the major drawings for our new house entirely in SU/LO with no real problems other than hitting a few interesting bugs.

I do look forward to the dimensioning in LO getting better (it's good enough to be worth criticising right now) and to the inclusion of some better tools for making section views better looking without quite so much work.

Mitchel Stangl

We are using Layout for Construction Documents. I believe is it best way to create them if you want to use and maintain your sketchup model through out a project.

These are example a of CD done with Layout:

I'd be happy be help people learn to use layout for CD's. If are a dedicated Sketchup user and are interested in Using Layout, please contact me.

Mitchel Stangl

Mike Lucey

HI Mitchel,

Always enjoying checking out your projects ..... even if it does give me a mild headache

Mike

tim

@mitchel stangl said:

These are example a of CD done with Layout:

[attachment=0:m5hsn670]0811-GA-example-1.png[/attachment:m5hsn670]

So if I understand your drawing, the mouse enters the trap......

watkins

Dear Mitchel,

Those drawings are very impressive, and so I might indeed be in touch. I tend to use Sketchup for preliminary design, and then switch to AutoDesk's Inventor for final modelling and 2D draughting. I haven't really investigated the potential of Layout even though I have the Pro version of Sketchup.

Kind regards,
Bob

krupster51

I've just started attempting the use of layout for CD's..........really just elevations of the building however. It's a bit clumsy for adding notes and the like. Anybody have a way to set and maintain a default for text, leaders, etc? I don't have an issue for use of SU models imported into LO for prelim drawings, but find it would certainly be way more of an issue for finished CD's. AutoCad was made for tech drawings, SU and LO are purely for presentation of ideas.

Anyway....any methods for setting text, line, arrow leader, etc defaults. They seem to need to be re-set with every different task.

Chris

bjanzen

The tool defaults are set by the templates, so if you create a document to the style you like, and File->Save as Template, then all those things should be set properly for you.

b

bjanzen

I should add one other clue for the experts in the crowd: LayOut files are zipped files, containing resources and XML. Look at styleManager.xml in the unzipped directory to see all the style defaults.

b

Mitchel Stangl

@krupster51 said:

I've just started attempting the use of layout for CD's..........really just elevations of the building however. It's a bit clumsy for adding notes and the like. Anybody have a way to set and maintain a default for text, leaders, etc? I don't have an issue for use of SU models imported into LO for prelim drawings, but find it would certainly be way more of an issue for finished CD's. AutoCad was made for tech drawings, SU and LO are purely for presentation of ideas.

Anyway....any methods for setting text, line, arrow leader, etc defaults. They seem to need to be re-set with every different task.

Chris

It is really easy. Pick a tool, text, for example, set it up before using it. It will stay that way until you change it again. Easy!

Mitchel

Sekta

Mitchel,

Love your CD drawings, always very inspirational to see someone using SU/LO to its full potential. Do you use the 3Skeng tool in alot of your work? I am starting to find this tool as well as profile builder essential in my workflow.

Although we are Architects, in the past year we have had opportunities to get more involved in heavy industrial work like galvanising plants, cement plants, a milk powder factory and even a rotary cowshed of all things. This work has come exclusively through our abilities to model these relatively complex industrial forms in SU quickly and efficiently.

Stan

aquafolium

its been taking some time, but I'm feeling good that once I get it set up, the second project will be much easier.

aquafolium

WB
am new to this
how do I post/share my example files?

Gaieus

@aquafolium said:

...how do I post/share my example files?

Under the text area you are typing your post, there is an "Upload attachment" tab.

gedw99

Check out my PDF of the construction drawings from Layout.
Maybe it helps others.
I will post more tips on my web site and some Sketchup and Layout files to help others.
http://www.ubuntudesign.com

I am an architect and have used many CAD packages over the last 15 years.
Auto-cad, Micro-station, others
I actually think Sketch-up & Layout is better then all of them for my work anyway. BUT, you have to use it in the right way is what i say. It takes some "Best Practices" to get the best out of the software, like any software.

I agree that its a bit messy. Layout and Sketch-up is designed to be workable for many different vertical industries.
So, you have to modify your workflow and best practices to match what your trying to achieve.
i guess thats why so many plugin have come out to match vertical industries

Some tips:

Have a layer for each Scene view, where you can put your dimensions on. You need this because then you can control on what scene (page) the dimensions are visible on.
For example, look at the following layer names: 0_Plan_dims, 2_Section_Dims
The "0" relates to the level in the building.
The "Plan" relates to what type of view it is.
The "Dims" relates to what is on that layer.
Also get the "Add hidden Layer" plugin; cant remember where i got it This allows you to add a layer WITHOUT it being turned on for ALL your scenes, which is what you actually want. Google should simply change the default Layer ADD functionality to do it this way in my opinion.
Draw everything on layer zero. Weird advice i know.
By this, i mean that you draw all lines and faces on layer zero, with no material or anything applied.
Then, you group it, and apply the material and the layer tag at the group level.
Doing this gives you maximum control over things and allows for speedy changes.
Use Components to model things that are the same.
Sure, you would do this for little things, but also for big things this is really useful.
For example, i have 6 apartments, and they are a mirror image of each other.
So, i just make then a component, copy it and flip it and i am done.

Sometimes, one apartment must have some special thing in it different from the other.
For example, say the staircase has to be different in each one because of site level conditions.
You break the staircase out of the Component then. Its still on the "Staircase" layer, just not part of the component now.
Simple.

Ged

Drawings ArchitecturalSample.pdf

Bert

I use that plugin a lot for the same reason as you.
Here is the link to "Add_hidden_layer"

jfanjoy

I probably represent a pretty unusual case, but I am currently using SU and LO to produce a set of construction drawings. I am an architect working for the Peace Corps in Guatemala, helping a rural Mayan community to design and build a 800 square meter high school. What I've discovered is that most of the local labor force is illiterate as well as unable to read conventional construction documents. SketchUp gives me a way to present the data in a way that makes more sense to the laborers doing the work. I've attached two example drawings from the set. They are obviously inadequate for your typical contractual arrangement in the US, but they are a lifesaver here and I don't know of any tool that would do a better job than SketchUp.

Go easy on the criticism... they are only about 85% done.

BTW, Mitchel's drawings are pretty awesome.

IDJK-1.pdf