Importing technical symbols
 

Hello,

I am an new user, and it is very easy to work with.
We are a small technical firm and want to make proces flows of the machines.
So we can easely analyse mal function finding Problems. Also For risk analyses.

We need a library of TECHNICAL components, For hydraulica, electrical, vacuüm, LPG motor.

In Google sketchup is it possible to download components from other users, is this also possible? That makes a lot of time saving.

Sorry For My English, I am from Belgium ...

Paul

No Problem ...
 

That should be fairly straight-forward.

1. Process Flows. Visit GraffleTopia and examine the Stencils, and find one or more that suit you. Of course, it is much better to have a standard in mind first, then look for the stencil. I use SSADM and IDEF0 exclusively, and I have stencils for both; I have made SSADM available on GraffleTopia, IDEF0 is ready but not uploaded yet (I would like people to test it a bit more).

2. Library of Components. I expect that you want good, clean symbols, that you can work with; not pretty pictures that are limited. If you want decent vector graphics, you have to choose components with decent vector graphics; what is "easy" is not always best for the long term. Start with one or more Stencils, and build up your own library of components (in your own stencil).

3. Google Sketchup is [I]not[/I] vector, or anything close to it. Just because it states "for professionals" does not mean that professionals use it, that is the usual baby talk the the internet is full of. Professionals require serious graphics, that can be modified and expanded; handles in the correct location based on [i]other[/] components; etc, not pretty 3D pictures which are great for Google Earth. However, You [I]can[/I] create objects using any image (pdf, jpg, etc). So if you really have to, you can download one of those horrible Sketchups or Visio "symbols" and make an OG Object out of it, fairly quickly. Then stick it in your stencil. Eg. I have a stencil with all the Visio "symbols" people in my field recognise and expect, but instead of being just a silly symbol, I have made them look more technical, and vectorised them, so they look great at any scale.

Cheers
Derek