OlyMEGA

Sketchup in 30 minutes

December 4, 2012 · 7:30 PM

Have you tried Sketch-up because you heard how great it was... and actually found it frustrating? I tried it twice and had given up on it. It turns out that the Sketch-up designers had some really great ideas about how to more quickly and easily create a 3 dimensional model. Having someone show you their memes makes all the difference in the world. A friend gave me an hour of their time, and I saw the light. I have put together a short tutorial on how to use it and tested it on guinea pigs. I think it will help you see the light too.

Please bring the following 3 things:
You will need to have Sketch-Up installed on your laptop.
http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/download/gsu.html

Assuming you will want to export your model to .stl for printing, you will also need this sketch-up extension:
http://www.guitar-list.com/sites/default/files/skp_to_dxf.rbz

And you will have to have a wheel mouse with a clickable wheel, similar to this one:
http://www.officemax.com/technology/keyboard-mouse-accessories/mice/product-prod2990488

Assuming all goes well, after everyone has duplicated the one in the tutorial, and there is more time, we will pick an interesting something to model suggested by one of the participants, and we'll try to do it on the spot.

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William A. McDonald

I'm sorry I missed out, I wanted to come, but work got in my way unexpectedly. Ended up pulling an all nighter on an orientation video X.X

0 · December 6
- Polymorph
  
  Keep your eyes open for more Sketchup classes. I'm thinking of doing sort of an intermediate class.
  
  0 · December 6
Polymorph

Great intro to Sketchup. Once you have that first Aha! moment, it really is simple to use.

0 · December 6
Bob Spafford

Excellent! It got me completely over my "fear of flying" and to a place of "This really ain't so hard." Thanks are due to Dan for making a long drive in crappy weather to give this presentation.

0 · December 5
Polymorph

I'm trying to bevel the edge of a shield shape and not having much luck. Will there be time to get some help with it?

I don't know quite how to apply "Follow Me" to it, as it is composed all of curve segments. I'd like the bevel to also be a segment of an arc.

Or maybe I'm using the wrong tool. I just need to round over the outside edge of the shield shape.

The shield in back of this drawing is about the same shape:
http://static3.depositphotos.co...

0 · December 3
- Polymorph
  
  Oops, I meant this shape:
  http://singingworksho...
  
  0 · December 3
Polymorph

I'd also like to point out that Big Lots has less expensive wireless and wired wheel mice, as low as $5.

0 · November 25
Bob Spafford

I saw Dan present this tutorial in Bellevue, it was most excellent (Dan's usual standard), and I found myself wishing that I had brought my lap top. It looks like I have a second chance to attend; this time hardware enabled. Huzzah! Huzzah! to Dan!

1 · November 24