Wall Plugin for SketchUp

[Medeek]

Here is a quick preview of the Window Trim and Interior Casing:

https://youtu.be/jUzp6n7YWGc

In this video I'm only showing Style A of the interior casing, I will finish up Style B later tonight.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/cda13921-ecfc-4cb2-9e54-24ce1b8cf1b0/Framing-Test-9-Window-Trim-and-Interior-Casing

[Medeek]

Window Casing Options:



From right to left:

- No Casing
- Style A:  Full Casing
- Style B:  Stool and Apron with Gypsum jamb and header extensions
- Style C:  Full Gypsum jamb, sill and header extensions

[Medeek]

I've decided I'm not going to attempt a full blown window and door plugin just yet since the Wall Plugin has become a larger project than I anticipated.  However, for the time being I will provide a rudimentary (fully integrated) window and door feature which I have been testing out today, see images below. 

The jamb extensions are automatically calculated so that they close the gap to the window and finish out the window well as shown:









Currently I have the Picture, Slider and Single Hung window types enabled.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/16107255-6f30-45ec-91b4-2e7985714051/Framing-Test-11-Window-Types

[Medeek]

Muttons or grilles are now enabled for picture, slider and single hung.





P.S. Oops, I meant to say muntins / mullions.

[MountainDon]

Muntin?      I have grilled mutton in the form of lamb chops or marinated shish kabobs. 

[Don_P]

Yup muntins between panes, mullions between windows, but an astragal between doors in a pair, mint jelly makes the windows stick 
Sill and stool are also often mixed, the stool which is on top of the apron inside is what many folks call the sill.

[Medeek]

This weekend I needed a little break from the programming to re-constitute the "todo" list and to give windows and doors some more thought, and to generally catch a breather.

Even though I don't want to get into a full fledged window/door plugin at this moment as I try to focus solely on the wall plugin I also realize that without a tightly integrated solution the wall plugin is severely handicapped and in my opinion utterly useless.  The designer needs to be able to completely edit the model within the capabilities of the plugin otherwise modifications to walls and opening locations will create additional (manual) work and thereby defeats the purpose of the plugin.

As such I've spent some additional hours Sunday afternoon completing the trim, casing and windows for both the Rectangular (Picture, Slider, Single Hung) and the Half Round (Picture, Slider, Single Hung).  There are a vast amount of window types with multiple permutations.  The work to include the majority of these will need to be followed up in the coming months.  For now though, I hope these two window types will be enough to get the plugin off of the ground and make it somewhat functional.





View Framing Test 12 Model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/260cc208-e1c1-44bd-9173-8244eacd99d4/Framing-Test-12

[Medeek]

Yup muntins between panes, mullions between windows, but an astragal between doors in a pair, mint jelly makes the windows stick 
Sill and stool are also often mixed, the stool which is on top of the apron inside is what many folks call the sill.

I think I have my terminology incorrect.  I've noticed though that a number of sources call them mullions as well but I think they also have their terminology incorrect.

Pella and Jeld-Wen calls them grilles. Milgard calls them grids.

[Medeek]

The Medeek Wall and Medeek Wall Tools:



The tools toolbar has the following functions from left to right:

- Move Opening (Window or Door)
- Edit Opening (Window or Door)
- Delete Opening (Window or Door)
- Move Wall
- Edit Wall
- Split Wall

[Medeek]

Doors are coming along, just need to add the exterior trim and the interior casing, then on to bigger and better things.







View updated model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/260cc208-e1c1-44bd-9173-8244eacd99d4/Framing-Test-12

Doors are interesting since there are really two types, man doors and garage doors (on a typical residential structure).  When the user goes to create a new door, there is a flag which can be flipped that takes one to the garage door modules versus the man door modules. 

Most garage doors are trimmed out different than man doors and also generally do not have interior casing, also the actual doors are a completely different animal than your typical man door.  As such they require their own separate module. 

For the man door module I am starting with a basic solid door and a half glass or half lite window as shown, later I will add additional door types, the list is extensive.

I've also set it up so that the user can upload their own door hardware (door knobs) into the component sub-folder of the plugin, this allow for the user to completely customize their inventory of door knobs and levers.  I am currently only including two very basic (low poly count) knob/lever styles.

All of this programming is exhausting, never thought I would say that.  After the initial release I am going to take a break for about a week just to recover.

[Medeek]

Trim and casing for man doors is now complete.  The garage door module has been planned out but will have to come after the initial release of the plugin.



Currently there is only one style of trim and one style of casing for doors. 

With the completion of the doors all of the primary geometry programming is done.  What is remaining is the edit menus for the door and windows and the move and split functions for the walls. 

The number of parameters is rather large so it will probably also be another two days worth of programming just to fully update the global settings so that it encompasses all of this information.

[Medeek]

It's funny how you get your best programming ideas while not actually programming, always seems to work that way.

I was thinking about the flow of the plugin and the number of menus the user has to navigate through if they are to enable all of the options for a door or window, the menus are:

1.) Basic Geometry
2.) Advanced Options (choose whether you want trim, casing and window or door installed)
3.) Window / Door Installation and Parameters
4.) Trim
5.) Casing

As you can see this is alot of menus to have to click through just to create a window or a door, in my mind it is too many and too clunky of an interface.

Similar to the truss plugin I think I need to setup an option so the user can instead use a graphical user interface (HTML GUI) as an alternative.

My idea here is to have a HTML menu pop up that looks very similar to the edit menu but allows the user to keep it open and make changes to the parameters as required and then proceed to create another window or door but with those updated parameters.  This will allow the user to get all of their parameters to what they would like and then make minor changes by changing one or two (or more) parameters without having to walk back through the basic menu system given above.  This should greatly speed up window and door creation. 

I may not roll this out with the first release depending on how quickly I can get the other items on the "todo" list done but it is certainly on my mind and is very close to the top of the list.

This same system or workflow should probably be implemented for wall creation as well.  In fact, one could theoretically leave all three GUI menus open and work of them to create walls, windows and doors in no particular order and without having to walk through any menu chains at all.

[Medeek]

Comparision of the 2D and 3D (full framing) modes:





View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/4e04242e-eaa3-4842-b1b5-f3695a82b274/Framing-Test-14

The 2D model could probably use some further refinements to bring it more in line with standard drafting practice.

If the designer installs the actual doors then the plugin will show the appropriate swing and opening direction of the door in the 2D mode.

[Medeek]

Preview of the Opening Edit and Delete Functions:

https://youtu.be/m4UvY-GH4X8

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/5ae43655-d3f1-414a-a4ea-456f32a416c3/Framing-Test-15

I am now working on the opening move function or tool.

[Medeek]

This is an update on the previous "todo" list and the current status of various high priority items:


1.) Wall and Window edit, move and delete functions/Tools.

Edit and delete is complete, currently working on the move function.

2.) Global Setting tabs for Window and Door settings.

Parameters have multiplied five fold, will need to spend more time adding in all of these new parameters.

3.) Rudimentary Door and Window plugin that integrates with this plugin tightly.

This is complete, four door types, three window types, more variants to be added after initial release.

4.) Wall Move and Split Tool.

Wall move tool is planned prior to release, split tool will probably be after.

5.) Add air gap parameter for the cladding (ie. brick fascia).

Done.

6.) Auto corner configuration

Approximately, 50% complete, more debugging and testing required.

7.) Polyline Wall Tool and Face Wall Tool (right now all you can do is create a single segment at a time).

Polyline tool is now planned prior to release, face tool is on backburner until requests drive it to top of list.

8.) Final clean and addition of any additional parameters to the Global Settings.

This is part of item #2.

9.) Further refinements to the Add Window and Add Door Tools.

Complete for now, some additional error checking could be added to check for impossible geometry situations.

10.) Gable/Shed Wall Tool.

This is planned after initial release, for now.

11.) Add glulam beams to Window and Door header options.

This will be added when the garage door module is added, which will probably be post release.

12.) Update Wall Plugin web page.

Will attack this just prior to release of plugin.

13.) Additional logic for interior walls

This needs attention before release of plugin.

14.) Mitered corners for cladding.

Code is in place however further testing and debugging required.

[Medeek]

Okay that was easy:





Six panel doors are now part of the plugin.

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/557482c5-dac8-4bb1-b694-593563cbf119/Framing-Test-16

[Medeek]

Still mucking around with the Wall and Door Move Function:



It's actually working quite well however I am trying to figure out how to add a grid next to the wall that the cursor can inference from and snap to regular intervals.

Any suggestions would be helpful. 

I will say the move tool is quite handy and a bit faster than using the edit function.

[Medeek]

The opening move tool is now complete and I am now working on the wall move tool along with the wall polyline creation tool and the auto-config for wall corners.  This is the last major item(s) on the todo list prior to release.  All other items are fairly minor in comparison and constitute mere housekeeping rather than actual significant development.





View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/27520763-62ee-47d0-a0ab-31bd1c313465/Framing-Test-17

[Medeek]

Every stud, plate and header is there, if you want it.



Given a few more months of development and this thing will blow your socks and hats clean off.

Addressed some major issues and stability today so I'm pretty upbeat.

[Medeek]

I've added a callout option so that when the designer is in the 2D mode the window and door sizes and types are called out:



This particular option can only be set in the global settings.

One thing to note is that the door handedness and the window type are only in the callout if the user has specified a particular door or window type to install.  If the advanced options are not enabled then only the opening size will be displayed (ie. 3068 vs. 3068LH or 3040 vs. 3040SH).

[Medeek]

A preview of the Polyline Wall Creation Tool and Auto-Corner Configuration:

https://youtu.be/jwKVzAbuwrY

[Medeek]

Another test of the wall plugin combined with the foundation and truss plugin. 



The wall plugin is now in better shape than the truss plugin since no manual edits are required and all the windows and doors are fully parametric.

However note that the interior walls and garage doors are still missing, more work yet to be done.





View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/859fad2e-3b88-4312-a5e6-e5e7dc913151/Framing-Test-19

After spending the last month on this new plugin I can see where the other two plugins have room for some serious improvement, I've really got my work cut out for me.

[Medeek]

Progress has been made but still working out a few kinks.

[Medeek]

One of many wall move permutations that must be considered:



I also still need to fully vett the non-orthogonal wall possibilities, this is exhausting work.

[Medeek]

A preview of the Wall Move Tool:

https://youtu.be/F-jaMxNlkaw

View Model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/7d00f6ec-e8a5-4ae9-a63a-9d16add4bd94/Framing-Test-21

The primary items left to do before the release are:

- Interior Walls
- Global Settings (update)
- Web Page (update)

I will start on interior walls tomorrow.

I also have some additional testing to do with the no framing option to make sure it is working seamlessly with the other modes (2D and 3D).