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January 2015

Useful links, tips and information, by Paul Hensey

2015 IS HERE

2014 is barely out of the box (Feb14) and suddenly 2015 is here. It landed in late October but I have only had a few weeks to explore it. The excitement of a new version is balanced by the dread of relocating my plugins and texture libraries. I have included a few links that should help you and take away the worry and pain. The big upgrade in 2015 is moving from 32 to 64bit, what does this mean? Greater processing power esp for complex objects, such as plants. Probably the next biggest benefit of 2105 is its move to online licensing, meaning I can at last use my pro licence on my iMac and my PC laptop for when I present. Remember: don't upgrade software halfway through a project! Harriet is this month’s avatar.

2015 SU have a Pro license wizard that helps with upgrades and updates..http://www.sketchup.com/upgrade?mc_cid=9fe8735064&mc_eid=c57ef82b64and as usual Matt Donley has produced a summary of whats new and worthyhttp://www.mastersketchup.com/everything-need-know-sketchup-2015/?mc_cid=9fe8735064&mc_eid=c57ef82b64

This is a good introduction to whats in 2015 (dont mind the voice over accent)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRuLM8AIkk

While John Baccus, Product manager at SU gives an interview on 2015www.10.aeccafe.com/blogs/aeccafevoice/2014/12/17/1290/

www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-pro/new-in-2015

To reinstall/ get you plugins working 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRsSAofeGGI

SKETCHUP

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Plugins Steel beamsHave you ever wanted to make structures and pergolas from std steel sections? This plugin is very simple to use, and free http://www.oldbridgesoft.com/steelsketch.html

MirrorIs one of the functions that is missing from SU. This free plugin creates an icon that lets you mirror geometry and groups about a plane created by selecting 3 points, easy, free and essential: search Extension warehouse for Mirror

Parking BaysCreate bays at any spacing and any angle, in 2 clicks. A free plugin from the extensions warehouse

Roofs, roads and wallsCreating roofs, roads or walls is complex; Vali architects have written a very nice set of plugins that automates everything from the rafter creation through to the tile placement and even kerb stones. $39ea but it will save some pain. Also Vali plugins prices are for annual subscriptions not perpetual, the instant road and fence plugins are well worth looking at http://www.valiarchitects.com/sketchup_scripts

Windows A window frame creator (free) that cuts through wall geometry http://vmv-cad.nl/site/producten/wframe/wframe_manual_en.html

3D Printing www.cadspan.com found in the extension warehouse, helps prepare SU models for printing, and Matt Donley explains how to extract data and clean up a SU model ready for 3D printing (video)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT1MqO7MRDU&feature=youtu.be&mc_cid=d0b4b70399&mc_eid=c57ef82b64

Regular solidsThere are only 5 regular polyhedra (cube/hexahedron, pyramid/ tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron) they can be complex to create, but there is now a free plugin extensions warehouse/ regular polyhedra

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Shell By ThomThom, (extension warehouse: free) is a great tool for creating objects esp. complex forms that require a thickness. Whilst this is in its alpha stage, and not fully developed, it seems to work almost everytime.

Drawing Draw along adds functionality to the draw/ pencil tools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qqGC5hPugU

Scale. Anything by Fredo6 is seriously worth considering, they are free but do take a little practice to make them give you the results you want. FredoScale allows for scaling in ways that the native icon just can’t achieve, there is a description how to use it in the Warehouse. Fredo Tools adds functionality to some std SU tools such as the line tool and is downloaded as a small collection, and is again free.

Helix, curly thingsA very nice plugin that creates a helical spiral that follows any path shape (free, but requires manual installation into the plugin library)http://3dalbertsoft.wordpress.com/plugins/or to create a screw threadsketchup-ur-space.com/2014/june/creating-a-screw-with-sketchup.html

Scale RotateIt might not sound that useful but it may just be the most useful plugin you download (free, Extension Warehouse). Chris Fullmer’s plugin is ideal for placing plants, it will randomly scale and rotate them, there is a useful video to watch.

Trimming and cuttingIn SU pro there is a set of tools: Solid tools that can perform cuts between two separate groups, can be somewhat temperamental. It will work for 2d geometry but 2D Bool is a free to down load (extension warehouse) set of tools that allows 2 groups of 2D geometry to cut each other in various ways. Very easy to use, useful if you haven’t got pro.

The follow-me tool can be awkward and when attaching profiles that you need to intersect it lacks intelligence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcpGwlfu3vU Profile builder retains intelligence and allows sections to intersect and calculates the resulting shapes. It might just change the way you model. http://www.smustard.com/script/ProfileBuilderFree

Textures http://www.arroway-textures.com/ produce some stunning textures, there are few freebies on the website. A good collection of textures will transform your models.

www.lostandtaken.com has some free hi res textures get the seamless ones where you can.

Bricks http://www.wienerberger.co.uk/ weinerberger have all of their bricks as texture downloads, (come in as .png files)

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Dogs Sketchucation are offering 180 2D dogs, free to premium members.

General Tutorials Using the SU fog tool (its in the Free version as well) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJZzg--Fm8Q

how to create a tube that bends in 3D space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcrmx3HpP3I

creating curved extruded letters without a plugin http://sketchup-ur-space.com/2014/june/how-to-create-curved-extruded-letters-on-a-sign-in-sketchup-without-plugins.html

All about applying textures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5yWpHijTpY

Rendering and Lighting Lightup (3.3) represents a new generation of rendering, from within SU. It adds real lights, inc night time illumination (selected from a pull down menu) and the material palette inside SU is extended to cover reflections, shiny things and realistic sun shading. The real wow factor is that once applied, the model can be rotated and moved, as it usually is in SU. Realtime render is one of the bonuses that come with moving from 32 to 64bit. £139 makes it a mid price plugin for this sort of effect, there is a student/ educators version at $85 http://light-up.co.uk/index.php?t=testimonial&vc=GB&c=GBP

Non SU stuff Some very nice & free sketching softwarehttps://krita.org/ there is a warning that it might be unstable on a Mac platform

Books Bonnie Roskes at www.3Dvinci.net produces some of the best SU books. They are available as e-books and her tutorials for 2015 have just come out

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Scheduled Training dates available

Basics:- getting started 1d getting started, essential techniques and modelling workflowJan 26th : WinchesterFeb 6th : S.LondonFeb 13th : PetersfieldMar 6th: Petersfield

Intermediate modelling covering : terrain, plants, use of layout, advanced modelling Feb 16th : HampshireMar 27th : Hampshire

Further courses for April to June 2015 will be given in the February Newsletter

Want tuition? I’ll add you to my list and let you know when there are enough people, local to you to run a courseSketchUp Services • Convert sketches into 3D

models• Planting plans/ libraries• Renderings• Presentation visuals• Construction drawings• Planning applications• Show garden illustrations

and construction

Need a course to suit you...

If you would like to receive training in SketchUp, at any level and the scheduled courses do not meet your requirements then please get in touch. We can run a bespoke course to suit, at your venue, wether a kitchen table, lounge table or design office!

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PAUL HENSEY

m: 07506 558463 t: 01730 263715 email: info:paulhensey.com

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