Who?
July 4, 2008
Dennis Fukai, Architect, PhD
http://insitebuilders.com/CV
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Dennis is a licensed architect and construction manager with more than thirty years experience as a professional construction administrator, researcher, and construction management professor. He is a Fulbright Scholar and earned his PhD in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Dennis has written seven books and numerous chapters and articles on graphic communications in construction and has been recognized internationally for his work in advanced construction modeling and information systems. (See http://insitebuilders.com for more information)
February 5, 2009 at 5:44 pm
SketchUp 7
are you updating your books relevant for current SU7?
aloha
red
February 5, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Red
I thk we covered this when we talked on the phone, but yes, the new book, “How a House is Built: with 3D Construction Models,” uses SkUp V7, tho there isn’t a significant difference between V7 and V4 — except the Outliner.
This new book differs from the original 3D Construction Modeling book, because it goes step by step through the construction of the entire house (using illustrations, 3D models, Shorties and tutorials). The book starts with layout, goes thru foundation and framing, close-in, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, and finally finish work.
The 13 tutorials parallel the details of the house’s construction, but use the construction of a tiny version of that house in the hands-on lessons at the end of each chapter (or later online sections). IOW, I tried to make learning to build a construction model simpler than the early book by keeping the tutorials more openended, sticking to basic techniques, tricks, and tips, rather than detailed instructions.
The goal is to leave the reader with the skills to communicate and construct their own ideas using the same techniques and 3D construction models…
Hope that helps clarify….
/D
February 26, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Outliner,
I am wanting to learn more about the Outliner feature in sketchup, layers, groups and components and how best to work with them for the creation of construction documents and construction models like you create.
Would you suggest that I focus on outliner as the key?
And is this covered in the book with examples of how to best organize and utilize the organizer for a 3d model of a residence.
aloha
red
April 2, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Dear dennis,
I ordered your latest book in order to learn to use sketchup pro7 for designing a house for a friend/ client of long standing, and need to prepare a complete set of documents in order to get the project approved in Sausalito.
As you’ve spenttime in the Bay Arena, you might be familiar with Sausalito and it’s idiosyncracies(?). I’m not sure they are willing to accept and electronic set of referrals as opposed to paper documents. Having only just discovered you, your books, and yourforum which Iam using now to querie you, Iwanted to ask if sketchup pro 7 and you book are sufficient to produce these, and also,if you can give me any tips or suggestions regarding how to proceed in this? Does your book serve as a tutorial to some extant for sketchup as well as the proceedure for creating what necessary documents would more than likely be required for a permit?
In reading this forum,my impression is that you don’t like paper jobsite documents.
Do you think AutoCAD lt is sufficient to fill in where sketchup fails (lack of real 2D capability), and can you explain how to otherwise get around it?
I’m sure you probably think me a moron, But this is fairly new to me. I have eperiience with Auto cad, but since Ihad to buy a new computer (as my harddrive died without a backup, and I’m suffering through trying to learn 64bit Vista, Sketchup pro7, and keep myself alfoat during these economicaly challenging times as a 1 man band furniture maker, I’m having the best time I’ve ever had. But I am having a ball with Sketchup inspite the problems I’m encountering.
Hope your book helps, and any firther advice or suggestions would be hugely appreciated.
Barry
April 3, 2009 at 8:57 am
Barry
I wouldn’t recommend SkUp for the 2D documentation for a building permit, especially if you are familiar with ACAD and 2D. You could use SkUp but it would mean a bunch of cut and paste and very little control over layouts that you find in ACAD’s Paperspace. IMHO SkUp Layout does not even come close to the capabilities of 2D Paperspace and what you’ll need for construction documents, especially for an electronic permit submittal (which I believe is only dxf/dwg, perhaps PDF). In short, ACAD (or a similar 2D program) are really your only realistic choice for 2D drafting.
That said, SkUp has a lot of value as a construction modeler. Especially for planning and presenting ideas to clients. It is also invaluable as a construction management tool for materials and labor (as you probably will see in the book). Reduction in paperwork will come in improving construction communications and project management and not necessarily from the construction docs themselves.
IMHO furniture design and construction is an excellent application for SkUp, especially b/c most of this work benefits from 3D piece based documentation. If I were in Sausalito (and we once lived there) I would also focus on the capabilities of SkUp as a preconstruction modeler — both for clients and contractors in the Bay Area. Once you’re up to speed w/ construction modeling, you can do a lot of phased presentations, site utilization planning, simulations, and value added analysis of alternatives — all in 3D. The market in area surrounding the Bay has a huge potential b/c of the sophistication of builders and designers practicing there.
I’d especially recommend a stop at Builder’s Booksource in Berkeley, it is the mecca for construction and architecture books.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any Q’s or probs
/Dennis
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