I've been thinking about multi-level roofs and how to deal with them.



Currently I don't see a good way to automate truss roofs, I think there will be some manual intervention required.

For rafter roofs though I think I can fully automate the process.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/7260bf3e-19bb-406b-9348-588210cd4929/Multi-Level-Hip-Roof

Version 1.9.9 - 09.12.2017
- Added a hip & ridge option for gable rafter roofs.
- Fixed some miscellaneous bugs with rafter roof modules.

There were some really annoying issues with the rafter roof module that needed to be addressed.  I still have more work in this regard since I need to go through all of the other rafter roof modules (glulam beam, dual glulam beam etc...) and clean a few things up but I made a fairly good dint in it this evening.

At some point I would like to also add roof returns to the gable rafter roofs, this should not be too big of an issue.  Another thing to add to the todo list is partial roofs where a rafter roof butts up against a larger wall and/or roof.

The list never ends, but then I never quit, I'll probably still be working on this thing 20 years from now when I'm 65.

My idea is to have a specific layer which the layout tool places all of its 2D layout geometry, something like the image shown below:



It will probably take a while to fine tune the layout tool so that it is robust and has enough flexibility to handle 99% of most wall framing situations.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/2acdeae0-8358-47c5-9b9b-c45a3a0460ba/Wall-Plugin-Layout-Prototype

My idea is color code openings (windows, doors, garage doors) for easy identification.  The same holds true for wall types (Ext./Int., Int./Int.).  With the walls I am thinking about providing a 1 inch strip on the exterior and interior to indicate the "normal vector" of the wall and provide a visual representation for the sheathing and gypsum.

When using the door or window tool to insert a new opening if you key in a dimension it will place the opening that dimension from the start point of the wall (the wall segment currently hovering over), hopefully speeding up the process of adding openings.

I would also like to provide dimensions from the "start point" of the wall to any openings which update dynamically when the opening is moved by the user.

Inside each opening I would like to indicate the opening size and door or window type (ie. 4050XO, 2020PIC, 3068, etc...) but I don't see an easy way to insert simple text into the model.

Once you have the floor plan put together with the layout tool, you simply hit the "Generate" icon and the plugin will then automatically generate all of the walls (framing, openings, insulation, sheathing, siding, gypsum, baseboard and moulding) and optionally insert doors and windows into all of the openings. 

As the plugin matures, the plan is to provide more options for window and door options (mullions, wood vs. vinyl, dynamic components etc...) as well as increased options for wall cladding (siding, brick, cultured stone, stucco , wainscoting, pre-cast concrete accents, quoins, etc...)

Perhaps my vision is too ambitious?

Each wall segment (Ext/Int wall) will have two ends or corners.  The possible configurations for the wall ends/corners will be:



The ability to easily switch from 1A to 1B or 2A to 2B should be integrated into the plugin, at least from a framing standpoint.

Tutorial #6:  Timber Trusses



View model used in tutorial here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/38b48d10-1b18-46d5-8d6d-69bd446cdcd3/Timber-Truss-9

I've slowly been formulating my plan of attack for this plugin.  Rather than jump right into it as I did with the truss plugin I've decided to take a step back and fully explore all the suggestions I have received.

I'm firmly convinced that I need to start with a 2D layout tool first that allows one to layout the floor plan (location of walls, door and windows) before I extrude/generate it into its final 3D shape.

One will be able to add, modify and delete doors and windows in each wall segment. 

Essentially each wall segment will have its own database associated with it that stores all of the wall properties as well as all of the opening properties.

I've been putting together the algorithms for the studs and for adding in openings.  Corner treatment is of importance to me and making sure that the studs are framed properly (as one would build it) is also of prime importance.

Version 1.9.8c
- Enabled option for F436 vs. F844 flat washers for timber trusses (in the materials tab within the global settings).

Quote from: Fred H on September 04, 2017, 01:57:41 PM
Hi Nathaniel,

Haven't been here for a while so I read through the later postings. I'd followed you on Kickstarter and was disappointed when you didn't reach the goal. I'd like to offer a couple of thoughts:

1) Your neck: My old eyes required me to move my head to see all of the screen, giving me stiff necks. I recently started using an ErgoMart Limbo desktop stand for my monitor. It has the bottom of the monitor resting on my desktop, allowing me to have all of the screen in focus without moving my head.

2) How I use the truss plugin: I was new to SU and couldn't understand how to create roofs, particularly since the pitch will be critical for us. So I just used your plugin to create the roofs, mostly ignoring the trusses. I suspect that many new SU users have the same problem. How about a separate plugin for beginners? It could create the roof surfaces, leaving the necessary information for the full program to create the trusses (or just hidden until the full program is purchased). The quick roof surfaces program could be your mass market product.

Best wishes,
Fred

I have given this some thought but I'm still not sure how I implement it.  Thank you for bringing up this concept.  I will explore it further.

Version 1.9.8 - 09.04.2017
- Added queen post and howe timber trusses with bolts and metal plates.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/11b78080-be08-4492-805c-2d73c9871ec6/Timber-Truss-Yard

Timber trusses haven't seemed to garner much interest or feedback but I do feel like it is a worthwhile contribution to the plugin.

There is more to be done with the engineering side but I will move on to something else unless customer feedback brings me back to it.

The big prize right now is the straight skeleton implementation.  I have been mulling this one over for at least a year now.

The truss yard now has 23 different truss types/profiles:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/828e8b19-fac1-418e-bc64-f00294f453d0/Medeek-Truss-Yard-5

Bolts and plates are now complete for the Queen and Howe Timber Truss types:

http://design.medeek.com/resources/timbertruss/web_dialog_timber_truss.html

Please feel free to test out the web dialog at the link above.

Now all that remains is to bring the javascript code into the ruby.

Plates are mostly there now just need to work on the bolts for the Howe Timber Truss:

]

Looking at the code structure of the timber truss module and the html web dialog it doesn't appear to be too difficult to add in the Queen Post and Howe type truss.  This addition will make this feature considerably more versatile and useful in my opinion since it should cover 90% of most timber trusses of this type used in residential and commercial construction.

I will make it a point to add in both additional truss types before moving on to something else. 

Recently I have not had a lot of feature requests so please fire away.

The next big item on the list is the implementation of the straight skeleton algorithm and the ability to create any rafter roof shape, this is a big one.  If I succeed, which I will, this should be tremendously valuable to many of the plugin users. 

How to do this sort of thing for truss roofs becomes a bit more difficult since truss roofs are a bit more ambiguous and can be pieced together in a variety of ways.  I think it is possible but I will need to give this one more thought.

The next big item which needs to be tackled is the ability to generate floor joists and trusses for any floor outline.  I've already given this some serious thought and the path forward is clear to me but it will just take some focused coding time and debugging.  Along the same lines, the ability to cut holes in the floor assembly (stairwells, access doors etc...) is also a hot item, I will address this at the same time.

Work on the Wall Plugin has begun in earnest but my free time right now is limited so meaningful progress is slow, especially as I am still devoting the bulk of my time towards the truss plugin.

I have exactly zero feedback on the timber truss module so I am curious if anyone has used it yet and if they are encountering any difficulties or other issues that they would like to see addressed. 

- Is this feature useful? 

- What would make it more useful?

- Would other timber truss types (timber rivets, etc...) be more useful?

Just because I find it fascinating and would like to add it to the plugin doesn't mean it has any real world utility, I've learned that through experience.

We got about 50% the way there which in my mind is pretty good.  I don't know that Kickstarter was the right venue for trying to stir up the momentum for a SketchUp plugin but I thought it's at least worth a shot.  I sincerely appreciate all who have pledged their hard earned money and supported me in this endeavor.  Your faith in me is the reason I keep plugging away at these tools.

I am currently pursuing other funding options.  To produce a wall plugin that can do what the other "big boy" softwares can do will take a serious investment of my time and effort.  I'm am figuring at least two years of solid programming to produce a polished product that has all the bells and whistles. 

How I get there, I'm still trying to figure out.  Currently I spend my weekends and a small amount of my time during the regular work week (usually going after the low hanging fruit).  Surprisingly I am able to make some headway but progress is too slow in my opinion, somehow I will need to speed up.

Again I would like to thank everyone who participated in this campaign and for all of your pledges, it means a lot to me.

Version 1.9.7 - 08.26.2017
- Added king post timber trusses with bolts and metal plates.



There may be a few bugs to work out as I haven't had the time to test every possible configuration but it appears to be mostly working now.  The metric version is not quite ready so the GUI defaults to the imperial units regardless of the template.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/b9530289-89ff-40c4-ac55-754344864d3a/Timber-Truss-King-Post

I will add in the Queen Post and Howe configurations if requested by users and make any other corrections or adjustments as needed.



The permutations with this thing is ridiculous.  The truss above has larger members with a wider plate width that allows for two rows of bolts.

I've uploaded a minor update which integrates the timber truss web dialog (won't actually create anything just yet) for those interested in testing it in SketchUp.  It will only load up in Imperial/US unit templates for now.  My main concern is cross browser issues that I'm not aware of but may pop up for other users who have their PC's configured differently than my own.

Let me know if there are any issues.