Gina's Observatory

[Gina]

I'm having BIG problems with SketchUp tonight! I'm doing the obsy end wall with the flap. Made the framework, no problem, but then tried to add shiplap to it. Took a piece of shiplap from the side and copied it then rotated 90 degrees it on a horizontal plane for the end wall. But when I tried to place it on the framework it was skewed in two directions Tried it several times. Also tried to correct it by moving surfaces and edges but it wouldn't work. Any ideas, anyone? I've done lots of 90 rotates without any problem before.

Here's a zipped copy :-

Obsy-problem.skp.zip

[JamesF]

I'll have a look at it shortly and see if I can work out what's going on. I'm a fair way through my n+1'th redesign at the moment, with a pitched roof this time.

James

[Gina]

I'll have a look at it shortly and see if I can work out what's going on.

Thanks

I'm a fair way through my n+1'th redesign at the moment, with a pitched roof this time.

James

I'll be interested to see it.

[JamesF]

Aha! If I copy another piece of the shiplap from the side and try to rotate it, through 90 degrees about a vertical axis, towards the end of the piece the "protractor" wheel turns black, meaning the axis of rotation is not parallel to any of the axes. Moving the wheel further along the piece turns it blue, meaning the axis of rotation is now parallel to the vertical axis of the modelling space. A 90 degree rotation at that point gives me a component that looks like it should fit correctly.

Does that make sense?

James

[JamesF]

Thanks :)I'll be interested to see it.

I've started my own thread with links to the files and a bit of explanation of how I reached my current design.

James

[Gina]

Aha! If I copy another piece of the shiplap from the side and try to rotate it, through 90 degrees about a vertical axis, towards the end of the piece the "protractor" wheel turns black, meaning the axis of rotation is not parallel to any of the axes. Moving the wheel further along the piece turns it blue, meaning the axis of rotation is now parallel to the vertical axis of the modelling space. A 90 degree rotation at that point gives me a component that looks like it should fit correctly.

Does that make sense?

James

It does indeed Thanks very much - very useful info

[Gina]

I've started my own thread with links to the files and a bit of explanation of how I reached my current design.

James

OK - I'll go and read it

[Gina]

Allowing for the obsy roof using 2 8x4 sheets of OSB ie. 8' square, with the roof structure frame and wall thickness, the internal obsy space works out at about 7' square. I was originally aiming at 8' square (though the outside rather than the inside), but I think 7' square inside will be quite adequate and to make the roof bigger would make it very awkward - extra strips of OSB and I could no longer get two pieces out of a 4.8 m length of timber.

[malc-c]

Gina, It's much easier to make the geometry fit using standard boards. Cutting a strip off an 8 x 4 is better than having to add it, plus its cheaper too and you cut down on waste and thus expense. The internal floor of my obsy measures 6' 6" x 8' and there's ample room for two people and the 200P

[Gina]

Quite agree Malcolm, my point exactly

It's amazing how much I've learned from using SketchUp. Working in 2D and trying to think in 3D I seem to have got things quite a bit wrong. Of course, I've made things a bit more difficult for myself by having my walls of unequal heights but I wasn't happy with two lower walls and a higher roll off section. I need the lower wall to the south for viewing angle but I didn't want a drop down flap on the south wall as well as the east wall. Holding both in the closed position would be very difficult. Anyway I've sorted out how the 3 walls and flap fit together now. I've found 47x47mm (2x2) fits best for the flap and end wall, and since this isn't load bearing, I'm sure will be strong enough.

Next step is the dividing wall (something I just couldn't seem to get my head round with just 2D drawings). It's the junction of the obsy walls and roll-off with the dividing wall that was the problem but things are becoming clearer now

I'll post another SketchUp file shortly.

[Bizibilder]

My obsy is a nominal 6x6 metal shed but I have an internal wooden frame that takes up a couple of inches all round. I have been considering getting a larger one but eventually decided that by organising the small shed I could manage with it. Its fine foir the ED80 and 180 Mak as these are "short" instruments, its the 200P that tends to fill the space but then again I don't use the 200P very much!

[Gina]

As promised - my latest SketchUp model file zipped for upload. Latest additions include frameworks for the obsy end wall and flap, and for the dividing wall. I haven't yet added any of the diagonal bracing. I'm leaving that until later as it doesn't affect the overall design. The dividing wall has actually worked out quite easy, just needing a half inch thick spacer between it and the each obsy side wall. That leaves about a 5mm gap clearance for the roll off ends. The obsy side walls needed altering as they were too long.

Obsy-dividing-wall.skp.zip

[malc-c]

Noticed that your wall panels just have 2 interim uprights spaced at approx 30" centres. I may of over-engineered my build but all timbers were spaced at 16" centres, which when tied in with the cladding makes for a very sturdy build. - Just an observation

[Gina]

Noticed that your wall panels just have 2 interim uprights spaced at approx 30" centres. I may of over-engineered my build but all timbers were spaced at 16" centres, which when tied in with the cladding makes for a very sturdy build. - Just an observation

Yes, your build certainly looks very sturdy When you put it like that I think perhaps I might increase the number of interim uprights from 2 to 3 for the obsy part. The dividing wall must stay at 2 for the door.

[Gina]

Another SketchUp marathon tonight!! Not changed the obsy wall upright numbers yet but have made progress in other directions. Dividing wall, warm room side walls, end wall frame and floor. I'm planning to have a 24"x18" window in the warm room south wall - I haven't modelled that yet. I'm proposing 2 24x18 acrylic sheets with about an inch separation to make double glazing. Maybe sealed with a silica gel bag inside.

Obsy-warm-room-frames-floor.skp.zip

[Gina]

More work on my model this morning. Increased obsy wall supports to 5 (3 intermediate ones), giving about 18" spacing. The warm room spacing is just under 22" though I'm thinking of making it 24" between the inner two in the south wall to allow for a 24"x18" acrylic window (sold as green house window panes). I've also moved the door posts to cater for standard 760mm wide doors with room for a sliding door for the partition. Zip file attached.

Gina-Obsy-build-11-08-16-1000.skp.zip

[Gina]

Wet most of today so had a chance to do quite a bit to my SketchUp model - latest zip file attached.

Finished adding shiplap, warm room window and roof (with obsy roof overlapping). Also included is a separate model of the two roofs, showing how they overlap in the closed position.

Still to add capping pieces on end corners of warm room to cover end grain of shiplap. And, of course the obsy roof, plus various struts and ties etc.

Gina-Obsy-11-08-17-2103.skp.zip

[malc-c]

Looks good... now all we need is some dry weather so you can start building

[yesyes]

Is it just me or is this drawing rotating very slowly and laggy in Sketchup? Is my computer so outdated?

And I see there is some space junk orbiting the obsy already...

[Gina]

Looks good... now all we need is some dry weather so you can start building

Very true!! The modelling is coming on and I don't think it will be too long before it's near enough finished. I can then tot up how much timber (and what sizes) I want, add a contingency factor and order most (if not all) of it. Maybe we'll get some better weather in September!!

[Gina]

Is it just me or is this drawing rotating very slowly and laggy in Sketchup? Is my computer so outdated?

I haven't tried it on any of my older computers. My main workhorse is a desktop with 3Ghz AMD 64 X2 processor running Linux. SketchUp runs in Wine (Windows interface within Linux) but is still quite fast on this machine. The other computer I run it on is a MacBook Pro laptop which is pretty new and fast.

And I see there is some space junk orbiting the obsy already...

Oh yes, the odd coach bolt and a few nuts came adrift from the model and I think there's a spare wheel around somewhere too...

[JamesF]

I haven't tried it on any of my older computers. My main workhorse is a desktop with 3Ghz AMD 64 X2 processor running Linux. SketchUp runs in Wine (Windows interface within Linux) but is still quite fast on this machine.

I'm running it under Wine on Linux on an Atom 330 box and it's not bad at all. Seems to run ok on a Win7 box with the same processor, too.

I tend to end up with rules as junk all over the place, because I've added them to edit a component and then can't remember which one they're attached to when it comes to erase them (you can only erase them if you edit the component or group you were editing when you created them).

James

[Gina]

I'm running it under Wine on Linux on an Atom 330 box and it's not bad at all. Seems to run ok on a Win7 box with the same processor, too.

That's pretty impressive! The help recommends full use of groups and components to reduce file size and make it work faster. That is probably quite a big factor.

I tend to end up with rules as junk all over the place, because I've added them to edit a component and then can't remember which one they're attached to when it comes to erase them (you can only erase them if you edit the component or group you were editing when you created them).

James

Yes, I get that too. And I very often find I delete more than I intended then have to work my way back with the Undo until the missing side of a piece of timber comes back! Quite annoying. I not only have construction lines left around but also where I've used the dimension feature to show sizes when push/pulling etc. I now find the tape measure better and easier to tidy up afterwards. Then there's bits of boxes etc. where I altered things and left bits behind. Trying to erase those remains often leads to loss of wanted bits of something else.

[Gina]

I've now put the roof on the obsy, including the bits to direct the run-off at north and south sides of the obsy roof onto the warm room roof. Main things left now are the doors, the warm room window frame and various fittings. I shall have a window in the partition door.

BTW, for anyone who doesn't know, you can see the inside by zooming in through the walls and into the internal space.

Here's the latest :-

Gina-Obsy-build-obsy-roof-on.skp.zip

[yesyes]

Now where is that "Copy to Real Life" button in Sketchup?