Hello, I´ve been trying to learn Sketch up for ages, but I never managed to make it working for me. The logic of Sketch up for is totally opposite than I was used to. A few years ago I was doing large and very complex 3D models with Catia/Proengineer or Autodesk Inventor, but in Sketch up I feel like not having hands… Not sure if anybody with the same background experienced the same but I´ve got an idea when my tutor told me the Sketch up has a plugin for “everything”…
So is there any plugin which would enable me to create geometry in kind of “old” way like in Inventor? I mean starting modeling by selecting the plane first, go to 2D view, draw a sketch with precise dimensions, constrains and after this is ready extrude it? And of course be able to fully edit them any time?
I know you can suggest to to use Inventor straight away, but the problem is that I need to use Sketch up to be able to export geometry to another computation software as input.
Not quite. What @SBriza wants (I think) is to have the “precise dimensions” constrain the drawing. That’s not the way SketchUp works. You can attach dimensions to geometry, but then change the geometry and the dimensions change, but you can’t directly change the dimension and have the geometry change. You also can’t apply “constraints”.
I did not take it to mean dimension as in |<---- number ---->| (extension lines, dimension lines and value) ie as in a dimension object, … I took the OP to mean measurements of primitives.
SketchUp can change some geometric objects via the fields in Entity Info (called “Properties” in most CAD applications.)
SketchUp also has axial constraints and a perpendicular constraint (via arrow keys).
But Mike was right. To use SketchUp one must put away all the old CAD ways, and learn the “UNCAD” way of SketchUp.
(If you take the time to actually READ SketchUp’s U.S. patent, it will become clear that the originators purposely designed SketchUp’s interface to NOT be like all the other CAD applications.)
So okay anyway, I’ll entertain a thread on the possibility of writing a plugin / extension to give SketchUp a more CAD-like interface (regardless of whether it be economical or would be in demand.)
I’m not expert in this area but i think you need a comparison between Polygonal modelling (SketchUp) vs NURBS modelling (Rhino, Catia etc.). Below video compares them briefly and well, might give you a better idea:
Your tutor is right to a degree. SubD plugin might be close to what you are looking for. Also take a look at Vertex Tools plugin.
Thanks for advises. I understand that sketch up was created and patented to “easily and intuitively model three-dimensional volumes and geometries” and when I tried it first time at the very beginning it really seemed to be fun, but when I wanna be precise, i´m getting slow, helpless and furious. Sure I can start to study deeply what I hope will do one day.
But I have to use it and I hoped I could use experience from parametric modeling. That´s why I´m looking for the way to make it easier for me and I hoped there might be some plugins for “cad” people like me. I´m missing tool for more precise sketching, constrains, arrays or even just object tree and tool which would enable me to edit geometry backwards. This was super quick and effective way how to work in 3D back in the days (god bless Proengineer v2000:D
This one could be something what i mean:
