SketchUp Maker Faire checklist:
- SketchUp design
- Engineering toolbox plugin
- Cutlist plugin
- Lumber cutlist
- Miter saw
- 18-bolt cordless drill
- Gorilla glue
- Safety glasses
- Band-aids
Through our years attending Maker Faire Bay Area we�ve realized this: we generally spend less time talking about SketchUp and more time using it. For us, Maker Faire is usually more of a workshop than a trade show.
Recognizing that, we wanted to do something a bit different for Maker Faire Bay Area next weekend in San Mateo, CA. For starters, instead of setting up a booth to tell people about SketchUp, we decided it would be more fun to create a space where we could work with people on SketchUp projects. And since we designed it ourselves, we decided to make it ourselves too.
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| Our Maker Faire 'designer-space' concept: excuse our sawdust |
We thought designing and building our own furniture was a good approach since we�re participating in Maker Faire�s Model Makerspace (in the Sequoia building). This is a prototype makerspace that pulls together the requisite tools makers need to make ideas real: electronics, laser cutters, CNC routers, 3D printers, science kits, and of course, 3D modeling. The idea is to teach folks how to set up their own makerspaces, and we�re excited to be a part of that effort.
We like to say that nothing great was ever made that didn�t start with a great drawing. We�ll be working on drawings of our own project over the weekend, but we�d rather help you take your idea to the next level. Do you have a SketchUp project or even a rough sketch of something you want to create? Send a model or an image of your project to sketchupblog@gmail.com, and we�ll hook you up with free admission to Maker Faire Bay Area*, and then help you work on your model.
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| We'll be rolling up our sleeves on modeling projects all weekend in the Model Makerspace. |
Of course, there are plenty of people who visit us at Maker Faire who have never used SketchUp before. At past Maker Faires, we noticed we were spending a lot of time teaching folks SketchUp one at a time, and A LOT of folks want to learn. So we had another idea: why not to teach everybody at once? So, in addition to our design studio in the Model Makerspace, we�re also hosting a Mass 3D Modeling Teach-in on the Maker Faire Center Stage at 7pm on Saturday. Come one, come all: learn, draw, then build something rad.
Posted by Mark Harrison on behalf of the SketchUp Team
*If you live in the Bay Area, send us a workable project. We�ll send you a discount code to get Maker Faire tickets online (on a first-come, first-serve basis -- limited availability).
