#Sketchup for woodworkers how to
#Sketchup for woodworkers install
#Sketchup for woodworkers full
#Sketchup for woodworkers pro
#Sketchup for woodworkers software

You also gain a better understanding of construction details, which pays off when you tackle the real project in the shop.

That makes construction much simpler, faster, and more accurate, with less reworking and fewer delays to sort out discrepancies. Once you have all the components detailed in the model, you can use SketchUp to generate full-size templates for the shop.

#Sketchup for woodworkers full

With SketchUp, you can design furniture full of complex shapes and angles, such as a Windsor chair or a Chippendale lowboy with cabriole legs. You can view and check every aspect of the furniture with SketchUp’s array of viewing options, including easily created exploded and X-Ray views. Now you can create virtual furniture, using SketchUp to create each piece of wood and hardware, complete with every joint detail. SketchUp opens up drawing capabilities once available only to professional designers and illustrators using esoteric, expensive CAD systems. I’ve been using this program since 2005 and will never go back to 2D CAD, nor will I enter the shop without first creating a piece in SketchUp. I wanted a design program that gave me exploded views of assemblies, perspective color images, and the ability to ensure that complex joints fit together properly.įinally, I found what I wanted-Google SketchUp. Existing two-dimensional (2D) computer-aided design (CAD) systems were okay, but they didn’t let me view the project from any angle or check its integrity as it developed. I dreamed of “building” the furniture on the computer as if I were in the shop, shaping each spindle, board, and panel and assembling them into a finished product. Printing Full-Size Templates and Other Scenesįor years I’ve wanted to draw my furniture plans in full-size three-dimensional (3D) models.

#Sketchup for woodworkers how to

How to Create an Effective Package of Shop Drawings How to Add Color and Texture to Your Model How to Use Photographs and Scanned ImagesĪdvanced Detail Modeling Using the Intersect Command How to Begin and Develop a Piece of Furniture How to Make, Move, Copy, Edit, and Connect Components He also teaches SketchUp at local colleges. Killen has been using SketchUp for several years and builds all his furniture on the computer first, before setting foot in the shop. He specializes in 18th century reproduction furniture. Killen grew up among woodworking machinery in Centerville, Ohio, where both his father and grandfather had woodshops. He is a retired Bechtel Corporation executive who worked in engineering and IT management. Tim Killen is author of the popular SketchUp blog. “.very helpful, logical, and progressive.

And with SketchUp Guide for Woodworkers eBook, you'll instantly have the keys to success in your hands. When you've mastered SketchUp, you'll open up a world of possibilities. With SketchUp, the amateur or professional woodworker can build scaled 3-D models of projects and work out all the details – dimensions, joinery, design features, and more – and produce full-size drawings or templates.

Step 3: Write Out/Brainstorm Dimensions.“.this resource just gets better and better.”Īn essential tool for every furniture maker.

#Sketchup for woodworkers install

Step 2: Download and Install Google Sketch-Up.

Use Google Sketch-Up to Plan Woodworking Projects The videos can be found HERE - CLICK THIS.

#Sketchup for woodworkers software

SketchUp is actually much easier to learn and use than Vectorworks IMO, so you should be able to achieve some skill with the software with little difficulty. One may also ask, is Sketchup worth learning? Step 4 – Create 3D Object with Push/Pull Tool.To begin drawing your table, you'll need to select the Rectangle Tool (R). How do I make furniture in Sketchup? Sketchup Tutorial | 10 Steps to Create a Table In Sketchup Inventor, Formit, Fusion 360, Blender, 3DS Max, AutoCAD, Rhino, Solidworks, Siemens NX, Revit and Sketchup. From this list can you please tell your top pick and why.

#Sketchup for woodworkers pro

The Pro version is only $500, a rather small investment for the professional.Ĭonsidering this, what is the best software for woodworking?įrom the many forums and YOUTUBE videos that i came across, it appears that Sketchup is the preferred software for woodworkers. If you take the time to learn the program, it will become your most valuable woodworking tool, guaranteed! And the better news is, SketchUp is likely the only woodworking tool you will pay nothing for.