You can also triple-click to select the volume, and then right click > Soften/Smooth edges.

Make sure to select "soften coplanar", and drag the slider until you are satisfied.

Excellent advice, TaffGoch. Blueprints are in fact "only a reference". You still need to:

1. Learn to "read" those drawings and visualize the final product in your mind

2. Analyze the geometry and identify the best tool for each part

3. Learn from your mistakes until you find your best work flow

4. Use common sense: A set of 4 parallel projections (Up, side, front and rear) can't contain all the information necessary to reproduce most 3D models. You would need several sections and detail drawings to be really accurate. So, go search for photos of the object. And do not take those blueprints as Gospel; they were done by humans and so sometimes they don't exactly coincide.

Same thing applies when trying to model a building from blueprints.

Well, it's never cold in Guayaquil.

Except for a strange cool wave in 1996, when it dropped to around 13ºC/56F in some areas of the city.

Hello, everyone. I'm kinda new to SketchUp, too... Well, I'm actually not a "new" SketchUp user.

I first discovered it in 2004 after graduating as an architect, played around with it, drew random shapes, push/pull'd them, and then got bored when I couldn't even do a simple house, while I was already proficient in ArchiCAD. So I just let my little nephew play with it while I worked in ArchiCAD.

Years passed, I hoped ArchiCAD would finally integrate a decent modeler, but it didn't happen. I wasted lots of time creating ArchiCAD objects from slabs and walls for even simple shapes. And since most of my clients want custom-shaped doors, windows, and furniture, ArchiCAD libraries are next to useless to me in this regard.

And then, last week (Monday 5) I received a call from the local branch of the Jehovah's Witnesses (as I am one, too) asking me to design a few small things for our convention hall: A structure for an information board, a place to wash mops, etc. Since these are small things and this would not be paid work (And thus not require photorealistic renderings) I decided to give SketchUp a try for this project. (At the time, I had no idea that there were good rendering plug-ins for SketchUp). So I downloaded GSU7, and watched all the introductory videos within 24 hours between Wednesday night and Thursday night. On Friday morning I visited them with my first proposal for the info board, which they liked. I made a couple more proposals, feeling confident of my newly acquired basic skills.

Watching the videos and then coming to forums like this one made all the difference for me. SketchUp has tons of features, but they're hidden and unless someone points you in the right direction, you would have never notice them unless you're extremely curious. The manual is boring and lifeless compared to the video tutorials. I hope most software companies follow Google's steps in creating such a good learning experience. I once tried to learn to use Form-Z, but finally got tired of trying to come to terms with the convoluted interface. Perhaps if Autodesys posted tutorial videos on Youtube...

Now I feel the urge to tell all those who graduated with me to use SketchUp. The sad part is, most of them are not very fluent in English, and both GSU7 and the videos are currently English-only. I once taught design principles to a class of Freshmen. I guess it's time to become a teacher again...

BTW, Where do I find the old issues of Catch Up?

@solo said:

Here is a quick Vue render:

Hello, I am new over here... So this is a quick render in Vue Infinite? I guess it's time to stop trying so hard with 3dsmax...