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SketchUp for landscapes


SketchUp Plugins in the Cloud

Googledrive

Some time ago, I discussed moving components and materials folders out of the typical location that SketchUp places them.  This can ease backing them up, organizing them, and reviewing them.  One thing that has been difficult is having a common place where you can keep all of  your plugins up-to-date between computers (say, your desktop and your laptop).  Online “Cloud” storage can solve this.

First, you will need a program that can make a folder on the cloud appear as if it is a local folder (creating shortcuts from a cloud service to a local folder won’t work).  Link Shell Extension (LSE) works on all versions of Microsoft Windows that support NTFS version 5.0 or better.  It works so well in fact, your computer won’t know that it has made a special link between the cloud services and your SketchUp program location.  Here is where to get  Link Shell Extension:

http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/hardlinkshellext.html

Follow the directions on the website to install it.

Second, here are the steps for linking cloud storage to SketchUp plugins:

Open Windows Explorer.  Copy your Plugins folder from your SketchUp program folder to your cloud storage space.  Then right click over the Plugins folder.  Click on Pick Link Source (this is a new function from LSE).  Then go back your SketchUp program folder.  Right click on Drop as… then Junction.  Open SketchUp and it should find the plugins from the cloud.

Third, many of the online “cloud” storage services have upgraded their in the last few weeks.  The amount of free storage and functionality varies (as doesUpdate upload time). Will online storage affect the amount of time it takes to open SketchUp when your plugins load?  Well, not very much.   I uploaded the same 22.5 mb of plugins to Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft SkyDrive.  They were all within a tenth of each other (6.8 seconds) opening SketchUp with Google maybe slightly faster.  Typical load time with the same amount of plugins from my desktop was 6.4 seconds, so using cloud storage did not greatly affect the plugin load time when opening SketchUp or even using the plugins.

Note: Paul Russam and Andrea Bianco were the first to offer directions on using Dropbox and Symbolic Links at:

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=40866

http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=44852

Next blog I’ll share techniques for “xref’ing” SketchUp and using the cloud as a virtual collaborative office.

Trimble to acquire SketchUp

As of April 26, Trimble Navigation Limited (best known for its GPS technology) has entered into an agreement to purchase SketchUp from Google.  Trimble is announcing that it “will provide a stand-along and enterprise solution that will enable an integrated and seamless workflow to reduce rework and improve productivity for the customer.  Users will be able to collect data, design, model, and collaborate on one platform.”

At this point Trimble says that the 3D Warehouse will continue in its current form, that it will support the SketchUp’s developer program, and continue to offer both the free and the professional versions of the software.

More can be found at:

http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-home-for-sketchup.html

http://ww2.trimble.com/3d/

http://ww2.trimble.com/3d/Trimble_Customers_FAQ_SketchUp_pre-close_FINAL_20120426.pdf

Trimble’s privacy policy can be found here:

http://ww2.trimble.com/privacy.aspx

Importing SketchUp into AutoCAD

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AutoCAD now has a plugin to import .skp (SketchUp files) directly into .dwg (AutoCAD files).  This can be done for projects stored locally or on a network.  Another command allows one to browse the 3D files on the Google Warehouse and then bring them directly into AutoCAD.  The plugin is free and can be found here:

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/ACD/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com:sketchupimport:en

Working with an AutoCAD dwg in SketchUp

Dwg import/export has been removed in SketchUp 8 Free version.  The best thing to do is to go out and buy the program if you need or use this feature.   Here are more reasons to Go Pro…

One workaround is to install SketchUp 7.1.  It starts out as 7.1Pro for the first 8 hours of use, then reverts to the free version after that.  The 7.1 dwg import plugin allows for importing from there.

http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/gsu8/download.html

Windows SU 7.1 dwg import plugin

http://dl.google.com/sketchup/gsu7/AllowDWGImportInSketchUp7.msi

Mac SU 7.1 dwg import plugin

http://dl.google.com/sketchup/gsu7/AllowDWGImportInSketchUp7.dmg

The other way to do this is to download the SU8 PRO version (it installs in a separate location from the free version) and ONLY use it for importing/exporting files.  The first 8 hours are free, just don’t use them up.

So now that you have brought a dwg into SketchUp, how do you manipulate it?  Here are a number of videos showing how to change a flat CAD file into small(er) 3D model.  A little extra work right away will save you loads of work as the model gets more sophisticated.

Here is a video on techniques for bringing in a dwg to SketchUp

Best practices for preparing dwg’s for SketchUp (First 20 minutes will save SO much time!)

More advanced dwg techniques

DigitalArchLand shows specifically how to change AutoCAD dwg contours into 3D topographic model

Exporting dwg from SketchUp using Color by Layer to make new layers in AutoCAD

These are my favorite YouTube videos for learning advanced techniques like terrain modeling

http://sketchupland.posterous.com/my-favorite-advanced-sketchup-video-tutorials

More Advanced techniques

start at 3:30 to see how to use Scenes to manage Layers/Shadows/Components

Creating Hardsapes in SketchUp

AprC8Life, a YouTube user, has made two great tutorials to make hardscape borders around a patio.  They use a few plugins to subdivide the perimeter (Plugin: BZ Convert – Polyline Divider), offset and make the brick soldiers (Plugin: Tools on Surface – Offset on Surface), and then make the texture follow the bricks (Plugin: UV Toolkit2 – Copy UV Coordinates).  It’s worth the time to see these tools put to use in such a creative way!