3D Truss Models
-
This is would be the typical output of the html input for the timber trusses:
I may add in the L1 dimension and the heel height dimension.
EDIT:
No major complaints or concerns with the way I have it currently configured, so far. I've starting creating the ruby code that does the heavy lifting. By the end of the week I should have something ready to go for timber trusses.
My goal is to also add in the Queen Post and Howe configuration for timber trusses, these other two seem to be the most commonly used.
There is a number of ways one could arrange the bolts on these plates or even configure the plates. I am trying to come up with the mostly widely accepted method that will make at least 75% of the user base happy. Hopefully I can achieve that.
At another level I am really happy about this latest edition to the plugin, I now have a better understanding and comfort level with designing bolt connected timber trusses and I can better address local customer requests in this regard.
-
@unknownuser said:
There are currently 371 active (unique) users of the truss plugin. Yet the turnout is very low with the Kickstarter Campaign, which leads me to one of two conclusions:
1.) Kickstarter does not work well with the SketchUp community.
OR
2.) The number of "active" users of the plugin is much smaller than the registered user base.Nathaniel,
it is #1 as I believe it is very difficult for purchasers of any SKP plugin to come to a user forum as a learning venue only to find that there is a further investment (?) proposal being offered on a plugin we have already purchased. In my opinion--and I say so with great respect----your funding efforts perhaps could have been undertaken elsewhere. There is nothing wrong in trying, of course, but it never felt right to do so on the forums. In truth, we are just purchasers and users of plugins only on this forum, not necessarily equity partners (I have pledged, by the way, and as you know, I have also offered additional funds to you if the goal is not reached).@unknownuser said:
If #2 is the case then it leads one to believe that the real world utility of the plugin is limited at best.
Wrong. Happily so. The real world utility of, not only the truss plugin, but the other 2 (foundation and wall plugins) is potentially significant. There are many more users of other big 3D CAD platforms coming to SKP, either for the first time, or for a final time as they, like me, have 'burnt out' on the size and complexity--and rules(!) of these other programs.
To have your plugins available to us, in tandem with the workflow importance of other plugins like VALI's and KERNAN's (extraordinary), PROFILE BUILDER, SKALP, and the brilliant host of productivity tools, allow us to produce and compete equally with the 'big boys/girls'.
And SKP makes us happy. It will always be the 'little engine that could'. Many more designers of all stripes are taking notice of SKP. Hence the essential requirement for what you are coding.
@unknownuser said:
Admittedly the plugin is a bit of novelty
Not a novelty. Essential.@unknownuser said:
it can do some cool stuff but does the registered user actually employ it on a daily basis and does it add significant value.
Yes, and yes.What is of greatest importance to us, I further believe, is to have a robust WALL TOOL. It must be robust in the sense that CHIEF ARCHITECT's wall tool is robust. It is the best one in the business. One can work in plan, yet the 'Z' is already in place, walls can be cut, sliced, extended, and fused into other walls automatically. It easily takes windows and doors, etc. (please ensure we can place windows & doors inside a wall group). What is needed is a design and editing wall tool. While we very much care about joists and trusses for roofs and floors, wall studding is just not that important (except for take-off calculations---but John Brock's plugin can deal with that). What is crucial is our ability to design, but particularly, to EDIT our layouts, quickly and efficiently.
As such, I can only encourage you to bring the wall tool forward for us to purchase and then proceed to integrate the three in one 'construction' package, as you have suggested is coming. Again, the VALI model. His architectural package is far greater than the sum of its parts (I use the win/door tool every day and is essential to my detailed workflow).
Your '3 in 1' could have the same effect and in doing so, your user base will increase exponentially.
...back to the issue at hand, I do not know how you fund yourself to get there (a question we all face in our own business'), but please do not give up. Your solutions for SKP are as vital as they are brilliantly coded.
As always, you have my very best wishes for the success of your efforts on behalf of us immediate users and the larger SKP community.
-
Well said dpaul.
-
The html webdialog is now integrated into the plugin and variables are passing correctly between the two:
Developing new modules, especially one with some many variables/inputs is a time consuming process.
-
Medeek,
PM sent re what is your Skype address.
please reply to my gmail address.Regards,
Ray -
I've uploaded a minor update which integrates the timber truss web dialog (won't actually create anything just yet) for those interested in testing it in SketchUp. It will only load up in Imperial/US unit templates for now. My main concern is cross browser issues that I'm not aware of but may pop up for other users who have their PC's configured differently than my own.
Let me know if there are any issues.
-
Medeek Const Library - Kickstarter Status at: 26 Aug
-
Version 1.9.7 - 08.26.2017
- Added king post timber trusses with bolts and metal plates.
There may be a few bugs to work out as I haven't had the time to test every possible configuration but it appears to be mostly working now. The metric version is not quite ready so the GUI defaults to the imperial units regardless of the template.
View model here:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/b9530289-89ff-40c4-ac55-754344864d3a/Timber-Truss-King-Post
I will add in the Queen Post and Howe configurations if requested by users and make any other corrections or adjustments as needed.
The permutations with this thing is ridiculous. The truss above has larger members with a wider plate width that allows for two rows of bolts.
-
We got about 50% the way there which in my mind is pretty good. I don't know that Kickstarter was the right venue for trying to stir up the momentum for a SketchUp plugin but I thought it's at least worth a shot. I sincerely appreciate all who have pledged their hard earned money and supported me in this endeavor. Your faith in me is the reason I keep plugging away at these tools.
I am currently pursuing other funding options. To produce a wall plugin that can do what the other "big boy" softwares can do will take a serious investment of my time and effort. I'm am figuring at least two years of solid programming to produce a polished product that has all the bells and whistles.
How I get there, I'm still trying to figure out. Currently I spend my weekends and a small amount of my time during the regular work week (usually going after the low hanging fruit). Surprisingly I am able to make some headway but progress is too slow in my opinion, somehow I will need to speed up.
Again I would like to thank everyone who participated in this campaign and for all of your pledges, it means a lot to me.
-
Medeek Const Library - Kickstarter Status at: 29 Aug
Funding Unsuccessful
-
Looking at the code structure of the timber truss module and the html web dialog it doesn't appear to be too difficult to add in the Queen Post and Howe type truss. This addition will make this feature considerably more versatile and useful in my opinion since it should cover 90% of most timber trusses of this type used in residential and commercial construction.
I will make it a point to add in both additional truss types before moving on to something else.
Recently I have not had a lot of feature requests so please fire away.
The next big item on the list is the implementation of the straight skeleton algorithm and the ability to create any rafter roof shape, this is a big one. If I succeed, which I will, this should be tremendously valuable to many of the plugin users.
How to do this sort of thing for truss roofs becomes a bit more difficult since truss roofs are a bit more ambiguous and can be pieced together in a variety of ways. I think it is possible but I will need to give this one more thought.
The next big item which needs to be tackled is the ability to generate floor joists and trusses for any floor outline. I've already given this some serious thought and the path forward is clear to me but it will just take some focused coding time and debugging. Along the same lines, the ability to cut holes in the floor assembly (stairwells, access doors etc...) is also a hot item, I will address this at the same time.
Work on the Wall Plugin has begun in earnest but my free time right now is limited so meaningful progress is slow, especially as I am still devoting the bulk of my time towards the truss plugin.
I have exactly zero feedback on the timber truss module so I am curious if anyone has used it yet and if they are encountering any difficulties or other issues that they would like to see addressed.
-
Is this feature useful?
-
What would make it more useful?
-
Would other timber truss types (timber rivets, etc...) be more useful?
Just because I find it fascinating and would like to add it to the plugin doesn't mean it has any real world utility, I've learned that through experience.
-
-
Plates are mostly there now just need to work on the bolts for the Howe Timber Truss:
-
Bolts and plates are now complete for the Queen and Howe Timber Truss types:
http://design.medeek.com/resources/timbertruss/web_dialog_timber_truss.html
Please feel free to test out the web dialog at the link above.
Now all that remains is to bring the javascript code into the ruby.
-
Version 1.9.8 - 09.04.2017
- Added queen post and howe timber trusses with bolts and metal plates.
View model here:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/11b78080-be08-4492-805c-2d73c9871ec6/Timber-Truss-Yard
Timber trusses haven't seemed to garner much interest or feedback but I do feel like it is a worthwhile contribution to the plugin.
There is more to be done with the engineering side but I will move on to something else unless customer feedback brings me back to it.
The big prize right now is the straight skeleton implementation. I have been mulling this one over for at least a year now.
The truss yard now has 23 different truss types/profiles:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/828e8b19-fac1-418e-bc64-f00294f453d0/Medeek-Truss-Yard-5
-
Version 1.9.8c
- Enabled option for F436 vs. F844 flat washers for timber trusses (in the materials tab within the global settings).
Version 1.9.8d
- Updated license registration system.
-
I do keep an eye on my ratings in the PluginStore and I've noticed that I am consistently at the low to mid three's (3.0 - 3.5).
I appreciate the ranking but I would better appreciate the ranking if it was followed up with some feedback. Why 3 and not 5? What can I do better or fix? What am I missing? Where is it broken? What is clunky and counter-intuitive? Is the price too high? Is there enough value for the money?
I do have a long list of things that need work but this type of feedback would help me further prioritize this list.
-
Tutorial #6: Timber Trusses
View model used in tutorial here:
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/38b48d10-1b18-46d5-8d6d-69bd446cdcd3/Timber-Truss-9
-
I've had a bug report regarding the Gambrel Truss and Timber Truss features when using the plugin on MacOS. I am curious if any other Mac users are also experiencing issues when html or webdialog menus are being employed by the plugin.
I've put more information on this developer's thread here:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=180%26amp;t=68011
If you are experiencing similar issues please contact me directly at nathan@medeek.com
I would like to resolve this issue as it poses a serious problem for Mac users and will be a much larger problem as I slowly migrate to more Html based menus in the future.
-
I've started putting up all of the previous versions of the plugin here:
-
@unknownuser said:
Recently I have not had a lot of feature requests so please fire away.
Hello Nathaniel.
Some thoughts for your consideration:@unknownuser said:
The next big item on the list is the implementation of the straight skeleton algorithm and the ability to create any rafter roof shape, this is a big one.
I agree, this is a very big one for us.@unknownuser said:
The next big item which needs to be tackled is the ability to generate floor joists and trusses for any floor outline. the ability to cut holes in the floor assembly (stairwells, access doors
Yes, essential for both. I would add (I may have mentioned it before) the need for a floor assembly to sit WITHIN a foundation wall so as to have the main floor level perhaps no more than 8" above grade. Clean walkouts to grade.@unknownuser said:
Work on the Wall Plugin has begun in earnest
Excellent. I have comments for you on the wall tool thread.@unknownuser said:
The timber truss module. Just because I find it fascinating and would like to add it to the plugin doesn't mean it has any real world utility, I've learned that through experience.
Your comment and implied question on 'world utility' brings me to the following observations:
I do not believe many of the truss items you are developing, such as plates, bolts, gussets, etc.---all of them very specific engineering components---are required by your present user base. In fact, we cannot use them. It is almost as if you are writing code for structural engineers, when in fact, P.Eng's have their own software to overlay their drawings over our working drawings. They would not use your plugin for what they need to produce for us designers (in the broadest sense) as they have their own.
We need your truss plugin, along with the floor/foundation and wall tool to help us speed up the building design process, NOT produce stamped structural drawings from them ourselves for local jurisdictional approval. Simply put, even if we wanted to, we are not allowed to produce engineering drawings with your plugins. Hence the P.Eng.
As such, if it might be possible to move away from all the structural components (dealt with, as I say, by others and their software) and put the focus on speeding up the design process itself for walls, floors, foundations, and roofs to say, the 80% level (leaving structural to others) that would give us the speed--the essential utility----we are looking for.
I will bring it up on the other thread, but SONDER's drawings are a very good example of the direction working drawings are taking: at 1/4"-1-0" we need very little information in any given cross-section (note the grey area in his attached section). It is in the detail drawings (Nick's are the best I have seen in a long time: superbly expository) where information for a builder can be placed. They are not needed in a cross-section unless it is at a far larger scale, and even then they can be produced as separate files and brought into Layout for final output.
Provide us the ability to speed up our building design process with your plugins (soon to be one, I trust). If so, it will, as I have said before, become a game-changer.
As always, these plugins have my vital interest and I offer you my sincerest best wishes for continued success. It is evident to me you are doing premium work.
Advertisement