3D Modeling, design iteration 4

Today, from around 10am to about 2:30pm, I sat down in my living room and built a 3D model of my current design, the 4th version since I began the project. A lot has changed in my idea of what my house should look like as I learn more options, and the more I understand the real space of a tiny home, as well as other factors such as structural integrity, balance, and scale. I also just recently discovered a new, much, much easier modeling software. SketchUp, run by Google, is nearly completely intuitive to use, with simplistic tools that allow extensive options for all shapes and sizes of projects. It is also much more geared toward a 'real life scale' experience, opposed to SolidWorks, which I started out using. I acquired SolidWorks from my high school robotics team that I so recently left. The program was donated to us in kind, so that we, the young, budding engineers, could attempt to learn it, which most actual engineering students do in later years of college. Regardless, I took it as a tool, and learned it as well as I could on my own, and began to build. It was a painstaking process that took weeks to even approach the shape and configuration I desired. Nevertheless, I was absolutely thrilled to see my designs coming to life in the virtual plane. Here are some screenshots I recorded of my first model...

This is the 2nd iteration of the design. There are multiple errors in this model, however, in length, widths of walls, and true floorspace inside the house. Something difficult that I've discovered about Tiny House designing is that every inch counts. Estimating is pretty dangerous, considering that everything feels entirely different if your floor is 6in less wide than you thought. Objects that you guessed would fit, don't at all.

I also became aware over time that loading the flatbed trailer unevenly with your house elements is dangerous. You could wear your trailer lopsided, or it could make driving the home (where else are you gonna hear THAT!) very unstable and dangerous. Can you imagine the heartbreak of building a home, only to have it tip over on the first drive? These kinds of thoughts keep my up at night...

Anyway, this is the model I built today in SketchUp!

Notice Lady McLadyFace on the left there; one of the reasons I say SketchUp is more geared toward architectural objects and spaces, it actually allows you to simulate walking, looking around, seeing light, and even moving a to-scale body around in the space to see how everything fits together. So cool!

Thanks for reading! That's all for tonight... check back soon, I plan to talk a lot more about my discoveries along the way so far, and of course, all the exciting advancements the project makes!