To create a 3D model in SketchUp, you're constantly switching among the drawing tools, views, components, and organizational tools. In this article, you find several examples that illustrate ways you can use these tools together to model a specific shape or object.The examples illustrate a few of the different applications for creating 3D models in SketchUp: woodworking, modeling parts or abstract objects, and creating buildings. The examples are loosely ordered from the simple to the complex.
SketchUp offers two tools to help you select what entities you want to modify with SketchUp's other tools and commands - the Select tool (), and the Lasso tool (). Here's where you find these tools in SketchUp:
Getting started with SketchUp is easy, and we want to make sure that everyone, no matter their skill level, has all the information they need to begin creating their own awesome models. Whether you are new to modeling and using SketchUp for the first time, an experienced modeler already familiar with CAD software, or even a SketchUp Sage, we have all you need right here to get started making awesome 3D models.
To create a professional document, entities need to be arranged and sized just right. LayOut offers several tools to help you manipulate the entities in your document with precision.Using a GridLayOut documents include a grid that you can toggle on or off to help you align entities on a page. To see the grid, select View > Show Grid. When the grid is displayed, select View > Hide Grid to make it disappear. You can also context-click a blank space in the drawing area to select these options from the context menu.
LayOut's Linear Dimension () and Angular Dimension () tools can label a distance or angle. In the following figure, you see an example of a linear and an angular dimension.
In LayOut, you can bend lines and shapes - no telekinetic powers required! All you need is LayOut's path editor. Okay, that might be a tiny fib. You need the path editor and a little knowledge about editing vector graphics and Bézier curves. After you know the tricks, however, bending lines and shapes is easy, and this article explains all the basics to help you get started.
Do your shapes seem a little empty inside? To help your ideas stand out on-screen, use LayOut's Fill features to add a pop of color, and use the Pattern features to create hatches, which symbolize materials in architectural drawings, as shown in the following figure.
LayOut provides several options to help you navigate your documents. The Zoom tools () and the Pan Tool () can help you focus on a specific part of your document or give you a wider view of your whole document.
To select an on-screen element in LayOut, you just click it with the Select tool (). You can then move, resize, rotate, or otherwise edit the selection. If only changing an actual building were that easy! Like SketchUp, LayOut has a few tricks for selecting multiple entities, too:
LayOut’s interface contains the basic tools and features you need to create documents and presentations to suit your design needs. Parts of the LayOut interface, and the way you navigate a LayOut document, can look and feel a lot like SketchUp. There are still some key differences to keep in mind.