Medeek Wall

3.5.7 - 04.17.2024
84750 installations

Introduction

Welcome to the documentation for the Medeek Wall extension. Medeek Wall is a SketchUp Extension that provides a simple interface for creating accurate 3D wall framing geometry within SketchUp. This extension utilizes the SketchUp Ruby API programming interface and is compatible with the latest SketchUp releases (SketchUp Make 2017 64-bit and SketchUp Pro 2024 64-bit) as well as previous versions (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).

What Can You Do with Medeek Wall

Currently, the extension allows the creation of the following wall types or panels (Metric and US/Imperial):

Door types (Rectangle): Speciality Door types (Segmental Arch, Half Round): Window types (Rectangle, Half Round): Speciality Window types (Segmental Arch, Gothic Arch, Oval/Round, Octagon): Trapezoid Window types (Trapezoid, Triangle): Pentagon Window types (Pentagon, Isoceles Triangle, Equilateral Triangle): Garage Doors (Rectangle, Segmental Arch, Dutch Corners): Pre-Fabricated Shear Panels: Shear Walls: Columns (in wall): Beams (US/Imperial/Metric): Posts/Columns (US/Imperial/Metric): Stairs (Metric and US/Imperial): Blocking (Metric and US/Imperial): Multiple Framing/Construction Modes: Electrical, Custom and Subtractive Geometry: Engineering (US/Imperial): Estimating (US/Imperial and Metric, CSI) - (MOVED TO THE MEDEEK PROJECT EXTENSION JAN. 11, 2023): All wall types are drawn/designed utilizing industry standard practices. Additional wall types, windows and doors are in the process of being added on a weekly basis. Advanced options and features such as crown moulding, baseboard, chair rails and wainscoting are also under development.

The extension allows the user to create wall panels singularily or in a polyline mode. When the rectangular wall tool is selected and the designer chooses the line mode the wall is then defined by selecting two points which form the start and end of the wall panel. When the polyline mode is chosen each point defines both a wall panel end point and the next wall panels start point. If the auto-corner configuration is enabled within the global settings the wall panels will automatically form inside or outside corners based on the angles between the wall panels.

Once a wall panel is created it can be moved while at the same time remaining "glued" to other adjacent wall panels. Wall framing and other options are automatically re-calculated and re-drawn as required. This level of automation provides a design tool which should eliminate the need for manual modifications to the model, which are both time consuming and can be prone to user error.

Custom layers can be enabled in the global settings which allow various wall, window and door components to be placed on specific layers. Auto assignment of materials (colors and textures) are available as an option within the "Materials" and "Sheathing" tabs of the global settings.



       

The extension currently has three primary design modes: Framing On, Framing Off and 2D. With the 2D option the walls and windows are simply represented as planar faces and lines while still allowing the user to fully manipulate the wall panels and layout of openings. This mode is intended to be a very lightweight design mode and should allow the designer to quickly put together preliminary designs.

The "Framing Off" mode provides a full 3D model with all of the exterior element present however the internal framing of the wall is reduced to a single solid group. Additional elements that are found within the wall such as blocking, insulation and holdowns are not represented in this mode. The "Framing On" mode is the most detailed mode of the extension and includes all the details of the previous mode along with full wall framing, holdowns and insulation. In the full framing mode one can enable auto-dimensioning and each wall panel will receive dimensions for use in framing elevations.

Advanced wall options allows for the creation of exterior wainscoting, exterior corner trim, cavity insulation and structural holdowns. The default parameters for each of these advanced options can be specificed with the global settings.

With Medeek Wall, you can accurately depict conventional wood frame construction with fully integrated windows and doors within SketchUp and better validate your architectural models.

Engineering

The Medeek Wall extension is in the process of being integrated with a fully automated residential engineering engine. This future feature will provide structural engineering of all typical components of a residential structure and will include both vertical and lateral calculations. For additional engineering tools and site criteria maps please visit our Resources page.

Audience

This document is intended for architects, engineers, designers and homeowners who are using SketchUp as their primary 3D design tool. It provides a basic introduction to using the extension and reference material on the available parameters/options for its use.

License and Limits of Use

Medeek Wall is a proprietary softare developed for use with the SketchUp 3D modeling program. There are currently no limits in its use for both personal and commercial applications.

Design Parameters - Wall Geometry

The following items are typical wall design parameters than can be modified by the user to define the wall geometry during the creation process (Rectangular Wall):

Additional parameters and options are available for windows, doors, exterior trim, insulation, sheathing, cladding, gypsum, holdowns and interior trim.

Download Trial

The trial version of the extension has all the features of the full extension however certain parameters may be limited to a specific range of values as well as limitations on door and window sizes. The trial version is also time limited to a thirty day period from the date of installation. Once the trial period has expired you will no longer be able to create new walls however you can edit any existing walls and features.

If you are a material supplier or vendor interested in advertising or product placement within the extension please contact us at sales@medeek.com.

Please download the trial extension at the following link (extension serial number is "TRIAL"):

We strongly encourage downloading, installing and actually using the trial version of the extension prior to committing to the purchase of a license. This will allow you to accurately assess the capabilities of the extension and determine whether or not it fits within your workflow.

Permanent License

The permanent license or version of the extension is an unrestricted, full, and permanent license for both commercial and personal use. The number of installations per licensed copy is not limited, however the license can only be concurrently utilized on up to (3) separate machines.

Free upgrades to the latest version of the extension can be downloaded at any time, within one year of the purchase date, by logging into the Account Manager. Once the initial (one year) license period has expired the license can be renewed for ($75.00) on a yearly basis.

Please note, an active license is not required to continue to use the extension. The extension will continue to function even if the license expires. The only reason to renew your license is to gain access to recent upgrades to the extension and also enable unlimited phone and email support.

Please do not redistribute unlicensed copies of the extension. Download of the extension is available immediately after purchase.

Purchase Medeek Wall ($150.00) at the following link:

Please login to the Account Manager to download the most up-to-date version of the extension.

If you purchase the extension through a qualified reseller you may be eligible for a discount off of the full purchase price. Please contact one our resellers for more details.

Subscription License

The subscription license or version of the extension is also an unrestricted full license for both commercial and personal use. The number of installations per licensed copy is not limited, however the license can only be concurrently utilized on up to (3) separate machines.

Please note, an active subscription/license is required to continue to use the extension. Once the subscription has expired the extension will not longer have full functionality and the purchase of a new subscription is required to continue to use the extension with its full capabilities.

An active subscription has access to the latest upgrades/version of the extension and can be downloaded at any time during the subscription period (1 year). An active subscription also includes unlimited phone and email support.

Purchase the Medeek Wall Subscription ($50.00/year) at the following link:

mdkBIM

The mdkBIM suite combines all three extensions (Wall, Truss and Foundation) into one convenient package that can be purchased at a fairly sizable discount. The mdkBIM suite includes the full permanent version of all three extensions and will also include any future add-on plugins or modules.

Free upgrades to the latest versions of all three extensions can be downloaded at any time, within one year of the initial purchase date, by logging into the Account Manager. Once the initial (one year) license period has expired the licenses for each extension are renewed separately at their current renewal prices.

Purchase the mdkBIM Extension Suite [Permanent License] ($280.00) at the following link:

Educational License

For professors, teachers, instructors and students requesting a fully functioning (educational) licensed copy of the extension(s) for educational use, please setup a Client Profile here and then send your request via email to support@medeek.com (please also include your Client ID that is generated when you have created your new client profile).

Once we have received your proof of enrollment (ie. Student ID Card) or other educational documention for instructors we will issue you a one time educational discount code which will allow you to purchase the mdkBIM suite (permanent license) at 10% of the regular price ($28.00).

Since most educational licenses are not intended to be a long term solution (for students) there is no educational (discounted) license renewal path, however one can renew any educational license just as one would renew a regular permanent license at the regular renewal pricing.

Permanent license renewals for instructors and teachers is handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact support@medeek.com if you need to renew your instructor's educational license(s).

Refunds

You have 14 days from the date of purchase to request a refund for your Medeek subscription or permanent license. After 14 days, you cannot obtain a full or partial refund. All refunds are subject to a 5% restocking (transaction) fee.

Installation

The recent versions of SketchUp allow you to install zipped Ruby files or extensions (.rbz) directly within SketchUp.

To install the Medeek Wall extension (.rbz file format) within SketchUp 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024:

  1. Login into your computer as an admin before installing any Ruby scripts. This will make the installation go more smoothly and ensure that files get installed in the proper places.
  2. Within SketchUp select Window > Extension Manager (Microsoft Windows) or SketchUp > Extension Manager (Mac OS X). The Extension Manager dialog box is displayed.
  3. Click on the Install Extension button. The Open dialog box is displayed.
  4. Locate the Ruby zip file to install (.rbz).
  5. Click on the Open button. SketchUp will install the extension and display a security prompt.
  6. The extension will display a prompt for your extension serial number (default value is "TRIAL") if this is a new installation.
  7. The Medeek Wall extension will now appear in the list of available extensions.
  8. Re-start SketchUp to enable the license and serial number and save the settings to the registry or .plist files on Mac.

* Note: If you have previously installed the trial version of the extension and are upgrading to the fully licensed version it is not necessary to re-install the extension. To activate the full version of the extension:

  1. Click on the Global Settings icon (three slider bars). The Global Settings menu is displayed.
  2. Click on the License Tab within the global settings. The License Tab menu is displayed with an input box for your serial number.
  3. Enter your serial number (case sensitive) and then click Save Settings button at the bottom of the menu. A popup message will appear confirming your license registration and the Medeek Seal will be displayed.
  4. Restart SketchUp for the license activation to fully take.

Upgrade

If you are a registered user, with an active license, you can obtain the latest version of the extension, at no additional charge, by logging in to the Account Manager. Click on the extension icon and then on your order number, if your order was placed within the last year then you will see a download button which will allow you to obtain the latest version. If your serial has expired since you purchased a license then a upgrade button will appear which will allow you to renew your license at a reduced rate for another year or purchase a new subscription.

Once you have downloaded the new release, completely uninstall the existing extension prior to installing the latest release (click the Manage tab within the Extension Manager to uninstall). Failure to completely remove the existing extension may cause some files to revert to the older version and impair the functionality of the extension.

The current Medeek Wall primary menu has eight icons or sub-menus:



The available items are the following:

  1. Draw Wall:
  2. Draw Gable Wall (Gable, Shed):
  3. Draw Window:
  4. Draw Door:
  5. Draw Garage Door:
  6. Engineering Calculations:
  7. Estimating: (Moved to the Medeek Project Extension)
  8. Change Global Settings:
Note, some menus may show additional items that are either under construction or planned for future releases.


Medeek Wall Tools is included within the extension and has a menu with eleven icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Move Opening
  2. Edit Opening
  3. Delete Opening
  4. Open/Close [Garage Doors, Man Doors, Windows]
  5. Move Wall
  6. Edit Wall
  7. Split Wall
  8. Join Wall
  9. Stretch Wall
  10. Copy Wall
  11. Edit Dimensions

The Medeek Wall Tools II Toolbar has five icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Number Walls
  2. Edit Corners
  3. Draw Wall Perimeter
  4. Opening Tool
  5. Copy Opening (UPDATED - 11/09/2023)

The Shear/Strong-Wall Toolbar has four icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Draw SSW
  2. Move SSW
  3. Edit SSW
  4. Delete SSW

The Beams/Columns Toolbar has six icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Draw Column
  2. Move Column
  3. Edit Column
  4. Delete Column
  5. Draw Beam
  6. Edit Beam
  7. Draw Post
  8. Edit Post

The Stairs Toolbar has two icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Draw Stairs
  2. Edit Stairs

The Blocking/Molding Toolbar has four icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Draw Blocking
  2. Edit Blocking
  3. Delete Blocking
  4. Draw Molding

The Documents Toolbar has three icons or functions: - (Moved to the Medeek Projects Extension Jan. 11, 2023)



The available items are the following:
  1. Create Scenes [Framing Elevations]
  2. Export DXF (Under Construction)
  3. Export PDF (Under Construction)

The Shear Wall Toolbar has five icons or functions:



The available items are the following:
  1. Draw Shearwall (Rectangular Walls Only)
  2. Move Shearwall (Rectangular Walls Only)
  3. Edit Shearwall (Rectangular Walls Only)
  4. Delete Shearwall (Rectangular Walls Only)
  5. Shearwall Schedule

Video Tutorials

Previews of the extension during its recent development can be viewed here.

The following video tutorials are currently available on YouTube:

  1. Introduction - The Vision (20:58 min.)
  2. Tutorial 1 - Extension Overview (21:58 min.)
  3. Tutorial 2 - Drawing Walls (19:37 min.)
  4. Tutorial 3 - Beams and Columns (15:31 min.)
  5. Tutorial 4 - Wall Presets (8:04 min.)
  6. Tutorial 5 - Multi-Story Construction (19:58 min.)
  7. Tutorial 6 - Custom Material Library (16:11 min.)
  8. Tutorial 7 - Stairs (23:19 min.)
  9. Tutorial 8 - Gable Wall Workaround [Deprecated] (17:25 min.)
  10. Tutorial 9 - Split Wall Tool (6:36 min.)
  11. Tutorial 10 - Posts (14:24 min.)
  12. Tutorial 11 - Split Wall Cladding (6:49 min.)
  13. Tutorial 12 - Blocking (12:42 min.)
  14. Tutorial 13 - Stretch Wall Tool (7:41 min.)
  15. Tutorial 14 - Join Wall Tool (5:54 min.)
  16. Tutorial 15 - Quoins (8:34 min.)
  17. Tutorial 16 - Garage Doors (19:17 min.)
  18. Tutorial 17 - Tag/Layer Groups (13:41 min.)
  19. Tutorial 18 - Gable Walls (18:05 min.)
  20. Tutorial 19 - Moldings (21:37 min.)
  21. Tutorial 20 - Trapezoid and Pentagon Windows (16:59 min.)
  22. Tutorial 21 - 3D Cladding (12:15 min.)
  23. Tutorial 22 - Wall Copy Tool (6:21 min.)
  24. Tutorial 23 - Wall Corners (15:41 min.)
  25. Tutorial 24 - Custom Libraries (17:49 min.)
  26. Tutorial 25 - Rainscreens (13:09 min.)
  27. Tutorial 26 - Shearwalls (30:12 min.)
  28. Tutorial 27 - Staggered Stud Walls (15:09 min.)
  29. Tutorial 28 - Estimating Preview (12:02 min.)
  30. Tutorial 29 - Why a Wall Plugin? (24:12 min.)
  31. Tutorial 30 - Double Brick Walls (9:32 min.)
  32. Tutorial 31 - Custom Window and Door Casings (15:42 min.)
  33. Tutorial 32 - Auto-Dimensioning (9:31 min.)
  34. Tutorial 33 - ICF Walls (5:51 min.)
  35. Tutorial 34 - Modifying Openings (7:19 min.)
  36. Tutorial 35 - Inclined Walls (15:10 min.)
  37. Tutorial 36 - Editing Dimensions (7:55 min.)
  38. Tutorial 37 - Moving Walls (16:03 min.)
  39. Tutorial 38 - Wall Numbers and Corners (12:05 min.)
  40. Tutorial 39 - Wall Panelization (8:52 min.)
  41. Tutorial 40 - Stacked Windows (10:40 min.)
  42. Tutorial 41 - Selective Stud Removal (5:37 min.)
  43. Tutorial 42 - Wall Perimeter Tool (5:28 min.)
  44. Tutorial 43 - Opening Tool (6:01 min.)
  45. Tutorial 44 - Opening Copy Tool (4:45 min.)
  46. Tutorial 45 - Menu UI Options (8:08 min.)
  47. Tutorial 46 - Editing Framing Dimensions (7:34 min.)

The mdkBIM video tutorial series is also available on YouTube. These videos are typically longer than the standard tutorial videos and usually involve the modeling of an entire architectural structure with all of the mdkBIM extensions:

  1. mdkBIM Tutorial 1: Modeling a Two Car Detached Garage (41:14 min.)
  2. mdkBIM Tutorial 2 (Part 1): Garage 2826-2 (35:13 min.)
  3. mdkBIM Tutorial 2 (Part 2): Garage 2826-2 (48:50 min.)

Sample SketchUp models related to these tutorials and training sessions can be downloaded here.

Support

View the Medeek Wall Manual (Under Construction) for detailed information on the extension and its usage.

Please contact support directly at: support@medeek.com

Language support is planned for the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (Simplified). Translation of the user inteface is currently under development.

Updates

The current version of Medeek Wall is 3.5.7 - revision date: 04.17.2024.

View the Medeek Wall Changlog for more information on updates to this extension.

The extension will automatically check for an updated version once a month. The frequency of the "check for updates" can be set in the global settings or disabled entirely.

For a more in depth look at the development of the extension and related discussions please visit the Medeek Forum.

Download previous versions of the extension here.

WARNING: Medeek Wall is currently and constantly under development. The user may encounter unintended behavior due to the addition of new features on a daily basis. Always backup your data to separate file names to provide redundancy in case of file corruption or other data loss scenarios.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Medeek Wall extension please call us at 1-425-652-4188.


Sponsors

Medeek Engineering extends a special thanks to the individuals, companies and organizations that continue to support us in the ongoing development of the Medeek SketchUp Extensions:

Development Sponsors

These sponsors provide an ongoing role in the development of the extensions and whose valuable suggestions often find their way into the various tools and features found within each extension/plugin.

Larry E. Belk Designs

A Certified Professional Designer with the American Institute of Building Design, Larry Belk has been active in the home building and design industry for over 30 years. In 1995, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIBD the highest obtainable award of the Institute.
Larry’s plans appear in many national publications and are built in 50 states and 15 foreign countries. He is the recipient of several national design awards and a member of the National Home Builders Association. He is also a licensed Building Contractor and Interior Designer.

http://www.larrybelk.com

Gold Sponsors

These sponsors have commited to providing a minimum $300.00 annual sponsorship to assist in the further development of the mdkBIM extension suite.

Contact us to have your company listed here.

Silver Sponsors

These sponsors have commited to providing a minimum $200.00 annual sponsorship to assist in the further development of the mdkBIM extension suite.

ClearPlan Modeling

Bob McCarter, the principle behind ClearPlan Modeling, has over three decades of on-site experience in custom home building combined with advanced skills in 3D modeling software. ClearPlan analyzes the project’s plans and details through this lens of experience and creates a dimensionally accurate three dimensional computer model which shows clearly the home and its major components, including civil, drainage, structural and MEPS.

http://www.clearplanmodeling.com

Contact us to have your company listed here.

Bronze Sponsors

These sponsors have commited to providing a minimum $100.00 annual sponsorship to assist in the further development of the mdkBIM extension suite.

Design-Build-Live

Sarah & Jacob Kirk offer interior and architectural design and specialize in new homes and kitchen & bathroom design. Their services include architectural design and drafting, interior design and decorating, site planning, and home modeling. For the last 15 years Sarah and Jacob Kirk have worked together doing design and build in the MD, VA, and the DC Metro area. They now live and work in West Virginia providing design services for both new homes, vacation homes and cabins, and remodeling projects, and farmhouse rehabs.

https://www.design-build-live.com

Contact us to have your company listed here.

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