Sketchup, laser leveler and distance finder
Archived post from 2010, recovered from my old blog. The technology described here is probably out of date. Original at the Internet Archive.
It’s been almost a year since we started to build our own house. I think that’s the biggest project I have ever been involved in. I am the PM, CFO, CEO and sometimes the architect of the project at the same time. That is a very hard job considering the fact that it is no IT but a completely different domain I have no experience in at all. Anyway I’m trying to do my best.
At the beginning I was rather a passive observer. But I slowly started to involve more and more. Often visits on the building, inspections, designing, costs estimations, looking for suppliers, finding best offers for building materials and services. I ended up with a completly new tools in my toolbox.
Google Sketchup is an amazing (and free!) 3D modelling tool which I found extremely useful during the building process. Its functionality is almost unlimited thanks to tons of plugins available in the Internet. Its user friendly interface with intelligent tools allows to quickly and easily turn your house into a fully featured computer model. 3D Warehouse allows you to instantly fill the model with furniture, equipment, lights and other objects picked out from a huge on-line library. The usage scenarios are unlimited:
- measuring distances between points, lines and objects with virtual tape tool
- measuring areas – useful for costs and materials estimations
- designing of tiles arrangement with surface textures
- range verification of motion detectors or cameras
- realistic renderers are indispensible when picking paint colors and planning for house surroundings
- many manufactures publish ready to use 3D product models
- … and many more
Right now I cannot imagine to arrange a house or an apartment without Sketchup!
Measuring distances in a real world (not in a computer model) up to a meter or two with a tape does not usually makes an issue. Handling higher distances can be a challenge. In those cases a laser distance finder does the job. That handy gadget became my second most useful tool right after Sketchup. First of all no one will argue with your measurements during an inspection. Besides it tremendously speeds up 3D modelling of an existing building.
Other new useful tools:
- laser leveler – indispensable while inspections
- cable tracker to find broken cables before it is too late or to much effort to fix
I cannot wait to move in to the main “deliverable” of the project 😉
None found.