Author: Charlotte Lee

First in our guide to 3d printing software for beginners, free or paid-for, let’s nail down the basics. To print 3D models you need two things: software and hardware. Your 3D print machine represents the hardware side of things and, like all hardware, it won’t work without software to control and run it.  

First, let’s explore AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp. AutoCAD Architecture is software designed for architects and engineers. It’s what you use to make detailed 2D and 3D models of buildings and other built and natural structures. SketchUp is popular 3D modelling software that’s also popular in the architecture and construction sectors. 

AutoCAD Architecture comes from the people at Autodesk and goes back quite a long way, released for the first time in 1982 and was revolutionary at the time. SketchUp is younger, developed by Trimble and released for the first time in the year 2000.

So what’s the difference? AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp have different capabilities and features. They’re both popular with architects, but AutoCAD Architecture offers advanced capabilities and more features. It can output accurate construction documents and make complicated engineering calculations. 

SketchUp, on the other hand, is extremely easy to learn and use thanks to the intuitive interface, which means it’s a popular choice for fast design iterations and rapid visualisation. Together, they give architects everything they need to imagine and design quickly, efficiently, and beautifully. 

First of all, you’ll want to know how to render an animation in V-Ray for SketchUp. Your first task is to set up the scene properly and make sure the camera settings are right. 

Creating scenes lets you see different views of a model, for example from different angles or using different rendering styles. To set the camera the way you want, move your cursor over the camera model, select Edit Camera and use the Camera Properties dialogue box to change its settings. First, set the starting position of the camera and save the view in the scene tab, then move the camera to the end position you want and make another scene tab to mark it. 

Once you’re happy with the scene and the camera settings, it’s time to render your animation. You’ll already have installed and downloaded VRay, so your first task is to open up the V-Ray Asset Editor. This is where you create, save and open assets and change their settings, including the materials, textures, geometry, lights, and of course the Render Channels.

Once you’re in the Asset Editor, click on the Animations tab then pick V-Ray Animation. Choose the file format you want and set the animation’s output location, the place you want to save it to. Then you can adjust the rendering settings in any way you like to get the effects you need. All you do to begin the animation render is click ‘Render’. 

The realism of the lighting depends on the accuracy of your model’s orientation, so align them properly and make sure you’ve picked the right light source SketchUp. Also, make sure you’ve removed any unnecessary details from your 3D model to maximise the speed of the rendering process.  Name your materials clearly so you can easily assign them in V-Ray without getting confused. And check all the fine details are correct since even tiny things like accidental gaps between bricks or boards will be rendered. 

The first stage of the 3 stages of woodwork is to choose the right wood for the job. It’s important because, depending on the type of tree, wood can be super-light like balsa wood or incredibly dense and heavy like the toughest African blackwood. Wood can be either stiff or flexible, soft or hard. With an impressive 73,300 or so different tree species in existence across the world, each has its benefits and downsides depending on what you want to make. So where do you start? 

First, think about durability. If you’re making an item for outdoor use, will it stand the weather and if so, for how long? If it’ll be exposed to moisture or sunlight will it deteriorate fast or last for decades? You’ll need to pick the perfect wood for the conditions: indoor or outdoor, taking the location’s weather into account.  

Second, the look. Do you want a dark, dramatic wood or something pale and bright? Do you want the wood to have complex patterning, like you get in burr walnut for example, or no visible patterns, just a plain and simple surface in one colour? How about the texture? A rough finish, for example, wood with the bark left on, is perfect for some projects.  If you’ve ever seen a stunning wooden table with the bark intact around the edge, you’ll know the score.  

Third, think about workability. Do you need the wood to be easy to cut, shape, and sand or are you prepared to work harder to get the effect you want using tougher wood? Oak and maple, for example, are tough, and more difficult than average to work with. If you’ve ever tried to fix a curtain rail to an old oak lintel, you’ll know how rock-hard it can be.  Woods like pine and cedar, in contrast, are softer and a lot easier to work with. The grain can make a difference too. Coarse-grained wood can be more difficult to sand perfectly smooth than fine-grained timber.  

SketchUp is a top class 3D modelling tool that’s all about creating and editing beautiful 2D and 3D models with the software’s patented Push and Pull method. The tool lets you transform any flat surface into 3D shapes by simply clicking and pulling, which makes designers’ lives so much more fun as well as easier and faster. It’s easy to learn, a joy to play with, clients adore the results, and the toolset is wonderfully robust and varied. It’s hugely popular 3d modelling software for woodworking, as you can imagine, and is considered by many to be the best cad software for woodworking projects. 

You’ll also discover an awesome collection of SketchUp tutorials for woodworkers, specially created to help you learn even faster and become an expert in no time. There are masses of great YouTube guides for those of you who learn best from video, and just as many cool courses to extend your knowledge and capabilities. In no time you’ll understand how to resolve the joinery before you begin work, understand exactly how much wood you need, make an accurate cut list before cutting a single thing, and print out brilliantly detailed plans to follow when you eventually buy the materials. 

SketchUp woodworking plans are supported by some excellent resources. Take the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, which is packed with handy and inspiring premade SketchUp woodworking plans for you to freely use in any way you like. You can simply follow them or go further and copy them, amend them, and make them your own, whether it’s coffee table woodworking plans, single bed woodworking plans, queen size bed woodworking plans or something else altogether. If you want to design it, there’s probably a helpful SketchUp woodworking template already waiting for you.  

What are the main reasons why SketchUp is good for woodworkers? For a start there’s no need to build mock ups because digital 3D modelling takes care of it. It lets you sketch and evaluate ideas fast and easily, discarding and embellishing as you go. You can import digital imagery to use as the basis for 3D reproduction plans and it’s super-easy to examine and check your designs from every imaginable angle. This means you can modify your work without so much as going anywhere near a chunk of wood – which means wasting wood just isn’t an option. 

The SketchUp woodworking models, drawings, plans and cut lists you create are highly accurate as long as the information you input in the first place is right. And you can play with changing the materials instantly, to see which woods look best. All this means it’s just as good for hobbyists as it is for woodworking pros, and the free version of SketchUp is the perfect way to test-drive the software at no cost. All you do is download and install the free version – or go for the full package by subscribing to SketchUp Pro, to begin the journey. 

Green building design is sustainable building design. They mean the same thing: creating structures and using materials and processes that meet or beat high environmental standards throughout the building’s life-cycle, from the early stages where you decide on the siting and surroundings to the design and construction of the structure itself.  

It also affects the way the building operates, the maintenance, the renovation and – ultimately, the way it is off-boarded or disposed of once demolished. It’s holistic, end-to-end, and takes the wellbeing of the natural environment and climate into account at every stage. Basically it’s all about meeting the needs of the present without causing damage in future. 

3D printing is sometimes called additive manufacturing. It simply means making solid 3 dimensional objects from a digital file using an additive process. The printer lays down layers of molten material, adding more until the object is complete. Every layer is a thin cross-section of the thing you’re printing. 

This way of working costs less than traditional manufacturing, bringing the cost of 3d parts, models and prototyping right down as well as putting it in the hands of anyone with a suitable 3D printer. 3d printing improves success rates, reduces waste, and speeds up product development. 

3D print is exciting because you can print complex 3D shapes directly and see them develop as you watch, a fascinating process in itself. Take note of these essential best practice tips and you’ll be a step ahead from the offset. Here’s how to design for 3d printing. 

Figure out the build volume – which affects the size of the things you can print. Basically if your design is bigger than the printer can print, it won’t print. You need to know this before you begin designing to save yourself time and hassle. If your design needs more printer capacity it isn’t the end of the world. You can break it up into manageable parts called modules and print them separately. 

Choose the right orientation – Fused Filament Fabrication or FFF describes the way the print material extrudes, where the object is built up of melted material layer after layer. Because FFF prints layer by layer you need to decide the orientation early on because it influences your design choices. 

No sharp corners – You can probably see it in your mind’s eye. Sharp corners come with powerful shrinking forces which kick in as the print cools. It can easily warp, whereas rounded corners don’t tend to because they spread the forces to lessen the risk.

Think about overhang supports – FFF printed parts can cope with overhangs, but there’s a practical limit. When you want to stop layers from drooping or curling on your overhangs, don’t print unsupported

overhangs at an angle less than 50° from the vertical axis down. Take care over overhang quality too, which can depend on the material. Some need support at lower angles than others.

Know your bridging supports – Bridging support guidelines are crucial. Always make un-supported horizontal bridges 10mm or less to print problems and failures.

What’s the nozzle size and hole size? – The printer nozzle size matters. Bigger nozzles print faster and the nozzle size also drives the design’s minimum height and wall thickness. Hole size is another important thing. The best way to success is simply avoid modelling holes less than 2 mm diameter so you can be sure they don’t get blocked up. 

You already know the design side of an interior is crucial to the interior’s success. Your first consideration in how to design a house interior is space planning, so let’s look at that. What is space planning? It’s the process of pinning down the absolute essentials before getting creative. You’ll figure out the design’s purpose, formalise all the functional requirements, and decide on the basic layout of specific areas in the home. As you can imagine this is an absolutely essential part of the interior design process, the information that underpins everything else you’ll do. 

Next there’s the process of interior design concept development. This reveals the central theme all your design elements are based on. You’ll bring it from the early ideas stage through to reality via careful planning. When it’s done properly an interior design concept provides a strong visual theme to evoke a specific mood using colours, spaces, and of course styling. It’ll involve making intelligent decisions about cabinetry, furniture, and the overall look and feel of the space. Lighting design is crucial too, of course, , since the way a space is lit tends to pull everything together into a satisfying whole that fits the brief perfectly. Thanks to SketchUp Pro and the other versions, all this is possible, simple to learn, and at your fingertips.

Welcome to the next generation of creative exploration; updates for 2023 deliver the fastest, easiest, most native interoperable modeling experience yet. Trimble is connecting two core tools in the industry: SketchUp & Revit! The Revit Importer elevates SketchUp’s Studio subscription, while tangible improvements to core tools boost workflows in the desktop application. Indulge in SketchUp 2023’s powerful toolset for your next built masterpiece. Plus, there are two new scale figures to celebrate the new design year – Heather and her fierce but sweet cat, Lily.

So what, exactly, is V-Ray? V-Ray is a commercial plugin for third party 3D computer graphics software applications like SketchUp. Designers use it to produce stunning visualisations and computer graphics in industries like the media sector, entertainment, film and video game production, industrial design, product design, and of course architecture, landscape design and garden design. 

The V-Ray application has been created and developed by the respected Bulgarian software company Chaos. V-Ray for SketchUp gives you all the 3D rendering software capabilities you need to combine real-time and photorealistic rendering inside SketchUp. Whether you’re a seasoned professional user or a beginner, Chaos V-Ray is stacked with brilliant tools to make visually compelling renders and animations that bring designs to life. 

Being so robust and packed with features, whatever the design task it’ll deliver perfect results every time to make your workflow flow better, save you time and hassle, and delight the people you’re designing for.