SketchUp Animation - "Spiral Staircase"

One great feature of SketchUp is how fly-through or fly-over or fly-by animation could be produced on the fly. And coupled with "section plane" function one has no problem producing cool construction sequence at all.

It's been a while since I last made any animation with SketchUp. I used the spiral staircase model I made, which I also shared on that page, throw in a few sections and scenes and here's the result:

This is not a real construction or assembly sequence by all means, I made this to brush up my rusty "section-planing" skill.

Like usual, the scenes are exported as 4000x2250pix PNGs and assembled in VirtualDub and encoded using x264 codec. VirtualDub can be found here, and x264vfw here.

Simple AutoLISP Code: Flip Dimension Text

This is a command I called D180, which function is rotating a dimension text by 180 degree.

(defun errD180 (msg)
(command)
(setq *error* localErrorD180)
(prompt "\nError. Program cancelled. ")
(princ)
)

(defun C:D180 (/ localErrorD180 dimProperty dimTxtRotationOld dimTxtRotationNew dimTxtRotationUpdate)
(setq localErrorD180 *error*)
(setq *error* errD180)
(setq dimProperty (entget (car (entsel "\nSelect dimension: "))))
(setq dimTxtRotationOld (cdr (assoc 51 dimProperty)))
(setq dimTxtRotationNew (+ dimTxtRotationOld (deg2rad 180)))
(setq dimTxtRotationUpdate (subst (cons 51 dimTxtRotationNew) (assoc 51 dimProperty) dimProperty))
(entmod dimTxtRotationUpdate)
(setq *error* localErrorD180)
(princ)
)
(defun deg2rad (d)
(* pi (/ d 180.0))
)

I must admit the codes are rather clumpy and crude. I've seen the same purpose achieved by lesser lines and much elegant codes, but that's beyond my programming skill. :-)

Simple AutoLISP Code: Modified BREAK

I like to BREAK my line at the exact point I selected without typing much keywords, ie. by automated the "first point" option in the BREAK command, hence I came out with the following code:

(defun errBRF (message)
(command)
(setq *error* localErrorBRF)
(prompt "\nRoutine cancelled. ")
(princ)
)

(defun C:BRF (/ localErrorBRF brkPointBRF)

(setq localErrorBRF *error*)

(setq *error* errBRF)

(setq brkPointBRF (getpoint "\nPick break point: "))

(command "._BREAK" pause "F" brkPointBRF brkPointBRF)

(setq *error* localErrorBRF)

(princ)

)

A note though, this command prompts you to pick the desired break point prior to selecting an object, which is reversing the input sequence of the original BREAK command.

SketchUp Speed Modelling: A Simple Spiral Staircase [updated]

I supposed spiral staircase is one of the most popular subject in 3D modelling tutorials, however, for all the models I've done, spiral staircase is not in the list.

This is a simple spiral staircase -- with chequered plate treads welded to tees, which in turn are welded to a circular hollow section post. Balusters and railing are of circular hollow sections, too. I supposed the post should be mounted on a base plate that is bolted to a solid base.

The principle modelling process took less then 30 minutes to complete. The model of this staircase can be found in 3D Warehouse, as below.

>

Updates: I made an animation with this model, on this page.

Simple AutoLISP Codes: Modified FILLET

In the drafting of beam elevations, I normally use FILLET to form the bend of rebar. While I prefer to simply leave the bend at a 90-degree angle -- which make the job easier for me, of course -- most prefer to have rounded edge where the rebar bends, ie. giving a radius value to the FILLET function.

I use FILLET extensively in any drafting session and when it comes to rebar bend with a radius, it's troublesome to set the radius of FILLET to different values time and again, so I wrote a few lines to create new FILLET commands that are mapped to the radius I desired.

The code below is a modified FILLET command -- completed with error-trapping function -- called F15, which is a FILLET command that has a 15-unit radius. The routine stores the existing FILLET radius value, substitutes it with 15 in the process and restores the existing value at the end.

(defun errF15 (message)
(command)
(setvar "filletrad" frad)
(setq *error* localErrorF15)
(prompt "\nRoutine cancelled. ")
(princ)
)
(C:F15 (/ localErrorF15 frad)
(setq localErrorF15 *error*)
(setq *error* errF15)
(setq frad (getvar "filletrad"))
(command "._FILLET" "R" "15" "._FILLET" pause pause)
(setvar "filletrad" frad)
(setq *error* localErrorF15)
(princ)
)

And yes, by replacing all the 15s in the code with 20s, you'll have a F20 command. ;-)

Extra Large Output

This is an extra large output (4000x2149) of a semi-d render. It took my aged machine about 6 hours to complete the render process.

Nomeradona has a tutorial on how to do this, on that page.

[Note]
Unfortunately, it seems Blogger will rescale the image to to a maximum wide of 1600 pix.

CAD Samples

As you may already know I'm a civil/structural drafter by profession, so it'd only right if I post some drafting-related materials here.

Screenshot of architectural elevations.

Screenshot of road & drainage layout plan.

Screenshot of structural key plans.

Like I said, output from my drafting works may not be as interesting as arch-viz, but if you wish to see more, please steer to my Picasa Web Album of "CAD Samples", here.

For more about my drafting-related service, here.

SketchUp Animation - "Erection of a Structural Steel Staircase" [Updated]

The following is a NPR "construction sequence" of a structural steel staircase, of which I also produced a fly-through animation and some 3D renders earlier, on that page.

As this is not one of my drafting works so I don't claim the sequence is 100% by-the-book. The photo of which this 3D model based on is attached at the end of this post.

This animation has better anti-alias quality than my previous ones because I re-sized the animation to half of its original output size from SketchUp, in this case from 1440*808 to 720*405, in VirtualDub. This improved the anti-aliasing a lot.

I also export it to H.264/MP4 format (which has better quality/filesize ratio) directly from VirtualDub using this "hack" instead of converting the AVI export using third party software.

VirtualDub is a free video capture/processing software, which can be downloaded from this page.

Exterior structural steel staircase at Tesco,
Kepong Village Mall, Kuala Lumpur.

[updates]
I also uploaded the model to 3D Warehouse, click on image below to download.

I also share with you the latest rendering of this staircase.

A Structural Steel Staircase - Fly-through and Renders

The following is a NPR fly-through of a structural steel staircase.

I also uploaded some better 3D renders of the staircase. Some preliminary renders can be found on that page.

A "construction sequence" animation and the 3D model can be found on that page.

A Structural Steel Staircase (Preliminary)

The followings are some quick renders of an exterior structural steel staircase. The staircase is not part of the original building design, it was erected so people could directly access the roof top from outside of building.

The staircase design is pretty standard: UC columns and UB stringers with chequered plate treads, C-channel beams to support RHS bearers and chequered plate that form the landing, and CHS handrails and balusters.

A fly-through animation of this model is on this page, and a "construction sequence" on that page.

Method Statement - Casting of First Floor Beam and Slab

Below is an example of a simplified method statement of casting upper floor concrete beams and slab.

I've also produced an animation for this construction sequence on that page.

SketchUp Animation - "Steel Framing of a Warehouse" [Updated]

This is an animation showing a simplified process of erecting the skeleton frame of a warehouse.

I do not claim this construction sequence is 100% by-the-book as there are many factors, such as site condition, which contribute to different approach even for projects of similar nature.

Normally, a warehouse ground floor slab will be designed as pile-supported (the whole slab is cast on a pile grid of closely-spaced single pile point, for more info, refer this page). However, since it's not relevant to the subject of this animation, I don't bother to show them.

Below are a few still output of the model showing some of the structural steel connections.

Stanchion and wall girt.

Roof trusses connected to stanchion (fascia truss not shown).

Roof trusses connected to stanchion (showing fascia trusses).

Cross bracing, welded to top chord of roof trusses.

Purlin, anti-sag rod and knee bracing.

I've earlier made a fly-through animation of the same model, on this page.


[Updates]
I've improved the above animation by removing the shadows, adding new viewing angles and incorporating a fly-through sequence at the end. It also has higher resolution now. Enjoy.

SketchUp Animation - Warehouse (Steel Structure Skeleton Only)

Below is a fly through animation showing only the steel structure skeleton of a warehouse.

Most if not all the standard elements in a steel structure, for instance stanchions, main trusses, purlins, bracing, fascia trusses, siderails and etc. are shown in the animation. The non-existence of perimeter drain is norm for such a structure under construction, though normally temporary ditches are dug surrounding the building for drainage purposes, they are not shown in the animation.

In this particular project, some sort of mesh partition system (non-structural) will be installed on one side of the warehouse, hence it is kind of "open" and without any brickwall or wall girt (siderails). The other three sides are of low brickwall with metal cladding wall system, hence the wall girt.

I output the animation as a series of PNG images and assembled the animation in VirtualDub. The original uncompressed output is a whooping 400Mb+ AVI file, but the anti-alias is much better than the above.

I made a couple of simplified construction sequences on that page.

SketchUp Animation - "Casting of 1st Floor Beam and Slab" [Updated]

This is a SketchUp animation depicting a simplified process of casting upper floor R.C (reinforced concrete) beam and slab. I also animated the process of setting up formwork and falsework before laying of reinforcement and finally, concreting.

The "slab reinforcement" depicted in the animation are wire meshes. Here in Malaysia we generally refer to them as "BRC" and suffixed with a reference number, for example, "BRC A6" refers to wire mesh with 6mm diameter main (and cross) wire at a spacing of 200mm c/c.

Like usual, "section plane" has been used extensively in order to make the animation interesting. I'm considering using Proper Animation plugin to "fly" or "deliver" some of the elements if I have the time to do an "improved version" of this.

I also created an animation about casting of a R.C pad footing earlier, which is on this page.


[Updates]
I uploaded the 3D model of this animation to 3D Warehouse. Click on image below to download.

The construction sequence had been output as a series of images, on that page.