Sketchup basic training course for beginners

1. ENG. KHALID ABDULSADA MTER
MSc. Innovation and Engineering Design
by
Khmter@yahoo.com

2. Google SketchUp is an extremely powerful 3d modeling tool
useful for presenting geometric concepts and exploring 3d
space. The free version of SketchUp offers most of the same
tools used by professional architects all over the world.
SketchUp’s familiar pencil and paper paradigm presented in a
software context makes it easy for anyone to use this tool.
This course is intended for learn how to build 3d models in
Google SketchUp.
Overview
2

3. • Launch SketchUp, and Choose Template
• SketchUp essential screen, and Mouse Hints
• Create 2D geometry in a 3d environment
• Create 3D geometry
• Create surfaces from lines in 3D
• Create geometry with the Push/Pull Tool
• Maintain coplanar geometry
• Lock inferences
• Create a model, step-by-step
• Create a copy, array, and array using rotate
• Follow Me
• Offset
• Scale Tool
Learning Objectives
• Measuring the Model Precisely
• Creating Component, Editing Component,
Modeling with component
• Groups or Components?
• Intersect
• Apply materials
• Display Options And Styles
• Import models from the Google 3D
Warehouse
• See your Model In Google Earth
• Saving a model in Google Earth:
• Share your model with the world using
the 3d Warehouse
Upon completion of this course you should be able to:
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4. Open SketchUp from the icon on your desktop, or
from the Start bar.
Launch SketchUp
In the Template dropdown, select the “Simple, Architectural Template–
Feet, Inches, Meter, Millimetre”. Next click on “Start using SketchUp”.
You can also select a template from the Window dropdown > Preferences >
Template.
Choose Template
4

5. SketchUp essential screen
Titlebar
Menub
ar Toolbar
Statusb
ar
VCB BOX
Drawing
Board
Large
Toolbar
Axis
Camera Toolbar
5

6. Mouse Hints
Push down on the scroll
wheel button to navigate
around your model. This
tool Allows you to move
your view around the
design at any angle.
Orbit
Push down on the scroll
wheel button and hold
down the Shift key to slide
your screen up, down, left
and rightwithout changing
the angle of your view. .
(Opt on Mac?)
Pan
Roll the scroll wheel
forward and backward
to zoom in and out.
Zoom
6

7. Create 2D geometry in a 3D environment
● Line - Set start and end points
● Circle - Set center point and radius
● Rectangle - Set opposite corners
● Arc - Set start-end-middle points
● Polygon - Specify number of sides,
then center and radius
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8. Create 3D geometry
Two approaches for drawing 3d geometries:-
Menubar Draw 3D Shapes choose
one of the shapes like ; Box, Cylinder,
Cone….etc. then full the required data in the
sub-window
1) 3D Shapes tool:-
Example of drawing helix 3D shape:-
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9. 2) Creating Geometry With the Push/Pull Tool
Use the Push/Pull Tool to push and pull faces to add volume to or subtract
volume from your models. You can use push/pull to create volume out of any
face type, including circular, rectangular, and abstract faces. Activate the
Push/Pull Tool from either the Toolbar or the Tools menu.
 Preparing to Use the Push/Pull Tool:-
1. Click on the "Rectangle Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to
a pencil with a rectangle ( )
2. Click again to set the second corner of the rectangle. A rectangular
face is created bordered by four edges.
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10.  Using the Push/Pull Tool
1. Click on the "Push/Pull Tool" ( ). The cursor will change to a 3D
rectangle with an up arrow ( ).
2. Click on the rectangular face created in the previous rectangle.
3. Move the cursor up or down to create (or
decrease) volume.
Note - Press the "Esc" key at any point during the
operation to start over.
4. Click when the volume has reached the desired
size.Note - You can also press and hold the mouse button,
drag, and release the mouse button to create a
volume.
Note – Or can press and hold the mouse button, while
typing the height measure at the VCB BOX
564 mm10

11. You can use the Push/Pull Tool to create volume from any shape, whether
it be an abstract shape drawn using the Freehand Tool or a shape drawn
on another piece of 3D geometry.
 Following are some examples of Push/Pull operations:-
 Pushing and Pulling a Curved Face
You can use the Push/Pull Tool on faces that have an arc as an edge
similarly to using the Push/Pull Tool on regular faces. The curved face
that results from the push/pull operation is called a Surface entity.
Surfaces can be adjusted as a whole, but are comprised of a number of
faces or a curved face set.
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12.  Creating Voids with Push/Pull
You can create a void, or empty space, simply by drawing a 2D shape
on 3D geometry and using the Push/Pull Tool to push the 2D face to a
desire distance or until it meets the back face of the 3D geometry.
The following three images demonstrate how to push/pull a 2D face
that is drawn on 3D geometry to create a void.
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13. Creating Model:-
You will create a simple dog house by subtracting volume from a 3D form in this
exercise. This exercise is accomplished by creating the profile of a house on a
3D form and then using the Push/Pull tool to remove the pieces of the form that
will not be in the final model. To crate a house using the following approach:
1. Select the "Rectangle Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to a pencil with a
rectangle ( ).
2. Select the "Push/Pull Tool" ( ). The cursor will change to a 3D rectangle
with an up arrow ( ).
3. Use offset tool ( ) to prepare for walls Push/Pull editing.
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14. The rest steps in sequence ……
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15.  Dividing and Healing Geometry
Some tools speed up design dramatically by allowing you to perform modifications
on existing geometry.
For example, the Line Tool allows you to split faces and edges to create additional
independent faces and edges. The following image shows how two faces are
created when dividing the face with a line.
Note: that the dividing line does not cut through the model from top to bottom,
but just cuts the top face in half.
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16.  Manipulating Connected Faces
Geometry in SketchUp is sticky meaning that it can be manipulated (skewed,
distorted, or folded) by selecting an edge or face and moving the edge or face
with the Move Tool (causing all entities attached or "stuck" to the edge or face to
move too). Following are three examples of sticky geometry in SketchUp:
1) The following image shows a line dividing the top face of a box being moved
up with a Move Tool. The faces that were connected to the middle line
followed the line as it was moved to create a roof-like effect.
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17. 2) The following image shows the right-most top face being moved up in the blue
direction. This action shows that we can move the faces independently as well
as lines or edges.
3) The following image shows the left-most top-edge being moved to the left. The
model is skewed into a trapezoid-like shape.
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18.  Autofold
In the left-most image above, a six-sided polygon volume's top face (created with
the Polygon Tool followed by the Push/Pull Tool) was rotated using Rotate Tool
( ). Because of SketchUp's sticky nature, the sides of the shape, which share
common edges with the top face, twisted and folded with the rotate operation
(right-most image).
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19. 3. Modifying Geometry:-
Some basic tips for using SketchUp’s editing tools.
 Move
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the cubic to auto select
2. Using the Move/Copy tool ( ) . Click once to pick it up.
3. Move cursor to down left of screen, click again to put it down.
2 31
Note; Arrow Keys Correspond To lock moving along the axes as follow:
Up/Down=Blue axis, Right=Red Axis, Left=Green Axis.
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20. 1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the cubic to auto select
2. Using the Move/Copy tool ( ) + ctrl button . Click once to pick it up.
3. Move cursor to the new position, or type value for exact distance after
move a littlie to the desired direction, click again to put it down.
1 32
+
 Copy + ctrl button
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21.  Array
1 2
+
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the cubic to auto select
2. Using the Move/Copy tool ( ) + ctrl button . Click once to pick it up.
3. Move cursor to the new position, or type value for exact distance after
move a littlie to the desired direction, click again to put it down.
4. Immediately after you enter the exact distance, type [x3 Enter] to
create 3 additional copies.
43 x3
21

22.  Rotate
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the body to auto select
2. Using the rotate tool ( ). Click once to pick it up.
3. Select a reference point at original direction or axis, rotate the body
to the desire direction or type value for exact angle, click again to put
it down or click enter.
1 2
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23.  Array with rotating
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the body to auto select.
2. Bick a centre to array the body around.
3. Using the rotate tool ( ) + ctrl button . Click once to pick it up.
4. Select a reference point at original direction or axis, rotate the body
to the desire direction or type value for exact angle, click again to put
it down or click enter.
5. Immediately after you enter the exact rotating angle, type [x4 Enter]
to create 4 additional copies.
1 2 3
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24. 1 2 3
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the surface to auto select.
2. Using the rotate tool ( ). Click once on surface to pick it up.
3. Select a path line to follow, drag the mouse along the path line, click
again to put it down.
 Follow Me
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25.  Offset
1. Drag and hold the select tool ( ) over the surface to auto select
2. Using the Offset tool ( ). Click once at the edge of the surface to pick it up.
3. Move cursor to the new position, or type value for exact distance if you need
the offset inside the surface. if you need the offset out of the surface , then
type value for exact distance after move a littlie to the outer direction, click
again to put it down.
1 2 2or
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26. 1. With the Select tool ( ), select the geometry you want to scale. This step is important if you want to scale
a complex 3D selection. If you have an easy selection, like a 2D shape or a surface entity, you can skip this
step.
2. Select the Scale tool ( ) or press the S key. A yellow box with green grips appears around your selection,
as shown in the figure. If you skipped Step 1, click the geometry with the Scale tool cursor.
3. For a uniform scaling, or one that keeps your selection proportional, click a corner scaling grip. The selected
grip and the opposite scaling grip turn red, as shown in the following figure, and in the Measurements box,
you see a scale of 1.00, which means your geometry is at its original size, or scaled to 100%.
4. Move the cursor to scale the entity. The Measurements box displays the scale dynamically. Press the Esc
key at any point to start over. To set the scale from the center instead of the opposite corner, hold down
the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while you move the red corner grip.
5. Click to set your selection's new scale. Or type the desired scale dimensions and press Enter.
 Scale Tool
 scale your model proportionally by a percentage
Note: Technically, in Step 5, you can type a dimension, such as 2m or 3", instead of a scale dimension.
However, scaling based on a dimension with the Tape Measure is generally more intuitive.
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27.  Stretching or squishing geometry to scale
Sometimes, you need to scale only one dimension of a model (or maybe two). To do so, use the
Scale tool's edge or face grips. Here's how the process works, using a cabinet as an example:
1. With the Select tool ( ), select the geometry you want to scale. This step is important for a
complex a 3D selection. Skip this step for an easy selection, like a 2D shape or a surface entity.
2. Select the Scale tool ( ) or press the S key. A yellow box with green grips appears around your
selection. If you skipped Step 1, click the geometry with the Scale tool cursor.
3. Click an edge or face grip (not a corner grip). The selected grip and the opposite scaling grip turn
red, as shown in the figure, and in the Measurements box, you see a scale of 1.00, which means your
geometry is at its original size, or scaled to 100%. The Measurements box also displays the axis
direction for your scale, such as Blue Scale or Red.
4. Move the cursor to scale the entity. The Measurements box displays the scale dynamically. Press
the Esc key at any point to start over. To set the scale from the center instead of the opposite
edge or face, hold down the Ctrl key(Windows) or the Option key (macOS) while you move the red
corner grip.
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28.  mirror geometry using the Scale Tool
Note : step 4 is optional meets design requirements
1. To mirror an object with the Scale Tool you will need to select
the object first ( ). It can be raw geometry, grouped
geometry or components.
2. Next you need to copy that object. The quickest way to duplicate
this is to use the CTRL + Move.
3. With the duplicate positioned you can then Scale ( ) negatively
to mirror the original object. Make sure you grab the correct
scaling handle.
4. Move ( ) the mirrored object close to the original object to
create a symmetrical shape.
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29.  Measuring the Model Precisely
In SketchUp, the Tape Measure tool , the Protractor tool , and the dimension tool
enable you to model precisely:
 Measuring a distance
guide line
Tip: When you measure from an end point inference and
create a guide, SketchUp creates a guide point, as shown
in the figure. A guide point is a finite dashed line,
whereas a guide line is infinite.
Note: If you measure a distance without creating a guide
and then enter a value, SketchUp asks whether you want
to resize your model.
1. Select the Tape Measure tool ( ) or press the T key.
2. Click the starting point of your measurement, then select an end point or midpoint, the
measurements box displays the dimension dynamically
3. To create a guide line, click a line that needs to be parallel to your guide line. Move the
cursor in the direction you want to measure. As you move the mouse, a temporary measuring
tape line, with arrows at each end, stretches from your starting point, as shown in the
figure.
4. (Optional) To move your guide line a precise distance from the starting point, type a number
and unit and then press Enter.
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30.  Measuring an angle
To measure an angle or create angled guide lines, use the Protractor tool. You find the
Protractor tool ( ) in a few different parts of SketchUp’s interface:
1. Select the Protractor tool ( ). The cursor changes to a protractor. The center point is
fixed to the cursor.
2. Click to set the vertex of the angle that you want to measure. (See Callout 1 in the
figure.) If you need to lock an orientation, press and hold the Shift key before you click.
3. Click where the angle that you want to measure begins. (See Callout 2 in in the figure.)
4. Move the cursor to measure the angle. (See Callout 3 in the figure.)
5. Click to set an angled guide line.
6. (Optional) Type a value and press Enter to change the angle of your guide line (relative to
the start line). You can type a decimal value, such as 34.1, or a slope, such a 1:6. Change
this value as many times as you like until you make another selection or choose another
command.
Note: SketchUp can handle up to 0.1 of a degree of
angular precision.
Tip:
• As you move the cursor, the angle appears
dynamically in the Measurements box.
 When the cursor is close to the protractor, the
angle snaps to the protractor’s tick marks, which
indicate 15 degree increments. When your cursor
is farther from the protractor’s center, you can
measure the angle in more precise measurements. 30

31.  Creating Component
1. select ( ) all the items in your model you would like to
you need to include in one component.
2. Right click and select the “Make Component” option.
3. A box will pop up allowing you to enter some
information for your component. There are some useful
items in here, but for the purpose of this tutorial, all
you need to enter right now is the component name and
click the “Create” button.
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32.  Editing Component
If you go in and edit your original box, as you can see, the other boxes change as well.
 Sometimes, however, you want to have some instances of a component that are
different than the original. you can make some instances of a component unique
from other instances. This is called “Make Unique.” Select the two boxes. Then,
right click and select the “Make Unique” option. Now these components are linked
to each other. They are also no longer linked to the original component, so they will
not change when you edit the original component.
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33.  Modeling with component
Great advantages if you modeling with component. Here in this example if you model
all 4 table legs as copies of a single component, then all you have to do is change one
leg and the other three will change as well.
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34.  Creating Group
Let’s say you have two boxes on the screen, like the ones shown below. If I move
them together, so that their faces are touching, their faces stick together. This
means that the end face of the small box merges into the face of the larger box.
This kind of sticky geometry can sometimes be useful, but as you start working with
more complex models, it can cause you all sorts of problems.
However, there is a very simple solution that can help you avoid this issue. This
solution is the “Make Group” tool. A number of different geometry items grouped
together to make a single item. The advantage about groups is that groups do not
stick together. To create a group follow same previous steps for making components
but this time select make group
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35.  Groups or Components?
A lot of people get confused about the difference between groups and
components and when they should use each one of them. It’s actually a very
simple differentiation. Groups are used for sets of objects that you will
never duplicate or make copies of. Components are used for sets of objects
that you will be duplicating or using multiple times in the model. From a usage
standpoint, it’s safest to just create everything as a component. They don’t
take up any additional resources, and in case you do find yourself having to
make copies of your object later, you will maintain the component
functionality.
Note: Any time you need to combine multiple items into a single object in
SketchUp, combine them in a component, not a group.
35

36.  Intersect
1. Turn both of objects as group.
2. Move object1 to be overlapped with object2, rotate object1 to a desired angle (optional).
3. Right click on object1 Intersect face with Model.
4. Explode both of objects.
5. Erase all the lines of object1 and it’s reflection lines on object2
36

37. 37
 Modeling Complex 3D Shapes with the Solid Tools
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.
In SketchUp, a solid is any 3D model (component or group) that
has a finite closed volume.
To find the Solid Tools:
Menubar >Tools > Solid Tools > ( Intersect, Union, Subtract,
Trim, Split)
Or you can go to the toolbar directly:
Intersect Union Subtract Trim SplitOuter shell

38. 38
 Creating an outer shell
The Outer Shell tool ( ) removes geometry inside overlapping
groups or components, leaving only the outer faces.
Create an outer shell to the models that slow down your view
model and isn’t necessary. In your view, creating an outer
shell of the building eliminates the interior geometry you
don’t need so that your view model is lighter and renders
faster as you work on it.
To create an outer shell: Select all the geometry > Outer shell
Note : Until you hover over a solid group or component, you see an arrow
cursor with a circle and a slash. When your cursor hovers over a solid
group or component, the red circle and slash change to a black 1 inside a
circle, and you see a Solid Group or Solid Component ScreenTip.

39. 39
 Uniting solids into a single form
A union ( ) merges two or more solid entities into a
single solid.
The result of a union is similar to the result of an outer shell.
However, the result of a union can contain internal geometry
whereas an outer shell contains only external faces.
Select the Union tool ( ) > Select the first group or component >
Select second group or component >
use the Union tool to combine solid entities:

40. 40
 Subtracting a solid from another (or use Intersect
Faces with Model)
With the Subtract tool ( ), you can use one solid entity
to cut another solid entity. Your original solid entity is then
subtracted from the model. For the subtraction to work, the
two solids need to overlap.
Select the Subtract tool ( ) > Select the first group or component >
Select second group or component >Click the group or component that you
want to cut. The cutting group disappears

41. 41
 Trimming one solid with another
With the Trim tool ( ), you cut one solid entity with
another, just like a subtraction. However, when you use the
Trim tool, the cutting solid remains in the model. So, if you use
a peg to trim a board, the peg remains after it cuts the board.
Like all the Solid tools, the Trim tool works only if two solid
entities overlap.
Select the Trim tool ( ) > Select the cutting group or component >
Select cut off group or component, the 1 next to the cursor becomes a 2
>Click the group or component that you want to cut.

42. 42
 Splitting solids
With the Split tool ( ), you can divide overlapping solid
entities along their intersecting edges. To perform a split,
follow these steps:
Select the Split tool ( ) > Click a solid entity > Click another solid
entity that intersects your first selection. SketchUp splits all the
geometry along the edges where the selected solids intersect.
For example, in the figure, the two groups shown on the left
split into 3 groups, as shown on the right.

43.  Applying Materials
The Materials Browser will open automatically when you click the Paint Bucket
Tool . Search through the categories of available materials. Select a roofing
material and apply it to the roofs of your buildings. Do the same with the ‘Brick
and Cladding’ category to find a nice siding treatment for your houses. Finally,
paint a brick texture on your chimney. It’s as easy as clicking on the surface you
want to paint!
43

44.  Display Options And Styles
SketchUp gives you a great deal of control over how your geometry is displayed on
screen and for printing.
Display Options (Face Style)
In your menu, you should see a series of icons representing different modes for
displaying your model.
If not, you can access this toolbar from View > Toolbars > Face Style. Let’s see how
our model looks in each of these modes.
Wireframe
no surfaces
Hidden Line
lines and surfaces, no shading
Shaded
With Textures
Shaded
surfaces with colors
Monochrome
Hidden Line with one color shading
44

45.  Styles
In addition to the display modes available in the menu,
SketchUp allows you to apply a collection of display
properties which we call a STYLE. To apply a style,
simple go to the Window menu and select Styles.
For applying styles just click on one of the icons in the
Styles Browser. Check out the ‘Defullt Style or
Assorted Styles’ category in the pull-down menu and
try some of those. Styles are made up of various face
treatments, which are the same as the modes
described previously, but also include additional line
and overall model treatments. These assignable
attributes include settings like background color,
ground/sky, depth cue, line extensions, and halo. Styles
also give you the ability to apply foreground and
background watermarks, and can give your line work a
variety of different appearances to help your model
feel more sketched and loose, or make it look precise
and finished. Play around applying different Styles to
see how quickly and easily you can completely change
the look of your model.
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46. To search for and download models, simply click on the GET MODELS icon to
launch the 3D Warehouse within SketchUp. However, you might prefer to browse
the contents of the warehouse directly from the Components Browser in SketchUp!
To do this, just go to Window > Components.
 Import models from the Google 3D Warehouse
46

47.  Opening CAD files in SketchUp Pro
To open CAD files in SketchUp Pro, go to File > Import and it will open a new window.
Locate the folder which you’ve saved the CAD files and open the selected one.
1
2
47

48. 1. CAD drawing will appears in SketchUp
workspace. You can notice that the
transferred drawing is acting as group
and all its lines are active lines (this is
actually the advantage of using CAD
drawings in SketchUp).
2. Be sure of scales, while the unites must
be homogeneous by checking one
dimension at lest between the original
CAD drawing and the SketchUp copy.
48

49. CAD drawing which is transferred to
SketchUp is acting as group, and all its lines
are active lines.
Use lines tool to draw closed shape only
by clicking two points.
Use Push/Pull tool on previous closed
shapes to draw the walls.
49

50.  See Your Model In Google Earth
Previewing a SketchUp model in Google Earth is great way to see how your model
looks in the context of its surroundings.
You start the process in SketchUp, where you optimize the model for viewing in
Google Earth.
Assuming you have Google Earth installed on your computer. If not, Google Earth is
free, and you can download the software at www.google.com/earth.
In the sections that follow, you find help with optimizing your model, previewing your
geo-located model in Google Earth.
When you geolocate your model with the Add Location tool, you can import terrain
that enables you to create your model based on the site where you plan to build it (or
just display it in Google Earth). Wherever you place your model on imported terrain in
SketchUp determines the location of your model when you preview it in Google
Earth.
You can add a location manually in any version of SketchUp. Select Window > Model
Info, select the Geo-location option in the sidebar on the left, click Set Manual
Location, and enter a latitude and longitude in the dialog box that appears. When you
geolocate your model, you ensure your model appears in the correct location in Google
Earth.
When you display your model in Google Earth, your model dimensions need to be
accurate so that your model’s scale is proportional to the surrounding landscape or
buildings in Google Earth. 50

51. 1
3
4
2
51

52. Previewing a model in Google Earth:
For example, the following figure
shows a model represents a concept
design of hotel placed on imported
terrain.
Export your model to Google Earth as
3D Model by borrowing it from your
computer where it is already saved as
Google Earth File(*,kmz) extension
52

53. The previous action will turn on Google
Earth software in Sketchup mode, click
open > select the Google Earth File(*,kmz)
of your model saved in your computer.
Thus, a temporary place file will be create
at Google Earth loading your model at the
exact location.
53

54. Saving a model in Google Earth:
When you preview a model in Google Earth, the model is loaded into Temporary Places.
If you want to save your model in Google Earth, context-click the temporary model
name in the Temporary Places folder and select Save to My Places. The model then
moves from the Temporary Places folder to the My Places folder. 54