usa
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Columns, Beams, and Roofs
I am trying to create a basic barn skeleton. Think carport that is a cube. No walls, just beams and pillars. I found the beam and the column, and they are good starts. The two items that give me trouble are:
[1] the columns need to go three feet into the ground. Alas, negative elevations are not allowed. (Maybe one can draw a floor level that is 3’ higher?)
[2] I want a roof on top. worse, I want it to be angled, so on one side of the roof, it is higher by 2 feet than it is on the other side. It’s really just a slab of steel, sitting on rear pillars that are 14’ high and front pillars that are 16’ high.
Has anyone solved a similar design problem? If so, could you please share a sample or advice?
ETA: for a simple roof as "a slab of steel" you can also use a resized box that you tilt and elevate.
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[Edit 1 times,
last edit by Keet at Apr 15, 2025, 7:24:07 AM]
I managed to install the roof manager, but after reboot, the plugin is always grayed out.
Similarly, I don't know how to set the elevation. Do I start with Plan->Add Level; and then call this level "-1", put it at -6', give it 6' high, and then view it? All good and easy, but I still need to be able to somehow indicate that I have a floor. at 6', and that I want my porch column to go down 6', and then punch out to the ceiling. (ideally, my floor would be semi-transparent, so that the underground part looks a little more grayed out than the above ground of the column.)
Netherlands
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
Seems like you are missing a lot of the basics. You can't use a program without knowing how it works so you will have to do a little reading.
Start with the User's Guide. It's not that long and it gives you an introduction into all the basics.
To get a better understanding of how levels work you can read the "Levels explained" manual on the Dodecagon site. There are several more manuals you might find interesting.
You have a csv with dimensions. That should make it easy to resize boxes to create your beams and columns. Give them a wood texture. You can also import the Dimensional Lumber Library with 3D models for stick building. That library has pre-made beams you can resize.
The Roof generator is grayed out because you haven't selected a Room. The generator uses a room for the base dimensions of the roof. Read the help that comes with the plugin. In your case the room you draw for the roof is a simple rectangle. In the roof generator you can make sides invisible, set an angle, etc to create a roof. Since your roof is a simple slab of metal you can also use a resized box with a metal texture. Tilt it a little to get the angle you need.
By-the-way, you don't have to reboot after installing a plugin, just restart Sweet Home 3D.
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usa
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
well, we have to blame SH3D. it is so wonderfully intuitive that with bare manual browsing and internet browsing, I managed to design a full house. that's a compliment, of course. it is true that I missed levels, thinking it would be as intuitive.
the link between roofs and room wasn't clear to me. my barn (carport) now will have an imaginary room. :-)
Netherlands
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
well, we have to blame SH3D. it is so wonderfully intuitive that with bare manual browsing and internet browsing, I managed to design a full house. that's a compliment, of course.
Kudo's that you managed to get this far without any reading of the basics! Of course most new users START with reading the basics before trying to design a complete house
the link between roofs and room wasn't clear to me. my barn (carport) now will have an imaginary room. :-)
You only need the room once to generate the roof. When you have generated the roof you can delete the room or move it to a separate level that you make invisible as a backup. When you want to change the roof you can select the roof and start the Roof Generator again, it will read the values into the plugin so you can change the existing values. No need for the room anymore.
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usa
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
Nothing wrong with a floor on which the cows in the barn are dancing... ;-)
It really is a great program. I did read the first section of the docs, though; and I have a very good programming background. Indeed, I wanted to edit csv files (like R or TeX code) by hand to make changes, but this isn't what the program does.
usa
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
I did read about levels now, but the docs are not that clear, and neither is the program.
It is easy enough to create a new level, though at the moment when one selects "new level", the program should really already show the "modify panel" dialog to select an elevation.
What both docs and program do not make clear is how to switch between levels. if I want to put a table in my basement vs. on my main level, how do I do this? How do put one chair on ground level, another on basement level, and then go back to ground level to put more furniture. the furniture dialog panel shows elevations relative to the levels on which they sit, but the level is not part of their dialog panel.
Oh, never mind --- I now see it at the top. would make for a good mention in the manual...
Netherlands
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Re: Columns, Beams, and Roofs
I did read about levels now, but the docs are not that clear, and neither is the program.
You have to understand the concept of levels in relation to floors, walls, and elevation. Did you read my manual about levels?
It is easy enough to create a new level, though at the moment when one selects "new level", the program should really already show the "modify panel" dialog to select an elevation.
A new level is added using the values as set in your preferences. This means that when you add a level it should be correct without having to change the elevation, the program does this automatically according to the preference settings. (Unless you choose "Add level at same elevation".) You can right click on a level tab and choose to add a level at the same elevation of that level.
What both docs and program do not make clear is how to switch between levels. if I want to put a table in my basement vs. on my main level, how do I do this? How do put one chair on ground level, another on basement level, and then go back to ground level to put more furniture. the furniture dialog panel shows elevations relative to the levels on which they sit, but the level is not part of their dialog panel. Oh, never mind --- I now see it at the top. would make for a good mention in the manual...
You found out that furniture is added to the active level tab and that you can change levels by selecting the level tab? One 'problem' that often occurs with new users is that they have made a level ('tab') unviewable and then try to add furniture to that level. You can't edit an unviewable level. You can see what level is active by looking at the level tabs. Levels that you have made unviewable are grayed out.
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