Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
About 4 years ago, I found SketchUp to be the answer to my 3D interests, and
since then I have not used any other system or reverted to 2D systems.
In this case of designing the mahogany bookcase, I scanned the orthogonal
front and side views in the topic and imported the images in JPG format into
SketchUp. After scaling-up the images in SketchUp to full size, I began to
trace over the components of the bookcase, including stiles, rails, muntins,
doors, and moldings. With these initial traces, I was able to reconstruct
each 3D component, add the joint details, and fit these parts into a whole
assembly.
Tip
When importing images (File/Import), SketchUp offers three alternatives:
Use as image, Use as texture, or Use as new matched photo. Most of my
imports, including the ones for this case, use the first option Use as image.
This is the applicable option when importing orthographic views to be
used as a background for tracing over.
After importing, straighten the image to align with the red and blue axes.
This is done by drawing a line on top of a long horizontal or vertical line
in the image. With the image selected, pick the Rotate tool and click the
mouse to place the protractor on the end of the line. Click on the image (at
a point of desired alignment with the placed line) and rotate the picture
until it snaps and aligns with the placed line.
Also, the image needs to be set at full scale. Draw a line at a precise length
on a part of the image for which the dimensions are known. Using the
Tape measure tool, it is important to check the actual length of the object
of known dimension in the image. Calculate the ratio of lengths (placed
line length vs. object image length). Pick the Scale tool and adjust the size
of the picture by typing in this ratio. Now, the objects in the picture will
measure properly to their actual dimensions.
In furniture design, I find the following SketchUp features to be the most useful:
Components (every piece of the furniture is defined as a SketchUp
component)
Move/Copy tool (used to precisely connect and copy components)
Line tool (used to create the lumber pieces)
Arc tool (for making shapes and moldings)
Push/Pull tool (gives a face of lumber its thickness)
Tape measure tool for temporary guidelines (particularly useful in
designing detail complex joints)
Flip-Along (used to mirror various component parts, e.g., legs of a table)
Dimension tool (to add measurement annotations).
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