Comments have ben made in this Forum about the massive Symbols Library in SP+. The manufacturers are well represented. But I can't find the some of the most basic 2D or 3D symbols. Utilities are poorly represented. Can't find anything, for instance, for an electrical service entrance mast or a utility pole and nothing even resembling commercial electric or HVAC symbols. Can draw them myself but it seems as if there is more to the Symbols Library than what I see. Updates are on so should be current. Am I missing something?
Is this all there is to Symbols Library?
#2
Posted 10 November 2021 - 12:11 PM
There are not many symbols for the basic things one would expect. While some additional SP+ items are nice, they are lacking as well. Also, for those of us with poor internet locations, it doesn't help that the libraries rely on internet to populate. Sometimes my system bogs way down just trying to bring the SP+ libraries up.
Nonetheless, there are things many of us would prefer to have rather than another outdated end table. Especially when it comes to commercial components. The ability to create, manipulate, rename, and label things as we wish is nice, but it would be helpful to have more of the common symbols we use regularly. That said, most electrical engineers have their own way of doing things. I've found in commercial work the engineers have been able to work with the exports I give them and add their parts over the top. When I feel I need to show an electrical meter (SP has one in their libraries) and service entrance mast I go searching the SketchUp warehouse or other sources. Sometimes I take what already is there and create my own version with some things added. For the conduit itself using a solid cylinder works well. For some other items we can just use solids to build a basic representation. For more complicated things I use SketchUp to model what I want and import it.
I also have gotten into the habit of at least reaching out to manufacturers to see if they have any 3D or 2D resources of the items clients select that I don't have, but will make a good visual impact on the project. Sometimes it works out, sometimes I model it as best I can without spending too much time, and other times I hijack another symbol and adjust it to be a representation, then label it. The good thing is we have ways of customizing our projects. The bad thing (as you state) is some of the basic things one would think should be included are not.
Mark Petri
Petri Building and Design
#3
Posted 10 November 2021 - 03:47 PM
Is it worth listing some of the basic symbols that we feel should be within the package for Softplan to take note, at least one or two symbols of each different type?
ie Cottage Porch (that hangs onto the wall with brackets), Modern kitchen sink and tap range, Different style of closed couple toilets rather than 10 types that look the same because they all come from one manufacture. Back to the wall toilets, Hung toilets. Electrical fan vents. etc. Just to start the suggestions.
David Edlin
#5
Posted 10 November 2021 - 07:38 PM
I am sure everyone has different ideas of what is important. The best way to get SP to look at what you want is to send a suggestion via the website. Those they log and then will reach out for clarification if needed. Again, SketchUp Warehouse can be your friend if you learn how to import models as symbols. Or if you want to customize something for a project.
For example, this is a simple timber roof cover for a door I made in SketchUp and imported....
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Mark Petri
Petri Building and Design
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