New to Sketch up but long time Catia V5 user. In Catia you create 3D “parts” then import them into an “Product” and use constrains to assemble the 3D parts into an assemble. Mostly worked with weldments and tooling for weldment.
I’ve created some parts in Sketch Up is there a way to bring the parts into an assemble and constrain them together in Sketch Up?
You can collect components into nested groups or components to keep them together if you want. I find it’s better practice to model the components in place as you work. Use existing components as references for the next one. Less data entry, less screwing around getting things into place and fewer opportunities to induce errors in the model.
SketchUp’s work flow is different from other programs. Do yourself a favor and don’t try to use it like Catia or other CAD programs.
That 's what I figured I need to unlearn Catia.
1 Like
To help achieve your goals, some time spent at the SketchUp Campus and at the SketchUp - YouTube channel will be very worthwhile. Both sites are from the SketchUp team. On the YouTube channel, pay attention to the Square One Series and Level UP series. They cover the basics for each tool.
Not necessarily, it’s good to have the knowledge, in my career I’ve learnt a lot of softwares, the ones I was taught in the university were Autocad 2D and 3D, and Archicad for more than 3 years, then a professor introduced me to sketchup, at the beginning I tried to replicate the workflow but after a few days practicing I realized how the program works and fell in love with it, I had to spend a lot less time modeling compared to the other softwares and could finish my projects without having the stress until the last second, and I wasn’t even using Layout back then, I would’ve saved a lot more time, my workflow was modeling on skp and exporting 2D views to autocad to make the documentation, when I discovered layout my life changed, suddenly I could make all the documentation in less than half of the time it would’ve taken me with my old methodology. I haven’t used autocad for over ten years and Archicad for 13 years. I learned Blender during the covid times, the workflow is different but having the knowledge helped me to learn faster.
Yes, as a former CATIA V5 user/programmer (25+ years), SU for Web does not provide the same kind of constraint engine you had in CATIA for part/product assembly modeling. And while SU does provide components, which are similar to V5 parts, you hve to manually position them into assemblies…but they are reusable like parts and you can instantiate as many instances as you need in any orientation you need. So in that sense, a collection of components becomes your assembly model (e.g., like a V5 product model).
Never having purchased any of the paid SU versions, I can’t comment on what those product offerings may have in terms of automated constraint relationships between components (if any).
So while I’m now retired & on a fixed income (e.g., I’m not going to pay for software), I’ve found SU for Web to be the best free 3D modeling product available…and I’ve done some very large projects with it (currently doing a full/detailed model of a 30x60’ workshop that I’m building).
I do sometimes miss having the automation capabilities I used to have with ICAD and CATIA, but I’m not supporting mass production of engineering parts & assemblies…so SU for Web is great for the home enthusiast!
This topic was automatically closed 91 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.