First look at the new Stemwall toolbar:



The three functions/tools are:

- Draw Polyline Stemwall
- Draw Interior Bearing
- Draw Stemwall Step

I've got quite a few icons now for this plugin and I'm still not entirely sold on my choice of icons/images for these toolbars but this is what I have for now.  I did try to create some 3D icons but at the resolution available for the toolbars it is very hard to create a legible 3D icon.

With regards to the step tool I also need some more information on how best to handle the footing rebar and the stemwall rebar for a step in the foundation.  I've examined a few details online as well as some of my own but additional feedback would be helpful.

With the new polyline and step tools (stemwall foundation) you will be able to create a foundation like this:



Each polyline segment will be able to be edited similar to the how you edit the outline of a stemwall or slab-on-grade foundation outline now.

Similar to the wall plugin the drawing direction will be counter clockwise in order to face the exterior of the stemwall to the outside.  This becomes important for anchor bolts, insulation, brick ledge, and joist pockets.

Each segment will be an independent assembly (group) that the user can simply move around (laterally and vertically) with the native tools.

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/64ad5502-ed0d-4975-b5ea-74ead46c449c/Multi-Step-Stemwall-Foundation

The "FRONT" option for Gable Truss parameter allows one to terminate a truss assembly where it meets another roof or wall but currently it does not provide for a GIRDER truss as shown:



I need to provide an additional option here called "GIRDER" which allows the user to terminate the truss assembly and also configure a girder truss (ie. Howe truss with heavy bottom chord and stubbed off tails).

Giving a little thought on how to created stepped foundation the last couple of days as I wrapped up work on the slab-on-grade foundations.

Creating a single (closed-loop) stemwall foundation assembly with steps is proving to be difficult.  After giving this some additional analysis it seems that it would be better to break it down into separate (polyline) assemblies, somewhat similar to the Wall plugin.

If I switch to this type of system then creating steps in a foundation is just a matter of adding step "segments".  I've identified three basic type of steps in the detail below:



Note, that there would also be a right and left hand version of each, this comes into play with non-symmetric features such as foam insulation and anchor bolts.

So essentially I need to create a whole new system for stemwall foundations, the current system is not scalable.  The three main tools need to be:

1.) Polyline Tool
2.) Step Tool
3.) Interior Footing Tool

The polyline tool will also allow for a single (linear) stemwall or any number of segments.

I also need a opening tool for creating windows and doors in the stemwall/foundation wall.

4.) Opening Tool

Version 1.3.3 - 07.24.2019
- Enabled sloping slab depressions for rectangular and polygon slab-on-grade foundations.
- Fixed a bug with the slab depression draw tool.



The sloping of the depression can be either in the X or Y direction, in the future I may allow for other directions.  To reverse the slope, the slope differential can be entered in as a negative number in the edit or draw menu.

I am seriously considering adding the ability to slope the slab depression and would actually like to work on it before I move back to the complex roof module.

I have a few questions:

1.)  With a sloping floor do you typically measure the depression from the high side as your reference and then slope it downward?  Or do you measure where you want the doors to end up and then slope upwards? 

2.)  What is a typical slope in a garage slab depression? Is a 1/4" per foot typical?  On a 24' deep garage this would mean a vertical difference of 6 inches from front to back.  This seems like a pretty steep slope.

3.) If a depression is sloped then I would assume that the slab thickness in the depressed region would remain a constant thickness and hence the bottom of the slab at this region would also slope?

Tutorial 5 - Brick Ledges for Slab-on-Grade Foundations (14:11 min.):

Version 1.3.2 - 07.22.2019
- Added brick ledges for rectangular and polygon slab-on-grade foundations.
- Enabled editing, and deleting of brick ledges for all slab-on-grade foundations.
- Added an additional layer for hidden geometry into the Layers tab of the Global Settings.

Here is slight modification where the slab depression is lower than the brick ledge:

First look at brick ledges combined with a slab depression (garage).



The trickiest part of the brick ledge module was the tool that selects the foundation edge.  I have it working stably now but I need to add some additional logic which prevents the user from duplicating a brick ledge along the same foundation edge.

I also need to add in some additional logic which offsets the anchor bolts the appropriate amount given the width of the brick ledge. 

Similar to the slab depressions the brick ledge module makes no accommodations currently for rebar placement.  The logic and algorithms for that will take some considerable effort.

Trying to take a day off from the programming but my mind keeps coming back to it and the brick ledge module (for slab-on-grade foundations) I have left unfinished.

Giving it a bit of thought this afternoon and I've come up with the following parameters:

- Ledge Width

- Ledge Height

- Start Ext.: Defaults to zero

- End Ext.: Defaults to zero

Really not much to it, or so it would seem.

The idea is to be able to create a brick ledge on any specified edge (perimeter) of the foundation rather than around the entire foundation.  A lot of modern designs only utilize a brick facade on the front of the house and not on the rear so this ability to be selective with each wall is critical.

Once I have this feature up and running I think the tools afforded the slab-on-grade type of foundation will allow it to be utilized for most designs however additional work will still need to be done to make the rebar placement correct in a complex design.

Tutorial 4 - Slab Depressions for Slab-on-Grade Foundations (9:35 min.):



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/78b4b1c5-8ccd-4a35-a936-ff94dee23bc9/Tutorial-4-Slab-Depressions

I've fixed some additional bugs with this latest release, Version 1.3.1.  Let me know what you get.

Version 1.3.1 - 07.19.2019
- Added slab depressions for rectangular and polygon slab-on-grade foundations.
- Enabled editing, moving and deleting of slab depressions for all slab-on-grade foundations.
- When construction callouts and subbase material is enabled, the volume of the subbase material is displayed beneath the foundation label (currently only slab-on-grade foundation assemblies have this feature available).



The slab depression tool can also be used to cut thru holes into the slab, as shown.

Note that additional work still needs to be done to properly modify rebar and mesh for slab depressions.  Currently there is no logic in place to modify the perimeter or slab rebar when a slab depression is utilized within a slab-on-grade foundation. 

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/6881b3bf-3ecf-4d3a-9cee-f8dd1cc3c11d/Slab-Depression-Test-2

Version 1.3.0b - 07.16.2019
- Added the Slab Depression toolbar and icons.
- Enabled a 45 deg. miter option for the ends of interior footings.
- Fixed a bug with the initial positioning transforms for the interior footing draw tool.

The option for mitering is tucked into the start and end slope option.   Now in addition to the Yes/No options you also can have it miter left or right (45 deg only).



This is a critical update since the transform bug was a significant issue with Version 1.3.0.

The slab depression functions/tools are still under construction and currently not functional.