How Hard is it?
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MushCreek
Well-known member
Not hard at all if you know what you're drawing. Garbage in, garbage out. I designed my entire ICF house in free Sketch-Up, and I'm not a big computer geek. If you know how to use the software, do you have the necessary engineering skills, or access to them? In my case, I followed building code and drew it up. No different than doing it on a drafting board, only faster and easier.
jack stand
Well-known member
Real easy with a big graph paper, usually 1/4" blocks for scale (1 block = 1 ft) a sharp pencil and a good eraser.
Go to staples.
You'll want a dimensioned drawing from overhead and a cross section of the slabs detail at any footer, thickened edge, steel reinforcement, sub grade gravel, poly or insulation etc. Dimensions on everything.
Go to staples.
You'll want a dimensioned drawing from overhead and a cross section of the slabs detail at any footer, thickened edge, steel reinforcement, sub grade gravel, poly or insulation etc. Dimensions on everything.
Real easy with a big graph paper, usually 1/4" blocks for scale (1 block = 1 ft) a sharp pencil and a good eraser.
Go to staples.
You'll want a dimensioned drawing from overhead and a cross section of the slabs detail at any footer, thickened edge, steel reinforcement, sub grade gravel, poly or insulation etc. Dimensions on everything.
This x100
rayra
Well-known member
Drawing is easy. A piece of graph paper would suffice. Knowing what shapes to use where and why is the knowledge you should seek. It's nowhere near rocket science, but there are a lot of structural reasons to do things certain ways. Lots of inexpensive reference and 'how to' books out there.
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larry4406
Well-known member
If you tell us what you are trying to do and where you are located, some of us may be able to provide you with standard construction details…
driftpin
Well-known member
Looks to me like with a street side lot where you have two front yards in essence that you are going to be violating the street side setback with your proposed workshop building. You probably would need to get a variance approved for less than the minimum required street side setback. Taking a closer look and seeing that you have an alley in the back you're probably in violation of a rear property set back with your proposed workshop as well. You need to take a trip to planning and zoning and have your local authority having jurisdiction provide you with the proper setbacks given your street side and alley lot configuration. Then you can start doing some drawing. Be sure to call out in your drawing that the minimum property setbacks to whatever building you propose meets the current code.
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Pretty sure there's another thread here this was discussed...
As far as how to do the plan, this may be one of those things that if you have to ask....
BTL-A4
Well-known member
To answer your question, no, SolidWorks is not the best application to use for this. I taught CAD/Engineering is high school for several years and I found SketchUp was the best computer software to use for what it sounds like you are trying to do. Pencil and paper is next.
If you really want to learn something complex, try Revit; it's for architecture.
Who is this for? You? The contractor? The local approval authority? That will also determine what you should use.
MushCreek
Well-known member
It's funny; I made dozens (or hundreds?) of drawings for our house in Sketch-Up. Here locally, you don't submit plans for a permit. You build the house, then submit drawings 'as built'. I had all of these nice neat digital drawings loaded on a disc and a thumb drive to give to the County. No, they wanted actual drawings. They said even a rough pencil sketch was fine. The only real purpose was so they could calculate taxes. They weren't interested in engineering calcs, either. So, I printed out a few pertinent drawings with dimensions, and that satisfied them. I'm used to working with much stricter building departments in CT and FL.
Hohn
Well-known member
Only if you upgrade to a DotPad instead of graph paper.
Rhodia DotPads-- total game changer.
Not the best, but if you have a seat and know how to use it it is certainly acceptable.
Pretty much all of the above plus the truss manufacturer.
The ally setback is 10’ from ally center, the existing wall. Submitted this site plan to city they had issues with the height and needing to get approved apron to street.
RoninB4
Well-known member
Agree it may not be the best but it's about working with the tools you have isn't it? SW is all I have but I modeled my entire house (rafters, studs, roofing, and all as I go) when I purchased the house 7 years ago. I refer to it whenever I do remodeling, add plumbing/wiring, and found it quite useful for constructing a "what if" scenario for projects I'm considering. It's been used for replacing the roof, concrete quantities/placement, HVAC ducting, and machining special tooling I need now and then. I can print off a drawing and BOM for less trips to get materials. It may not be ideal but it beats paper and pencil by a long shot if you have it. JME
We're in agreement!
I've used mine for a lot of things that would have been "better" in other platforms, but I don't have them.
I tried SketchUp once and promptly gave up.
RoninB4
Well-known member
Anyone with OCD should NOT purchase parametric software like this. I use it for almost any reason and my geometry/trig skills have suffered because of it. When friends asked what I did for a living I told them I played a complex video game all week and got paid for it.
Doozer75
Well-known member
This house I did in Solidworks.
It is a section of the model that shows part of the floor plan.
I drew every stud and truss. It was not too hard, but I have
been using SW for years.
--Doozer
Old tool guy
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Well I’m not 100% sure. Seems to be a 10’ setback from center of ally on the S side. Several in the neighborhood have built right on the fence line to the ally. On the W side, I’m not sure, but it’s still inside the existing block fence. How was that built?? I don’t know. But I submitted this and only got kick back for height and not having a street apron plan approved.
Thanks for looking!
If it's already approved, why do you need more plans?
I think I mentioned it in your other thread, 17' tall shop behind a 13' house is going to look massively (pun intended) out of place....
Old tool guy
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No. The 10’ setback on the left side is from the prop line, which is some distance from the curb. And the 15’ setback on the bottom is also from the prop line, which happens to be the edge if the alley.
If the city has approved it, go ahead. But there are plenty of stories about the city coming back after construction starts and saying oops, we missed that, tear it down.
What?
Either draw it in 2D or do a basic 3d with a new body for different elements.
I modeled the back elevation of my house last month so I could get an idea for the layout of a few things. Took about 2 beers ( 45 minutes) one night to model a wall with windows/doors, roof, porch and all the posts I wanted to layout. I added textures to show the different elements (siding, shingles, decking).
Since I don't use it daily anymore I've got a bit slow.
Submitted it like that so I might have some negotiation room. They stated in the refusal that outbuildings are limited to a 15’ height. I want to have a 12’ interior height to accommodate a 2 post lift. Haven’t decided on a roofing system yet. And need some real dimensions for the truss company.
Yeah, no one is going to model down to the individual brick....
The architectural CAD programs don't (or didn't last I used them) account for material sizes. That was on the user to remember the common increments of the materials.
The architectural CAD programs don't (or didn't last I used them) account for material sizes. That was on the user to remember the common increments of the materials.
VR6ix
Well-known member
Long-time SWX user, like others above I have the basics of my house modeled-up, just simple stuff to figure-out square-footage for new flooring was my reason so KISS, no studs or joists and once you start measuring something already built it's pretty obvious everything is out of square. I'd say just go for it if you have the time and start simple with really good base sketches/dimensions to build from.
You do know that we use tape measures to build houses but not micrometers?
RoninB4
Well-known member
You don't have to model/mate each brick as there's several options in "texture/color" to replicate surfaces of different materials from wood, metal, roofing, plywood, stone, brick, etc.
There are times when I wanted/needed to know how many blocks/bricks I'd need to get. For this I did model one cinder block with the mortar spacing and then did a pattern in two directions to get an entire wall. The BOM of the drawing listed quantities. You don't even have to create the wall in the house assembly, keep things as sub-assemblies (house, wall, garage, etc.) and suppress any sub-assembly not currently needed to keep the file down to a manageable size.
Graphic representation can be a solid with surface/coloration for a visual. Individual brick patterned as a sub-assembly (and then suppressed in the final assembly with the house) provides vector data for quantities needed. In the model below I've made sub-assemblies of the rooms, roof, basement, HVAC system, and garage that allow me to open the file of whatever part of the house I'm working on without working on the entire assembly. Easier to work on, less chance of crashing, access from any angle.
Yes it isn't accomplished in one day but it's something to build as-you-need, the benefits are if you plan on needing to remodel, additions, or relocate things. I go shopping for appliances already knowing how much space I have, did the water heater and plumbed in a water filtration system that way. This is just a suggestion and hope it helps someone. See the model photo below, all created with SW 14 basic, no rendering package.
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