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Sketchup

Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobra appendix take two (get it?)
09.04.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Today I finished correcting all the text in the Post and Beam book (remember, we’re back to 3) and making it all uniform size. I finished two full days ahead of schedule, which might be the first time I’ve ever been in that position on this project. I sent James a draft to look over this afternoon, and checked to see how he was coming along with the edits to the manuscript. Since flip-flopping back to the original 3 book idea, the main thing that needs to be changed is the introduction. Other than that, the text stays fairly close to the same (or at least that’s what I’ve been told…).

I then moved on to laying out the first part of the appendix. I spent most of the evening fixing models of tools and remaking a calculator that got eaten by cyberspace singularities last week. I was going to stop there, but I kept going until I had the first page of the appendix roughed out (above). Then I emailed it to James and called him to get his opinion on the layout.

He had a brief moment of terror when he turned his computer on and saw that his email inbox had 4o11 new messages from someone named Facebook. A minute or two, and a bunch of confusion later he figured out he was signed into his teenage son’s account and he managed to calm down a bit. A minute or two after that he figured out how to sign in, and we were in business. He said the layout looked great, and to carry on with what I was doing. I told him I was packing it in for the night, but that I would be back at it first thing tomorrow.

An hour after that I finally walked away from the computer (no, not this one) having completed the rest of the text layout for the entire first section of the appendix. Tomorrow I have to model a new electric hoist, and block and tackle (fuck you cyberspace!) before I can finish the next part of the appendix. Hopefully they are both easier the second time, because I just realized I also have to redo these. Fuck.
Photos, Random, Sketchup
Coincedence or Cobra clairvoyance?
09.01.10 | Permalink | Comment?

A little over a year ago, I made a card for the man above and his bride to be (now wife) for their wedding. I had modeled some items that were within my capabilities, which I felt somewhat represented the things they are passionate about. Ryan loves cycling, but I couldn’t at that time wrap my head around making something as complex as his super expensive bikes (too many round/cylindrical parts for my skills at that time). I chose to instead model a penny-farthing. Just a week or so back, Ryan’s wife Amber, posted a few images of Ryan rolling around their ‘hood on a real boneshaker!
Life, Sketchup
Cobra cash-flow cures Cobra woe
09.01.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Yesterday I finally got paid for the hours I submitted on the 20th of August. It took forever, and I got dinged $30 because it got wired as opposed to direct deposited, but at least it’s finally here. I can now put my mind at ease, and also start to pay back Holly for all the help and support she’s given me since we’ve been together.

It turned out that the bank had given me the wrong account number, and Naomi had added an E to the end of my last name. Once that was all sorted out it didn’t take long to show up in my account (minus $30 though). I’m a little confused as to how the first direct payment actually came through, as she would have used the wrong account number that time too, but it still worked. I asked the bank, but they seem to never give me a straight answer (plenty of attitude, but no answers).

When Holly got home from work she handed me 25 resumes and cover letters she had printed for me, then helped me fold them after I signed each one. Then she took the boys and I to her friend Heather’s house for a barbecue and swim. We relaxed on the patio and had some drinks while the boys swam, then Roan taught me how to properly eat a “wish-chip” (above) while Holly and Heather got dinner ready.

This morning I had to email Naomi some images of the log house they build at the ISBA log course (can YOU spot the Cobra?). She had called last night, after we got the bank stuff figured out, and asked if I had any images so she didn’t have to use the same old shitty pictures they had on file. I sent her a few different views of the project building, then sent her a bunch of my notes from when I took the course. I’m not sure if they’ll use the notes, but I know if I was a student and I had the option of James’ two second chalk drawings or one of my highly accurate (and detailed!) renderings, I’d choose the latter every time.

After that, I rode my bike over to the bank and got money, then mailed all those resumes. Now I’m blogging for an hour or so while I enjoy a coffee and some sanity, then it’s back to perfecting the first, of what could possibly be many, volumes of the Master’s Guide to … Everything.
Angry Art, Sketchup
Getting lifted lifts lift modeling enjoyment
08.23.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Yesterday morning I did some modeling and killing before we left for a day of birthday celebrations. First I finished off my electric hoist I started the night before, then I got a start on a block and tackle. Both of these are for the book’s appendix, which I plan to have finished by week’s end.

These were the last two tools I had to model, but I still have quite a few drawings to finish before the entire appendix is done. Some of them are impossible to decipher because the fax came through so shitty, but I’m trying to get all the ones I can see out of the way before I go clearing it up over the phone with James (which always has potential to take hours). Most of those drawings are simple (from what I can make out) and shouldn’t take much time. Today I have to edit the spreadsheet data in each section of the book (booooooooring), then I’ll finish what drawings I can.
Life, Sketchup, The Mighty One
Cobra clamps
08.20.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Today I sent James a revised edition of the entire book (minus the appendix and glossary), and set the record straight on how to properly spell diaphragm (I swore there was a “g”, James told me on two separate occasions I was wrong… currently my spellchecker has my back). I also modeled a couple of bar clamps I need for the appendix. I’m not sure if I need both, or just one (and if one, which one?) so I just made both. Neither took me very long so I won’t feel bad if I only use one, but James pays me for both.

After I did all that, I submitted my hours and went to see my friend Andrew (who I have seen, in person, twice in the last five years or so) and his newest addition to his family (both his boys are named after Stargate characters!!). He had a barbecue in his backyard this afternoon, and I saw a couple friends I hadn’t seen in years. It was really fun hanging out with all these people I used to see daily, and now rarely do. I also got to have some of Andrew’s famous Ceaser salad, which I have been missing for years.

Today is also my mum’s birthday. She went and hung out with the Mighty Felix this afternoon, while my brother and Lisa cleaned their old place. Sunday I will go visit her with Holly and Roan, after we go celebrate Holly’s niece’s birthday. We’ll have lots to celebrate that day as my brother also got news that he landed the job he was hoping for, securing his future apprenticeship. You can read all about that over at his new blog.
Angry Art, Sketchup
Cobras on the level
08.17.10 | Permalink | Comment?

As promised, here are the beautiful renderings of my amazingly accurate sight-level. Each image rendered for about 12 hours before I stopped them. I’m still just using Indigo (all the other engines I’ve tried are crap compared to my free version of Indigo). In the book, these will appear as just simple line drawings, but I really wanted to see how cool it looked after I rendered it. It’s not the most amazing thing but I’m proud of not only how it turned out, but also how quickly I modeled it.

Click to marvel at my cobra talents.
Life, Sketchup, Timber framing
Cobras keep on truckin’
08.13.10 | Permalink | 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I posted anything regarding the progress of the book (not to mention a while since I posted much of anything – I’m a slacker), which I’m still working on daily. Just yesterday I received my latest revised edition of the manuscript in the mail, and now it’s a matter of editing pretty much the entire book (images and text). I’ve already finished editing the first half of the book – the Timber Post and Beam section – but didn’t bother with any of the images. I’ll finish the second half of the text – the Timber Bents section – by Monday hopefully, then I’ll start redoing basically every image from scratch.

I’m hoping it won’t take too long because, although I love that I have a job, I want this job to be over. I have been working on my lesson plan and handouts for the course James is interested in having me teach at the ISBA, and it makes me want to be out there teaching, and learning more. I think I might post a tutorial on here when I finish it, in case any of my cobra colleagues have constructive cobra criticism for me.

Along with my revised manuscript, I also received a new version of the appendix and glossary via fax. When I scanned through the appendix I noticed James had included some tools he neglected to mention to me when he originally assigned me the appendix drawings. I immediately started working on them because I love modeling, even though I’m sure he’d rather I focus on correcting the text and images already in the book. Above are a few of the smaller things I needed to model (I left out the really small ones, as well as the really big ones). Later I’ll post some pictures of a neat model I made of a sight-level, but at the moment it’s rendering.

There are still a few models I need to make (an electric hoist, and some clamps) but they are ones I might leave for now. I might also just get some models out of the 3d warehouse and modify them accordingly, but that all depends on how much time I have I guess. I prefer to model everything myself, but occasionally I can’t be bothered to spare the brain-power or the time.
Angry Art, Sketchup, The Mighty One
Baby Barbarian
07.12.10 | Permalink | Comment?

Here’s some Mighty renderings I made over the last few days. I’ve added a cape and battle axe at my brother’s request, as well as some hair which I felt was appropriate (he’s got more than his father already, a regular occurrence in our family it seems).

I think I’m going to make a version of him with P.J.’s on. Every baby (robot or not) wears P.J.’s. I’m thinking it would be sweet to make him P.J.’s with little humans all over them since Holly and I got Felix a pair of P.J.’s with robots on them. Not sure how hard it would be, so I might have to cop out in a couple ways (i.e. wingdings, clipart).

I did this rendering without any light source except for the light emitting materials in the model (as oppossed to background/ambient light like above). I will turn both into desktop wallpapers for myself and my brother, because I can’t decide which I like better. You can view slightly larger versions by clicking each image if that’s what you’re into.

I think the next time I am bored, with nothing to do, I will download and fiddle with a different renderer for Sketchup. I have seen some that work lightning fast compared to Indigo, but I’ve refrained from trying them thus far due to lack of motivation to learn another new program I can’t afford.
Angry Art, Random, Sketchup
Paradax
07.08.10 | Permalink | Comment?

The other day I was working on some accessories for my brother’s model of Mighty Felix when my friend Shawn dropped by for a visit. I had just finished making an ax and was working on a set of arms to hold it when Shawn pointed out that from our point of view it looked like a dude was holding an ax, but HE IS the ax! I quickly saw what he was talking about and we decided to call him Paradax (get it?).

A warning to Sketchup’ers out there: Smoking pot while modeling can result in lengthy conversations about questions without answers, and ridiculous renderings of things that don’t make sense. However, it’s also awesome.
Angry Art, Random, Sketchup, The Mighty One
Mighty models
07.06.10 | Permalink | Comment?

I’ve been trying to go see my nephew for the last few days, but it never seems to work out. I was supposed to go on Sunday, but my brother and family weren’t home in the morning, and we were at Holly’s parent’s all evening. Then I wanted to go last night when Holly got home, but after reading numerous updates about how little sleep the new parents have been getting I was hesitant to call for fear of waking anyone up.

Possibly tonight I will have a chance, but we’ll see. My brother has an interview in the evening with some union or something, but I’m hoping afterwards he’ll have time for us to visit. I know he’s dying to see the UFC from the past weekend (which I have) so perhaps I can bribe him.

I also need to give him the M.F. Loomis model I made for him. I want to make some changes, and my brother had a few requests so I will spend a few minutes this afternoon fixing it.

Above is a new X-family portrait.

I really wish I had a rapid-prototyper.