I might actually designate the initial release a BETA number but I'm still not decided on that yet.

Right now the plugin is all torn apart as I continue to add in a few additional features like presets and the "remove joist list" option:

This is my current desk setup, I've just added the big monitor to my left which gives me more screen real estate and improves my coding efficiency.  This is where all the magic happens, at least for now.

I also initially used the slab-on-grade code for moving edges of the floor perimeter but now that I'm testing it more extensively it appears that I should probably switch to the code I use for the complex roofs, so some additional adjustments required there as well.

This is how the sausage is made, one line of code at a time.

My wife said my design was boring so I saved a new version and let her try to come up with something a little more interesting…

Version 1.9.7 - 04.23.2024

• Fixed a compatibility bug with SketchUp 2024 (Fixnum & Bignum) while maintaining backward compatibility with previous versions of SketchUp.

Version 3.4.3 - 04.30.2024

• Added ceiling gypsum for tray and coffer trusses.
• Enabled the "Edit Truss Assembly" function for tray and coffer trusses (imperial and metric units).
• Enabled labels for tray and coffer trusses.
• Updated the license verification system with a more secure and improved algorithm.

The original 3D cladding tutorial showed the following four materials:

• Board and Batten
• Shiplap
• Log
• Lap

The three additional ones added since this video are:

• Metal
• Shiplap (Vertical)
• Dutchlap

There are now seven different types of 3D cladding materials one can configure within the Custom Material Library.

Version 3.5.0 - 05.26.2024

• Enabled "flat" ceiling gypsum for dutch gable rafter roofs.
• Enabled "flat" ceiling gypsum for hip rafter roofs.
• Fixed a bug with the global settings for rafter and truss roofs when the layer/tags option is turned off.

CRITICAL BUG FIX!
Version 3.4.7 introduced a bug for both rafter and truss roofs when the layers/tags option is turned off. This release fixes that bug. I highly recommend that everyone download this latest update to correct this bug.

Double sliders are kind of interesting windows.

Sometimes I forget how cool it is to be able to create something like this in SketchUp and have it animate like it does. Can I say I love my job?

The new Rafter Roof menu should be a bit more visual and intuitive for selecting the appropriate roof type:

Version 3.5.6 - 07.03.2024

• Enabled a graphical user interface for Rafter Roof selection.
• Enabled a graphical user interface for Floor selection.
• Fixed a bug introduced in Version 3.5.3 for all I-joist, lumber and truss floors (when adv. floor options disabled).

Version 2.0.1 - 08.01.2024

• Added a duplicate foundation assembly check to the regen module for the following foundation types: Stemwall, SOG, Slab, Stemwall Step, Grade Beam, Strip Footing, Footing.

The instructions for usage are the same as the recent update to the Wall plugin, see Wall Plugin Tutorial #51:

I still have completely finished the PDF reports since I've had my head so buried in the Timoshenko stuff for a couple of weeks (probably not a good use of my time but I couldn't resist).  Here is some output for a couple of cases (two span and three span beam, equal spans with a UDL).  What is interesting is the shape of the deflection graphs for the Timoshenko analysis.  I think the numbers are correct but to be honest I really don't have another 3rd party program I can fully test against.

I'm using a kappa of 5/6 and a G of 1/16 the E value, so in this case G = 106,250

Also I am just using the listed value of E for my Timoshenko calculations even though it already includes a 3% bump for shear built in.

EB = Euler Bernoulli, TIMO = Timoshenko

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/EB_TEST8_2SPAN_UDL.pdf

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/EB_TEST8_3SPAN_UDL.pdf

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/TIMO_TEST8_2SPAN_UDL.pdf

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/TIMO_TEST8_3SPAN_UDL.pdf

As a sanity check I multiplied my calculated value of G above by 10,000 in the code and then ran the TIMO analysis, the results are almost identical to the EB analysis as expected, so that tells me that with an extreme stiffness the TIMO degrades to an EB analysis as it should in theory.  Here are the links to the TIMO analsys with a 10,000X inflated G:

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/TIMO_TEST8_2SPAN_UDL_GMAX.pdf

http://medeek.com/resources/engplugin/TEST8/TIMO_TEST8_3SPAN_UDL_GMAX.pdf

Here are the different EB (Euler-Bernoulli) and TIMO (Timoshenko) deflections for the same simple supported beam with a basic UDL (no self weight, just the external load applied) :

My parameters are:

2×10, L=144 in, E=1.7e6 psi, I=98.931 in⁴, A=13.875 in², G=106250 psi, κ=5/6

As you can see the Timoshenko analysis yields slightly more deflection since we are accounting for deflection from both shear and bending. According to my calculations my results are within less than 0.05% of the theoretical value so I think the algorithm is working correctly

Now I need to check a few different multi-span configurations as well as overhangs to make sure everything is indeed robust.

When I calculate the Timoshenko beam I'm wondering if I should adjust the tabulated E value since it is being adjusted for the shear already by %3 for sawn lumber per Appendix F of the NDS (Sec. F.3). So the listed value is is actually 3% larger than the (shear-free) or true value of E.

The vertical jumps now look at lot better. So far it seems pretty solid:

Spent the last two days adding in some additional code so that the vertical jumps in the shear graph (at point loads and supports) are actually vertical. It was a bit more complicated than I originally bargained on but I think I finally have it figured out:

​The code seems fairly robust but tomorrow I will throw the kitchen sink at it to see if I can find any weaknesses in the algorithm.

I have't been posting much lately but that is because I've had my head buried in the code. Most of this engineering code is completely new (not my typical plugin stuff) so there is no refactoring old code or any other shortcuts I can take. Some of the old beam calculator is relevant however since it was so limited in its application I'm kind of on my own with this new calculator.

First look at the bearing check:

I also need to update my disclaimer, the disclaimer shown is for my previous online calculator, it needs some changes.

Working on assembling the actual engineering part of the report now, adjustment factors, shear, moments, deflection and bearing checks.

Version 0.8.2 - 09.09.2025

• Enabled loads and reactions (values) within the load diagram.
• Fixed a bug with end supports that are not centered on the start or end of the beam.
• Improved the formatting logic (SVG and HTML) for the load diagram.

Version 0.8.1 - 09.07.2025

• Developed the matrix analysis engine for the beam calculator using the stiffness method.
• Added a load diagram to the beam report.
• Added shear and moment graph to the beam report.
• Added a deflection graph to the beam report.

The engineering report is still not complete however by rolling this beta release I can allow potential users of this plugin the ability to test it out and assist in the debugging. The plugin can be directly downloaded from this link:

http://design.medeek.com/calculator/sketchup/medeek_engineering_ext.rbz

First look at partial UDLs with overhangs:

So with that I think the basic nuts and bolts of the matrix analysis engine is in place and functioning pretty much as expected. Of course it will probably be a few more days or even weeks before I am able to put out every little fire that may be burning undetected thus far, but we will see.

Now I will turn my attention to the following items on the todo list:

1.) Try to fix the truncation in the shear graph so that vertical jumps actually are vertical.
2.) Add in the standard engineering checks for wood beams (glulam, lumber, timber, LVL, SCL and PSL)
3.) Finish the formatting and layout of the HTML report. I may also include an option between a condensed report and a detailed report (or that may come later).

Things that are not specifically on the todo list but are interesting:

• Add in fixed and partially fixed supports, currently every support is assumed pinned.
• Engineering for steel beams
• Trapezoidal distributed loads
• Moment loads

Overhanging beams with point loads now check out. Once again ChatGPT to the rescue to help debug my syntax and even debug my actual algorithms. This AI stuff is getting crazy good, sometimes it makes mistakes but then it is able to reason and catch itself, it's uncanny.

Now I just need to debug for uniform distributed loads on overhanging beams. Then it is on to the actual engineering portion (AWC stuff for wood) and some final formatting of the PDF/HTML report.

I'm also not entirely satisfied with the clunkiness of the tools used to move and create the supports, some improvements on this end are needed. A load/support copy tool would be really nice, rather than having to create completely new loads and supports from scratch.