Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on that if I get stumped, but I will keep plodding along for now. I did get the tie beam and now the bird's mouth notch, and tenon to work in the tie beam.
While reading the booklet, I think I found one of my problems. I had never been using the control key to pull an additional face when I started constructing tenons. I had noticed sometimes when I would create joints some faces would disappear. I am working on the kingpost rafter joint now.
I like modeling my joinery right over the top of my timber components. I work outside of the 'container' - and just draw on the ends of timbers. When the joinery is complete (without pegs) - I create the component.
To get the TFJoint exactly back in its proper place I Edit>Cut the component, open the timber components, and then use Edit>Paste in Place.
This is especially helpful when working on compound joinery, as I've found lining up things with odd angles in the midst of complex models can be tricky. To do this I usually make a copy of the component I want to add joinery to and drag it over to the side. I'll draw on the joinery, create the component, and then 'copy' and 'paste in place'.
After getting it inside the timber component I'll then 'TF Create Joint' and add pegs as needed.
I've found this method to simplify things... especially when teaching someone new to SketchUp and TF. It solves some of the problems of being sure to only select specific faces / lines while inside a complicated timber.
I think my problems have been with the joints within a timber. I thought I understood the component within a component, but I just can't seem to make it work. Question?
What is the basics of clicks :-)
Single click? Double Click Triple Click?
By the way, I followed your advice Mike, and started with a simple 2X10 board, saved it as a component, then imported while the rafter was selected. I then formed the Rafter King Post tenon, and put it in it's proper position on the Rafter. I now have the rafter King Post joint working... Woo Hoo!
1 click - just the entity you select 2 clicks - geometry immediately touching the primary object you select 3 clicks - all 'loose' geometry that touches the primary object you select
1 click - just the entity you select 2 clicks - geometry immediately touching the primary object you select 3 clicks - all 'loose' geometry that touches the primary object you select
It's slightly different if the object under you mouse is a component:
1 click - selects the component 2 clicks - "opens" the component 3 clicks - "opens" the component, and..
if your mouse is over a sub-component, selects that sub-component
otherwise, selects all teh 'loose' geometry touchign teh face your mouse is over.
-- Clark Bremer Minneapolis Proud Member of the TFG
When you are ready to publish the shop drawings do you keep them in a separate directory as skp files? I notice when I generate the shop drawing the dialog box "type file" is blank.
I give each project a folder - in it are subfolder - Architectural and Timberframe. Within the TF folder I use Engineering and Shop Drawing sub folders to keep everything sorted.
Depending on the size of the frame you could end up with lots of part drawings - which will clutter up your files so I keep these sperate and uniquely named.
A '.skp' file is no different than a Word, Excel, or PDF file - they can live anywhere convenient to you.
Out of convenience Clark suggests building a unique folder / location for your TF joint and timber components. This allows you to easily find and reuse common parts... Some of these may be the same as the parts in your current project - so be sure to have a good naming system so you an find things on the next project - or 5 projects down the road.
