Tutorials about making things with SketchUp: Design for fabrication, 3D printing, CNC, laser cutting, etc. Learn more about this topic in Chapter 6 of my book
When you need to create complex geometry in SketchUp, it is often better to break an item into positive (solid) parts and negative (void) parts that you can then subtract from each other with SketchUp's Pro's Solid Tools. In this example, I am showing this process for a cast steel structural connector, but the principle applies to many other shapes as well.
Because this process uses solid geometry from beginning to end, the result is also a solid and therefore easily 3D printable.
Side view
My model doesn't replicate the geometry of this piece exactly, but this is an example of such geometry
Tutorial Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrhfJjT8YBQ
Links
Some of the tools I used here are:
SketchUp's built-in tools:
Solid Tools (specifically the Subtract tool)
Parallel-projection camera view
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FredoCorner Extension - One of Fredo6's excellent extensions that allows you to round corners
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In this video tutorial I show my basic approach for making SketchUp objects (like the revolved vase from my last tutorial) 3D printable. In essence, the process involves checking whether a SketchUp model is considered a "solid" by the software and then fixing any issues that may prevent it from becoming a solid.
Interested in more detail? This video covers only some of the basic techniques - I explain the process in much more detail in Chapter 6 of my book "Architectural Design with SketchUp."
Tutorial Video
https://youtu.be/UXFUrHTZ-k8
Links
ThomThom's Solid Inspector - The main extension/tool for fixing solid-ness of an object.
I hope you find this technique useful and create some cool items. Feel free to post those in the discussion area below.
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In this video tutorial I show how you can take a portrait of a loved one (or yourself) and - using SketchUp - turn it into a revolved object that you can then use as a vase, cup, candle holder etc. This technique is simple and makes for a great gift (e.g. by 3D printing). As a bonus, I show how you can create a face-morphing shape with two portraits.
Keen readers of this blog may know that I covered this technique in a step-by-step tutorial in one of my earliest posts. I had never done a video tutorial on this technique, however, which is hereby remedied.
Tutorial Video
https://youtu.be/d5y5f965YAs
Links
While the basic technique uses only SketchUp's built-in tools, I also demonstrate some of Fredo6's extensions here:
Joint PushPull - An extension that lets you thicken any surface.
FredoSpline - This is useful for creating smooth curves and converting between different curve types.
Curviloft - This lets you "morph" between two outlines.
I hope you find this useful...
As I discuss in Chapter 6, you can create a mobile in SketchUp and design it in the software so that - when 3D printed or otherwise fabricated - this mobile hangs perfectly in the balance. This process works for all planar designs, independent of how many levels such a mobile may have. In this post, I'll show you how to run the calculations for the mobile so that its equilibrium is assured.
Example mobile with highlighted free-body diagram levels
Tutorial Steps
Step 1: Break the mobile down into individual Free-Body Diagrams (FBDs)
The previous image shows one of my recent students' mobiles. It has a great theme and while it doesn't push this method enough (it is very symmetrical), it helps me explain this step nicely.
From a structural perspective, you need to break down the entire mobile into its sub-structures and their respective free-body diagrams (FBDs). You basically need to separate each of its individual levels in this step. The four sketched outlines...
In this tutorial I cover several approaches and techniques for creating 3D-printable pendants from SketchUp. This includes designs that need to be hanging in the balance (for pendants, earrings, mobile elements, etc.) as well as those with multiple support points (e.g. for name necklaces).
Tutorial Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2W0bKW8guM
Links
The extensions and websites that I mention in the video are:
Shapeways - A 3D printing service that lets you even create objects in precious metals.
Face Centroid and Area Properties - My SketchUp extension that you need to find the centroid of faces.
Solid Inspector - A SketchUp extension that is used to check for 3D printability.
Did you design anything with this approach? Share it below in the comments.
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