Has anyone used the VBO pipe pro plugin recently? I want to buy it, but with lack of response from the dev and notice saying it might not work in sketchup 2024(I have 2026 but not sure if the issues are resolved). Looking for a decent hvac/plumbing extention to speed up my workflow. I looked into 3skeng, but it’s too much, having to buy all the different libraries n such. Any advice is welcome!
Jerry
Did you look at the author’s site? I would guess the extension hasn’t been updated. You should contact the author directly to find out for sure.
Yea I tried a week ago. no reply
You could use profile builder and create an assembly for pipes.
It’s dead.
I made a set of low poly fittings to be used with it years ago, I could never get it to work consistently. Documentation for it is horrible.
Do not buy it.
Ok thanks. Good to know. And that sucks. If i may ask, what do you use now? I’m currently doing vdc/bim for residential construction, and would love a quick hvac plugin.. I know I can use profile builder, which I do, but I was hoping for a plugin that can put in fittings/elbows/reducers, etc automatically, or at least something close so I don’t have to look up all the different sizings. It needs to be dimensionally correct to make sure there are no clashes with other mechanical.. Or even libraries that have accurate components
Maybe Medeek HVAC?
Never had to make drawings for MEP. Not required, they just have to pass inspections and meet requirements for use and uphold the code.
I do different work now and just use SketchUp for side work a couple times a year. Sparkies, work off lighting plans (symbols for lights, receptacles, and switches), plumbers work off 2D symbols of sinks, toilets and etc. and HVAC guys, idk how they did it. Never had prints, they just ran ducts and made it happen. Idk.
The builder who I framed and designed for thought the concept of drawing detailed 3D plumbing silly, and the guys wouldn’t follow it anyways (he was a plumber for many years). HVAC makes more sense though. But the installers will go off the requirements of their calcs more than your drawings. We just drew the building and sketched the floor plan in 2D that had all the fixtures and outlets. Even that is subject to how the walls are actually laid out.
One of our models:
What I was able to do with VBO:
Thanks! yeah I use profile builder now. Just thinking there could be something that automatically adds the different pieces, like elbows reducers etc..
I mean that looks pretty good. I guess it’s just a gamble to get something that may reduce the time it takes to model using/ finding all the different fittings.
I think I’ll try medeek HVAC like Herman suggested. And then potentially throw away some money to see if the VBO plugin works. I need to model everything pretty precise when it’s a tight fit with all the mep.
Aside from the extension library, where do people get accurate fittings?
Hey that’s pretty cool! Yeah the reason I need to model the hvac is because they usually just wing it after the fact, and often there are clashes, and next thing you know they have to drop the ceiling more, or put in unwanted bulkheads, which is unacceptable to most homeowners.
Indeed. It does happen, we avoided that with mini splits for some areas and floor trusses in others. But, that won’t always fix your issues.
Note that Medeek HVAC is still in alpha, not a real release yet. Permanent license is thirty dollars US. He has plans to build a plumbing extension too. He’ll have Medeek MEP, and Medeek BIM, eventually you’ll be able to design every member of the house from blocking to wires in 3D!
Yeah he’s got some great stuff! I use the wall plugin all the time. I’m still too slow on parametric stuff.
I’ll get the majority done with the plugin, then just explode and customise. Faster for me right now. And yeah, the hvac isn’t quite there yet for me.
In this article you can see an example of a project in which the engineering that carried it out used VBO plugin among others. Now they are starting to use 3Skecg to improve the quality of the models and to achieve faster.
its $$$$$
It depends on the project you have to build.
Does it do schedule 40 PVC plumbing?
I think so, but for $413. Because you’ll have to buy the pipe tool ($328) and the imperial PVC DWV fitting library ($85).
I couldn’t tell from a brief skim of their website, but are these permanent licenses?
See catalog for pricing: 3skeng - Engineering for SketchUp
3Skeng is the first that came to mind
If you have a big project you need tools that save you time. Sometimes you save less money with basic tools than the time you save while you model the project.
