In SketchUp, you see a tan and blue background that suggests the earth and sky. The default background might be great for buildings, but looks a little strange for a model of a rocking chair, as shown in the upper-left corner of the figure. No matter what you’re modeling, you may just want a plain background with sketchy edges to communicate that your model is a blueprint or prototype. Or you may want a polished and detailed background that simulates an interior or a street scene. Notice how the different backgrounds change the look of the model in the figure.

The red, blue, and green axes seen when you first open a new SketchUp model are not only starting points but guides you can use throughout the modeling process. Adjusting the SketchUp drawing axes makes drawing a 3D model easier. Here's some examples:

Can you imagine Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, learning how to create 3D models in SketchUp? Hopefully, he’d like the way SketchUp advances his groundbreaking invention - especially the text that moves and (in some cases) updates as you work on your model.In SketchUp, you can add four types of text, each depicted in the following figure:

With SketchUp’s Solid tools, you can create new shapes by combining or cutting one shape with another, making it easy to model an outer shell or joinery.

What distinguishes solid construction and design from an M.C. Escher optical illusion? Accurate measurements.In SketchUp, the Tape Measure tool, the Protractor tool, and the Measurements box enable you to model precisely:With the Tape Measure tool (), you can measure a distance and set precise guide lines or guide points.  

When you create a 3D model, you often need to draw a slightly bigger or smaller version of a shape and keep the two shapes equidistant from each other. This is called offsetting a line. An offset is handy when

The SketchUp Follow Me tool () is the Pied Piper of 3D geometry: Follow Me leads a face along a path to create a 3D shape. The Follow Me tool does only one thing. However, it has a multitude of applications and enables you to draw complex 3D models with only a few clicks.

In SketchUp, you can resize and reshape your model based on the relative sizes of your edges and faces. Here's a quick overview of the available options:

With SketchUp's flipping and rotating tools, your geometry becomes as nimble as an acrobatic troupe. The Flip Along command enables geometry to backflip 180 degrees along any axis. With the Rotate tool, your geometry can spin and fold like a professional gymnast.

Everyone makes mistakes. In SketchUp, you can correct mistakes with the Undo command or the Eraser tool.Using the Undo CommandThe Undo command reverses your most recent action. For example: