This is a download of visualization tools to help you study and build The Friendly Trellis. Two files are available: a PDF page plus a SketchUp file. The SketchUp file is wrapped in a Zip envelope, so once on your computer you need to double-click it to access the SKP file. Make sure that you purchase the Friendly Trellis - Makers Guide as well if this will be one of your garden projects, for it has much more detailed process & material information. In this download we include a PDF which explains more about SketchUp and provides links to videos of the 3D model in action.
SketchUp is a simple 3D drawing application that is available in “personal” and “business” versions, as well as in different levels of complexity. There is a free version for those who only want to use the app for simple drawing or as an interactive “model viewer”. Designers have been using this 3D software for over twenty years, so if you are in a design or making mode, you should check it out. We used Sketchup to design the Friendly Trellis. For a gardener to use this SKP file you will need to download the software and become familiar with SketchUp by Trimble. This app is super-easy to learn and has many versions available, including a free web-based one (for both computer and phone-type devices). https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing#for-personal .
Video Animation allows you to view 3D models in a stop & go fashion outside of SketchUp. In SketchUp, “scenes” reside in tabs at the top of the computer screen but also represent “stops” in an animation path. Running Play from the View menu, causes the screen to walk through visual choreography in and around the model. That is: it will open “scenes” in serial fashion, continuously if you so choose. For our Etsy models, animation has been exported to an MP4 file (video), which can be run by many modern applications.
Because 3D visuals really do help makers figure things out as they plan and build, we have exported video out of SketchUp, so you don't have to fuss with the 3D software itself. In this download therefore, for each SketchUp file, we have included a link to its corresponding video animation. Video links are URLs in QR codes which lead to a channel where purchasers can access 3D visuals (from any device that can see YouTube). This gives you the ability to meet with your landscaper over coffee, run 3D videos on your tablet, and start-and-stop the model to discuss details.
3D files are powerful tools particularly if used to maintain your yard and garden architecture over time. Beyond discreet yard-furniture like The Friendly Trellis, you can draw a 3D model of your whole "dream yard" for example, modeling a long-range vision of the ultimate garden. This is a project worthy of the slight learning curve it might require. A good project for the off-season?