SketchUp works on both Windows and Mac, and comes in a free version called SketchUp Make, or a commercial-use version called SketchUp Pro. To download, go to www.sketchup.com. You'll be asked how you plan to use the program, either for personal, commercial, or educational use, and then will be directed to a page to download SketchUp. Make, which is excellent for designing 3D-printable models for non-commercial use, comes with an 8-hour trial version of Pro.

This book uses commands and screenshots from SketchUp 2014 for Windows. Commands in earlier or later versions of SketchUp and SketchUp for Mac may vary slightly from those shown in the screenshots and written commands. All of the exercises in this book can be completed with either SketchUp Make or SketchUp Pro.

Once you've installed the program and opened it, you'll see a splash screen where you'll need to choose a default template as shown in the following screenshot. Scroll to the bottom of the list and choose the 3D Printing – Millimeters template. After the first time, you won't need to choose a template again, but you will see the splash screen every time SketchUp opens unless you purchase a Pro license:

The SketchUp interface

When opening SketchUp for the first time, you'll see a screen similar to the one shown in the following screenshot:

The interface is simple, yet is able to show all the information you need. Let's walk through each of the elements in more detail:

• Menu bar highlighted as (1): This is your command center, where you can access every tool and command in the program.
• Toolbar highlighted as (2): This is the Getting Started toolbar. There are many more toolbars, and they can be placed around the screen wherever you like.
• Dialog box highlighted as (3): This is Instructor, which shows you what each tool does as you choose it. There are more dialog boxes available in the Windows menu.
• Shortcuts highlighted as (4): This is a mini toolbar to various dialog boxes. You cannot move this toolbar.
• Status bar highlighted as (5): This area provides you with hints about how to use the active tool with modifier keys. Many tools in SketchUp use modifier keys, such as Shift, Ctrl, or Command (Mac), and Alt or Option (Mac) to extend the functionality of the tool. It's a good idea to keep an eye on this area, especially if you're a beginner.
• Value Control Box (VCB) highlighted as (6): Also called the Measurements toolbar, this provides you with measurement information about the current operation, and shows certain commands as you're typing. You don't click on it, only watch what's happening in it.
• 3D Printer Build Volume highlighted as (7): This area is new to SketchUp 2014 in the 3D Printing templates. It is a dynamic component that you can adjust to show the build area of the machine that will be printing your model.
• The drawing area: The rest of the window is dominated by the drawing area. This is where all the modeling action happens!