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Working with Triangles
I am attempting an A-frame design. It seemed obvious to me that I need to work with triangles.
I was able to create a triangle for the tall roof on one side and then create another one but reversed for the other.
However, I am struggling with the shape for the front and back. Again, I assume I need a triangle, but I am not clear if the item found in the miscellaneous furniture list is an Isosceles or an Equilateral triangle.
Two problems: 1. The shape rotation in all planes is not intuitive. I can't seem to grab it and rotate it as I wish. 2. The shape as to which is the base, which are the sides, which is the depth and which is the height is also confusing.
Making this all more difficult is the fact that the item can disappear from view if turned one way or another.
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Re: Working with Triangles
It's not entirely clear what you want to achieve. There's multiple ways to create triangles or to use the triangle object, but without understanding what you want for a result it's difficult to advise.
Assuming you intent to create an A-frame house you can use sloping walls for the front and back. For the roof you can use the predefined roof objects or create a shape with the shape tool in the exact size you want one of the sides of the roof.
Assuming you want windows in the roof the easiest way is to create a wall the size of one side of the roof, add the windows and then export the wall and windows. Import it and change the angle so it tilts the way you want it.
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Re: Working with Triangles
I am attempting an A-frame design. It seemed obvious to me that I need to work with triangles.
Was I wrong in that assessment?
Designing an A-frame house is not that much different from designing a 'normal' house. It's just that 2 sides of the house have very low walls where the underside of the roof (almost?) touches the ground. My first thought would not be triangles but simple walls and roof.
Make a square with walls. make the height for the left and right wall very low, say 10cm. Split the top and bottom wall. Slope the top and bottom walls by lowering the outer ends to the same 10 cm and raise the ends in the middle (where you made the split) to almost the top height of the roof. Basically, you now have an A-frame house without a roof.
Add the roof using one of the methods mentioned in my previous post. (roof objects, or create a shape, or use walls that you export and tilt after import) You can even use a rezided box that you tilt. I would go with the wall option because you can add windows before exporting.
If the house is supposed to be build from wood you can use a log-texture for the walls.
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Download the roofs-bnl.sh3f and import the furniture library. It will add several roof objects to create a roof.
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Re: Working with Triangles
I was able to use the wall "split" idea to create the walls at the two ends. Once I figured out the odd settings interface one had to use, the end walls came out perfectly.
Thanks very much for that.
You then mentioned something about exporting and importing, but I do not understand that specific process and how it applies to my design needs. Perhaps you could elaborate.
After the import of the roof objects, I was able to understand the concept you were referencing. I found that it does not really apply to an A-frame design.
Basically you import a 3D model so it appears as furniture in your Sweethome3D furniture list (or directly in your plan). You can export one or more objects you select in your 2D plan to a new object and import that object again as new furniture (menu 3DView, "Export to OBJ format"). You could for example select a table and chairs and export that as a new object "TableAndChairs". After importing the selection you exported you have a singular object with the table and chairs. The other way around is making parts of furniture invisible and than export it. The invisible parts will not be exported and after import you have a new object without the previously made invisible parts. That's a neat way to get a handle from existing furniture that you want to use on something else: make everything invisible except the handle and export. After import you have a new objects with just the handle.
The second way is importing a furniture library. You probably have already done that with one or more of the libraries on this page: https://sweethome3d.com/importModels.jsp.
Exporting/importing becomes necessary if you want windows in the roof part. If not, you can use the roof_bnl objects I gave a download url for. To create a roof with windows in it: Create a wall the size of one side of the roof. It's not tilted yet but that will come later. Insert the window(s) you want in the wall at the position you want. Select the wall AND the window(s) and export it to and object file, let's name it "HalfRoofWithWindows". Import the object you just exported and you get an object 'HalfRoofWithWindows' consisting of the wall and the windows. Obviously the wall is no longer a wall. Since it's now a normal object you can tilt and elevate it to the angle you need for your roof. The windows are still windows but you can no longer move them since they are an integral part of the object. Give the 'wall' a roof texture. Do the same with the other half of the roof and you have your A-frame roof with windows.
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