The default organization of the SketchUp window is shown in Figure 32.2. The program includes several main menu items, described briefly in Table 32.1.

Two toolbars are displayed in SketchUp when you open the program, including the Getting Started and Google toolbars. The Getting Started toolbar combines tools from a number of toolbars to give you the basic tools needed to start and edit a drawing. The Google Toolbar offers several commands for accessing and downloading online information. The contents of the Getting Started toolbar are listed in Table 32.2.

Table 32.2. Tools on the Getting Started Toolbar

	Name of Tool	Purpose
	Select	Use for selecting one or more objects that are then modified by other tools or commands
	Make Component	Combines two or more objects into a single unit that is a named, separate object
	Line	Use to draw lines or edges of objects
	Eraser	Use to erase objects one at a time
	Tape Measure	Use for measuring distance, scaling a model, or creating construction guidelines for placing objects
	Paint Bucket	Use for creating and selecting materials and colors, and then applying them to entities
	Rectangle	Use to draw a rectangular Face entity
	Circle	Use to draw a circular Face entity
	Arc	Use to draw an Arc entity
	Push/Pull	Use to either add or remove volume from a model by pushing or pulling Face entities
	Move	Use to move, copy, or stretch entities
	Rotate	Use to rotate, stretch, distort, or copy entities along a curved path
	Offset	Use to create copies of lines that are at a uniform distance from the original lines
	Orbit	Use to rotate the camera around the model
	Pan	Use to move the camera view vertically or horizontally
	Zoom	Use to move the camera view inward toward you, or outward away from you
	Zoom Extents	Use to fill the view to a distance where the entity is centered in the drawing window at a magnification that shows the entire content

SketchUp uses a standard 3-D coordinate system of three axes called X, Y, and Z, as shown in Figure 32.3. Keep these ideas in mind as you learn to move around in 3-D space in SketchUp:

Figure 32.3. SketchUp uses a standard 3-D coordinate system, identifying positions on three axes.

The simplest object you work with in SketchUp is a line, or edge. Lines are combined to form faces. Models are composed of edges, faces, and other objects or entities. The entities available for building a SketchUp model include:

A drawing in SketchUp starts out as a 2-D object built by drawing and joining lines. SketchUp assists you to make the lines that create the 3-D object.

Follow these steps to draw a simple cube:

You don’t have to guess or estimate the size of an element as you draw. Instead, use the value control box (VCB) at the bottom right of the program window on the status bar. The VCB displays dimensional information as you draw.

There are different ways to use the VCB depending on your preferred way to work. Follow these steps to use precise values for drawing:

After you finish with the tool and select another tool in SketchUp, you can’t return to the VCB to redefine the object’s measurement. Whether the program is using the measurements you specify or not, the program converts the value to its default system. For example, typing a value in centimeters is changed to feet and inches automatically if you use the default program system.

Instead of drawing lines and connecting points yourself, let the SketchUp inference engine feature assist you in drawing accurately. As you draw lines, the inference engine infers points from other points in your model. For example, if you draw a cube, the program reads where your cursor is currently located, determines what points are in the area, and shows you the options as you draw.

You see the points that are identified as different color indicators and pop-up tooltips. Carefully watch for the changes in the color of lines and points on the model and read the tooltips to build your model. Figure 32.14 shows several examples of how the inference engine suggests drawing cues.

Figure 32.14. Watch carefully as you draw to see how SketchUp offers suggestions for where your next line can be located or placed.

One SketchUp feature that makes modeling objects simple to do is the ability to divide an object’s structure, and then remove the dividing lines and restore the original if desired. The only tool required is the Line tool. SketchUp refers to the addition of extra edges and faces as dividing.

A complete cube drawn in SketchUp is shown in Figure 32.14. To add additional lines and faces, follow these steps:

Using the Line tool to add extra edges divides only the faces on a cube, but doesn’t cut through the cube to make separate objects.

Extrusion is a method of changing the geometry of an object by increasing or decreasing the dimensions in one plane or axis. The previous section that explains how to add lines to make a square into a cube is one example of an extrusion.

The Push/Pull tool on the Getting Started toolbar is an extrusion tool. Starting from a simple shape such as a 2-D square or circle, you can easily push or pull the shape into a 3-D cube or cylinder, like the examples show in Figure 32.17.

Figure 32.17. Use the Push/Pull tool to change a 2-D square to a 3-D cube (left) or a 2-D circle to a 3-D cylinder (right).

Using the Push/Pull tool isn’t restricted to a simple shape.

To use the Push/Pull tool to convert a shape from a simple cube to a more complex staircase object, follow these steps:

You can modify the geometry of an object by manipulating a face or edge, as shown in the previous examples using the Push/Pull tool. The SketchUp geometry is called sticky geometry, as moving an edge or face causes the objects attached to the edge or face to move as well.

Other tools can be used for modifying faces and edges on an object, and can be applied individually or in a sequence. Here’s an example using a variety of tools in sequence to create a finished model of a birdbath, complete with a base, column, and basin.

Finishing the model

Even though the vertical faces of the column of the birdbath are now pairs of triangles, the top face is still a flat rectangle, and the rest of the model is built from the top face.

The finished birdbath model is shown in Figure 32.23.

Figure 32.23. The birdbath is a simple model that you can create using a few tools.

The final steps to complete the basic model include:

1. Selecting the upper face of the top shape.

2. Using the Offset tool to draw a square centered over the top shape and larger than the twisted column.

3. Using the Rotate tool to reverse the rotation for the new square. The square is placed over the twisted column, but is not in alignment with the base. Setting the Rotation value to -345 degrees makes the new square drawn with the Offset tool match the orientation of the original base of the object.

4. Using the Push/Pull tool to pull up the sides of the birdbath’s basin, leaving the basin space the size of the column.

Folding the Model

One of the basic rules in SketchUp is that a face must remain planar, or parallel, to a plane at all times. Rotating a face on an object causes warping. SketchUp automatically twists and folds the faces of the object to make sure you aren’t violating the rules. The example shown in the chapter is typical of the way the program compensates for rotation. Each face of the box, originally a rectangle, is split into a pair of triangles that allow the top to rotate without violating the planar face rule.

If you want the basin of the birdbath to be larger or smaller than the column’s dimensions, use the Offset tool to add one more square between the column and the square that defines the birdbath’s margins.

Note

If you want to resize any of the objects, select the object and choose Tools Scale to open the Scale tool. Move the mouse over any of the resize anchors to read the tooltips offered by the inference engine, and drag any of the resize anchors to change the scale.

SketchUp helps you build complex geometry using a set of four processes that include:

The birdbath model can be developed into a postmodern sculptural object using more tools and program commands.

Follow these steps to add some cutout details to the model:

Groups are entities that hold other entities. For example, a polygon representing a flower petal is made up of one edge for each line used to draw the group and its face.

Creating a group

Follow these steps to create a group:

1. Click the Select tool on the Getting Started toolbar.

2. Drag a marquee around the content you want to include in the group.

3. Choose Edit Make Group or choose Make Group from the shortcut menu. As shown in Figure 32.25, the group is shown with a bounding box identifying its components.

Figure 32.25. The grouped content displays a bounding box.

Editing content in a group

The contents in a grouped object can be edited within the context of the group. The flower petal shown in Figure 32.26 is composed of two groups. The smaller shape is nested within the larger shape. Double-click the group to open it in a group editing view. A group is open for editing when it is surrounded by a bounding box; other objects on the screen turn gray.

Figure 32.26. A group open for editing displays a bounding box and other content is grayed out.

Make the edits as required, and choose Edit Close Group to exit the editing mode or choose Close Group from the shortcut menu.

Applying Ruby Scripting

You can extend the functionality of the program and add components automatically using macros scripted with Ruby. Scripts can be downloaded from the SketchUp Ruby Forum online. Copy the script into the SketchUp Plugins folder in the SketchUp installation directory (Windows). For MacOS X, copy the script into the Macintosh HDLibraryApplication SupportGoogle SketchUpPlugins folder.

If you want to write your own scripts, choose Window Ruby Console to open a dialog box for writing Ruby commands and methods. Learn more about Ruby and find tutorials and help guides at www.ruby-doc.org.

If you design an object that you intend to use numerous times in your current project or think you will reuse in another project, build a Component object. Components are stored in the Component Browser. For some objects, such as a flower petal, the placement isn’t critical as you can and often do move the petals into a number of positions.

To create a component, follow these steps:

Managing components

When it’s time to add an instance of the component into the model, choose Window Components to open the Components dialog box, your model library. Click the down arrow, and choose In Model from the drop-down list. The components used in the model you are working with are listed in the dialog box, as shown in Figure 32.29. Click the thumbnail for the component you want to insert and drag your mouse over the program window. You see a copy of the component; click to place the object where you want it located.

Figure 32.29. Locate the new component stored in your component library.

Note

SketchUp offers a collection of components you can experiment with as you learn to use the program. In the Components dialog box, click the down arrow and choose Components from the drop-down list. The Sampler folder display appears in the dialog box. Double-click the Sampler folder to open it and display thumbnails in the Components dialog box.

To check the component’s information and make changes, choose Window Entity Info to open the Entity Info dialog box, as shown in Figure 32.30. You see the default Layer0 defined at the top of the dialog box, as well as a label stating that four instances of the component have been used in the model. The Definition tab displays the information entered in the Create Component dialog box (refer to Figure 32.28). Click the Statistics tab to view a list of the component’s geometry, including edges, faces, groups, and so on.

Figure 32.30. Adjust or modify the information about a component in the Entity Info dialog box.

Organizing with Layers

When building a large model, or one using a large number of complex objects, you can use layers to keep track of what you are working with. Each SketchUp drawing includes one layer named Layer0 by default. All objects you add to the drawing are placed on Layer0 automatically.

Each layer in a SketchUp drawing is a named attribute. The geometry of one layer isn’t separate from the geometry on another layer if the object assigned to one layer shares a face or edge with an object assigned to another layer.

To assist you in positioning and viewing your model, SketchUp offers two toolbars. The most common Camera tools are included on the Getting Started toolbar, as well as on the Camera toolbar. You can see the icons for the tools in Table 32.3.

Table 32.3. Using Standard Views

Looks Like	View Name	Shows	Example Location
	Iso	Shows a standard 3/4 view of the model	Upper left, Figure 32.33
	Top	Shows the top of the model	Upper middle, Figure 32.33
	Front	Shows the front of the model	Upper right, Figure 32.33
	Right	Shows the right side of the model	Lower left, Figure 32.33
	Back	Shows the back of the model	Lower middle, Figure 32.33
	Left		Shows the left side of the model Lower right, Figure 32.33

The tools you use regularly for placing the camera include the following:

Instead of using the tools and changing positions manually, you can use a set of standard views to check out your model. The icons for the views, their display characteristics, and the location of an image example are shown in Table 32.3.

Figure 32.33. Instead of trying to position and reposition a model in a location you have used previously, select one of six standard views to work with your models.