Hi all,
I’m really keen to start using SketchUp for our Mechanical and Electrical Design in future. The issue I seem to have is there is very limited information on extensions and workflows, especially for the Electrical elements.
It would also be great to see if anyone is using Layout for the production of MEP design and tender drawings as I’m struggling to make that move from AutoCAD unless there are some extensions I’m not currently using.
Thanks in advance for your help and feedback.
I don’t know really well what is currently available for mechanical or plumbing but I have done some work on an electrical extension (the focus is primarily residential electrical). I will say that it is fairly basic and is only really good for inserting fixtures (outlets, switches, lights, fans, load centers etc…), it currently has no functionality for representing the actual wiring or “circuits” yet.
I think PlusSpec is able to handle plumbing and mechanical (ducts), however I’m not sure to what extent.
3skeng also has some plugins for modeling pipes and ductwork which I think are fairly comprehensive.
My electrical extension is the first plugin in my MEP suite, however I have not begun to work on the other two as of yet.
Trimble MEP began developing a subscription plugin, MEPdesigner for SketchUp c. 2014/5
Despite the glowing predictions in AEC Magazine … it didn’t last long.
Trimble apparently dropped SketchUp in favor of AutoCAD, AutoCAD MEP, and Revit.
Trimble SysQue and Revit
FWIW, there are remnants of Trimble MEPdesigner in the 3DWH
Wow, I didn’t even know this was a thing. I did come across some of these models in the warehouse when I was researching what was available for load centers from other designers.
Ultimately I ended up designing all of my own low poly components since I am stickler for getting things dimensionally accurate and I like to follow an actual product lines that I am familiar with (eg. Square D, Carlon, Leviton, etc…).
I am curious to find out more about this extension.
I guess Trimble has their feet in both camps (SketchUp and AutoCad/Revit).
They have a number of MEP products but they all seemed to be tailored to work with AutoCad or Revit:
It makes me wonder why they decided to terminate their develop of the MEP extension. Based on the article above (AEC) there was at least 6 months of development invested into the project, and based on the screen shots it looked like it was already quite far along.
With all of this focus and market push on Revit I sometimes waiver in my faith and begin questioning why I am devoting my entire career on developing these plugins within SketchUp…
Then I actually try to use Revit and I am quickly reminded why I chose the SketchUp route. No doubt Revit is a powerful piece of software but is it a joy to use?
Growth by acquisition … If you can’t buy 'em, join 'em.
June 14, 2016
In addition to developing the extension, there’s the task of developing the content.
Why go to the trouble when you can buy it in bulk?
Nov. 7, 2016
Trimble to Acquire Building Data to Expand Constructible Model and BIM Content Offering for Construction
https://www.trimble.com/news/release.aspx?id=110716o
Trimble Building Data
http://building-data.net/
We need access to those Warehouses (Tekla has its own)
Many (MEP) manufacturers have their products in IFC4 format, which can’t be imported in SketchUp.
I agree it would be great to get hold of this data as it would still be totally relevant today and a massive help to all users who wish to push forward with MEO on the platform.
Tried PlusSpec but initial view is it’s limited and will take time to build up.
VBO developed a piping plugin… not an expert in this area but it might be of interest
Hi! I’m late to this forum but wanted to give a shout out to Space Allowances which is a fantastic app that helps you generate 3D plant room layouts really quickly and export to SketchUp. They have a SketchUp plugin for importing their files.
You can also use Sefaira to generate the space loads in the first instance from the SketchUp model. (part of SketchUp Studio - www.sefaira.com
Hi matt,
I see you’re new here, a couple of things :
First, you’ve been answering to a pair of old threads, 2015 and 2019, and while I don’t doubt that they are still quite relevant, we tend not to go dog too far in the past unless it’s for good reason : ask details about something that was written back then.
Second, having read both of your messages, it fells like Chat GPT or one of its clone was involved. I mean, here, it’s a thread about solutions for MEP extensions in ketchup, on the sketchup forum.
Yet your very articulate post feels like you’re talking to a new user asking for help : you tell us to look at the extension warehouse for extensions, and to reach out for the community forums.
this is, for now, an human forum.
indeed. and in case chat gpt you didn’t know, this is the community forum. and you’re explaining people discussing extensions in 2019 that they should check the extension warehouse for extensions and the forum for community.
Finally, please go introduce yourself in the introduction thread. and fill in your profile correctly. there is no free version 2023. it’s either the pro/studio version (even if you’re using the trial) or the free non commercial version.
Hi Ateliernab,
Thanks for the warm welcome! I appreciate your guidance and take note of your points. I apologize for delving into older threads, and I’ll make sure to focus on more recent discussions unless there’s a compelling reason to revisit the past.
Regarding your second point, I understand the context better now. I’m here to assist with any questions or discussions related to MEP extensions in SketchUp. If it seems like my responses have a ChatGPT-like tone, it’s unintentional, and I’ll make a conscious effort to tailor my responses to the human aspect of the forum.
Thanks for your understanding, and feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions or topics you’d like to discuss! Best Regards, Matt
