Medeek Wall Plugin

medeek

Version 2.1.6 - 06.07.2021

Enabled an option for a steel framing (Cold Formed Steel) texture for lumber/studs in the global settings.

In the 2D mode the steel framed walls will appear a grey color as shown:

I was about to dive into the estimating module this morning but I received yet another email regarding steel framing. This update only provides what I like to call a "cosmetic" steel framed wall. All I am really doing is applying some textures (and hiding one face) to the otherwise standard wood studs so that they resemble a steel stud. These are not proper steel framed walls in my opinion.

This option in the Materials tab of the global settings is somewhat experimental and I am sure further improvements can be made so please send me any feedback, but realize that dimensionally these are not "real" steel framed walls. To take it to that level would probably involved creating an entirely new plugin devoted only to steel framing (CFS).

Please see model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/f1595258-f8b7-48cd-93c3-ff3cbf095b4f/CFS-Framing-1

medeek

Version 2.1.6b - 06.08.2021

Steel framing indicated (by color) in 2D or 3D "No Framing" mode.
Enabled steel framing for gable, shed and hip walls.
Fixed a bug within the window edit menu regarding window presets.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/abc0b628-bef4-429a-b67a-3262544165d7/CFS-Framing-2

medeek

Version 2.1.6c - 06.09.2021

Enabled boxed headers (2 ply) for windows, doors and garages by using the key word "BOX" in the header description.

*Note that this type of header works for both wood and steel and one can create boxed headers within the custom header library in the global settings. The only stipulation is that the header must be a 2-ply header.

medeek

Version 2.1.6d - 06.09.2021

Fixed a minor bug with the custom beam and header libraries (status, edit and delete functions).

This issue affected beams or headers that included brackets in the name, "(" or ")". This particular bug has been around for months but I guess no one noticed that you could not delete, edit or change the status of beams or headers with brackets in the name/description.

medeek

Version 2.1.7 - 06.11.2021

Enabled holdowns for portal framed garage door openings.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/d8924047-31a1-4b8b-8902-7fd70fcdf2aa/Garage-Portal-Frame-with-Holdowns

medeek

Version 2.1.8 - 06.14.2021
Added roof cladding to the Medeek Estimator (common and monopitch truss assemblies).
Enabled net area calculations for roof sheathing and roof cladding.
Fixed a minor bug with in-wall columns and layers/tags.

To take advantage of the updates to the Medeek Estimator for roof truss assemblies listed above you will need to upgrade to this latest version of the Wall plugin.

medeek

Version 2.1.9 - 06.20.2021

Added the ability to create custom "Lap" wall cladding materials within the Material Library.
Enabled "3D" Lap wall cladding for all wall types: Rectangular, Gable, Shed and Hip.

medeek

Tutorial 21 - 3D Cladding (12:15 min.)

https://youtu.be/iZ_ao2w2N_g

medeek

Version 2.2.0 - 06.23.2021

Added roof cladding, sheathing, drip edge, hip & ridge and rafters to the Medeek Estimator (gable and hip rafter roof assemblies).
Added rafter labels for gable and hip rafter roofs within the Medeek Estimator.

*Note: To have this new functionality work with the Truss plugin you will need to upgrade the Truss plugin to Version 2.8.7.

medeek

A live stream this morning with Artisan Tony:

https://youtu.be/Cl1lyG9qFDk

medeek

Version 2.2.1 - 06.28.2021

Fixed a bug with right handed shed walls and blocking.
Mid-span blocking is now notched out for "California Corner" studs.

medeek

New Pricing and Licensing Model

After reviewing the number of recent plugin license renewals and the number of active licenses I've decided I will need to change up my licensing system to ensure enough revenue for further development of the plugins.

What this means is that I will offer a dual option licensing system. You can continue with the current permanent license and renewals if you prefer or you can go with a subscription license. My proposed pricing (USD) for each licensing option is:

1. Subscription License:

Medeek Wall $75.00/year
Medeek Truss $75.00/year
Medeek Foundation $50.00/year
Medeek Electrical $40.00/year

mdkBIM $150.00/year (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2a. Permanent License: (NEW with free renewals for one year)

Medeek Wall $190.00
Medeek Truss $190.00
Medeek Foundation $130.00
Medeek Electrical $110.00

mdkBIM $340.00 (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2b. Permanent License: (RENEW for one year)

Medeek Wall $95.00
Medeek Truss $95.00
Medeek Foundation $65.00
Medeek Electrical $55.00

Obviously this pricing is trying to encourage people to migrate to the subscription licensing system, but the upside to the permanent license is that it will never stop working in the future if an active license is not maintained.

This is only a proposed license and price change, nothing is in stone yet. Please feel free to email me with your thoughts and/or any suggestions.

The thinking with this change is that I will have more licenses being renewed/subscribed and then have the ability and resources to bring on extra personnel and further accelerate the development.

P.S.
All of these numbers may be a bit confusing, even I admit it is a lot of numbers to throw out there at once. The main thing to grasp from all of this is that there will be two types of licenses "Permanent" and "Subscription". With subscription you just pay as you go and an active subscription gives you access to the latest releases of the plugins.

With the permanent license you always have the option to renew the license for another year which adds another year to the exp. update date. However what people sometimes don't understand is the situation in which you let the license lapse for a number of years. If this happens and then you decide to renew the license you still can and the additional year is not added to the date the license lapsed but to the date when you renew the license. So basically once you purchase a permanent license it holds its value significantly even if you let it lapse and don't renew it immediately.

P.P.S.
All licenses issued to date are permanent licenses. The downside for the permanent (current) license holders is not that the new pricing is increasing by double but that the renewal pricing is also increasing. I understand that this is not exciting news for existing users, but my plans to expand my operation and the plugin development will require additional employees and hence my pricing structure needs to be able to support that additional overhead. Existing users have four options:

1.) Don't upgrade their plugins and continue to use the most up-to-date versions that their license allows (this is determined by their license expiration update date). This option will work for many but as I continue to upgrade and release new versions with new features the newest versions of the plugin will become increasingly more attractive.

2.) Upgrade when their license expires as they deem necessary at the updated pricing level for permanent licenses.

3.) Switch to a subscription license when their exp. update date has passed and their permanent license is no longer active.

4.) Future proof themselves by renewing their licenses now and adding a number of years to their exp. update date at the current lower pricing (at a significant savings, approx. 50% discount from the new pricing).

P.P.P.S.
The subscription pricing is also lower than the current NEW pricing so it lowers the entry bar slightly for non-professional and casual users who many only need to use the plugins for a few weeks or months.

The cost for the permanent or professional users is going up, but in my mind that is where the burden should be shouldered. If you are a professional and actually making money with these plugins is a yearly cost of $150.00 too much to ask? is it still good value for the money? That is the question I really need to answer, and any feedback in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

medeek

After some discussion with various stakeholders (ie. super users) and considering the competition (ie. Revit LT) here is a more competitively priced version 2 of the new pricing schedule:

1.) Subscription License:

Medeek Wall $50.00/year
Medeek Truss $50.00/year
Medeek Foundation $40.00/year
Medeek Electrical $30.00/year

mdkBIM $120.00/year (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2a.) Permanent License: (NEW with free renewals for one year)

Medeek Wall $150.00
Medeek Truss $150.00
Medeek Foundation $120.00
Medeek Electrical $90.00

mdkBIM $320.00 (Wall, Truss, Foundation)

2b.) Permanent License: (RENEW for one year)

Medeek Wall $75.00
Medeek Truss $75.00
Medeek Foundation $60.00
Medeek Electrical $45.00

medeek

The new licensing and pricing structure is now live.

*Note: Licenses or serial numbers are independent and cannot be converted from permanent to subscription or vice versa.

Only permanent licenses can be renewed. Subscription licenses simply expire at the end of their term and a new (1 year) subscription can be purchased.

A subscription does not mean you are auto-enrolled into purchasing a new subscription at the end of your subscription term, it is up to the user to purchase a new license at the end of the subscription term or simply discontinue the use of the plugin and not purchase a new subscription.

medeek

Version 2.2.3 - 07.11.2021

Added the ability to create custom "Metal" wall cladding materials within the Material Library.
Enabled "3D" Metal wall cladding for all wall types: Rectangular, Gable, Shed and Hip.

The "metal" 3D cladding requires four numeric parameters:

metal_9.0_1.0_0.75_45

The first number is the rib spacing, the second number is the rib width, the third number is the rib depth and the fourth number is the angle of the rib bend. 45 and 60 degrees are probably the most typical here.

You can also now append further descriptive text on the end of the string, for example:

metal_9.0_1.0_0.75_45_ascblue

This also applies for all other 3D cladding names/types.

The base thickness of the metal cladding is controlled by the cladding thickness parameter for the wall.

medeek

Version 2.2.4 - 07.12.2021

Added a horizontal offset parameter for cladding material for rectangular walls.
Added a horizontal offset parameter for "Board and Batten" and "Metal" 3D cladding materials for rectangular walls.

This parameter will allow the custom horizontal positioning of the cladding material/texture so that multi-story structures can be properly rendered.

!!! CAUTION !!!
This update adds one new parameter to the rectangular walls and will require the user to delete and recreate any rectangular wall presets. This upgrade does not affect gable wall or any other presets (ie. windows, door, garage, gable wall, shed wall, hip wall).

Note that you can use both vertical and horizontal offsets at the same time or separately, giving you full control over the cladding placement/alignment.

medeek

Version 2.2.5 - 07.16.2021

Added an additional (advanced framing) layer for window sills into the Layers tab of the Global Settings.

medeek

Now that I've found a natural break in the Truss plugin development I want to address the wall preset issue that has been dogging me for way too long.

My idea has always been to make the storage system for the presets manually editable by the user (if required) so I have simply stored the data as long strings of text in a simple text file (.txt)

Here is an example of a bunch of wall presets:

Medeek Wall Preset File
2|Stucco Rockwool|20210510115553|Int-Ext|Front|97.125|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|5.0|NO|YES|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|ZIP_12|STUCCO_LIGHT_TAN|WALLGYPSUM|RKW|YES|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|ZIP_12|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
3|Stucco Pink|20210510124401|Int-Ext|Front|97.125|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|YES|NO|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB_FELT|STUCCO_LIGHT_TAN|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|NO|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB_FELT|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
4|test2|20210510145752|Int-Ext|Front|97.125|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|NO|NO|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB|HARDI_CM_HM|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|NO|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
5|4/2 Wall|20210510145837|Int-Ext|Front|97.125|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|NO|NO|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB|HARDI_CM_HM|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|NO|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
6|120wall|20210606121902|Int-Ext|Front|120.0|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|NO|NO|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB|HARDI_CM_HM|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|NO|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
7|150HD|20210606122002|Int-Ext|Front|150.0|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|NO|YES|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB|HARDI_CM_HM|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|NO|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN
8|150BLKHD|20210606122102|Int-Ext|Front|150.0|80.0|5.5|1.5|16.0|Left|0.0|2|1.5|1|1.5|NO|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|Outside Corner|90.0|1.5|1|California|Stud Depth|YES|YES|0.4375|FLUSH|YES|0.25|0.0|MITER|YES|0.5|NO|YES|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|0.0|OSB|HARDI_CM_HM|WALLGYPSUM|PFG|YES|NO|NO|NO|NO|0.5|WALLGYPSUM|NO|0.4375|FLUSH|OSB|HDU8|0.0|SB78-24|24.0|BOTH|FRAMING|Center|YES|1|48.0|ON SHEATHING|0.75|YES|3.5|YES|3.5|YES|#ffffff|YES|3.5|0.75|NO|48.0|YES|5.5|0.75|NO|YES|7.25|0.75|YES|YES|0.75|1.25|36.0|4.0|1.0|MITER|BRICK_RED|YES|4.0|1.0|YES|0.0|0.0|MODE1|BRICK_RED|A|16.0|12.0|12.0|2.0|1.0|QUOIN

Notice how I've used the vertical bar to separate the values/parameters, any deliminator could be used but the vertical bar is not something one would use typically in any of the fields as values so it makes for a convenient choice.

This system works well enough for storing and retrieving the data however the huge downside is that it is an ordered array of values and if I add in a new parameter (somewhere in the middle) then it throws off previous versions of preset files (ie. no backward compatibility).

I need a better way or method of storing this data. It can't be binary since it needs to be visible to the user but it needs to be either some sort of structure, hash or XML so that I can easily add additional parameters to the system when required.

Any suggestions?

juju

@medeek said:

Any suggestions?

my 10c (excl. taxes)

The external user editable file is a great idea, but looking at the TXT file example I don't think someone will want to play with it, it's not clear what the various parameters each do (it might be to some though).

Perhaps consider writing a multi-platform app that interpret all of it (read and write) with a friendly user interface. I guess this brings you back to the extension really then? Keeping the external file with the saved settings would still be handy and can be readily backed up.

If you really want to have the parameters manually editable, perhaps a comprehensive guide would be sufficient? You don't need to teach construction or regulations, just explain (with examples perhaps) what the various parameters do.

medeek

I’m thinking I could probably preserve my overall system as is and just use a custom text method rather than JSON or some other more cumbersome system.

I agree the current text file only includes the value and not the key so it is hard to interpret even for myself.

Essentially the first two parameters would remain the same (ie. preset number and preset name).

However all of the other entries (that are deliminated by the vertical bars) would change from a simple value to a key/value pair.

For example instead of

|Int-Ext|

I would change it to

|walltype=Int-Ext|

The equal sign would become the secondary deliminator. I can still store the entire string as a single line in my text files however it will become approximately double in length (no big deal).

I can then split the string into an array and then run a foreach on the array and turn it into a hash, from there it is just a matter of pulling data from the the hash.

Any thoughts on this plan and possible flaws I may have overlooked?