This post's video tutorial features a list of my standard SketchUp beginner tips and tricks. SketchUp has much more functionality (see my book to learn about the rest!) but these ten tips will get you started with SketchUp for desktop, web, or iPad and clear up some typical confusions.
TIP:New to SketchUp? Give the free web app at app.sketchup.com a try. Happy SketchUpping!
What are good "next steps" after these first steps? I would recommend working through Chapter 2 in my book, which features a great refresher exercise.
Tutorial Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD4NODwJDjQ
My Top 10 SketchUp Tips
This list shows my key tips. Watch the video for further detail.
Tip 1: Toolbars and the Large Tool Set
The first thing I do in SketchUp is set up my workspace to my liking. This includes turning toolbars on and off and arranging them on your screen.
Tip 2: Understanding units in SketchUp
It is important to understand the unit system ("inch is default") and the various ways to enter precise values and...
This post is adapted from an exercise that appeared in the first edition of Architectural Design with SketchUp (Chapter 5) but that I have since removed from the book. I hope you find it useful.
For this (clearly non-architectural) example, let's assume you want to preview a T-shirt design that you created in SketchUp using an image of a T-shirt model. This example uses SketchUp's styles and especially the watermarking feature and can be adapted for many other (non-clothing) uses, too. It even works with the web version of the program. So, without further ado, here are the steps you can take to create and preview a T-shirt design in SketchUp:
Tutorial Steps
Let’s start with a simple SketchUp model—a sphere within a rectangular box. Of course, you may pick whatever design you like. Let’s just assume that we wanted to make a sketchy-looking T-shirt with this design, and that we needed to preview how it will look.
The original design idea
Open the Styles...
In this video tutorial I cover importing raster images into SketchUp and scaling them for 3D modeling. A typical case would be a scanned building plan that needs to serve as a basis for modeling architectural features. This is an important basic skill that you will often need.
Tutorial Video
https://youtu.be/gBt-x9EZf48?list=PLxUo4IvucruefSR-dwEs7pHAjQZgoOhw0
This is a free sample instructional video from the book "Architectural Design with SketchUp: 3D Modeling, Extensions, BIM, Rendering, Making, and Scripting" (2nd Edition). I discuss this topic more in detail in that book's Chapter 2.
Want more of these videos? If you own the book, use the password from the inside cover to gain access to all of my remaining videos on Wiley's website: http://www.wiley.com/go/schreyer2e. If you don't yet have your own copy, follow the links in the sidebar to get one. It is a great reference for SketchUp!
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In this video Tutorial I cover a basic skill for fabrication in SketchUp: parallel-projection printing. This allows you to get flat-shot views out of SketchUp's 3D environment that you can then use for cutouts, laser-cutting, CNC and more. While this can be accomplished easier using SketchUp Pro's LayOut software, it is possible to create these from right inside SketchUp.
Tutorial Video
https://youtu.be/TQOWJ6HwSf8?list=PLxUo4IvucruefSR-dwEs7pHAjQZgoOhw0
This is a free sample instructional video from the book "Architectural Design with SketchUp: 3D Modeling, Extensions, BIM, Rendering, Making, and Scripting" (2nd Edition). I discuss this topic more in detail in that book's Chapter 6.
Want more of these videos? If you own the book, use the password from the inside cover to gain access to all of my remaining videos on Wiley's website: http://www.wiley.com/go/schreyer2e. If you don't yet have your own copy, follow the links in the sidebar to get one. It is a great reference for SketchUp!
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In this tutorial I cover how to customize your template (and set up your work environment) in SketchUp. There is no need to only accept what the default templates give you! Make your own and give yourself a head start when you begin new projects.
Tutorial Video
https://youtu.be/DHqnhxFU1A0
This is a free sample instructional video from the book "Architectural Design with SketchUp: 3D Modeling, Extensions, BIM, Rendering, Making, and Scripting" (2nd Edition). I discuss this topic more in detail in that book's Chapter 2.
Want more of these videos? If you own the book, use the password from the inside cover to gain access to all of my remaining videos on Wiley's website: http://www.wiley.com/go/schreyer2e. If you don't yet have your own copy, follow the links in the sidebar to get one. It is a great reference for SketchUp!
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