Hi everyone! Let me know what you think about this video in the comments below! Should SketchUp users start with this tool? ;p

@johans7119

3 жыл бұрын

Trying to use blender to model architecture quickly AND accurately is quite slow and hard work due to the quality of tools, snapping etc in blender. SketchUp is far more intuitive and 'gets out of the way' when you're trying to work.

@sumguy5978

3 жыл бұрын

@@johans7119 You're just not use to Blender. There are things about SketchUp that slowed me down too. I was taking classes using Autodesk 2D - 3D, Inventor and 3D Max. Blender was mind boggling at first but I got the hang of it and SketchUp was different too but all in all to be a it's best to know how to use more than one 3D software. You never know who will "Be No More".

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

I think this is a great summary - it's amazing the amount of pushback I've gotten when making this statement - it's not that Blender is bad, it's just that other tools currently do this a lot better :)

@johans7119

3 жыл бұрын

@@sumguy5978 it's true I'm still learning blender but I have used AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, 3DS MAX etc on and off for years, sometimes in a professional setting. Blender is most similar to 3Ds max in that it was designed more for artists than people needing accuracy, but max has better snapping!

@uhkakyazol

3 жыл бұрын

I'm just amazed by a bunch of rapturous screams. WOW! Like in Scatchup! People just don't know how this tool should work.

I’ve spent months trying to use blender like sketch up. Now realised you can do far more. Keep going SketchUp converts!

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yep - learn the tool, use the tool!

instead of edge loops, the knife tool should be used, as it'll make straight cuts, as well as cutting through the entire mesh regardless of quads

I am glad you're now teaching Blender because I am a mess with it and want to learn it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help!

Thanks Justin, your videos help a lot.

As always you have wonderful lessons! Thank you! 👍

Thanks. I'm glad your tutorials have sketchup users converting to blender in mind. It really makes it easier for us. Thanks a lot

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Well as a SketchUp user who also uses Blender, I get how complicated it can be

I really enjoyed this video. The push/pull and construction line features of SketchUp are very easy and precise to use and I've been using them for a decade. Since I recently got into Blender, I have attempted to do things the old SU way and ran into all the issues that were described in this video and in the end it was more work than I ever thought it would be to go in and repair everything. In the end, I discovered that it was easier to create a new mesh and then bool the parts together. I was hoping that the new Extrude Face Manifold tool would be just like in SU but even if it is not, it'll probably still be handy.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Totally - still like the tool, but I was testing it in a "SketchUp-like" way for architecture and it just wasn't doing what I wanted it to - not saying not to use the tool, just saying to learn the best way for modeling in Blender - thanks!

Very cool explanation. Makes a lot of sense. I'd like to see more videos showing Sketchup techniques and how to best model the same thing in Blender (or other quads-based modelling).

My workflow is to use planes and the solidify modifier. I create a separate object for each wall type so I can have different thickness walls for interior and exterior.

@edgarm7353

3 жыл бұрын

This and using wires works also for me

I am finding your videos very helpful. Thank you very much. Stu.

Hi Justin, great video thanks for the advice helped a lot.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

I'm a fan your tutorials. I am one of those sketchup users learning blender. Props to you for correcting your self 👏👏👏

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Lol - I'm wrong all the time ;p

👍Thank you for all the great info!

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

This happens in Skp also, many times. I wish I could model in Blender with the same ease I do in skp.

Never used Sketchup but was curious. I guess I kind of fell into this when moving from 3DS Max to Blender.. took me some time to realise Blender is a thing of its own and just started learning the deeper stuff it has to offer and it was great! Only thing left from 3ds Max are the camera controls that I adjusted in Blender to fit Max controls, but thats really not even an issue

thanks for the idea!!! it opens up the mind of the artist....

Damn, I actually needed to hear that. I was coming from Rhino trying to find a program where I could model a little looser without having to worry about exact dimensions and other stuff so I chose Blender. Been messing with the program and noticed I was still thinking in terms of my Rhino workflow.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Well that depends on what you're trying to do I guess. Some things need exact dimensions. Some thing don't...

i did not agree, at first, but you pretty much convinced me. I thought "by manifold" was a good option but after using it in Blender a few times it does have its drawbacks. I don't plan to use it quite as much in the future but, still, there might be some situations where it makes sense to use "by manifold". i don't know what those are, yet, but I like to keep options open.

Brilliant tutorials

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Totally agree, the Extrude Manifold tool breaks the edge flow of the mesh almost every time you use it. One thing it is extremely useful for though, is for a game asset modelling workflow, since all quads will become tris anyway, it can easily get rid of unnecessary edges, potentially lowering the final poly count of the mesh.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah totally - I have no issues with people using the tool - just that it's not a good idea to use the tool to try to duplicate a SketchUp modeling workflow like this one. The tool itself is great! :)

I think that most Blender users confuse why Sketchup users use Sketchup. While some will say that the push/pull tool aka extrude faces is the master tool in SK, I will add that the pencil combined with the very intuitive snapping system is the most powerful tool, at least for me. I model mostly jet fighters and I cannot achieve the same precision in any program so far as I do in SK (search for Diasmon on deviantart for reference, although I am not even the best SK modeler out there). And this is weird since SK was not even intended for wild curved surfaces, and I am stuck with it because it does the job for me. I try to learn Blender now since I really miss the UV mapping, rigging and animation tools that are none existing in SK, but the model itself I will still do it in SK because of pencil+snapping. Precision FTW :)

Insetting quads is almost always a bad idea. I find that it is easier to create 2 loops on the plane along X and 2 loops along Y and then scale loops to create a base for walls. Then extrude walls up. But even this is too much for just a wall. I think the best would be to extrude the edges of the plane up and add a solidify modifier. Much more control, and easy to create extra walls. Just loop cut the base and extrude another edge up.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

This does work for most situations - it can be a bit annoying to get used to at first if you're modeling precision interiors as it doesn't really give you control over individual walls - it feels like more of a workaround if you're used to CAD softwares though. Thanks!

@wexoriann

3 жыл бұрын

What does Solidify modifier do?

I agree with the overall sentiment that it's best to learn the strengths and weaknesses of a given tool and adapt to them. I also agree that people shouldn't use the Extrude Manifold tool in Blender as it stands today, but not necessarily because of the reasons in your video. There's actually nothing particularly problematic with n-gons *for certain workflows*. You don't always need to worry that your mesh is not all quads for the same reason that you don't usually need to in SketchUp either, and that is that for flat surfaces that are not going to be procedurally subdivided, deformed, or otherwise manipulated (and of course, these kinds of surfaces are common in archvis) it really does not matter. Incidentally, the boolean modifier in Blender is more than happy to riddle your mesh with n-gons if it feels like it, so that's not necessarily an improvement (at least from that standpoint). Archimesh is of course a fantastic addon but archvis is not the only thing people use SketchUp for, and even so, there are always going to be instances where Archimesh does not quite replace SketchUp's Push/Pull workflow. No, I think the real reason people shouldn't use Extrude Manifold is because - as of right now - it's basically useless. While it was never going to be as useful as Push/Pull is in SketchUp - mostly because you can't (easily) draw guide shapes onto the mesh - there have definitely been plenty of instances in Blender where I've wanted to extrude an existing face in a Push/Pull style but Blender's extrude tools have not been adequate. Autodesk recently implemented something vaguely similar in 3ds Max which they're calling "Smart Extrude" which actually looks pretty compelling. Extrude Manifold could have similarly been a very useful tool in Blender... if it actually worked the way it ought to. Instead it leaves faces where it shouldn't, fails to split faces where it should, frequently creates non-manifold geometry (which is hilarious, given the name they chose for the tool), etc. As in understand it, the Blender team is working on entirely replacing Extrude Manifold with a new tool (currently named Extrude Boolean) that would behave closer to how Push/Pull operates. I eagerly await its release in a future stable (or at least beta) build of Blender, but for now while we're stuck with Extrude Manifold, my advice is stay away.

Hallo great solution... to mimic the scetchup flow use the line tool add on or knife tool and delete the faces .

Been working on a Ford XD model in Blender. I'm making all the body panels ect with Blender but still using Sketchup for all the mechanical parts. As long as I add the extra lines in Sketchup I can keep the quads tidy. I still have a lot to learn in Blender but I'm getting there.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Keep it up! :)

You should do a tutorial on Boxcutter. Excellent for this type of application. Can be used with the "Construction Lines" add on to get some precision.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

I did an intro here - kzread.info/dash/bejne/c3id08qdcqmTh7w.html

@sauravspillai8000

3 жыл бұрын

yea absolutely ... it changes the whole workaround thingy

hello Justin thank you for this video. as a Sketchup user i've tried to use the extrude manifold as push and pull in SkUp. i have a question about the possibility to share the same model in these two softwares. i try to import a simple sketchup model made with some groups, in blender as a collada file, but the mesh are triangulated, the groups are a totaly mess. there is a way to strat a work in SkUp and finish it in Blender? thank you

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Well the mesh can only come in as it was modeled in SketchUp, meaning that if the mesh is a mess in SketchUp, it's not going to be better in Blender...

I've been a Sketchup user for many years and made a few short 'animations' for joinery, but it's a bit to simple, and since Trimble took over it's worse, I hate the web version, I have a pre-Trimble pro version that I use haha. I'm pushing myself now with Blender, I've been using it for about a year now, the architectural/joinery side is really coming together now for me.

Hi! You should make a video about the plugin archimesh and make a "Create a house in 20 mins in Blender with Archimesh"

Justin can you create a video comparing sketchup and blender. and how does the precession workflow modelling and measurements makes blender really behind on sketchup

I was looking forward to extrude manifold, but appreciate these warnings. I agree SketchUp works best to its own strengths and so does Blender. I te1ch SketchUp workshops for kids and contemplate switching to an alternative but still a bit unsure if they’d take to Blender as quickly as I could in just one SketchUp session. Thanks for this video.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that'd be tricky - the whole POINT of SketchUp is how easy it is for beginners to pick up and get started. It's ideal for kids, where Blender seems to require a lot more technical knowledge and longer to learn. Personally I'd stick to SketchUp if it's truly a single session situation, but that's just me :)

Good points! BTW, what are those x's in the upper right corner, next to the Viewport shading options? Part of some plugin?

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's an add-on called "collection manager" that I was testing - I wasn't really able to get it to work properly unfortunately - needs more testing I guess

@xayzer

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the reply! I checked it out and it looks interesting.

You made my life easier .. thank you

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear that!

Can i ask about smth ? What laptop do i need to make blender work on it ? I have hp cori3 and it doesn't work on it :(

@xayzer

3 жыл бұрын

Preferably, you'd need something that at least has a discrete graphics card, as opposed to an integrated one, like the one you probably have on your laptop.

@seanbrittain4542

3 жыл бұрын

@@xayzer Also get nvidia graphics (GTX minimum), they just work better.

You can also use knife tool to cut the door. There are a lot of ways to do that. Extrude manifold is a great add to blender, something program really needed. You just have to get used to it. Dont use it like in sketchup, because its not identical.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Not saying it's a bad tool - I'm saying that using it to duplicate SketchUp is a bad workflow

@alaaentabi7879

3 жыл бұрын

the way i'd do this is get a plane , rotate it 90 degress , pull verts to make the outer part of the walls , then solidify inwards , can use loop holes very easily and wherever there's an opening , just delete the face

@thajmulhussain4113

3 жыл бұрын

I am also blender user that the knife tool cant use by measurement. just like a draw where you want to use a knife tool.

I was just thinking... First mistake when coming to blender from sketchup: do not use inset. This makes sense only rectangular quads works in sketchup as well. You are right only boolean is the key. thanks for explaining this.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

There's definitely a time and a place for inset, but it does affect topology for sure

Can you recommend a workflow for boolean cutting custom shapes from Blender models (like having a library of parameter driven shapes)?

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Are you talking about having doors/windows/etc that cut shapes? You could probably just set this up with boolean cutters parented with the object geometry, but I don't have anything this comprehensive put together quite yet.

@khalatelomara

3 жыл бұрын

there is a nice internal add-on called Carver inside blender , also make line does the trick ...

@jakeperl5857

3 жыл бұрын

Something like Kit Ops?

@khalatelomara

3 жыл бұрын

@@jakeperl5857 yes ... take a look in my channel there is a video but with Arabic voice-over and English subtitles and tell me your opinion , shall I continue doing subtitles for the interior course or I may do an English video instead

Seems like a lot of the trouble comes from making your walls from inserting the floor. That's where the 45s come from. If you instead extruded one wall from a long narrow rectangle and added a couple vertical cuts then you extrude the perpendicular walls all around your building with 90 corners and the manifold would work a lot more like it does in SU.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

But again...why bother? It's significantly faster to just use a boolean workflow and let the modifiers handle the holes without destructively modifying your mesh...

Just use the knife tool for the door thing... I was also in situation of big frustration after I started to slowly moving to blender due to SketchUp problems. But after some time i realized that basically every "SketchUp like" tool is also present in blender... It's just not used that much, because blender have its own workflow.

Hey Justin I"m from SketchUp))Tell me where the guide tool is in the blender. If, for example, I need to measure a certain distance?

I was afraid that the 2.90 ver was going to change the way I create my stuff. Thanks

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yep!

I do really need the guides and snapping features of SK into Blender.

@sauravspillai8000

3 жыл бұрын

u have that with construction lines add-on for blender .... and even try to understand the new precision modelling with pdt..!!

have you used the blender add on Boxcutter 7.1.7: Claymore? It gives a more SketchUp like workflow to blender

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

I've used box cutter a bit - kzread.info/dash/bejne/c3id08qdcqmTh7w.html - I need to use it more

@ereceeme

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials please try using boxcutter for architeture in sketchup way to see how it handles.

3:48... it hurts to look at :( I really want to move away from SketchUp fully, but the speed of which I can create / modify things with millimeter accuracy, import DWG to use as a snappable base, quickly snap to things or offset them at certain distance, move or rotate something *then* type in the dimension, means I can't use Blender for those same tasks. Which is really unfortunate because Blender works so well with Unity (therefore VR), and SketchUp direct to Unity basically doesn't work at all if you want to bake lightmaps as the UVs are all janked even with SketchUV or Wrap-R. The dream would be to use SketchUp for anything hard edged, Blender for anything soft and organic..

@Hikouma

3 жыл бұрын

You can do all of that in blender though.

@aaron4820

3 жыл бұрын

@@Hikouma Blender can do a lot more than SketchUp, but in the aspects I mentioned? Not even close, unfortunately.

@Edgard422

3 жыл бұрын

On the other hand...I find Blender to be easier for doing precision modelling. But this is maybe because I'm more skilled in Blender than in Sketchup.

@sebastiangutwein2151

3 жыл бұрын

You might be interested in the CAD transform plugin for blender it makes the kind of snapping and precise movement a lot easier. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hoh_2Nqrl8Wsh7g.html

@aaron4820

3 жыл бұрын

@@sebastiangutwein2151 thanks, I'll check that out!

Maybe I'm not right but bool tool often creates n-gons, which are not cool - IF you wanna export your model in the future. That variant with planes and solidify seems more acceptable.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

In this particular application, why would it matter?

6:45 ... great advice

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

:)

1. "Add edge loop," and set it to the centerline. 2. "Add edge loop" to establish one edge of the door frame. Use GGE to align this second edge-loop with the centerline and then slide it into position. 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to establish the other side of the door frame.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Why not just model the door and frame separate and use a boolean? Then you never have to touch the wall geometry...

@SwamiraiJack

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials I was just talking about the way to get aligned loop cuts when using destructive modeling. And, though it is sometimes necessary to do so, I was not suggesting that you use destructive modeling in place of non-destructive modeling.

I don't get why Fredo didn't create his own SketchUp already, I think it will be a lot better than current sketchup

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Lol - I'm pretty sure creating scripts inside of an API for a software is a bit easier than creating an entire 3D modeling engine...

Another good workflow for this is use Booleans (you tag the Boolean object in viewport as Bounds) and you have interactive holes.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Didn't I say that in the video?

@marc3dartist601

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials Honestly, I dont know :)

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

@@marc3dartist601 Interesting - so you just skipped the video and went straight to the comments based on what...the video title? Anyway, yes, I talked about this in the video

@marc3dartist601

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials Not your fault, I'm doing 3x things at same time, working in 3dsMax, Unreal... checking new stuff in Blender in acceleration... my brain goes too fast! By the way congrat for migrating from Sketchup to Blender, the future is yours!

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

@@marc3dartist601 Lol - I'm familiar with that state - I'm usually watching rendering tutorials, Blender tutorials, and SketchUp tutorials while simultaneously planning what I'm doing next - been there :)

Blenders push n isnt like SketchUp but honeslty cutting holes you can do via cubes and use the boolean modifier and keep it interactive and in bender 2.9.1 you can put objects into a collection and let the modifier use all objects from the collection. defeating sketchup here hands down making the new modeling tool also less interesting.

I just wish one could change the default origin of objects in Blender - the center positions gives a me lot of headache..... but that might be me thinking Sketchup in Blender

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with this one - the way Blender creates origins is odd to me - I'm not a giant fan

Put door inside wall Mark Door and wall and Push Ctrl - it will do same faster.

wait a minute. Did you move from sketchup to blender? or are you just using multiple platforms?

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Multiple Platforms. I've got 4 channels now

it makes sense, just you shouldnt use in that way ,it was made to solve the problems when extruding inwards, so its not push pull alternative. Moreover, using booleans keep the workflow non-destructive and faster to make many openings.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Yep - thanks!

Would never cut a door or window hole in Sketchup. Get a window or door from Warehouse and plop it on the face, cuts a hole automatically. Hole moves with door just like you show. The strength of Sketchup is in phenomenally easy and intuitive precision, like the tape measure tool and guidelines. MeasureIt yes but kludgy implementation, snapping to a guideline so fast brilliant and obvious and totally absent from Blender. Now I use Blender more it is superior in many ways, but there certainly are some key tools and operations in Sketchup that if adapted to the Blender work flow would speed modeling up immensely.

@jrod1577

Жыл бұрын

I agree. I think the modeling workflow for most objects should always start the same way sketchup would. That is, starting with lines and simple shapes and extruding and push-pulling and using the "follow me" tool as well as all the measurement tools for perfect sizes and fits. Then from there, use all the blender tools to add the complex shapes, bumps, curves, etc. afterwards. Not only would it speed up modeling, it would also add precision.

I think a good way too would be to use knife tool to split only the front wall face without messing with other faces.

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Problem with the knife tool is it doesn't lock to an axis, so your lines come out crooked

@mipe7755

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials You're right. It only can snap orthogonally to screen which is not the best solution. We should actually put some feature request for Blender Dev Team to improve knife tool so that it snaps to model axes. Currently we have to align view to operated faces every damn time.

@bill392

3 жыл бұрын

Knife can snap to existing line-centers to make a new straight line. Then you can slide the new line/vertices by a specific distance locked to an axis. Alternatively, after using knife to create a slanted line, you can select the vertices and scale-0 on an axis to make the line straight, then slide it to where you want it.

@mipe7755

3 жыл бұрын

@@bill392 Which takes ages compared to just drawing a straight line in SketchUp.

i like the push/pull tool when using in SketchUp.it is a really handy tool but when coming blender using a manifold tool it does not sense. the blender community should update like Sketchup.

I can't believe that in real world someone rest try modelling a house in the way you show how don't use it.

I think this is why I never used Blender for architectural stuff, I can't seem to get my model precise enough

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

It's not really built for ultra-precision modeling right now - it's achievable, but really not ideal

@hafidzgi

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials yeah that's why, it's just too complicated for me.. Anyway, it's great seeing you here, been following The SketchUp Essentials for a year or two now, thanks for all your effort put into making these video😄

to avoid all those loopcuts I rather model the wall in a plane first and extrude it when its finished, and then join the walls...

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting - I like this approach. I still like the boolean solution better, but this approach could allow some more precision with your opening placement. Thanks for the feedback!

First 😊

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Good work :)

This is more dynamic than sketch up

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

That kind of depends - the Boolean workflow definitely is, but SketchUp has better extensions for creating dynamic doors and windows, like Flex Tools, so it's really a trade-off

@JPEspulgar

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentialsyes, I agree, but Blender has some dynamic doors extensions out there,

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

@@JPEspulgar Can you recommend some? So far nothing I've seen is close to the better dynamic door/window extensions in SketchUp - I'd love to try them out

@JPEspulgar

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCGEssentials have you tried the archiviz in blender? I guest it is a plugin or sort of extension i guess,

@JPEspulgar

3 жыл бұрын

And also have you tried archi mesh, it also have a dynamic windows and doors too

Dude SketchUp users have no idea what topology is. lol

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Dude most SketchUp users don't NEED to know what topology is - that's the POINT of SketchUp...Simple, fast, accessible 3D models - not sure why everyone acts like that's a bad thing

WELCOME TO THE RAW POLYGON WORLD, THATS WHY SKETCHUP ROCKS FOR ARCHVIZ

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Well...make sure you're grouping your geometry ;)

the conclusion is, don't use blender like sketchup

you did it wrong way

Justin You need to improve scale skills

@TheCGEssentials

3 жыл бұрын

Scale skills?

@CGBit

3 жыл бұрын

3:30

@bill392

3 жыл бұрын

To align the vertices, turn on xray, select all vertices in the loop, or maybe loop-select, then S scale, lock an axis, type 0, enter, done.

i used once extrude manifold ,im begninner..it was an sculpture..it was the only solution i find ,ot to extrude something,but push inside ,adn it worked perfectrly,it was only solution,mybe for arhitecture has less sense but in that sculpture it was easy an fast ,in dont know other function wich alows to push inside without making a whole