SketchUp: Anyone have extrusion components?

[Ned]

After reading references to SketchUp both here and in other forums, I downloaded it a few days ago.  I spent yesterday studying it and today doing my first real drawing--a paper storage case for my office.  It's a tolerable working drawing.

Verdict:  Whoo hoo!  Wish I'd got on the SketchUp train before I put several payments into the Argon rent-to-own program.  Argon's really appealing, but I've been unable to devote the time to get up to speed and it looked like I never would.  I canceled Argon.  SketchUp (SU) will cover most of what I'm likely to do and also should make it easy to trade active drawings, not just flat images.

There's a set of Systainers in the Google 3D warehouse.  Got'em, haven't looked at them yet.

And now to the subject:  Does anyone have SketchUp components for the MFT extrusions, the MFS extrusions, or the interiors of Systainers?

If nobody's done them, I'm willing to do the MFS extrusions.

I'd be willing to do the MFT extrusions, but I don't have them (other than in my MFT & I'm not disassembling it).  If they haven't already been done and someone has a bit of scrap extrusion, I'll do them.

Ned

[added July 12, 2007]  Forgot guide rails, but I'd like those too.

 

[jonny round boy]

I may be a bit late for replying to this post, but I uploaded some sketchup models of the FS800/2 & FS1400/2 guide rails to the warehouse last week. I spent quite a lot of time on these, making them as accurate as I possibly could.

I enjoy using SketchUp, and find it challenging to copy real-life objects accurately. My current project is to model the systainers (there are some systainers on the warehouse already, but they're quite basic models). I'm modelling them fully, with each component/moulding as a separate component, so they can be moved/opened, and with a fully detailed interior. It sounds fairly straightforward, but when you study a systainer closely, there are some quite interesting (and difficult to model) shapes in there.

So far, I've completed the lid moulding and the handle.
[attachthumb=1]
[attachthumb=2]
[attachthumb=3]

It may be quite a while before I get finished - I estimate that I've spent 10-12 hours on it so far!!!

 

[Corwin]

Hey, I haven't spent any enough time to learn Sketch-Up, but here is a rough try...

I drew a 2D outline and pushed the shape, then selected all and made into a componet.  Is that right?  Anyway, hope this helps.  And it was a fun way to spend an hour or so.

Corwin

 

[Ned]

Jonny, really nice.  Having accurate Systainer SU components would be a real asset to the group.

Corwin, I'm only slightly ahead of you.  The extrusion looks great.  Assuming that the dimensions are accurate, the only improvement I can think of is that the outer corners should be radiused.

It's been a while since I sat down with SU, but if I remember correctly, if you make a copy of an SU component and then change the dimensions of one of them, the other changes too.  All copies of a component are still linked to a single set of dimensions.  That's just fine for a Systainer model, but probably not right for designing your Super-MFT.  Unless it's a square  .  I think extrusions and such should be grouped, not component-ed.  Check out what I've said before you do anything.  I don't have time to check right now.

Maybe we should ask Matthew for a Sketch-Up component area in the Gallery.  I suppose we could just put the SU components in the Product Gallery under the right heading.  That way people who never thought to use SU could see the components while looking around the Gallery and perhaps be encouraged.  OTOH, those of us who are already sold just want to go to the SU Component area to see what's availabe and pick up some material.

What I'm musing about is just for components--I think project SU files should be next to the images for that project.

Nice work, guys.

Ned

 

[Corwin]

As to accuracy, it is within 1mm -- But that is about all I can say for accuracy, as I could not readily see how to get SketchUp to get any more precise than 1mm.  With that, the model does have some places where something had to give.  I really do not have the time right now (or for the near future) to do a whole lot with this -- so, I can send you what I have, if you like, and you could take it from there.  Or, you'll have to wait for me to get around to it -- as I will be waiting.   

Corwin

 

[jonny round boy]

As to accuracy, it is within 1mm -- But that is about all I can say for accuracy, as I could not readily see how to get SketchUp to get any more precise than 1mm.

Corwin

Corwin,

In sketchup, click on the 'window' tab, and go to the first option, which is 'model info'. Click on 'units' from the list on the left, and there is a drop-down to set the precision. It defaults at 0mm, but can go down as far as 0.000000mm!!!

I only discovered this a few days ago - with the models I've done, I acheived the same thing by building them at 10x scale, and then shrinking the objects once I'd finished them.

 

[Corwin]

Thanks!

 

[Brice Burrell]

.

It's been a while since I sat down with SU, but if I remember correctly, if you make a copy of an SU component and then change the dimensions of one of them, the other changes too.  All copies of a component are still linked to a single set of dimensions.  That's just fine for a Systainer model, but probably not right for designing your Super-MFT.  Unless it's a square  .  I think extrusions and such should be grouped, not component-ed.  Check out what I've said before you do anything.  I don't have time to check right now.

Ned

Ned, you are right about editing components, they all change. However, it is very easy to make components "unique", letting you edit just the ones you want.