October 30, 2025 Drawing Gears -- Gear Reduction with SketchUp Make

Today's Model provides an illustration for drawing gears.  For actual use, gears will require more engineering regarding proper mesh alignment and design.

The two- and three-gear configurations shown below can do several things.

• Two gears of equal size can change direction.

• Adding a smaller diameter third gear will increase the shaft speed of the smaller gear when meshed with either of the larger (drive) gears.

• If the drive gear is the smaller diameter gear, meshing the larger gear will decrease the shaft speed of the larger diameter gear when compared to that of the smaller gear.

Drawing the gears requires that the cogs on both the larger gear are the same size.  In this project the smaller gear has a diameter that is one-half  that of the larger gear.

Since using 24 line segments in the large and small circles for each gear is easy to work with,  the large gear has 24 cogs with 1 cog assigned to each segment. The smaller gear has 1 cog assigned to every two line segments in its circle.

The gear ratio is therefore two to one, or 24 cogs and 12 cogs.  That is, the gear ratio refers to the number of revolutions of the shafts. Simply put, the smaller gear will rotate twice for every single revolution of the meshed larger gear in this instance; or stated in reverse, the larger gear will rotate once for every two rotations of the smaller gear.

A basic layout design was used to draw and form the first cog, after which the single cog was grouped, duplicated and rotated into position for the remaining cogs.

Click on Gears for Viewer to see the 3D model containing each step for drawing the gears (will open in your browser--Uneditable.  Note, last month Trimble informed its users that Viewer was no longer compatible with Android devices).

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Note. This model is for illustration purposes only and is not intended to be used for any real-world application. 

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

October 12, 2025 Bolt Thread Design and Scaling -- Linear Interpolation

For the past several years, deforming/scaling bolt threads using a highly accurate method of alignment has been shared many time on this website.  However, I believe the method that I devised by trial and error, actually has a name in the mathematical sense--Linear Interpolation. 

Some of the YouTube videos explaining the function of Linear Interpolation resemble the layout I've been using.  An attempt has been made to label the variables according to the x, y graphs shown in the videos.

Helical thread design in SketchUp 3D drawings require coordinates to be entered into the Measurements Box for accurate shaping, angles, and dimensions. These values would either be taken from a reference table of thread specifications or mathematically derived. Today's discussion and illustrations explain how this process can be bypassed through the use of a simple template(s).

Since my system does not require values, all that is needed is to have the correct proportions when laying out the thread profile in relation to the diameter of the bolt thread.  See images below.  When finished, the bolt can be scaled to a 1" diameter, provided all proportions for that size bolt have been maintained, without affecting the 60 degrees flank angle (2 x 30) or thread depth.

The key to accuracy for creating a thread profile is the use of the Protractor Tool that is rotated 30 degrees at the top and bottom corners of the Thread Crest.

• Then the Thread Depth is established using the Inference feature by moving the Pencil Tool horizontally without drawing a line to the left from the tiny root marking(s) on the face of the thread profile until  the pencil comes in contact with the broken protractor lines representing the flank(s).  Today's Thread Profile is drawn for a 5-helix thread requiring an upper and lower root segment.  (Another option is to use a 4-helix design/profile requiring only 1 root segment at the bottom, doubled in size.)

• After each intersection point is identified, lines are extended/angled upwards and downwards from the left--root areas--on the bottom and top of the crest's nose following the protractor tool broken lines (each at a 30 degrees slope).  A vertical line is drawn at the thread depth for clarity as shown below.

I have also included the SketchUp model, Linear Interpolation for Viewer that shows the graphic layout from  all angles.  There is no thread creation today--you can look at previous posts to see where the graphics/template(s) areas temporarily reside in the bolt models (Hint, they're near the bottom of the bolt threads).

Lastly, not being a math whiz, I cannot verify the accuracy of my observations.  You'd first need to measure x and y values with a high degree of accuracy and apply them to an equation that solves for X where x is a pair of coordinates on the "corner" where x(2) meets y(2) on the minor diameter.

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Comments:

Thread Deformation and scaling occurs at the end of the thread drawing process.  Before that occurs,  Thread Profile design as well as Helix  construction, scaling, duplication and alignment are preliminary steps that must be completed error free. That value depends on the accuracy of the Thread Profile's Thread Depth for the 1" diameter bolt.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

October 8, 2025 Draw Your Dream Home -- LInes, Rectangles, Inset and Push/Pull

Yes, this is all you need to use in SketchUp and with Gemini AI you can create your personal palace.  Here's How:

Instruction for Gemini:   (lengthy description)

"Attached are six drawings of a southwestern style home.  Please create a detailed photo realistic drawing of the back view of the home only as shown in the Stucco House 004 drawing.  I will edit my instructions for the other angles later.

Here are some of the specific details to include:  Stucco exterior painted with a light “Baked Potato” Brown. Garage doors can be a matching color.  The front entrance doors have brass door pulls both positioned below center of the 8 ft. tall doors to the inside of each door  The  doors are varnished, light grained wood with some of the grain showing. Above the front entrance doors is a lightly tinted window.  All other windows are also lightly tinted.

There is a concrete driveway and a sidewalk on one side leading to the back of the home.  In the back yard is an in-ground swimming pool located in a surrounding concrete patio.  The back of the home has an overhanging patio that is part of the main structure and two pairs of sliding glass doors that are also tinted.

The home should have a desert landscape with a few desert shrubs.  Lawn furniture, an outdoor grill, and other accessories can also be added in the back yard.  A matching cinder block privacy fence can be added to the back yard only if it does not block the view of the home and yard.  The Sun is shining."

SketchUp Drawings for today's project:

Here is the SketchUp model of the proposed home.  It is simple line modeling that can be done by a person new to SketchUp:   Stucco House for Viewer (will open in your browser, uneditable).  Six scenes have also been identified  in the viewer model.

Below are the six images that were uploaded to Gemini.  Three of the six scenes originally uploaded to Gemini rendered properly. Gemini confused my instructions until the specific image was identified to be generated.  In this instance, Stucco House drawings 001, 004, and 005 were completed exactly as specified.

Gemini had difficulty translating the instructions for images 002 and 003 -- 006 I did not try.  The instructions above, shown in italics, were edited to correspond with the name of the drawing to be used.  That is, Stucco House 001, 002,  003,  004, and 005 and related scene descriptions.

Even after trying several versions of directions, Gemini incorrectly juxtaposed elements for scenes 002 and 003 (shown below).  Without initially uploading all six views at once, I surmised that Gemini would not create a logical transition from one view to the next.  When an image did not generate the way I wanted, I rephrased the italicized portion (see instructions above) until I got accurate results.

Below are the before and after images that turned out very good and also two that didn't.  For example, the swimming pool was placed in the front yard facing the street and front entrance.  Another generated image had part of the front windows in line with the back of the house.

Lastly, you will notice I've also added a few nature scenes, holiday decorations, and preparations for golf, going shopping, or a day at the office.

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus

October 7, 2025 Welcome to SketchUp Projects V -- Newest Projects awaiting Inspiration

SketchUp Projects IV had exceeded its capacity and  it was time for an update.  So here we are, ten months later, ready  to begin filling SketchUp Projects V  with all sorts of projects yet to be imagined . . . .

ThoughtsOfThomasNotNostradamus