Architectural_Design_with_SketchUp

Chapter 4 Using Plugins Effectively
Once you pick your controlling surfaces, the plugin gives you many options for editing
them before finally committing.
Driving Dimensions
By Menhirs NV—Free/EUR 145 [www.drivingdimensions.com]
This commercial plugin allows you to parametrize your SketchUp model. Adding dimensions
using this plugin provides you with a dimensional constraint in your model. You can then modify
these dimensions by updating their value rather than by moving objects or stretching them.
Extrusion Tools
By TIG—Free [5, 6]
This is a collection of several formerly published extrusion tools that install using a single ZIP
file and are contained in a single toolbar.
The individual tools allow extrusion of lines into faces, edges by edges (one is the shape
and the other is the rail along which it extrudes), lofting, multiedge surface creation, a followme-type
extrusion (e.g., for handrails), and many others.
As you can see in the image shown here, this tool is useful for creating curtains, piping,
handrails, lofted shapes, edge-ruled shapes, and much more.
FredoScale
By Fredo6—Free [5, 6]
This plugin picks up where SketchUp’s Scale
tool leaves off. You can also scale with this
tool, but more options are available (specifically,
about which point you want to use each
tool). In addition, you can use it to shear,
stretch, twist, rotate, and bend any geometry.
In the image shown here, the original
shape was a square extrusion. Hidden lines
are shown to illustrate how the shape’s surfaces
were modified.
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