I've been playing around with Legos in SketchUp (again). I've added some cool features to the importer - like creating build steps on import, and color coding each step. Each step also gets its own Layer, so you can toggle them on/off as you like. I hope soon it will be possible to create high-quality build instructions right from SketchUp.
The exporter works alright the way it is, but I'm working on incorporating the same build-step system into that. The user would need to create a Layer for each Step in the build.
Once that is done, you should be able to use SketchUp for the entire lego design and build process. The exporter is LDraw compatable, so you can load the output into any other LDraw software you use.
I have some ideas about lego-specific tools for placing and rotating parts, but we'll see how that goes...
The updates are not ready yet, but hopefully soon (a week?)
My SketchUp Plugins list, and blog about the world of plugins for SketchUp.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI predict LEGO will hire you when they dip their nose into this extension!
~Coen
Jim,
ReplyDeleteThat's a great plugin. You may want to consider distributing/selling it to the US FIRST Lego League robotics competition...It's a middle school level competition where students build Mindstorms robots...but they have to do a lot with documentation...this may be a great tool for them...
http://www.usfirst.org/community/fll/
This is fantastic ! Will this work with the free version - hopefully, if it's a Ruby importer ?
ReplyDeleteIf you need any testing done, just ask ;)
Thanks for the feedback guys. It will work in the Free SketchUp.
ReplyDeleteIs there anywhere we can still find this plugin? It looks really handy to me...
ReplyDeleteHi Danny - Unfortunately, I no longer have the code for it - lost because I didn't back-up my hard drive before it failed.
ReplyDeleteI do plan on recreating it at some time in the future.
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteAny news about this plugin?