I’ve been playing around with this for a couple of days now and still can’t figure out how to draw a simple dormer once the roof is drawn. And by the way, thanks to whomever it was that mentioned this software here a few days back, was well worth the download and is a good test drive for the real Sketchup.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
![](https://images.finehomebuilding.com/app/uploads/2024/08/15131650/FHB-645-Pod-Feature-thumb-16x9.jpg)
Listeners write in about condensing dryers, giant gears, and saggy doors and ask questions about chimney safety, black windows, and rot-resistant assemblies.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Gene Davis seems to have mastered it pretty well, maybe ask him.
Do you mean gables like these?
View Image
Sorry, I had to do that. The pic was snipped from the Google 3D Warehouse.
There are some excellent online tutorials that show you everything you need to do roof work. Surf around in the Google Sketchup Help pages and you'll find it.
One of the tutorials that comes with SU shows how to do a dormers.
I think I would just draw the shape in "front" elevation view and then extrude it back into the roof.
Nice thing about Sketchup is that there are about three
right good ways to do everything.I have a very crude and backward way of using Sketchup
in that I don't use inference as much as they
suggest in the tutorials and instead draw a lot of
construction lines with the tape measure for everything.Works for me.
I assume you want to do just a simple model or a dormer, not the framing components?
View Image
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
Edited 1/8/2007 9:45 am ET by JFink
Wow! Justin! You've been practicing!
Here's one that has a ceiling vault.
View Image
It looks like it would be quicker to build it than draw it.
If you wanna learn to do that (which I think is really
beautiful, Gene) then get this book, Construction Modelling
by Dennis Fukai.http://www.amazon.com/3D-Construction-Modeling-Dennis-Fukai/dp/0976274108
I draw them when it's dark outside, and I'm getting fast at it. Also, not having done framing professionally, I find it is easy for me to work out framing graphically, then use the program to produce dimensioned cut sheets for all the components.
I know, the pros might say this is stupid, that some scratching around with a framing square or CM calculator gives them all the stuff they need and fast, but I am stuck with my ways.
I was being sarcastic, I completely agree with you. I like to see things graphically as well, and I think it is a good tool to convey information, especially when posting here on the board.
I'm on my way out the door, going down to Ithaca, but here is a parting shot re all this Sketchup stuff.
As cool as it might be, and fairly easy to use, its power is nothing when compared to the powerhouse packages like Vectorworks, Softplan, and Chief Architect.
I sure wish some of the users of these packages who post here on BT (Pifin, Mike Smith, etc.) would show us examples of their fine work.
Nevermind AutoCad!
"As cool as it might be, and fairly easy to use, its power is nothing when compared to the powerhouse packages like Vectorworks, Softplan, and Chief Architect."I agree. The cad program I use is Archicad, and there is an "import" plug-in that allows me to bring sketchup drawings directly into archicad. I used SU in the past for quickie drawings and brainstorming.What I've found though, is that I've become so familiar with the cad program that it's faster for me to do everything from modeling to simple drawings right inside the program, instead of switching to sketchup.
View Image
View Image
View Image
Edited 1/8/2007 8:20 pm ET by twofingers
a random hijack...I tried doing a dormer (quickly) on a decent looking house model in Sketchup. I gave up after 15 minutes with a half finished crude house and no dormer.I jumped into my cad program and built the following in 7 minutes - including a couple minutes just waiting for the program to start and another minute and a half reducing the file size for easy viewing. So the actual build time was about 5 minutes.This was not an existing model - I drew the walls, set the parameters, placed the roof and added the two dormers.With three clicks of the mouse I can have elevations and sections.I like Sketchup, but for power and ability, you just can't top some of the nice cad programs out there.
View Image
Edited 1/8/2007 8:52 pm ET by twofingers
What program did you use for that, it has the quality of a rendering, and at 7 minutes, AutoCad is just about finished loading.
***
What program did you use for that, it has the quality of a rendering, and at 7 minutes, AutoCad is just about finished loading.
***I use Archicad by Graphisoft. It's pretty big in the UK, the rest of Europe and Australia but hasn't gained a widespread following in the US yet. Although a lot of log home design companies use it.It takes the program about a minute and a half to load on my system. I have a ton of ram, a decent processor and a a pretty nice video card. A complex project can take several minutes to load. The image I posted is a rendering using the "sketch" engine included in the program.It took about 35 - 45 seconds to complete the render.The drawing is quick. I do it all in plan view. For this one, I drew 1 side wall and 1 end wall. Then I use shortcut keys which allow me to drag a copy of the initial walls to complete the structure.One side of the roof is drawn and then a quick mirror/copy does the other side.I just used standard dormers and altered the parameters a bit. So each dormer only takes 1 click of the mouse.I tried to use Autocad a decade or so ago. The program just never became that familiar to me. Of course, back then you had to draw everything 1 line at a time. Who has the patience for that?;-)
Thanks for the info. I will take a look at that program. I don't use drawing programs for a living, and I find AutoCad to be very cumbersome unless ofcourse you have mastered it, then it looks easy.
In these discussions Sketchup always ends up getting
compared to AutoCAD, etc. But it's kind of like
comparing a chainsaw to a CNC router--different tools
for different jobs.A certain subset of Sketchup users seem to be trying
to use it for making plans snd construction drawings.
But it's not really the right tool for this job.Sketchup is best for quick'n'dirty proof of concept
type of work. For one thing, it's too memory intensive
to handle a lot of detail. You need an 18-wheeler load
of RAM in Sketchup to do the kind of thing these
CAD programs do easily.As an aside, seeing how my four year old has taken to
Sketchup, however, I think that in the end of the day
it will end up having vastly more users in education
than in design fields. An easy and fun educational program. My four year old
sat down and started 3D modelling immediately, with no
special instruction, other than having the Push/Pull bar
pointed out.
Well, thank everyone for all the input. I managed to get some sort of angular extrusion poking out of the roof of this "concept" drawing. Looks more like a steeple that blew over in a tornado, to much push and not enough pull maybe. Not exactly the dormer I had envisioned but I'm inspired to keep plugging away until I get it. Maybe Talkingdog could put his four year old on the phone.
***
In these discussions Sketchup always ends up getting
compared to AutoCAD, etc. But it's kind of like
comparing a chainsaw to a CNC router--different tools
for different jobs.
***Yeah, I hear ya. I've often thought the same thing. "The guy's asking about Sketchup and everyone's telling him about Chief Architect!"It's just that in this particular instance, I went into Sketchup to do a dormer, and ended up getting pretty frustrated with my inability to make the program do what I wanted.In my case, it may just be that I have become so familiar with the program I use.I think Sketchup is a great drawing program for many things. My 7 year old loves to draw simple castles with it. But I agree with you - it's probably not the best program for building design.
I've been using Sketchup for the last year or so (ever since they started giving it away for free). It's perfect for what I do. Textured, 3D concept drawings that are to scale. I would never think of using it for anything that was engineered though. Autocad definitely would be better for this.
Each program has its place, but I think the chainsaw and cnc router comparison might be a bit extreme. I would call Sketchup more of a Rotozip rather than a chainsaw. Small, not too powerful, easy to use, but also easy to mess things up if you haven't practiced with it enough. “The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds..” – Hume
It's fantastic for basic design, but it's not a drafting tool.I wish architects would use it for the pre-design development
stage. Lately, I've seen so many very early stage designs from
architects, all neatly done up in AutoCAD, etc., with all the
dimensions, and everything all neat and precise, practically
ready to submit for permits--way too early in the process.
Agreed about the whole Autocad/too detailed stuff during schematic stages. Firms sometimes push that to get into construction documents early (which is where the majority of money is earned). And it fosters bad designs.we got the full Sketchup package here a few months ago . . . now if i can get off my fat azz and actually block out some time to learn it :)
I think the relative ease of CAD programs encourages
this, too. Although, to be fair, I must say that my MIL came home
with a full set of hand-drawn plans the other day,
the first view of another scheme for her house project,
every detail of the house worked completely out. The
architect must have put a couple of weeks into drawing
them--and she dismissed them with a sniff and a wave
of the hand in 30 seconds, for an obvious, basic
conceptual reason.The architect could have put that whole presentation
together in an afternoon with Sketchup, and had a
better chance of acceptance.
Back when I was comparing chief and SP, before buying SP, I looked at Archicad and was impresed with it, but the price then was double what SP had and there were questions about support which seem to have dissipated.
You know what the price is now?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
**
I looked at Archicad and was impresed with it, but the price then was double what SP had and there were questions about support which seem to have dissipated.
**The latest version of Archicad sits at right about $4,000.00. The same ballpark as Autocad (Autodesk)Upgrade price is about 800$
I used Archicad for four years when it was only available on the Macs. It was a good program, the nice part about it being the integral rendering capabilities. I don't remember it having that 'sketchy' ability in your drawings though.Have moved on to other programs since, but still find my fingers moving on the keyboard to phantom Archicad commands every now and then. :)
That's getting more competitive with SP. Used to be five grand.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I jumped into my cad program and built the following in 7 minutes
How many fingers did you use? : - )
tx / Softplan user since 97
**
How many fingers did you use? : - )
**One for the mouse and one for the keyboard ;-)
Sounds like me...I went to The Hunt and Peck school of typing.
I use the HPC system (hunt,peck and cuss)
nothing fine about it , gene.. i'm no power user.. but i sure do get the construction drawings doneMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Gene, Which software is that and how much does it cost? I have a program thats ridiculus. Its about impossible to draw anything.
Well, Look at you!;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Since everyone else is showing off their Sketchup stuff.....
View Image