{"id":37,"date":"2015-09-02T13:46:13","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T02:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dcyale.com\/blog\/?p=37"},"modified":"2023-05-14T23:18:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-14T12:18:00","slug":"the-beginning-software-and-a-trash-dumpster-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dcyale.com\/blog\/?p=37","title":{"rendered":"The Beginning, Software and a Trash Dumpster (#3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have found several software programs\u00a0that\u00a0I use to develop my models, but\u00a0all my models\u00a0start in Sketchup<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Teaching someone to\u00a0use Sketchup has already been done many times, and there is\u00a0 a thriving online community using the product.<\/p>\n

There are Youtube videos:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UsHRGDvN4sM<\/a> and if you do an online search you’ll find MANY<\/strong><\/em> others.\u00a0 There are written tutorials at http:\/\/designerhacks.com\/sketchup-tutorials\/<\/a>\u00a0and Sketchup has online instruction at http:\/\/www.sketchup.com\/learn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sketchup allows a user to add plugins.\u00a0 I have down loaded a bunch from Sketchucation<\/a>, which also has forums and other resources to\u00a0answer questions.\u00a0 If you have sketchup, or have watched the Sketchup instructional videos, you have an idea of what the screen looks like.\u00a0 Mine looks like this:<\/p>\n

\"sketchupscreen\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That is where the magic happens.\u00a0 I have a lot more buttons surrounding my screen that the stock setup, and with the exception of one tool I paid for, Nudge Tool,\u00a0all were free.\u00a0 Many ask for donations if you use them, but that is between you and your conscience.<\/p>\n

I still use Sketchup version 8 which came out in 2012.\u00a0 I haven’t upgraded because this one works, and I know how it works.\u00a0 It was free software, although there was a more expensive paid version.\u00a0 Currently there is a program called Sketchup Make, which is the free version of the more capable Sketchup Pro 2015.\u00a0 I have Sketchup Make on my computer, but haven’t really tried it yet.<\/p>\n

\"dumpstersfull\"<\/a>So, what shall we design?\u00a0 Currently I have a\u00a0trash dumpster\u00a0model, but I want a version with an open lid that trash can be sticking out of.\u00a0 Plus it’s an old model and I like to think I’ve gotten better in the past two years.\u00a0 The first step was to google images of dumpsters, which allowed me to see styles and sizes.\u00a0 I want to do this model in the WSF material so it can be printed in different colors and polished.<\/p>\n

The first question is; “Is this\u00a0a model that can be done successfully as a 3D print?”\u00a0To answer that we need to\u00a0decide what scale we want to work in.\u00a0 Since HO is still the most popular, let’s\u00a0do this one in HO Scale.\u00a0\u00a0Now the question becomes, “Is this a model that can be done successfully as a 3D print in HO Scale?”\u00a0 What are our minimum thicknesses in HO?\u00a0 If you look at the chart \u00a0from a post or two ago you see that in HO\u00a0walls in the \u00a0FUD material have to be \u00a0at least 2.4 scale inches thick.\u00a0 Since we want to be able to offer it polished, we need to add a little more.\u00a0 Shapeways doesn’t say how much, but I have used 10% in the past with success.\u00a0 So each flat surface of the model has to be\u00a0at least\u00a02.7 scale inches thick.\u00a0 If you look at a dumpster you will see they are much thinner, but most of our details in HO are oversize.\u00a0 Also, I am considering this more of a background detail.\u00a0 For something right on the near edge of the layout a rivet counter might notice, but most people probably won’t.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vectorcut makes a really nice laser cut kit dumpster<\/a>\u00a0but it’s $14 for one.\u00a0 I haven’t\u00a0found a brass etched dumpster, but it seems a natural. (A project for another day?\u00a0 Or maybe folded cardstock printed on the color laser, with a 3D printed lid?\u00a0 Another project?)<\/p>\n

\"2yd\"<\/a>Looking at the diagram above shows there are numerous styles and sizes.\u00a0 To be realistic, a model railroad would need\u00a0 a couple different styles and sizes.\u00a0 Some details just won’t be accurate.\u00a0 Looking to the diagram on the left the wheels will have to be thicker and we might have to fudge a little to get them printable.\u00a0 The pins that stick out on the sides at the top of the front will have to be about 4 scale inches in diameter which is larger than a real dumpster.\u00a0 If we\u00a0make the pockets on the side the walls of the pocket have to be at least 2.7 scale inches thick.<\/p>\n

There are some parts of the dumpster that will not be scale, but overall I think it will be OK.\u00a0 Of course the final test is when s printed and in your hand.\u00a0 Sometimes reality simply doesn’t meet you expectations.<\/p>\n

\"olddumpster\"<\/a>My old dumpster, shown here from a screen shot in Sketchup, had the side pockets go a short distance in and then\u00a0are solid.\u00a0 I think it violates the design rules because the pocket walls\u00a0actually\u00a0are embossed details which can’t be taller than they are wide.\u00a0 The walls are 2 inches thick and the pocket is 4 inches deep, taller than they are wide, but I got away with it and Shapeways doesn’t re-check old models that print successfully so it should be OK in the future.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe we’ll try it again and see if Shapeways catches it, or just see how it looks with thicker pocket walls.<\/p>\n

Let’s do a 2 yard dumpster first.\u00a0 It’s 72 inches wide, 38 inches deep, and 40 inches tall and is a box as far as it’s shape goes.\u00a0 That part is pretty simple.<\/p>\n

Although I’m not going to teach Sketchup step by step, I think the only way I can really explain the mental design process I use is through actually showing what I do, and for that I have made some videos showing the screen of my computer as I design this dumpster.\u00a0 I will edit the videos and sometimes speed them up to keep the time\u00a0to a minimum.\u00a0 Plus, whenever I watch a Youtube demonstration video\u00a0my thoughts are\u00a0that I wish the person would just show me and stop talking!\u00a0 This\u00a0video shows how I design the basic box.\u00a0 The biggest concern is to make sure all the parts will print and meet the Shapeways guidelines as far as thickness of the walls.<\/p>\n