Really like the idea of being able to detail in 3d… especially if it can be quick. Part of the appeal to me is that you can potentially generate in 3d what would require multiple details in 2d. Thinking head/ jamb/ sill as examples. No matter how you look at it, even for me who is accustomed to looking at the various views in 2d, 3d definitely communicates more. AND besides that it’s less likely that a garbage detail can be created (I see way too much of that any more).
So, sounds like I need to look at my Sonders book for starters and see how he approaches generating his details.
3D detailing will probably be slower… that is just a natural consequence for understanding something much more thoroughly, but as you become confident in SU it really is not a that much slower… and its much more fun! [and give you much more confidence what you detailed is buildable]
The real impact is that there will be much more clarity in the understanding of your detail by everyone concerned and that will result in much less errors, revisions, clarifications which often takes up much more time that the initial 3d design resolution.
I have just been having some fun building glazing manufacturers typical details , partly to test my workflows and partly to understand in more detail the construction process… and partly my search for low profile alum. sections
ALUM SILL.skp (799.6 KB)
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Yes… The reason for taking them into DWGS was for compatibility with the rest of the industry and the scale of the projects [ very large].
Re your other questions maybe look at these forum topics… for some ideas
Personally I go around the linetype weight and hatching concerns by using shadow and colour
You can also use something like “Curic Section Lite” to to hatch patterns
Personally I do everything in 3d in SU and extract the 2d views for presentation in LO, standard workflow but your approach depends on the scale of the project and level of detail…
Nick Sonders workflow is a well resolved system for residential documentation and following it would be a good core structure for you residential work.
My workflow is a little more relaxed / flexible but I an dealing with scales from street signage to large urban master plans and highrise residential towers with documentation phases form schematic to construction.
Highrise example is a LO section thru a 3d SU model, 1:1000 0n A3 but exported as DWGs at 1:500 on A1 sheets for a local consultant to translate into local language and comply with local authority submission requirements, the sections in this case stayed as jpg images [at 1:500] and the local consultant added dimensions / notes / titleblocks in autocad… in the worst case the local consultant would edit the section in photoshop if minor amendments would be required but these drawings don’t change much [particularly if you have developed the design in 3d anyway]
I think the trick to learning Layout is to just accept that it is more different from sketchup that you would maybe expect and want, and just go along with it. Some hurdles:
- getting to actually being able to dimension your plans. (You need the extra wireframe viewport, because Layout will find all the snaps you dont want ( lines and faces), and not the endpoints that appear on your horisontal section plane. The endpoint that you want to dimension from are often hidden by that very section plane.
- Illustrations/ photos/ PDFs: Pre-adjust their size and resolution. Layout dont handle them well otherwise.
- Viewport content being moved sideways: You update a scene in sketchup, and your panning position of the view is maybe not the same as it was before, then when you update your Layout viewport, your content has been misplaced. If you lock the viewports to prevent that then how do you rightclick:- update them? You can: 1: Lock the viewports, and update through the links section of the document setup dialog although that is a rather large panel to have open all the time. 2: Not save camera location to your sketchup scenes in the first place.
SKP to DWG workflow basics:
1.Use colour by Tag
2. Export to 3d DWG, not 2d
3. If the skp 3d file is complex then export to dwg will include everything, even hidden stuff, so you need to organise the model using components or tags in such a way that you can isolate parts of that model into a separate smaller skpnfile, then export to 3d dwg.
4. Text and hatching is the weakness of sketchup. Lo is better but still not great.
5. Sometimes you dont want or need to put skp geometry in groups/conponents, you Can put edges on tags…it goes against best practise but for a DWG workflow it is sometimes useful.
Workflow: Sketchup → Layout → Autocad / Cadwork / …
- I model EVERYTHING I can in SKP
- Required extension: SKALP
-
I’m using Layout for view overlay from SKP
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I export all Layout pages to PDF and DXF
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I import PDF and DXF into Autocad / Cadwork / etc… (2D program you need)
Layers from highest to lowest in the last program:
- Quotes and texts
- Overlays added since the last program such as concreting stops, hole symbols, etc…
- PDF layout export
- DXF layout export
By doing this, I can put dimensions on the PDF and the DXF is hidden by the PDF. (Layout handled rendering in the PDF and object snapping is handled with the DXF)
.-.-.-.-.-.
In case of changes:
- Modify the 3D Sketchup
- Open Layout and update the reference
- Export group of PDFs in 1 time
- Export group of DXF in 1 time
- Replace in the Autocad / Cadwork / etc… file the PDF and DXF background
- Readjust the dimensions if necessary
.-.-.-.-.-.
This workflow allows me to keep all my views up to date of an entire project, which would be difficult in pure 2D.
Exports pour Cadwork.pdf (5.8 MB)
2.1842.01 Radier coffrage_Approbation_20220208.pdf (1.2 MB)
2.1842.03 Murs sous-sol coffrage_Approbation_20220208.pdf (1.3 MB)
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