I am modeling a 21 foot wooden boat, using the original chart of offsets and drawing each component of the boat.
There are many places where the parts connect, but I need to keep them as separate entities, and on separate layers.
This may be very basic. How can two parts share a mating surface but be on separate layers?
The first thing you need to do is learn about the use of components and groups to separate geometry for different parts. There are no layers in SketchUp. There are tags which can be used to control visibility but they do not provide separation between bits of geometry. ALL edges and faces should be create AND REMAIN untagged. Tags are only given to groups and components.
You posted in the SketchUp Pro category but your profile indicates you are using the “Free Plan” which is web based and not Pro. Which version are you actually using?
Sorry, I just purchased a Pro license a few months ago and I’m essentially relearning SU.
Do you recommend making each separate entity a component?
I will spend some time on components and groups and see if that helps me. ’
I appreciate your help!
Please update your forum profile. That information helps us help you but only if you put the right information in it.
Yes. If you are modeling individual parts like frames, tanson, and planking, each piece you’d make in the shop should be a component to keep it from merging with its neighbors.
Maybe before you get too far along on your boat model you should go through the tutorials at learn.sketchup.com Things like components and groups are fundamental concepts that you need to understand before you get into create your models.
Just as an example here I have the individual planks modeled for this fat ugly half hull. The lines came from an ancient old boat design program I have lurking on my computer. Each plank was created as a separate component so they are not joined to each other.
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Thank you, sir!
I have been using SU in the free version for several years designing stage sets and structural stage equipment. Now that I have retired, I started working on the boat using my old ways.
Purchasing the Pro version has let me use extensions to smooth out the boat’s shape, but it has been admittedly a bit clumsy.
I will go back to school again. Thanks for your input.
Phil Hadley
(248) 202-4034 mobile
For your own sake, please edit your phone number out of your post. Robots scrape such info from websites to add to their targeting profile of you!
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Steve,
Thanks, Steve. I am new to the SketchUp Forum. I have included my phone number in my email signature for several years with no adverse effect. I did not realize that the Forum linked messages to my email. Is that something that I can limit? I am comfortable communicating inside the Forum and would prefer not to get emails about forum questions or replys. Is that possible?
Hi Phil,
FWIW, I used an extension called Curvilot to make the surfaces of the planks and the Joint Push/Pull to give them thickness.
I’m curious. What kind of boat are you modeling? How will you be using the SketchUp model of the boat once you have it modeled? How is the hull being planked? i.e. stitch and glue, lapstrake, carvel, etc.? That could impact how you need to model it.
Please go to the forum in your web browser and edit your forum post to eliminate your phone number and edit your profile to reflect that you are using SketchUp Pro now.
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In your forum preferences (click your avatar icon at upper right in the forum window, select the icon that looks like a little person, then click preferences. One of the menu items will then be “Emails” and on that tab you can control the situations when you will receive an automatic email from the forum.
Hello, again!
The boat is an Albury Runabout 20. The actual Length at the Water Line (LWL) is 19’ 6". I have decided to add a station to the design to make it 20’ 10".I plan to build this boat in a fairly traditional way. So I started with a chart of offsets, taken from an actual boat. The offsets create essentially a point cloud that represents the outside of the planking. Then we connect with straight lines. Most of the components - ribs, floor timbers, deck beams, etc., need to be drawn full size, traced onto a piece of wood and cut out.
The traditional way has been to put small nails in a large board to represent the offsets and then use a flexible batten to smooth out the line of, for instance, each rib (or frame member).
I’m using a Cubic Bezier extension to smooth my rib lines and it seems to work well. Ultimately I will print these out full size, and use them as a template to laminate the rib pieces and other parts.
My plan is to strip plank it with 3/4" by 1 3/8" Douglas Fir. I don’t need to model the planking, to address that part of your question.
Using SketchUp is a huge improvement over a lot of the traditional hand work needed to make the overall shape smooth and “fair”.
I joined the Learning forum to get more educated about using Groups and Components, and I really appreciate your feedback to push me in that direction.
Thanks, again!
Hii Phil,
Looks like a great project. FWIW, I’m fully aware of the process of lofting a boat from a table of offests.
Strip planking is good. Mainly it sounds like you just need a smooth fair surface. You should have a look at the Global Fit Spline tool in FredoSpline. It will allow you to draw fair curves through points. Much the same as springing a batten around nails on the loft floor.
Best,
d
By now we will be disappointed if you don’t post your progress with the build.
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