Wall Plugin for SketchUp

Started by Medeek, March 05, 2017, 12:03:48 AM

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Medeek

The Wall plugin has now seen about 250 updates or revisions since it was first released in May of 2018.  It is not as old as the Truss plugin (2015) but it has seen almost as many updates and fixes and is beginning to rival the Truss plugin in overall complexity and capabilities.

It always seems like there is more that can be done though, and even though both of these plugins have come quite a ways in the last few years there is still so much more to be done, especially with the Truss plugin.

As most of you know I am behind schedule on my much anticipated Floor plugin due to a major back injury a few months ago (Sept.) but I am hoping to really put some solid work into that new plugin so that it is at least as impressive as the Foundation plugin right from the get go.  We will see how it all shakes out, but I have big plans for it.

With the new addition of the ICF wall type it quickly makes me realize that the estimating module will need to play catch up on these alternative wall construction types (ie. CMU, ICF, CMU Core etc...), so yes, still a lot of work to be done in that regard.

Then there is the engineering side of things which I would really like see come to fruition in the near future.  I'm not sure how familiar many of you are with Weyerhauser's Forte app.  I've actually used it a lot in my own engineering practice, along with my own spreadsheets.  My goal is to essentially integrate basic engineering capabilities (like Forte) into all of the plugins, especially the Wall and Floor plugins (ie. headers, beams, posts, joists).

This new year will probably be another busy year with lots of updates and hopefully a new plugin or two.  I am looking forward to a very productive 2023.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.0.9 - 01.05.2023
- Enabled beam pockets (in-wall columns) for CMU, CMU Core and ICF walls.
- Fixed a bug within the plan view auto-dimensioning module having to do with in-wall columns.
- Fixed a minor typo in the Draw menu for in-wall columns.

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer


Medeek

Electrical and Foundations are now enabled with Layer Control:



I only need to update the global settings of the Truss, Foundation and Electrical plugins.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.0 - 01.11.2023
- Enabled layer control integration with the Medeek Project extension.
- Moved the Medeek Estimating module to the Medeek Project extension.
- Moved the Medeek Documents module to the Medeek Project extension.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.1 - 01.19.2023
- Fixed a bug with ICF Walls.
- Fixed a type in the HTML of the General tab of the Global Settings.

Tutorial 32 - Auto-Dimensioning (9:31 min.)
https://youtu.be/zNXzBtfwmBo

Tutorial 33 - ICF Walls (5:51 min.)
https://youtu.be/SG5F9FE8Zwo
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer


Medeek

Tutorial 34 - Modifying Openings (7:19 min.)

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.2 - 02.05.2023
- Fixed a bug with metric templates that propagated from Version 3.0.8.
- Fixed a specific bug with auto-loading wall presets.

! ATTENTION !
Critical bug fix, especially for metric templates.  I highly recommend upgrading to Version 3.1.2 if you have installed Version 3.0.8 or later.

The auto-load bug has to do with enabling the auto-load preset option in the Global Settings and then subsequently deleting the preset that was selected as the default auto-load preset.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.2b - 02.07.2023
- Fixed a minor bug with the Wall Selector Matrix (Gable, Shed and Hip walls).

This bug was due to some consolidation and general house cleaning I did with the code a few cycles back.  Even when a gable wall was selected it would automatically revert to a rectangular wall.  I just noticed this yesterday but the bug probably has been around for at least a month.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.3 - 02.16.2023
- Fixed a bug with door presets within the Edit Door menu.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer


Medeek

Version 3.1.4 - 03.12.2023
- Added the following door types: flat one panel (single and double).





This update per customer request.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.5 - 03.17.2023
- Added a fluting number parameter for classical columns.



Really wasn't wanting to dig into this right now but after a quick inspection of my code I realized it would only take me a few minutes to add in this additional parameter so that one could fine tune the look of the fluting of classical columns.

This update per customer request.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

I thought I would circle back to inclined walls since I had some questions on shed dormers over the weekend.

I've updated the wall menus to include these new parameters now I just need to create the boolean logic to modify the wall geometry accordingly:



This feature should give the user the flexibility to modify rectangular, hip, shed or gable walls as needed when an inclined bottom plate is required.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.6 - 03.26.2023
- Added inclined walls for all wall types: rectangular, shed, gable and hip.









This new feature can also be used on CMU, ICF and CMU CORE walls.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.7 - 06.12.2023
- Reorganized the window draw and edit menus to include an annotations section.



This is a fairly minor update however I felt it necessary so that consistency is maintained with the Door menus.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer


Medeek

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.8 - 06.27.2023
- Enabled FIS notation for framing (elevation view) dimensions for rectangular walls.
- Enabled FIS notation for plan view dimensions for all walls.





FIS stands for Feet-Inches-Sixteenths, a common notation method used in the truss industry.  This update per customer request.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.1.9 - 07.12.2023
- Added an "Edit Dimension" tool to the Medeek Wall Tools toolbar (editing of plan dimension only).
- Enabled editing of plan dimensions for all wall types (door, window, garage, wall length).
- Fixed a bug with plan dimensions (in 2D Mode).

Note that this new tool can only be used to edit "plan" dimensions.  Framing dimensions are currently not editable.  This update was per customer request.



Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Tutorial 36 - Editing Dimensions (7:55 min.)

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.2.0 - 07.15.2023
- Enabled editing of plan dimensions for tee intersections of all wall types.



When you modify the dimension of a tee intersection it actually invokes the plugin's "move wall" tool behind the scenes, which then moves the target wall as well as adjusts any connected walls and finally it regens the primary wall.  A lot going on here.

Larry Belk specifically requested this feature, and I was considering it once I began making the dimensions interactive for windows and doors.  To be perfectly honest I knew it would make things a bit more complicated and involved with dimensions and their editing, however I'm glad I've managed to check this box and it seems to be working as it should.

This is actually a fairly substantial upgrade to the plugin and a increase in functionality and efficiency, I will probably make a new tutorial video explaining the details shortly.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

#844
Tutorial 37 - Moving Walls (16:03 min.)

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer


Medeek

Here is a todo list for the Wall Plugin, some ideas that I am currently floating:

1.)  Global Settings Import/Export
2.)  Wall Numbering Tool
3.)  Wall Corner Tool
4.)  Adding more dimensions and additional details to the framing dimension option.
5.)  Max. wall panel length option

This list is not in any particular order.  The wall numbering tool would be quite easy to implement and quite useful in my opinion.  Currently one can change the wall numbers/labels however it is a bit laborious since the edit menu must be accessed for each wall panel that needs updating.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.2.1 - 07.25.2023
- Added the Medeek Wall Tools II toolbar.
- Added the Wall Numbering tool to the Medeek Wall Tools II toolbar.
- Added the Edit Corners tool to the Medeek Wall Tools II toolbar.



This update is for Mike and Larry, but I think it will prove useful to many others as well.  I will need to make another tutorial video explaining these two new tools.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Tutorial 38 - Wall Numbers and Corners (12:05 min.)

Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Version 3.2.2 - 07.26.2023
- Enabled the use of custom materials for sheathing, cladding and gypsum within the Sheathing tab of the Global Settings.
- Enabled the use of custom materials for cavity insulation within the Insulation tab of the Global Settings.

This update per customer request.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer

Medeek

Most of the most recent updates to the Wall plugin have come from the users of the plugins but this morning after sitting down for a quick breakfast and just pondering the wall drawing process, in particular the usual method of drawing external walls, I came to a sudden realization of sorts.

Most of the time the designer/architect has already figured out the basic outline of the structure (ie. the polygon or polyline that will determine the placement of the external walls).  In SketchUp a closed polyline can be represented as a face.

The current draw wall tool is very similar to the polyline stemwall tool in the foundation plugin, the user carefully picks the points that constitute the wall perimeter, one point at a time.  Overall this method is not bad in my opinion and is reasonably speedy however what if one could simply click a face (of a polygon that is perpendicular to the z-axis) and then the wall plugin simply traced around the polygon and drew all of the walls automatically.

This tool would achieve two things:

1.)  It would be quicker than picking one point at a time and for a complex perimeter would be a significant time saver.
2.)  It would also help eliminate errors in picking the points one by one.

Thoughts?

P.S.
Along the same lines I've also thought about a similar algorithm for drawing interior walls however the issue there becomes which way does the wall face (ext vs. int) when it is drawn.  This is where the designer has to make some decisions and I don't really have a good way to automate this or somehow predict what the designer would do in each case.

P.P.S
This same "Face" algorithm will also be used in the new Floor plugin, so rather than having to pick each point to create a new floor assembly the user can alternatively just pick a pre-constructed face.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, P.E.
Designer, Programmer and Engineer