There is now an instruction manual for using the TF Rubies available through The Timber Framer’s Guild:

http://tfguild.stores.yahoo.net/tifrdeusgosk.html

Topics covered include:
- Installing the rubies
- Configuration options
- Making shop drawings using my examples
- Generating a timber list using my examples
- Creating components and libraries
- Creating your own timbers
- Creating your own joinery
- Adding peg holes
- Advanced example: Splines
- Other rubies and tricks

The manual will take you step by step through the process of creating your own joinery. Lots of screen shots showing each step. It’s bound, printed in color, and all proceeds go to the Guild.

Good Morning,

Any chance to purchase a .pdf of the Manual online. This is exactly what I have been looking for and could use it now. I have no problem also ordering from the Guild, except I likely won't see it for a couple of weeks with the Xmas Season and having to ship it to Canada.

So, could I get a copy online now?

Thanks,

Hi Tom.

Sorry, but we've made a decision not to distribute "soft" copies at this time. Hopefully it won't take 2 weeks! CB.

Understood, I have just ordered a copy and asked that they send it out Priority Mail.

Thanks,

Clark, are there any significant advantages to purchasing the PRO version of Sketchup or should one be able to do pretty much what is needed with the free version?

Thanks,

Tom

There is some great stuff in the pro version 7... esp if you are interested in building libraries of 'dynamic' components. I've been playing around with dynamic timbers and joinery... (imagine using a drop down menu for timber sizes, and being able to shift tenons to the left or right, or change their thickness with a few keystrokes...)

The new features are not 100% compatible with Clark's Rubies... but I've sent him a few of the things I'm working on... hopefully Clark will have time to update the Rubies to take advantage of the new features.

And the new features will translate from Pro to Free - but you cannot create the dynamic goodies in the free version - so you'll need the pro version to use the new features.


-Mike

That said, sticking with the free version is great for most folks - I swap with AutoCAD quite a bit - and having full import and export features is helpful...

-Mike

The TF Rubies were designed to be used with the free version. Until version 7, the only valuable thing in the pro version was the ability to export autocad files. As Mike mentioned, there are some cool new features in version 7, specifically Dynamic Components, that could be really powerful. Mike's already been experimenting with those, and I've been following his work with great interest. So, for now, my advice is to use the free version, and watch this space for news about the features in the pro version. CB.