Farm Sketchup Library

Submitted by Dorn on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 9:23am

Topic Type:

Idea

Part of the documentation that would be really helpful for tool wikis will be good sketchup models. The more we can collect good components to build from the easier it will be for farm hackers to build on them and make better models, which will make it easier to build new REAL tools. We could build our own library or build a section and link to the 3D warehouse. Other ideas?

Submitted by R.J. Steinert on Tue, 04/17/2012 - 11:53pm

Hi Dorn. Are you thinking that it would be useful to see a list of all of the sketch up models attached to Tool Wikis on a separate page?

Submitted by Dorn on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 7:07am

Possibly both - a repository of components that would be relevant to building farm tools. Just like you have bins of stuff at the hardware store. If you are working within sketchup it would be awkward to go to individual tool pages, but I think that tool pages should definitely list relevant sketchup models right on the page as well. This could be managed by using a collection within the 3d Warehouse which would make it more publicly accessible. An example of the type of collection we might build is here

Submitted by Dorn on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 7:21am

The library could start out as simply a list of links to good collections in the 3D warehouse, or to individual models. Linking to models would also address the issue of not being able to upload sketchup files to the tool wikis yet.

Submitted by 1234nick5678@gm... on Sun, 04/22/2012 - 4:55pm

Has anyone had a chance to check out or connect with the Open Source Ecology group who are building the "Global Village Construction Set." I think they have CAD drawings of many very useful farming tools, and might be interested in a project like this.

You can find them here; http://opensourceecology.org/

Submitted by Dorn on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 1:23am

I think what the OSE folks are doing is great, but the documentation is largely geared toward their own projects. Last I looked they had CAD files for the pulverizer, earth press and tractor. I will have to check it out again to see if there are more. It would certainly be great to cross pollinate. What I would like to see that hasn't been created yet, is a repository for universal sketchup components which could be used when designing, say, a new tool bar or three point hitch attachments etc. For example, I know Ben Shute has an Allis G cultivating tractor modeled already. If that were in a library, it could be used as the basis for designing not only new implements (like low cost tine weeders, finger weeders etc). I think that some of the universal hitches (bob cat/john deere/triangle/3ph) might also be a good place to start. Here is an example of a good library component The nice thing is that if we have CAD files we can import to sketchup and vice versa. I think the good thing about standardizing on sketchup right now would be that it is free and easy to use.

Submitted by Dorn on Mon, 04/23/2012 - 2:27am

To get things started a little - here is a 3D warehouse collection that I put together quickly with some sample models and here are several of the models and collections linked individually. Some of these are more than components, but may have detail that would help in building a new project.

Collection of bobcat equipment