Curviloft Plugin Sketchup
Faustina Bartsch
You may notice that there are certain elements that can be seen in the final model, but nothing is fully resolved. I was focusing on where and how the building cast shadows, how to form the land around the building, and how the form would reinforce my concept and performance, among other things.
Once I had a good base going, I began modeling the curves and softening the transitions. I have tested out many plugins and the problem I come across with most of them is how unstable they are. If they were not used just right or used inside of a group, they would crash my model. The series of plugins that I have found to work best are the FREDO Tools and more specifically the Curviloft plugin. You need to install 2 ruby scripts, the LibFredo6 found here, and the Curviloft found here. You will also need to log into Sketchucation (Free) to download the plugins.
Once I had a series of lines ready to loft, I started the Curviloft plugin. The process is really straight forward. (4) I choose the first spline curve, (5) then I choose the second spline curve, (6) and then hit the check mark twice to complete the process. The plugin creates a smooth surface between the two spline curves, allowing you to choose how many times to subdivide the surface among other options. The best part is that the plugin is really stable and can be used inside of groups.
Finally, time was spent cleaning up the edges removing any unnecessary line work. This meant hiding a lot of the line work. Below, I am showing two screen shots. One with the hidden geometry on, and the other with it off. This tells a better story of what is going on with the geometry and how well a model can be cleaned up for presentation purposes.
1. My linework that I export out of sketchup is always jagged and not clean like yours looks.
I have tried jpg, png, (and pdf which usually crashes) without good results. What is recommended
to get clean linework.
Just upgraded to SketchUp 2013
No Curvioft available for it apparently. Specifically, there is no longer a plugin folder availbale to instal LibFredo library and tools.
ANy suggestions on how to get curviloft again for the upgrade?
@Jay
If you feel that strong about SketchUP vs. Rhino you should just start a blog that is devoted to Rhino. This blog has been great for me and any others who all have jobs at architecture firms and students alike.
I think sketch up has its uses, while i personally haven't used Rhino it seems it has its own place as well.
They way i see it and correct me if im wrong. It seems like Sketch up is the preferred software for students to use in school. While The use of software such as Rhino or Revit is more of the professional side.
The way ive done it is. Ill use sketch up for very free form shapes such as what Alex did. I attempted doing something very similar to this in Revit, and it was a hassle, and didnt come close to looking like what was created in Sketch up. I will use Revit though since i feel its more of a industry standard just how Rhino is. Maybe im wrong and there is such a need for Sketch up.
I think overall we should respect each others use of software and appreciate for the exchange of informaton.
The work Alex has been showing is really interesting and great learning. I personally don't mind him using Sketch up.
@Jay
Dp Architects are based in Singapore which may be why you have not heard of us. It is not uncommon for narrow minded people to be xenophobic. Both Sketchup and Rhino (and Revit and 3DS) are used within the company, each for different purposes and stages of the process. I was making the point that sketchup is used in many firms, although you are correct in saying it is unlikely to be the sole piece of software used due to its limitations. It is useful to be proficient with many different software products to ensure you don't limit you're own options and design capabilities.
@Jonathan Llamas
I completely agree. Also on the point of it being used by students, this is one of the reasons why Alex's blog is so impressive. He focuses as much as possible on free software and doesn't charge for the tutorials, making it universally accesible. As an architect this is very important to me.
I would echo people's take on your opinion. Interestingly enough though, I was having a similar discussion with some colleagues recently and several of these points came up. However, what strikes me as odd is that you are not critiquing Alex's work, aesthetic, or composition? You're actually critiquing Sketchup which is just a tool. If the tutorial instead showed how to use pencils or watercolor, would you still hold the same reservations because of how 'mediocre' that methodology is in the digital age? You can loft surfaces using Revit, Sketchup+Plugins, AutoCAD3D, Rhino, Rhino+Grasshopper, etc. There is no golden rule, and if you prefer a different method, fantastic.
Grow up man, every person has the right to chose their own software and perfect their skills with it, anyways, "program skills" aren't what defines us as architects, its our ideas that define the work we do, software doesn't have to become that tool that makes or breaks our designs.
FYI, check Peter Guthrie's page if you want more proof of what can be achieved with sketchup.
LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Learn more in our Cookie Policy.
Plugins stand for the tools which are created by members of the SketchUp user community who prefer to improve the native tools by adding more features. Most are free and accessible in the SketchUp Extension Warehouse or in the Sketchucation Plugin Store.
Soap & Skin Bubble: Josef L is the developer of this sketchup plugin. It can be applied for modeling curved surfaces, like the roof of a stadium. Initially, the plugin facilitates to produce a skin that is just a mesh formed with a closed edge loop.
Curviloft: This powerful plugin is developed by fredo6. It can produce complicated geometries from contours or lines in a more perfect way than the SketchUp sandbox tools. This tool can also be used to create organic models. It offers following three functions:
93ddb68554