@watkins said:

Dear Chris,

Let me know how you get on. I use Inventor myself, and would really like an .iges export option for Sketchup. I like to mass model in Sketchup because it is so quick and easy (creative juices and all that).

I recently tried importing a Swagelok coupling as a .dwf file (downloaded from the web) and it sort of worked (needed a lot of cleaning up, and the remaking of faces).

Regards,
Bob

I really didn't have much success. Attached is a zip file with a 3d pdf of the part I exported from SolidWorks, the .stl file and the resulting Sketchup file.

You can see the results leave something to be desired.

Thanks

chris

RMH.zip

Hi all,

I'm not really a newbie, but have what I feel like must be a newbie question. My background includes many years of SolidWorks solid modeling, but I like the simplicity that SketchUp brings without the overhead of a fully developed tool like SolidWorks. I use it to do home woodworking projects and stuff almost exclusively now.

I've got a design worked out for a folding workbench which is multiple parts that I'm ready to get some dimensions on for fabrication. In SolidWorks, I can open each part separately and create a drawing for fabrication.

Now I realize that SketchUp doesn't work that way with separate files for parts and drawings, so my question is.. How do I get each individual part in a design arranged where I can create suitable dimensions so I can build them?

Thanks,

chris

Many years ago, my first job out of college was working for a shipyard. At the time we had a ship under construction with a 12 cylinder Sulzer diesel engine about the size of the one in the picture. The block was so big that there was a full sized door in the side for entry and there were walkways...inside the engine.

It was 167 feet long. I remember inspecting the exhaust manifold expansion joints. From inside the exhaust manifold. I could stand up fully erect inside the exhaust manifold.

Each of the 12 cylinders had a bore of something on the order of 1 meter (it's been 25 years I don't remember the specifics).

The rotation speed of the engine was such that it didn't require a gearbox and was directly coupled to the 40 foot diameter propeller. It rotated about 50 rpm if memory serves me correct. To go backwards the engine was turned off, the cam gear shifted and the engine was started in the opposite direction.

I didn't realize these things were still made.

chris

In any event, thank you for providing this. Hopefully it's better than the method I was using to get SolidWorks models into Sketchup. I'll test is later today and report back.

chris

I haven't found one yet. Hopefully there is, but I doubt it. It would be a good tool to get models out of SolidWorks and into Sketchup. At present I export to ACIS files from SolidWorks and then open them in IntelliCAD (DWGEditor which came with SolidWorks) at which point I can save a 3D dwg file which can be read by Sketchup. But these are really not very clean imports.

Take care,

chris

Hey all,

I've been running a quasi-portable installation of Sketchup (free) on my thumb drive for a month or so now. It's pretty crude in that it's basically a batch file which writes appropriate values into the registry, runs sketchup, then deletes the registry values on exit. The downside is the file locations are hardcoded so it's definitely not truly portable.

I've looked at the tools to create portable applications on http://www.portableapps.com and it would not be particularly complex to create a Portable Sketchup as Sketchup's registry values are fairly well contained (basically one registry hive). Thus it would be fairly straightforward to create a truly portable instance of Sketchup (if the computer already has dotnet installed, a major caveat and I honestly don't know if this can be tested prior to running).

In reading through the EULA it seems as though Sketchup cannot be re-distributed. It's not clear the impact of creating a framework and set of instructions for a user to create their own portable Sketchup installation. Before I go through the gyration of creating this framework, the question remains. If I created this framework, could I legally distribute it without Sketchup?

Opinions?

chris

@unknownuser said:

"In addition to a plethora of other CAD tools I use (SolidWorks, Sketchup, IntelliCAD, etc) I keep a copy of LiteCAD on a thumbdrive."

Don’t mean to hijack this thread, but a portable version of SketchUp Pro would be nice.

Ken

It's never going to happen in a direct manner. The Sketchup EULA prevents anyone else from distributing Sketchup. The best you are going to get is a framework published that a user can use to create his own portable Sketchup version.

I've been running Sketchup from a thumbdrive for about a month now. I use a batch files which write the appropriate info to the registry on startup and then delete the registry hives on quitting. The downside is the drive letters are hard coded so this is definitely not portable (I only use it on one machine).

I've looked at the methods used to 'portablize' applications on http://www.portableapps.com and it's pretty simple. I just haven't had time to sit down and create the framework. I will, but I honestly don't know if I can share it

Take care

chris

In addition to a plethora of other CAD tools I use (SolidWorks, Sketchup, IntelliCAD, etc) I keep a copy of LiteCAD on a thumbdrive.

It's free and totally portable so you are never without it. It will read and write AutoCAD files (except attributes). It's still in development so there are some rough edges, but for the cost and the portability, you can't beat it.

http://www.litecad.com/

Yeah, the webpage is sparse.

Good luck.

@3eighty said:

Well, Since a lot of you were so kind as to reply to my first post, I figured I owe you and update..They tell me my cancer is a fairly aggresive kind..They aren't sure how far its gotten but they want to start treatment...Here is the problem..Image a 6'3" guy with the weight to match..Yep, thats me..They want me to take radiation treatments for about 8 weeks, everyday...BUT, they want me to lose 20 - 30 pounds first..Well now, me losing 20 - 30 pounds will be harder than getting a date with Paris..It's been a problem all my life..So, anyway, tommorrow I go for a Hormoine shot...That is supposed to start the killing until I can get the radiation..(My mom was in the hospital when I found all this out, so i went to see her..She asked me what the doctor said, and I told her that I really didn't understand him but it couldn't be too bad because it had something to do with getting a shot of some drug and making a whore moan)..So, there you are..We'll just let time do it's thing and keep on SketchingUp..Thanks to you all..Richard

Richard,

I'm a newbie here, but please accept my wishes for a full and speedy recovery. Good luck on the weight loss. I know where you're at with that one.

And as indicated, to ALL those men out there ... get yourself screened. NOW!!!!

chris

Don't forget the Sketchup Show;

http://www.go-2-school.com

or direct downloads from

http://atotheo.libsyn.com/

I've learned a lot from these guys.

chris

I would like to see local help. I do a lot of work not attached to an internet connection and this makes help a non-entity.

chris

@bcoleman001 said:

Thanks Chris! I was looking on their main site. No wonder I couldn't find it.

Glad I could help.

cd

@bcoleman001 said:

Chris,

Can you post a link to the cabinet downloads? I searched their site without any luck. I need to redo my kitchen layout and some pre-made cabinet models would really help. Thanks!

You have to spelunk around a bit.

It's a link to their spec site

http://kraftmaidspec.com

You have to register and login, but I've not had them spam me. They did send my name to 47 cabinet dealers when I asked for a catalog though.

I imported these directly into Sketchup and then applied a wood finish to make them look more realistic.

l8r

chris

Hi there,

I'm a long time solid modeler and fairly new Sketchup user. I've been doing engineering design in SolidWorks for over ten years so I'm definitely familiar with the workflow of solid modeling.

Sketchup was easy and hard to pick up at the same time. A lot of the concepts are similar, but a lot are different. There are a lot of things that SolidWorks could learn from Sketchup though ;>. One of the main differences is SolidWorks has three different file types for parts, assemblies and drawings. Solidworks' models are full solids, not like the skins in Sketchup. That took a bit of getting used to. SolidWorks is parametric, meaning all your steps are recorded and you can go back and edit the steps individually where obviously in Sketchup you can't. I'll be honest in that I don't really see a hindrance in the Sketchup way of doing things.

I've done a layout of my new kitchen in Sketchup. It was really cool being able to get cabinet models from Kraftmaid's website, import them into Sketchup and place them. It really allowed my wife and I to get the arrangement down before going to the cabinet store.

I'm from the New Orleans area, but currently reside in Northern Virginia after relocating last summer.

Y'all take care now,

chris