Date: April 7 & 8, 2012
Instructor: Peter Gron (bio below)
Google SketchUp is a powerful and intuitive tool for drawing in 3D. The basic program is free from Google and is well suited to Timber Frame projects.
Our two day hands-on workshop will cover the basics of SketchUp and work toward a complete drawing of the Project: Post & Beam timber frame structure as presented in the "Master's Guide to Timber Framing". In the process, students will develop an extensive library of timber frame components that can be reused again and again in subsequent drawings and designs.
Day 1 - We'll spend some time making sure Sketchup is correctly installed and configured and then launch into a brief demo of Sketchup's major features and how they can be used to draw a timber frame structure. We'll start our own drawings by creating posts and adding them to our timber frame components library. Then we'll set up a plan grid using construction guides and position our newly created posts on the grid. Once the posts are in place we'll create beams and position them in the structure. As our final task for the day we'll create knee-braces, add them to our timber frame components library, and position them in our structure.
Day 2 - We'll expand our timber frame components library with additional components such as joists and rafters and we'll modify some existing components by adding more sophisticated joinery (such as corner dovetail joints on our beams). Once our drawing is complete we'll use the dimensioning tool to produce shop drawings of some of our components.
Tution: $250
Requirements: Students require a laptop computer (Mac or PC) with the latest free version of Google SketchUp installed. A two-button mouse with a scroll-wheel is highly recommended.
Peter Gron graduated from the University of Victoria in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Son of a builder, Peter grew up building all manner of things and helped finance his university years with jobs in construction. After a long career as a computer programmer and several years immersed in boatbuilding, Peter, an alumnus of ISBA’s Post & Beam and Hammer Bents courses, is now pursuing a career in designing and building timber frame structures.
