Printing Patterns and Templates From SketchUp

For users of the free version of SketchUp one of the things that has been tedious if not difficult to figure out is how to print full size patterns for templates. It can be done and I've written on it several times but now there's an easier way to do it. Check my latest blog post for details.

Way to go Dave...nice how to.
I have bought your recent Video and the book by Ken I think it was. Still progressing slowly...I see it was Tim..


Garry

Thank you, Garry. I'm glad you have it working, too.

Evidently there's not as much need for this sort of plugin as I thought there might be. Ah, well....

Dave I am in the process of making some new hinges for an old propane refrig in a travel trailer. There wasn't much left but I got enough measurements off them to make a rough sketch up drawing. Then used some on hand plastic and removed all of that which didn't pertain to the hinge. I didn't make face views but would have if I would have remembered how. But I was in a hurry to get started, I have been thinking that is one of the big differences between me and many others here. I don't really have that much artistic talent and don't really care to spend the time it takes to make a lot of these beautiful projects that others here do. I really obtained almost all of my tooling to make or repair items that are no longer available. I do enjoy simple projects like a simple pen or box but most of my interest is in trying to repair or make a usable substitute for what had been determined by the manufacturer to be obsolete. And I almost always need to sketch or draw a reasonable item from worn out or broken parts. Often the replacement doesn't have to even look much like what I am replacing but must function as the original. And herein lies my greatest interest in Sketchup.... It kinda like the GUI of cad....

Ah, Garry, I see your point. And actually SketchUp could be an excellent tool for that sort of work. In the case of something like your hinges, you could make a pattern based on what you know and now print it out full size to use as a template. Another thing you might find interesting is the idea of 3D printing for some parts. You've probably seen the photo of the Penguin Donkey I had 3D printed. It was done in plastic but you can get stuff printed in stainless steel and it isn't terribly expensive. Might be useful for replacement door pulls or whatever and you could start with a SketchUp model.