Donnie Cherry
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Hello all! I am trying to figure out Sketchup. Is there somebody who can help me please? I have looked at all the tutorials and all that but still have questions.
Question about Sketchup??
- Thread starter Donnie Cherry
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Dave Richards
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Would the resident SketchUp tutor be able to help?
What are your questions?
What are your questions?
Donnie Cherry
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Hello Dave. You are the man I was told to ask.( From another woodworking forum) Are there any grids? I have done some drawings on it and printed them out and they take up the whole page of paper. Can you scale them down ? Do you have a good starting point for this program. I have done the tutorials . I have made drawing for some cabinets that are 36'' high , but when I try and make them that tall, the size box in the lower right hand corner does not say that. It says something like 15' long???? Does any of this make sense ?? Or is it just me!
Dave Richards
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I think its just you. 
Just kidding.
First thing you should do is take a look at this thread: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=597 Downoad and unzip the file in the first post. save the SKP file in the Templates folder under Google\Google SketchUp. Then open SU and go to Window>Preferences>Templates and select this file you just saved. Click Open and then OK. Restart SU and you should have a good starting point for drawing.
Now, if you want to draw a box for a cabinet that is say 24 x 24 x36, start with the rectangle tool and draw out a rectangle on the ground plane. Click twice, once for the first corner and a second time for the opposite corner. Now type 24,24 and hit Enter. You'll have a 24x24 square. Next grab the Push/Pull tool and pull the box up. Stop and type 36, Enter. The box will now be 24 x24 x 36 inches.
That'll get you a start.
Also look through the other SU related posts here.
Look for a PM. I'll be sending one shortly.
Just kidding.First thing you should do is take a look at this thread: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=597 Downoad and unzip the file in the first post. save the SKP file in the Templates folder under Google\Google SketchUp. Then open SU and go to Window>Preferences>Templates and select this file you just saved. Click Open and then OK. Restart SU and you should have a good starting point for drawing.
Now, if you want to draw a box for a cabinet that is say 24 x 24 x36, start with the rectangle tool and draw out a rectangle on the ground plane. Click twice, once for the first corner and a second time for the opposite corner. Now type 24,24 and hit Enter. You'll have a 24x24 square. Next grab the Push/Pull tool and pull the box up. Stop and type 36, Enter. The box will now be 24 x24 x 36 inches.
That'll get you a start.
Also look through the other SU related posts here.
Look for a PM. I'll be sending one shortly.
Donnie Cherry
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- 19
sorry Dave .I`m not having much luck on the DL !
Dave Richards
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What sort of trouble are you having?
Donnie Cherry
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Dave ,I could not dl it into the sketchup files? I did not get the PM either.. It said I have a pop up blocker on.
Dave Richards
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Donnie, if you've got a pop up blocker preventing you from downloading that file, you can either override the blocker or tomorrow I'll write instructions so you can set up the file manually. Your choice.
Have a good night. I'm off to bed.
Have a good night. I'm off to bed.
Robert Schaubhut
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Thanks for everything Dave. Goodnight.
Shaz
Shaz
Dave Richards
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Robert, thank you. 
Now, for Donnie and anyone else having difficulty with downloading and installing the template file I had posted, here's the manual way to do it.
Before you try to draw anything more, set up your starting template. Do the following. (I assume you are using a PC)
Go to Window>Model Info>Units.
Set Format to Fractional and choose Inches
Set Precision to 1/64"
Uncheck enable length snapping.
Close the Model Info dialog box by clicking on the X in the upper right corner.
Click Window>Styles and select the Edit tab. Click on the wireframe box and uncheck Profiles.
Click on the tan box and then on the blue box next to Back color. In the Picker, choose HLS and set the sliders to 359,60 and 45.
Click OK.
Go to the next box Background Settings.
Turn off sky and ground. Change the Background color to white by clicking on the colored square and then adjusting the sliders.
Click OK
Now go to View>Toolbars and uncheck Getting started or Large tool set (whichever is checked. Then put check marks next to the following Toolbar names
Camera
Construction
Drawing
Face Style
Modification
Prinicpal
Shadows
Standard
Views
Walkthrough
You'll have to do those one at a time but this should be a one time thing.
Hit Ctrl+A and then Delete to eliminate whatever component loads with SU.
Now get the Rectangle tool and draw a square that has one corner on the origin and has edges running along the solid green and red axes. Click on the axes with the tool and drag click again and set the size to 48 inches square. Type 48,48 and hit Enter. (Don't click anywhere to type. Just draw the rectangle using two clicks of the mouse. Let go of the mouse and start typing. The numbers will show in the lower right corner in the VCB.
Hit Zoom Extents
Get the Push/Pull tool and pull the square into a box. Pull up in the direction of the solid blue axis. Type 48, Hit Enter.
Click Zoom Extents again.
Hit Ctrl+A and Delete.
Click File>Save as (not just Save).
For the Save in location navigate to Google\Google SketchUp\Templates and save the file with a name you can remember for 2 more minutes at least.
After saving the file go to Window>Preferences>Templates.
Browse to find the file you just saved and choose it from the list. Click Open and then OK.
Close SU. Reopen SU and check to see that your background is white. Go to Window>Model info>Units and chaeck to see that the units are as you set them. If so, you should be good to go.
What you did with this is established a starting point for your drawing. You set a zoom level that will be pretty good as a starting point for drawing furniture. You set the drawing untis and precision to something reasonable for woodworking. You also set the view window to white--easier to work with. You lso set the back face color to a more noticeable color than the default color. This will help you catch those reversed faces early and repair them. Trust me when I say you want to stay on top of face orientation.
G'luck.
Dave
Now, for Donnie and anyone else having difficulty with downloading and installing the template file I had posted, here's the manual way to do it.
Before you try to draw anything more, set up your starting template. Do the following. (I assume you are using a PC)
Go to Window>Model Info>Units.
Set Format to Fractional and choose Inches
Set Precision to 1/64"
Uncheck enable length snapping.
Close the Model Info dialog box by clicking on the X in the upper right corner.
Click Window>Styles and select the Edit tab. Click on the wireframe box and uncheck Profiles.
Click on the tan box and then on the blue box next to Back color. In the Picker, choose HLS and set the sliders to 359,60 and 45.
Click OK.
Go to the next box Background Settings.
Turn off sky and ground. Change the Background color to white by clicking on the colored square and then adjusting the sliders.
Click OK
Now go to View>Toolbars and uncheck Getting started or Large tool set (whichever is checked. Then put check marks next to the following Toolbar names
Camera
Construction
Drawing
Face Style
Modification
Prinicpal
Shadows
Standard
Views
Walkthrough
You'll have to do those one at a time but this should be a one time thing.
Hit Ctrl+A and then Delete to eliminate whatever component loads with SU.
Now get the Rectangle tool and draw a square that has one corner on the origin and has edges running along the solid green and red axes. Click on the axes with the tool and drag click again and set the size to 48 inches square. Type 48,48 and hit Enter. (Don't click anywhere to type. Just draw the rectangle using two clicks of the mouse. Let go of the mouse and start typing. The numbers will show in the lower right corner in the VCB.
Hit Zoom Extents
Get the Push/Pull tool and pull the square into a box. Pull up in the direction of the solid blue axis. Type 48, Hit Enter.
Click Zoom Extents again.
Hit Ctrl+A and Delete.
Click File>Save as (not just Save).
For the Save in location navigate to Google\Google SketchUp\Templates and save the file with a name you can remember for 2 more minutes at least.
After saving the file go to Window>Preferences>Templates.
Browse to find the file you just saved and choose it from the list. Click Open and then OK.
Close SU. Reopen SU and check to see that your background is white. Go to Window>Model info>Units and chaeck to see that the units are as you set them. If so, you should be good to go.
What you did with this is established a starting point for your drawing. You set a zoom level that will be pretty good as a starting point for drawing furniture. You set the drawing untis and precision to something reasonable for woodworking. You also set the view window to white--easier to work with. You lso set the back face color to a more noticeable color than the default color. This will help you catch those reversed faces early and repair them. Trust me when I say you want to stay on top of face orientation.
G'luck.
Dave
Donnie Cherry
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- 19
Thank you Dave. I will try that.
Donnie Cherry
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- 19
Thanks Dave . I finally got it!