SketchupBy Ishwarjot Grewal

What is Sketchup?

Sketchup, formerly Google Sketchup, is a computer program that allows the user to draw in 3D and 2D.

Although there are many programs that can do this now, Sketchup is considered to be the simplest and easiest to use.

It is mainly used for architectural, civil and mechanical engineering, and other forms of design.

There is a free and paid version of Sketchup. The paid one is used by more professional designers.

The latest model is Sketchup 2015.

Introduction to SketchupTemplates

After installing Sketchup, the first thing it will ask you to do is select a template.

A template is a preset environment that you will design in.

The template you choose determines what units of measurement will be used.

There are also different types of templates with the same units. One template could be basic design and the other one could be fine tuned specifically for architectural design.

Introduction to Sketchup Basic Tools After selecting a template, you can

move on to drawing. Initially, when you start, there is a

window to the right of the screen that shoes you how to use some tools.

All the basic tools you may need are at the top of the window.

The select tool is used for selecting objects.

The erase tool is used to delete lines or objects. Another way to delete stuff is by selecting it and hitting delete on your keyboard.

The line tool lets you draw straight lines or freehand.

The shapes drop down menu allows you to draw a variety of shapes such as rectangles, circles, or a shape with a custom number of sides.

Introduction to SketchupBasic Tools The arc tool lets you draw an arc to

any degree you want. The push/pull tool lets you push or

pull faces. The offset tool lets you make a copy

of your shape at a uniform distance from your original shape.

The move tool lets you move, stretch, or copy objects.

The orbit tool lets you rotate the camera to change the view of your object.

The pan tool lets you change the camera angle vertically or horizontally.

The push/pull tool

The 3D Warehouse

The 3D warehouse is a part of Sketch up where users can upload their creations, and download other users’ models.

For example, if you’re making an interior design plan, you can download a couch from the 3D warehouse instead of making it yourself.

To access the 3D warehouse, click the button and it opens up. Then you can search for stuff and download it. You can also upload a project when you sign in to your Google account. Or you can also got to: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/?hl=en

Also, if you want to make some changes to the model you’ve downloaded, you can select it

The 3D Warehouse

Other Cool Stuff About Sketchup

You can virtually walk through your model by clicking the button that looks like this: You can move through your model by clicking in the direction you want to go.

If you are creating a 3D model of something that already exists, such as a building or house, you can get a top view of the location your model is in and put it beneath your model.

You can add dimensions to your model by clicking the button that looks like this: .

If you press down the scroll button on your mouse, it turns into the orbit tool .

Example of Google Maps in Sketchup