Hi everyone,
I'm sorry for my slow response to your replies. Thank you for your interest.
I'd be extremely grateful to the SketchUp community to receive any generosity. I'd be happy to pass on those skills I've learnt too. I like helping people. Any help, even if you can cover some of the areas written below would be fun and interesting.
Here's some further information for you all in being a bit more helpful compared to my original post.
I've received recent help but it would perhaps be nice for someone who enjoys getting involved and sharing their knowledge as I'm quite enthusiastic. (I'm presently in the office now and happy to call or video chat or just chat.
So to better help understand my dilemma (requirements haha) and to give anyone interested in helping. I've written this below.
We are a Garage interior E-commerce business selling modular metal storage cabinetry systems. Focusing on residential home garages. As a no-obligation service we also provide a design & install service.
Presently I've been using SketchUp Pro at an amateur to intermediate level where I draw up their garage from the plans provided.
Due to a lack of experience, I have old legacy stuff to shift through. I've made a "Studio" SketchUp Profile which holds just a small handful of components (cabinets) sitting there visually ready to move and drop into position. This obviously requires addressing where a library folder needs creating. I've found a handy piece of software that works well with SketchUp called collector thanks to SketchUpEssentials's youtube video. Materials and models can be stored and dragged and dropped into a clean load of SketchUp Pro.
I have to tidy up my act quite a bit. The primary aspect of all this is to improve workflow for a new designer to come in and hit the ground running. Ultimately, the object is to correctly group components, whilst also being mindful of the component's attributes such as weight, colour, product reference codes, price etc.
The end goals are as follows:
Have a portfolio of all the products (catalogue is an inch thick) Include the necessary attributes. Be able to export to an excel sheet or a better method to then... To then import and populate our quotation accounting software (to save time)We also supply dimensional drawings (in the process of looking into SketchUp layout).
Including 3D renders.
I've also done a tiny bit of research on LFC but that has just blown my mind.
I'm only becoming mindful of properly using Tag and outliner whilst grabbing loads of useful extensions. I have begun to draw up the cabinets but I have the sinking feeling that if I don't do this properly, then it's going to cause me more work in the long run.
I wouldn't enjoy the thought that I've drawn all these models in an unetiquette manner adding or placing displaced information poorly.
The models will be used for the foreseeable future, about 2 to 3 years by new designer members and members of staff inexperienced in using a more complicated system such as AUTOCAD. WHich will be otherwise used by employed trained designers.
But that's a long way off. Many thanks for the interest as far. It's lovely to see.
Please PM me and I'd be happy to send my contact details and arrange a short meeting to see whether you can help. It'll just be us two on discord or something, nothing overall formal as I'm sure you'll appreciate as do I!
All the best.
Hexo