This August 10 & 11 I will be returning to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking to teach a class called “Supercharge SketchUp”. Unlike most of my SketchUp classes this is intended for folks who already have some experience in 3D modeling with SketchUp, either from another class, my SketchUp books or learning on their own.
Like most things that are worth learning it can be quite a leap from “getting the hang of it” to being efficient. We’ll review basic concepts at the start, but then we’ll dive into the elements of using the program to effectively design, plan and problem solve. One of my favorite things about SketchUp is the power it has to make life easier by leveraging existing geometry to copy, stretch and alter things. I switched from 2D work in AutoCad to 3D modeling more than 10 years ago because it is faster, more accurate and more fun. With this versatile program you can quickly rough out a design, keep track of all the bits and pieces to work efficiently in the shop, prepare drawings and cutlists to use in the shop and make a powerful presentation to a client.
The facility at MASW is top notch; we meet in the air-conditioned media room and lunch is provided, along with coffee, soda, snacks and access to the world famous soft-serve machine in the cafeteria. My computer is hooked up to a large screen and I provide several handouts. The specific topics to be covered will be determined by the class — I don’t have a set agenda and the class is small enough to cover everyone’s interests and issues. If there is something in SketchUp you struggle with, or if you simply want to take your modeling to the next level, come to class and we’ll work through it together.
SketchUp is a fantastic tool because you can quickly create a design to get the proportions just the way you want them. Then you can add details and create a plan. When the plan is complete you can extract all the information you need to build your project. When you become adept at SketchUp, planning is like pretending to build in the shop. Both planning and building are more efficient and enjoyable.
At the moment there are a few seats still available, but class size is limited. Click the image above or the link below to visit the MASW website and register for this class. I look forward to seeing friends old and new this August.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS AT MARCADAMS.COM
If you can’t make it to class, check out my SketchUp books in PDF format with embedded videos. Thousands have used them to learn 3D modeling.