Google SketchUp; a must for homesteaders

I use SU to design just about everything around our homestead from the cabin to the woodboxes. I think I have 6 different models just trying to design the "perfect" L staircase to fit a small space. Once you get a feel for it, it's a great tool... although at times I still swear at some of the unhelpful helpfulness

I find SU models really helpful articulating plans & projects with the Hubby since he thinks mathematically and I think spatially. I can design the thing the way I envision it, and then grab all the dimensions and angles (love the measuring tools!) that he needs to understand what I'm trying to build. It's a lot easier to discuss things and make alterations with a clean scaled model than a hastily scratched out doodle, so the extra time on the model saves a lot of time on discussion

I tend to do my 2D site layouts in MS Visio because it's more intuitive for me, but I have transfered the footprints of a few structures from those plans into SU so I could get a better feel for distances & crowding and wind & sun patterns that you can't always identify from just a flat plan.

Someone help me out here, but has Google sold Sketchup? Looks like a company called Trimble owns it now. Wonder how that will affect access to it down the road?

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Do not panic, the government will save us...
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I think that Google likely subdivided its business by feature areas, creating the "Trimble" business division as the owner of SketchUp (and possibly other apps). They may have actually sold it to a 3rd party company Trimble, but I doubt it will have any effect on the free SketchUp if that's what they did.

I downloaded the most recent version under the Trimble name and still open and edit all my previous SU models (and all models in the online 3D gallery), so it's at least backwards compatible.

Yep, I noticed that too when putting it on my new laptop.
Near as I can tell it's still SketchUp 8, just like what's on my desktop, only the icon is different... (and the application label says "Google Sketchup 8")

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~*~Erin~*~
SAHM, ranch wife, sub and quilt shop proprietress
the Back Gate Country Quilt Shop

I tried to use it for a while but couldn't really figure it out. We use 3D Architect programs for home design.
As for measuring property, I've used CARES with really good results. Used it to measure fencelines to within 10 feet.
http://www.cares.missouri.edu/
I believe in can do national maps as well.

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

I downloaded Sketchup last night. I was playing with it but seem to have an issue using it for now. I was goinng to attempt to plan my garden with it. Maybe it isn't for that? I should probably attempt my chicken coop or my hay shed designs with it. OR I could watch the tutorial videos

It's not the best for planning actual garden plantings; but I used SU to design the woodworking plans for my raised beds, garden shed and potting bench. It should work quite well for your coops and sheds once you get the hang of it.

One big tip is to create your standard lumber pieces first and then make copies as you need them to build your structures. For example, to make a standard 2x4, draw a rectangle that is 3.5" x 8', group it, and then Push it a thickness of 1.5". After that, you can CTRL + Move/Rotate to create copies and use Push on the small end to "cut" it less than 8'. This is also extremely helpful for things like plywood, osb and drywall that are normally only 3/8-3/4" thick and used for sheathing flat planes. Once you get the hang of using Line and Push to make cut-outs, it's really easy to slap your "siding" onto the frame and push out a window or door opening.

Only the Intel processor Macs are supported. The older Power PC processor Macs like I use are not supported.

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We are the Mid-West Distributor of Island Pride Carbolic Germicidal Bath Soap.

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Look for back versions. I'm almost positive I started using SU on my old Mac Mini and I think the first ones were still PowerPCs...
If you're using an old Mac, you probably already know Version Tracker pretty well

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~*~Erin~*~
SAHM, ranch wife, sub and quilt shop proprietress
the Back Gate Country Quilt Shop

I designed a greenhouse with SketchUp, but used their archive (3D Warehouse) of designs to start. I had an idea from a website, found where someone had made that design in Sketchup, then I modified it with the size of windows I had to hand. There are wonderful folks out there who've shared their designs for so many different things, and you can modify the design to fit your needs. So much faster than doing it from the ground up.

Now if I could find a really nice little (6'x6') farm stand design in the archives, with a roof and that you could walk into, I'd be a happy homesteader !!

PCP

Something like this? http://madison.craigslist.org/bfd/3523824267.html

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Do not panic, the government will save us...
NOT!

They don't have a version that runs on Linux!