Ed the Roofer

I need to learn how to use MS Paint to diagram some roofs for insurance estimates that are being sent my way.

I played with it for about an hour last night, but I want to know how to attempt to draw to scale.

I Googled how to get grid lines on there, but that only works on 400% zoom and higher and when you shrink down its gone.

Also, the roof I was drawing did not print out on one page.

Anybody with some simple tutorial instructions just for these simple tasks I need to do?

Also, if I have to draw a swuare for a roof vent, how can I duplicate it, so that they all look the same size?

I don't want to learn every nook and cranny, just the basics.

Any other suggestions for an alternative?

Paint is the program I was instructed to use, but as long as they got there diagram, i don't think it would matter.

How hard is SketchUp to learn?

Ed

ProWallGuy

Google is your friend.

Not sure if it has what you are looking for, but.......

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Ed the Roofer

Yeah, I watched the Albino Black Sheep video and a whole bunch more last night.

Just frustrated that a simple task like that isn't readily or recognizeably available.

Here is all I want to be able to do.

Instead of me drawing it on my customized graph paper with my legend for roof penetrations and tie-ins, I want to be able to draw it out, to scale, on a drawing program.

On my paper, I just count the grid squares when I am field measuring and connect the dots. Overhead birds eye view, flattened out, 2-D.

I figured there must be a line function, where I could type in the measured distance, and just click it to go that scaled length. Repeat as necessary, for the rest of the diagram.

This is for a company getting the direct leads from insurance companies, and then I go out and do things their way and get paid for the analysis, but also get my foot first in the door to possibly acquire the restoration job.

Do you have any program suggestions? I was about to test out Gimp next.

Ed

Dustball

Scan a piece of graph paper and save it as your base file, import it into your paint program and draw over it as many times as you like.

MS Paint isn't the program to use for what you want to do. Sketchup will do what you need to do.

Ed the Roofer

Thanks I'll try that scanning thing and see how it goes.

MS Paint was their recommendation for continuity, I guess.

They may not even require the diagrams to be in scale, but I do, for my own file and records. As long as I am going to be doing it, it might as well be right.

Now, SketchUp? Is that hard to learn for these basic tasks?

I'll toy around with it tomorrow, but advise in advance will shorten the learning curve.

Thanks,

Ed

mickeyco

For the grid just do a search on google for graph paper.




I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are trying to but MS Paint is not a very good program for graphic work. I would recommend Gimp (search google), it's free program similar to photoshop, it has layers so you can open a picture of a roof and trace over it in a new layer and then delete the roof picture and only have the drawing left.

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BuildingHomes

MS Paint is the most barebones tiny little bimpmapped drawing program I have ever seen. It's something you use to load up a picture of your best friend doing something stupid, drawing in an arrow with the words "Big idiot", saving it out and unleashing it on everyone in his email address book.


If you want to draw something to scale, some form of structured drawing package would be your best bet. Everything from SketchUp to AutoCAD would qualify.

I use Visio for all my layouts, but that's 2D, no isometric or 3D. However it does do measurements, comes with a bazillion shapes, and scales nicely.

mickeyco

What the hell are you talking about, I made this realistic illustration in MS Paint.

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Double-A

And the quality of your tool is showing.

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Ed the Roofer

2D, overhead "Birds-Eye" view is exactly what I want to do.

I will be checking that out. Is it free online? I'll find out shortly I guess.

I'll attach an image I did when practicing for my 1st time with Paint. You can see that it is not very accurate scale wise.

Now, how to I copy an image and re-use it in multiple locations on the diagram so they all come out the same? (Mushroom Roof Vents and Power Attic Vents, etc...)

Ed

edit:
I was only able to attach the MS Paint jpeg file, but the SketchUp jpeg file said it was an invalid file.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Ed the Roofer

Is anybody familiar with "SmartDraw"?

I Googled Visio, which is a MS product for about $ 119.00 and a link popped up from /smartDraw comparing the two.
edit: That price was for one of the basic student versions. Which one would I need?

http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/vi...FQlXxgod_QqV-A

Ed

MattCoops

You may be better off using Google's Sketchup. It does great drawings in 3d. You can even apply textures later on. There's a tape measure you can use for measurements, and you can type in your dimensions for rectangles, lines, and circular radius, and it'll draw it for you.
It's a pretty powerful tool for drawings and there's lots of tutorials out there, even an online forum for support.

Oh, and by the way, it's 100% free. There's an upgraded version for sale, but just between us (and the rest of the internet world), it's not really worth the cost.

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mickeyco

I'm familiar with SmartDraw, it's quite similar to Visio. Now seeing what you are doing, MS Paint isn't all that bad of choice for it because it's a simple drawing. Below is one that took a couple of minutes to do. What you need to learn on MS Paint is selecting the line size first, then the box (or circle) and depending on what you are drawing choose one of the three option; fill, outline or fill with out line. When using the line tool hold down the shift key to keep the line perfectly vertical or horizontal. Use the "help topics" under help in MS paint and it has a lot of information on what each tool can do.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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mickeyco

Pretty nice, huh? I should probably watermark it before someone rips it off.

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Ed the Roofer

Matt,

I know you are pretty good with SketchUp. Can you do a short lesson on how to achieve the dimensions of the lines I want to draw to scale?

Heck, if you dod a good enough job, it could be the beginning of a SketchUp tutorial sticky maybe.

Ed

Is there any way I can dictate the length of the lines to be scalable to each other?

Thanks for the straight line tip. That will help out. I was burning the candle the other night reading tutorials and now I remember seeing that one, but it got lost in the blur.

Ed

BuildingHomes

I updated it..

Attached Thumbnails

 

BuildingHomes

This is my quick attempt in Visio. It had a hard time calculating the dimensions automatically since it doesn't know anything of roof pitch.

Attached Thumbnails

 

MattCoops

Here's the unofficial tutorial on having Sketchup draw a user defined measurement for a line tool or rectangle tool:

Click on the tool you want to use at top toolbar. Whether it be a line tool, rectangle tool, etc.

Click on a starting point in your canvas and move the mouse in the direction you want to take.

For a line, simply type the length you want to make it then hit Enter. (in foot and inch format using an apostraphe after a foot and a quotation after inches) For example: 11'3/4"

For a rectangle, place a comma after one side length, then type the other side length and hit Enter. For example: 11'3/4",12'

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That's the skinny.
In a nutshell.

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704-605-0907
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mickeyco

I'm on my way out the door (have to take the dog to doggy school, girlfriend is out of town), but later tonight or tomorrow some time I'll try to put together some pictures that will show you what the tools can do, MS Paint can do quite a lot if you learn it.

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Ed the Roofer

Great work on the drawings and the tips from all 3 of you.

Really way cool.

Too bad that Visio is relatively expensive, but I guess I will wind up learning the free ones.

Thanks alot, and keep the suggestions coming.

Ed