Drawing Program...

[Derek Arita]

I draft up everything I build, but it's kind of pain and it takes hours. Are any good, free programs out there that I can use to do this or do I have to purchase one? Suggestions?

[Jeff Monson]

Sketchup, free and well liked by many

[James Conrad]

Ditto, Sketchup is great, free and tons of youtube video support to show you how to do things. Google's intro videos are pretty good as well.

[Phil Thien]

Ditto, Sketchup is great, free and tons of youtube video support to show you how to do things. Google's intro videos are pretty good as well.

I think the user-based support, in the form of youtube videos, etc., are what makes SketchUp the choice for drawing.

[daniel lane]

Sketchup is very good, but it is also a very different interface than standard CAD programs (at least AutoCAD, which I've used since R.10). I highly suggest considering the Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp book by Bob Lang, it was very helpful in getting me quickly transitioned. (In fact, I don't think I have opened it more than once after I went through the whole thing once - that's how quickly it helped me.) I use both now, but prefer Sketchup for woodworking, given the ease of the 3D interface.


daniel

[Matt Day]

Without a doubt, Sketchup.

[Bill Huber]

Has anyone mentioned SketchUp.....:rolleyes:

It is not the easiest to learn but it sure is a great program once you get into it a little.

This site helped me a bunch.

http://www.aidanchopra.com/web-content

[Derek Arita]

Wow! Looks great. I just finished installing it. Will I be able to show my dimensions like I would on a drafted drawing?

[Peter Quinn]

Have you considered sketchup? :rolleyes: Yes you can add dimensions withe the dimension tool. You can also do your basic three orthographic views by setting the camera to parallel projection. If you get to liking sketch up it may make sense to purchase the pro version, which has an additional program called layout that adds much greater printing capability and 2D capture ability. I've been able to print almost everything I need to with he free version, though its not to scale and not always as easy as I might like. They did that on purpose. Its a pretty serious program for free, not some slap stick free ware cobbed together in spare time, but they held back the juicy parts for the paying customers!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Derek...I worked as a draftsman decades ago and fought trying Sketchup. I am building my first project where I used Sketchup and yes you can get dimensioned drawings...you can exploded views.

Creeker Dave Richards is the Sketchup guru/contributor at Fine Wood Working and he has a Sketchup Basics DVD I'd highly recommend. It can be downloaded or ordered. http://www.tauntonstore.com/fine-woodworkings-google-sketchup-guide-for-woodworkers-basics-download-067125.html

[Derek Arita]

Derek...I worked as a draftsman decades ago and fought trying Sketchup. I am building my first project where I used Sketchup and yes you can get dimensioned drawings...you can exploded views.

Creeker Dave Richards is the Sketchup guru/contributor at Fine Wood Working and he has a Sketchup Basics DVD I'd highly recommend. It can be downloaded or ordered. http://www.tauntonstore.com/fine-woodworkings-google-sketchup-guide-for-woodworkers-basics-download-067125.html
So, I downloaded the video for $12.95, but I can't seem to make it play! I try to open the downloaded file, a black screen comes up, but no vid! What's up?
I'm able to open the download and bring up the Fine Woodworkers page with an index of subjects, but when I hit one of the play buttons, a box comes up and says Windows could not find it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I don't know.

I downloaded it and it runs fine for me.

I'll send a PM to Dave and maybe he can help you.

[Dick Mahany]

Wow! Looks great. I just finished installing it. Will I be able to show my dimensions like I would on a drafted drawing?

Another Sketchup user here. As mentioned in another post, yes you can dimension drawings quickly and easily. I highly recommend a set of FREE video tutorials that made the difference between success and frustration/failure for me. He outlines a great and systematic way to go about designing, and includes an excellent demo on dimensioning. They are produced by a master craftsman and professional Sketchup teacher at local colleges. Google Chief Woodworker's Blog. No affiliation, just a satisfied student !

[Myk Rian]

So, I downloaded the video for $12.95, but I can't seem to make it play! I try to open the downloaded file, a black screen comes up, but no vid! What's up?
I'm able to open the download and bring up the Fine Woodworkers page with an index of subjects, but when I hit one of the play buttons, a box comes up and says Windows could not find it.
What format is the video?
If you have more than 1 viewer installed, right click the file and open it with something besides the default.

[Dave Richards]

Ken, thank you for the plug and the heads up on Derek.

Derek, I'm not sure what specifically is causing the problem. You say you downloaded it but did you extract the contents to a folder on your computer? If you did extract it, what program did you use to do that? Did it maintain the file structure? If not, that could be the problem. It's possible another player as Myk suggested will work. Which player was trying to run it? Perhaps you just need to update that player? If neither of those things help you out, you should contact Taunton's Customer Support at 1-866-325-2495. I learned just the other day that Barnes & Noble is selling the DVD when a fellow who ordered it from them asked me for help after his copy arrived damaged. I suggested he call Taunton and see what they have to say. Within minutes that had him taken care. Maybe they'll be able to do the same for you.

[Derek Arita]

Ken, thank you for the plug and the heads up on Derek.

Derek, I'm not sure what specifically is causing the problem. You say you downloaded it but did you extract the contents to a folder on your computer? If you did extract it, what program did you use to do that? Did it maintain the file structure? If not, that could be the problem. It's possible another player as Myk suggested will work. Which player was trying to run it? Perhaps you just need to update that player? If neither of those things help you out, you should contact Taunton's Customer Support at 1-866-325-2495. I learned just the other day that Barnes & Noble is selling the DVD when a fellow who ordered it from them asked me for help after his copy arrived damaged. I suggested he call Taunton and see what they have to say. Within minutes that had him taken care. Maybe they'll be able to do the same for you.

Dave,
I def need help. I'm so computer illiterate...i don't even know what you're asking. I'll call Taunton and see if they can help me out. i should have looked for the DVD, but thought I'd try the download...if I can't just hit the play button, then I'm in trouble. Thanks for the #.

[Dave Richards]

Drop me a PM with your e-mail address, Derek. Maybe I can help you directly. We can try anyway.

[Myk Rian]

If the file is an .iso type, then you'll need a blank DVD to burn it to.
And the burning software.

[Dave Richards]

I don't think anyone was talking about burning it to a DVD.

[phil harold]

Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp book by Bob Lang?!?!

l
I cant find that by that author...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I cant find that by that author...

Phil....it's actually Robert W. Lang...he has 2 different courses....basic...getting started and advanced....Here's a link to the basic course.... http://www.amazon.com/ShopClass-SketchUp-Woodworkers-Getting-Started/dp/B006LO3N5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358103216&sr=1-1&keywords=Sketchup+Robert+W.+Lang

[Alan Schwabacher]

Sketchup is a very nice free program, but it requires some kind of tutorial or training. Nothing behaved as I would have expected, so save the aggravation of trying to figure things out, and just follow instructions to start.

Joseph Zeh has produced a very nice set of video tutorials on Sketchup for woodworking, and made them available for free. I can't compare his with those of the other instructors posted, but I think they are quite good:
http://www.srww.com/google-sketchup.htm

[Sam Murdoch]

Phil....it's actually Robert W. Lang...he has 2 different courses....basic...getting started and advanced....Here's a link to the basic course.... http://www.amazon.com/ShopClass-SketchUp-Woodworkers-Getting-Started/dp/B006LO3N5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358103216&sr=1-1&keywords=Sketchup+Robert+W.+Lang


Here is a link to a 2010 WoodWhisperer review of the Bob Lang CDs. http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/woodworkers-guide-to-sketchup/
I have them and I have found them to be very useful. I especially like that you can be using SU while referring to Lang's tutorial side by side. I think these are only SketchUp 7. SketchUp 8 is the current version - still for a beginner there is lots to learn with no compromise using a tutorial for SketchUp 7. But for Derek, the OP I would certainly avail myself of Dave Richards' very generous offer to help you directly. He's a SU master, as far as I can tell.

[Derek Arita]

Sketchup is a very nice free program, but it requires some kind of tutorial or training. Nothing behaved as I would have expected, so save the aggravation of trying to figure things out, and just follow instructions to start.

Joseph Zeh has produced a very nice set of video tutorials on Sketchup for woodworking, and made them available for free. I can't compare his with those of the other instructors posted, but I think they are quite good:
http://www.srww.com/google-sketchup.htm
I was able to bring up the Zeh videos and they are very good. Just watched the first one, but it's been a big help. Sure hope I can get the Lang vids to play cause I did pay for them. I wish I would have looked for them in DVD form from the beginning. Oh well...

[Dave Richards]

I thought it was my video you're having problems with. If it is Lang's, you'll need to contact his publisher instead of Taunton.

I offered to help you with mine if you send me a PM with your e-mail. I doubt I can help you with his, though.

[Myk Rian]

I don't think anyone was talking about burning it to a DVD.
Not until I did.
The file is 1.6 gig in size, which leads me to suspect it may be a .iso (image) file. If so, he will need to burn it to a DVD.

[Dave Richards]

No one else has had to burn it to a DVD to watch it so I don't think it is a .ISO file.

[lowell holmes]

Try the Popular Woodworking Site.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

After I downloaded it and used it, I burned a backup copy.....just in case.

But I had no problem running it after I downloaded it.

[Myk Rian]

After I downloaded it and used it, I burned a backup copy.....just in case.

But I had no problem running it after I downloaded it.
Then his video player program doesn't have the proper codec installed.

[Derek Arita]

Dave, i'm sorry...it is yours. It's the video I downloaded from Taunton Press that I'm having the trouble with. Sorry for the confusion.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Derek,

Send Dave a PM. Just go to his last post...clickon his name....it will open another menu.....select Private Message....and send him a PM. I bet he monitors it via email and he will get back to you.

[David Nelson1]

Dave has helped me in the past via this forum and PMs but the video brings some much more insight.............. Best money I have spent in quite while.

[Greg R Bradley]

Ken Fitzgerald linked to Dave Richard's video as http://www.tauntonstore.com/fine-woo...ad-067125.html (http://www.tauntonstore.com/fine-woodworkings-google-sketchup-guide-for-woodworkers-basics-download-067125.html). It extracts to a folder on your hard drive. The menu uses Acrobat and each video is an .mp4 so they run with your default .mp4 player. There is no DVD to make, no .iso file, and it isn't 1.6Gb. Extracted, it is 843Mb.

There is another download for another eBook by the same name from a different author. Are they getting confused?

As you can tell by Dave Richards offer to help, you couldn't hope to find a better product. It is well worth buying. Before buying it, I ran several other free Sketchup tutorials. By comparison, they should have paid me to waste my time watching them. Dave Richards does a really good job teaching you how to think in the right way to run Sketchup for woodworking.

[Dan Hintz]

IF you want something more like a true drafting / CAD program, try DoubleCAD XT. It's free and is a one-on-one competitor to AutoDesk's AutoCAD LT.

[Bob Lang]

A google search on "Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp" will let you find it. It isn't exactly a book, it's a pdf available on disc that contains embedded video within the 180 some pages. SketchUp went to version 8 about 2 months after I published it, but there weren't any significant changes between the two versions. I also did a couple of "SketchUp for Woodworkers" videos for Popular Woodworking that are available through them, and "Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp" is also available from the Popular Woodworking online store and from my personal website.

Bob Lang

[John Piwaron]

Thanks to my day job I use Solidworks and Autocad. But the copy of Autocad I use is 12 years old. Creak! Creak!

When the time comes (retirement) I'll start using Autocad light. Or similar. Something with an interface I'm accustomed to.

[Dave Richards]

Solidworks is nice but certainly not something most woodworkers could afford. A single seat of Solidworks costs more than I have tied up up in my entire shop including the wood and the snowblower and lawn mower.

[Jim Foster]

I saw this post and thought I'd share a software project I'm working on. By day, I'm in the CAD software industry, by night (when time allows) a want-to-be woodworker. Mostly I hang on the Neanderthal forum.

It's a model of a Roubo that was created in our prototype. Our software is a web-based tool that runs in Firefox or Chrome. It's easier to use than applications like SolidWorks. What you see in the link is our software running with the Roubo design opened, but the creation tools are turned off, so it functions more like a configuration tool. Feel free to open it up and modify the Roubo to suit your size. We don't have anything for sale or a product ready for use, so this is not a pitch. Feel free to drop me a line if your also a CAD geek and want to see more. I think you might have to cut&paste the link, I tried just selecting and it failed.


http://prod.to3dnow.com/DynLink/Open/a7WDq?dsp=001 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/redir.aspx?C=eQpehnLzrE66P85gXZQ43a5HZmEQyc8IdnSgm wFuFkDs_5GYBmO9AqUGo_bUFike8M831pHN7mg.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fprod.to3dnow.com%2fDynLink%2fOpen %2fa7WDq%3fdsp%3d001)

Per Greg's message below. Firefox or Chrome must be used to view link. Also for some reason, I can cut&paste this link, but just selecting it does not seem to work for me. Thanks Greg :)

[Greg R Bradley]

I saw this post and thought I'd share a software project I'm working on. By day, I'm in the CAD software industry, by night (when time allows) a want-to-be woodworker. Mostly I hang on the Neanderthal forum.

It's a model of a Roubo that was created in our prototype. Our software is a web-based tool that runs in Firefox or Chrome. It's easier to use than applications like SolidWorks. What you see in the link is our software running with the Roubo design opened, but the creation tools are turned off, so it functions more like a configuration tool. Feel free to open it up and modify the Roubo to suit your size. We don't have anything for sale or a product ready for use, so this is not a pitch. Feel free to drop me a line if your also a CAD geek and want to see more. I think you might have to cut&paste the link, I tried just selecting and it failed.


http://prod.to3dnow.com/DynLink/Open/a7WDq?dsp=001 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/redir.aspx?C=eQpehnLzrE66P85gXZQ43a5HZmEQyc8IdnSgm wFuFkDs_5GYBmO9AqUGo_bUFike8M831pHN7mg.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fprod.to3dnow.com%2fDynLink%2fOpen %2fa7WDq%3fdsp%3d001)

Jim,
Here is a link that will work as long as you are using a supported browser version such as Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari on some Apples if you enable WebGL. No Internet Explorer works:

http://prod.to3dnow.com/Dynlink/Open/a7wDq?dsp=001

(http://prod.to3dnow.com/Dynlink/Open/a7wDq?dsp=001)

[Larry Browning]

I didn't read all these posts, so maybe you have already solved being able to play the video. But, before you go jumping through hoops and pulling out your hair, try downloading VLC player, and try playing it on that. Use this link (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html) pick the installer download. It is open source freeware, so it is totally safe and absolutely free. If VLC won't play it, there is probably something wrong with the file.

[Derek Arita]

Hey! As it turns out, Dave told me to try opening the files in Real Player, so I did and it worked! Yeah! In the meantime, I ended up purchasing the DVD as well and was hoping to be able to player it in my home DVD player, but it wouldn't play, so there might be another issue there, unless the DVD version is not meant to be played in a home DVD player...I don't know, but I think Dave in helping me out with that as well. Anyhow, for now, at least I have the downloaded files to watch. Thanks Dave and thanks to you all.

[Scott Young]

Quick post before a late dinner- if you're so inclined, and money is no object or you are already invested in it: sketchup and autocad are for the most part compatible with each other. There's tricks to get them to work together but if you are most comfortable making plans in cad, you can do that and export to sketchup. I also think the same is possible the other way but it gets trixy (sorry, just saw the Hobbit ><). I used Cad back in school because I was more comfortable doing floor plans there- then I saved the file, imported the floor plans to sketchup and made my digital high rise that was part of my thesis in sketchup. But for easy and cheapness- sketchup can not be beat.