But be prepared to invest the time to learn it. I’d say if you need CAD to design some real complex carving or three dimensional part – you probably should use some sort of a CAD product. SketchUp is a general design tool – CAD – that was marketed at woodworkers. The video went on to make doors in which the rails and stiles were no more than lines – again – pulled out into a third dimension of a block as if 2 rails and 2 stiles exist as one molded part. No consideration that it’s pretty hard to buy a 12-foot sheet of plywood. Process? The ‘parts’ go into the SketchUp design as flat rectangles waiting to be pulled into the third dimension. How do you think the two designs compare in quality? (Sure the author hadn’t finished ‘coloring’ them.
#Sketchup 6 foot bookcase software
SketchUp is really a CAD/engineering type program in cabinet design software clothing. Now maybe the author isn’t a woodworker but more of a CAD expert so we can’t fault him. SketchList 3D image is on the left and shows wood grain and transparent glass shelves.Įach part is a separate board and can be moved, re-sized, and changed easily. The image shows the same bookcase design from both software packages.
Not at least in my shop! Can’t even carry it in! One video I saw had an entertainment center 12 feet long created with a 12 foot by 6 foot by 3-foot block of white material with its middle parts hallowed out! ProblemsĬan’t make that in the shop for many reasons. I didn’t believe it way back then and I don’t believe it now. How can the blogger community go on and on about how great SketchUp is for woodworkers. So I started looking at YouTube videos of people using SketchUp. Well I’ve been busy and never really looked back until the folks at Rockler asked for a comparison between the two cabinet drawing software tools. Honestly, I couldn’t figure out SketchUp at all.Īnd over the years I have received tons of emails from people who have that same experience.
In fact, that was one reason I decided to start SketchList. I looked at SketchUp for cabinet design as a tool before I started SketchList.