Process Plant Design - Google SketchUp Workshop: Modeling, Visualizing, and Illustrating - page 118

industrial process plant design projects. These projects range from basic
studies to detailed construction designs.
Tools : SketchUp 7.1, LayOut 2.1, scanned historic drawings (both
hand-drawn and CAD drawings), digital photographs, and field surveys.
Final Output : Project model and construction drawings.
Project Context
My company works for corporations with patented and proprietary processes.
Most of our work involves designing new and upgraded processes within
existing facilities. This study focuses on the general design process for these
types of projects, and not a particular project.
Techniques Utilized
We model to understand, visualize, and determine the physical constraints
of our projects. Modeling is our essential technique and practice. We also
do calculations, analysis, and other common engineering techniques as are
required to design a process plant facility.
Most of our projects require a great amount of detail, which causes our
SketchUp models to become very large. In response to occurrence of such large
models and complexity, we have developed a technique to work with them.
These methods are applicable when working with any large SketchUp model.
Because of our commitment to 3D design, we also use LayOut to create our
construction documents. LayOut allows us to use 3D models as the basis
for our drawings. It means that we never abandon these models. We never
go to 2D drawings, or export from the SketchUp files. The 3D models are
the backbone of the LayOut file and, therefore, our drawings. We do create
2D drawings, but they are really just projections of the 3D model.
New Approaches
In our industry, 2D design is still the predominant design method or tool.
There are a small percentage of firms that use solid modeling programs. These
programs are very complex, require intensive training, and are expensive.
Our innovation has been to work in three dimensions and adapt a simple and
intuitive software, that is, SketchUp/LayOut.
We became committed to the use of 3D software and eventually 3D design
techniques 15 years ago. SketchUp became a part of our workflow in 2001.
In 2004, it became our only 3D modeling tool. It has given us an advantage
in ease of use and training. SketchUp is no longer a part of our focus; it is an
integral part of our work.
SketchUp was and is considered by many people to be just a conceptual
design tool. We know this is not true. It can be used for detailed design. We use
it every day for detailed design. In our industry, this use of SketchUp is original.