Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
In landscape architecture, this would normally take the form of a 2D plan
drawing. The SketchUp is much quicker to use, and the resulting model is
much clearer and realistic.
• ASketchUpmodelcanbesenttoanyonehavingnopriorknowledgeof
SketchUp, and the design can be easily explored, making it much more
illustrative than a picture or a drawing.
• Inlandscapearchitecture,itisimportanttobeabletoportraythedesign
as it would look from the eye level of the user. SketchUp allows this type
of view in an instant, whereas in many other programs this easy feature
would be more time consuming.
Techniques Used
I found the following techniques useful in developing my model:
• ThehabitofusingtheOutlinertoolisoneofthemostimportanthabits
to acquire. It is a very useful tool for organizing your model. Whenever
you group a selection of objects, they will appear in the Outliner window.
Rename this group according to preference. Later, when the model
is more complex, this tool is very handy in hiding and locking certain
features and in concentrating on areas that overlap. Although layers
can be used in the same way, it is less user-friendly and can quickly
overcomplicate a model.
• ImportingfilesfromCADisafrequentlyrequired,andwhenimplemented
correctly, this can save valuable time and effort and ensure the starting
SketchUp model is of the correct scale and fits into the specified design
space. In this example, it allowed me to correctly map my design directly
onto a digital map of the Lescar Lane area. (See stage 1 for a more
in-depth explanation.)
• Plug-insareinvaluableandhelpsavemuchtimeandeffort.Thesetakethe
form of Ruby scripts, many of which can be downloaded for free; when
these files are added to the SketchUp folder, they appear in the plug-ins
drop-down menu. A good Web site to find these is http://www.smustard
.com. The Web site is very helpful and gives step-by-step instructions on
how to use plug-ins.
The following scripts were used in my design: Weld, Nightsky, Offset, and Tools
on Surface.
• Theuseofcomponentswithinthisdesignwasveryhelpful.The
houses that surround the park all generally look the same. Instead
of creating many different houses, I simply created one house
and turned it into a component; the rest was just a case of copying and
pasting. Any further changes to any house will affect all connected
components.
• Althoughthismaysoundobvious,itisimportanttomakesureto
regularly save your model, but with a different name/number. I usually
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