The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture: Modeling Buildings, Visualizing Design, and Creating Construction Documents with SketchUp Pro and LayOut 1st Edition

In The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture, author Michael Brightman declares that despite past problems with Google's ownership of the program and its sale to Trimble last year, the future outlook of the application, nonetheless, looks great. That is because what started out in 2000 as a simple modeling tool ("3D for everyone") can today be utilized as a complete, full-featured instrument for architects, landscape architects and other designers in a professional firm.This book is different. It is not a learn how to model book for beginners. Instead, the author advances the almost radical notion that SketchUp (Pro version) is a total design solution which can be utilized in all phases of the design process, including site analysis, schematic design and construction documentation.The so-called "workflow" in The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture refers to "the collection of tools designers use and the order in which they use those tools to produce a final design".A typical day in the studio for me may involve working in AutoCAD or Vectorworks Landmark, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp (Pro), Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. Each application serves a specific purpose. Import. Export. Export. Import. Import. Export. There is great inefficiency involved in this method- not to mention time wasted- yet this is what I do.It is intelligently pointed out by the author that "the best workflows minimize the use of several different softwares because something is always lost during translation between programs". Here, it is explained how the workflow can be improved through the careful integration of SketchUp into the design process.Perhaps most importantly, The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture provides the first, in-depth, comprehensive look at LayOut- the companion program to SketchUp, and how its amazing, almost hidden power can be harnessed. That alone makes this book invaluable. If you are like me, you've probably wondered what LayOut is used for. Until now, my attitude has always been why should I use it if I already own Adobe InDesign?A section of the book is also devoted to BIM (Building Information Modeling). Keep in mind BIM is not software; it is the process involving the creation of a virtual digital information 3D model replete in data that can inform the decision making process. It is explained to the reader exactly how SketchUp and LayOut can become used for BIM; and the author provides information on how the BIM capabilities of SketchUp can be expanded through the use of various plugins available to SketchUp users.The book is so useful; you may want to purchase two copies. One for yourself, and the other to give to the boss, principal, or decision maker in your office or firm, for they are the ones that will see the importance of streamlining processes and improving productivity. From a business standpoint, it will save money. From a design standpoint, it will foster smoother collaboration between members of the design team.In the design professions, we've come a long, long way from leadholders, T-squares, templates, zip-a-tone and press-on lettering to the everyday use of applications like SketchUp and LayOut. The future does indeed look great!

I really like this book as it is very useful information. In fact I never knew Sketchup had such power built in. But one thing could be better in the next edition. Make the screen shots 1.5x to 2x bigger. The screen shots are vital information for some of the procedures and much information is so small that the half tone dots in the image make it hard to see even with a magnifying glass.Otherwise, I love that this book assumes you are familiar with Sketchup or know where to get beginner information. The organization of any CAD project requires a system for success. This author knows architecture, Sketchup, and how to usefully tie them together. I have been weary of using Sketchup as a CAD program as it seemed too limited. But this book clearly spells out how to do it.Sketchup is a less expensive program, but that is not the strongest argument for using it. While Sketchup does not have a lot of automated and parametric features built in, it does give you compete control over your design and documentation. Many highly automated CAD programs can get you along way faster, but you will find yourself fighting the automation to do any customization. Much of the automation in other CAD programs is there to sell the program. You trade control, flexibility and simplicity in Sketchup for automation, hype and confusing work-arounds in overly developed BIM/CAD programs.The other thing that would help in this book is to show a few screen-shots for Mac users when the dialog boxes are different, and they are quite different sometimes.In any case, if you are curious about how to make Sketchup a viable app for architecture, I would highly recommend this book.

I have been using sketchup for almost 6 years now. This is my 8th or 9th book purchase to learn sketchup as best I can.. I meant to purchase this book upon its release and now I'm kicking myself for procrastinating. So, if you are in two minds on making your own purchase don't procrastinate, place your order today.The book starts with a hefty promise: to "elevate your sketchup skill and design workflow to the highest radical extremes of efficiency" and it delivers on this promise - in spades and then some.Chapter's 1,2 & 4 were pretty straight forward and would be invaluable to a beginner. For me the book really began to deliver on its promise from chapter three and especially chapter 5 and onward.The author starts by getting you organized, not just in SketchUp and layout, but first on your computer by dictating how and where to download files and provides a great organizational structure for project management. How many times have you saved a project file as "Project xyz final" only to have that revised and saved as final version 2, or Final final V3?. I thought I already had a pretty good project management file structure... now it's even better.In chapters 5 & 6 the author imparts a strict regimen that will enable one to use scenes not just as a presentation of images for a project, but as a powerful tool in itself, to save you time and maximize the efficiencies that are inherent in SketchUp. (if only we knew).Within hours of reading these chapters I had set up my own regimen incorporating most of the methods outlined to add to my own templates. I now feel more in control than ever before and the time I will save in the future will be considerable, due to the improved workflows that Michael clearly and succinctly explains in his book.The layout chapters (9-13) were also very well explained and would be an awesome introduction for beginner and intermediate users, who wish to turn 3D models into 2D and 3D construction documents.The entire book is very well written. It explains many of the settings one should set up that are normally overlooked , even if you have been using SketchUp for many years.. There's just a lot of stuff you don't know, you don't know. The books strengths are in clearly communicating very detailed settings to explain the guts of SketchUp tools and dialogue settings, so you use them properly and efficiently to not only just work faster, but to also communicate ideas, concepts, and construction documents to a greater intensity and clarity.The book has lots of images with very specific details for setting up SketchUp, on almost every single page. The only improvement I would suggest for later editions is to make those images a little larger. The highlighted in blue tips were also a nice touch. and the accompanying tutorials and additional data available on his website are a godsend and invaluable to haveLong live Sketchup - It rocks. As does this book: Two thumbs up and five stars all the away.Rashad