The complete guide to Sketchup Pro AII you need to know for mastering Sketchup Pro, using the power of extension and Layout

A modern, comprehensive, and practical guide to help you master SketchUp. Whether you are looking to learn the basics or hone your skills and get winning tips, The Complete Guide to SketchUp Pro will give you the tools you need. This guide encompasses the entire software, demonstrates the complete set of commands, and is accompanied by examples, exercises, and screenshots. It is adapted to all versions of SketchUp and is suitable for professionals of the extended design community. In this stepbystep guide you will learn: how to incorporate advanced commands how to create an impressive presentation how to export data, while emphasizing the correct and most efficient ways of working in SketchUp Yael Kedem, interior designer, founder, and owner of SketchUp Center in Israel has a rich experience of mentoring thousands of people. In her book, she shares her knowledge to help you make your wild design ideas a simple reality.

All you need to know SketchUp –

Created, written and edited by Yael Kedem

This book is copyrighted No copy of this book or any part of it in any form or

by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording,storage and distribution of information, without the written permission ofthe author, shall be considered a violation of these rights

Created in Israel 2020

SketchUp is open 3D software with a graphic concept It was designed for architects, designers, carpenters, engineers, civilians, movie makers, computer games programmers and related professions It’s easy to learn because of its use of a mouse and because it is intuitive The free form of building a model with this program simulates as much as possible sketching

on paper and does not require exact numerical data or scaling of one kind or another The output of models made with SketchUp can be presented in various ways, including computer printouts, images that have been refined with rendering software, a short film that illustrates the space exactly and realistically, and even 3D printing SketchUp software is designed also for people with no experience in three dimensions.

In order to control and maneuver within the software, you just need to have a three-button mouse.

Windows and Macintosh

SketchUp software works similarly in both Windows and Mac operating systems, with the exception of a few interface variances.

One of the differences that is good to know can be seen in the keys of the keyboard The

“Ctrl” key in Windows is parallel to the in Mac The “Alt” key in Windows is parallel to the

“Option” key on the American Mac keyboard Thus, for example, saving a file is done with the shortcut Ctrl+S in Windows and by ( +S) in Mac Most of the commands in SketchUp have keyboard shortcuts of one letter and for the most part they are identical in both operating systems.

Choosing the Appropriate Version

Sketchup Pro, the paid version, is designed for commercial use and in a commercial environment Professionals who use SketchUp as a work tool benefit from all the options and extensions that are included in the software, including importing and exporting of all types of files Each version has its own unique and specifically tailored hardware and software specifications and you should verify that your computer is capable of performing all these tasks.

All you need to do is to enter SketchUp site, download the software in the version suitable for you and try it out for a 30-day trial period before deciding whether to purchase the software SketchUp Software is installed automatically on a computer in a designated path in both operating systems The various versions of SketchUp might installed in different paths Of course, if you prefer, you can independently install the software in a different path.

This Book

This book is updated for the latest version and relates to all the principles of SketchUp that have existed since the first version The manual is divided into five chapters The study chapters contain all the material that is required to become familiar with the SketchUp software and the most correct and efficient forms of work The manual presents all the program’s commands and guides you through dozens of examples, exercises and screen-

shots In addition, the manual will teach a wide variety of subjects from the Pro version Learning the software with the manual will turn you into experts in SketchUp and Layout.

At the end of the learning process, which is recommended to do in conjunction with a practical course, the reader will have all the required tools for building models, presenting them and for using them in this and other accompanying software.

Enjoy the manual and the ease of creating your projects.

Yael Kedem, The Official SketchUp Center in Israel

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1: Fundamentals 1 – Becoming Familiar with SketchUp

New Way to SketchUp |

Installing the desktop program

Initial acquaintance with the software

Defining a template and compatibility with the work environmentAdjusting the Units of Measurement

The Drawing Screen

Adjusting menus and preferences

The functions of mouse clicks

Becoming familiar with the software – basic understanding

Drawing lines – creating basic 2D geometry

The Delete function

Understanding the Concept of “Gluing” 2D Geometry

Using the Move command in order to edit and operate geometry

Exercise: Use of All the Commands:

Presentation of the model in 3D

Adjusting the Distance of the Display

Creation of Basic Geometry in 3D – drawing lines

The Push/Pull tool

The Hide command

Understanding the concept “gluing” in 3D geometry as one unit

Connecting and Building Shapes with Reference to Inferences and AxesThe Offset command - creating parallel lines with a common centerAutofold - Maintaining a geometry plane:

Creating models quickly

Fusing faces

The Tape Measure command

The Select command

Copying an object

Creating a set of revisions

The Divide Command

Exercises:

Flip Along by Axis

The Rotate command

Copying an object while rotating it

Comprehensive Exercises

Chapter 2: Fundamentals 2 – Depth familiarity With Sketchup Tools

Purge - Cleaning the file

Creating command shortcuts

The Scale Command

The Mirror Command

Working with “Gluing” the Geometry in the Model

A component

Creation of the Component

Closed Group

Editing Components and Groups

Component and group editing display

Copying entities – Use of group as opposed to component

Use of Group as Opposed to Component in order to Isolate GeometryMake Unique - Isolate element from a set of duplicates

Exercise!

Importing a component

Comprehensive settings of components:

Adjusting axes in components:

Reload

Advanced characteristics of component and group

Using component nesting for efficient modeling

Importing a 2D File of Images

Exercise! Inserting an Image File as Texture

Export from within the model in 2D format

Chapter 3: Comprehensive exercise - The Use of Advanced Tools

Import of DWG files and creating a model from them

First Stage: Importing dwg Files and Building a Model

Second Stage: - Managing Tags (Layers) – Organizing File Information

Third Stage: Building the contours of the house from within the PlanStage four: Creating openings to the model

Stage Five: Inserting facades

Creation of openings on the outside facades

Stage Six: Construction of the First-Floor

Stage Seven: Importing the First-Floor plan

Stage eight: Creating the ceiling of the First floor and the roof level

Stage nine: Closing the model as a group

Stage Ten: Insert and edit objects to fit our work and model

Component's external and internal editing

Stage eleven: Creating a pergola component using the dwg plan andfacades

Stage twelve: Entering the Model using the section tool

Stage thirteen: Creating scenes to the model

Stage fourteen: Back to our exercise - creating a section-cut and saving it

as a scene

Stage fifteen: Using the scenes in order to create the stairs

Stage sixteen: The Follow Me tool

The Intersect Faces Command

Text – Draw text label

Printing

Chapter 4: Extensions for SketchUp - Topographical Landscape, drop,

simplify contours, Shadows and Solar North

Inserting extensions into the software

Creating surfaces from the Beginning - Creating a sloped area using a gridExploring the sandbox toolbar even more

Projecting an image on a 3D ground face

Defining Shade

Solar North

Chapter 5: Layout - SketchUp Presentation Tools

Introduction to Layout – All the reason to use Layout

Opening the Program

Work Environment

Adding and removing Icons from the work screen

The Tray Toolbars

Adding a Keyboard shortcut

Document Setup – Paper, Rendering and units

Navigating in the Document

Inserting the SketchUp Model

The Layers tray

Adjusting the cover page

Adding Captions

Adding Text with an Associated Arrow

A bit more on the colors tray

-Adding dimensions

Angular Dimensions

Editing Linked Content

Managing Reference Files

Entering Additional Content to the FileDrawing and editing Tools

Chapter 1:

Fundamentals 1 –

Becoming Familiar with SketchUp

SketchUp Pro Quick Reference Card | Windows

New Way to SketchUp |

As of 2019, Sketchup allows several ways to use the

software: Via Internet browsers, via the cellular devices or via the classicway of downloading SketchUp to a computer

Each choice will also be adapted to a particular type of licensing, whichallows the user to choose the most suitable way for him

For those who are interested in the classical way, it will be necessary toinstall the software

Installing the desktop program

SketchUp has created a simple and easy method of installation, that allowsevery user to install the program by themself with a minimum of clicks andapprovals The installation is quite similar between the various versions andrequires the user to approve the operation, the designated path and to startthe installation

In the advanced versions, SketchUp requires installation of a MicrosoftVisual Plug-in, which allows for running the software in an optimal manner

Stage 1: Left-click on the installation file The installation file will be different

from version to version and between the Windows operating systems(where it will be displayed with the exe suffix) and the Macintosh operatingsystems (where it will be displayed with the dmg suffix) Right click onSketchup shortcut and choose "Run as ight click on Sketchup shortcut and choose

"Run as Administrator"" Running the file will open the SketchUp installer

Stage 2: Clicking on approvals and requesting installation During this stage,

you will need to click twice on the button “Next” and an additional time onthe button “Install” in order to install the software SketchUp will display its

permanent installation path on drive "C" Should you prefer a different path,

it’s possible to change it by clicking on the button “Change”

Stage 3 – Completing the installation.

Upon completion of the installation, SketchUp will display the button

“Finish”

Initial acquaintance with the software

Installation of Sketchup will place three icons on the

desktop for quick entry: Entry into SketchUp, entry

into Layout and entry into Style Builder.

A double click on the SketchUp icon will display an introductory window

“Welcome to SketchUp” From here it’s possible to manage your license, tolearn more about SketchUp through training videos and written material, toselect a template, or to just start using Sketchup In the newest version,users will be required to sign in with an account, in order to download andopen SketchUp

Method of Operation:

1 Access to Sketchup can vary between different versions licensing isdivided between typing your email for an annual license or two key codesfor a classic license

Since version 2019 version, SketchUp users are required to sign-in withTrimble connect account or Gmail account to SketchUp This is in addition toentering the license code's or email

The registry allows the user to be identified and thus be able to use allSketchup apps, such as the 3dwarehouse Extension warehouse and more(Illustration 1)

2 Choosing a template from the various templates that exist is the nextnecessary step, and it's applied to all versions of SketchUp The templatesare different from one another in units of measure, in display and inbackground colors These templates assist the new user in understandingSketchUp’s 3D environment Our recommendation is to select the templatethat is closest to a 2D view program

In version 2019, it is been done by clicking on "Files" button and selecting a

template Various of templates to choose from will be displayed (Illustration

2) Click on the "More templates" which will display all the options that exists, and select the template “Plan View - Meters”.

In the older versions of SketchUp – you would need to click on the button

“Choose Template” and select the template "Construction Documentation

– Meters" In this way it will be easier to learn about the basic functions of

SketchUp

For those who are working in other measurement units, it’s possible toselect the same template in units of millimeters or in feet and inches.Adapting the template to centimeters is easy to do, and will be shown later!

In the older versions of SketchUp – you would need to click on the button

“Start using Sketchup” and SketchUp will launch.

First thing first - Opening a Work File in Sketchup

When opening the program, SketchUp will open a main work file without adefined name (untitled), that will be displayed with the skp suffix Startworking by saving your file in a desired location and protect your work Ifyou are about to save the file locally and not through the cloud, save yourwork in one of the computer's drives and not on the desktop Saving files onthe computer's desktop, takes resources from your computer's short-termmemory (RAM) Only when a file has a path, it can create a backup file and itcan be saved securely

Please notice! After closing the file, a backup file will also be displayed, withthe skb suffix

Defining a template and compatibility with the work environment

It is recommended to create a personal template that is adapted to yourwork needs The idea is to save all the settings that fits you as a user and tomake it permanent and direct (for example: background color, compatibility

of size of the display, units of measurement and icon taskbar) This way,they will appear in every new file that is opened and allow you to startworking without a delay The recommendations here relate to a method ofworking in units of centimeters

Adjusting Background Color of the Screen

When beginning work, the recommendation is to differentiate thebackground color (white) from the color of the faces, in order to achieve abetter space orientation

1 Navigate with the mouse to the right side of the screen, where theprogram trays are displayed

2 Open up the "Styles" tray by clicking on the tray name

*(In older versions and on Mac computers, the Styles tray appears under theWindow toolbar)

3 Click on the Edit tab

4 Click on the third square from the left (marked with a red square),which contains the background settings Note that on the right side the

word Background is displayed.

5 Left-click on the mouse on the color square (marked with a blue square),and change the color of the background You will be able to change thehue and to set its lightness/darkness *It is recommended to work withlight colors After choosing the desired color, click on OK, and the changewill be seen immediately on the screen For those interested in displaying

a horizontal edge of ground and sky, you can check on the left side of thewords Ground and Sky, and there too you can define the colors.

6 Click on the update style icon (marked with the green square) andclose the tray by an additional click on the name of the “Styles” tray Notethat you do not click on the X , which will completely cancel the traydisplay

Adjusting the icon toolbar

The reason for adjusting the icon toolbars is to allow direct access for usingcertain commands When entering SketchUp, only one icon toolbar isdisplayed, which enables initial work in SketchUp

For PC Users:

Adjusting the toolbar is done by entering the top menu: View > Toolbars

and marking all the relevant categories for your work In the window that isdisplayed you can check any category that you want to add and it willimmediately be displayed on the screen Some are repetitive Here are thecategories names for markup (You can also refer to Illustration 1): Large Tool

Set, Measurements, Tags / Layer (depending on version), Sandbox, Sections,Shadows, Standard, Styles, Views and Warehouse.

Once these icons appear on the drawing screen, you can move and placethem by dragging the handle In the horizontal layout the handle appears asgray dots on the left edge of the icons In the vertical layout, the handle is onthe top notch

After these icons appear on the screen, you can move them and place themwherever you want by dragging the handle on the edge of the icons

Position the cursor over these points and drag it wherever you want Thelayout of the icons affects the size of the drawing screen Therecommendation is to create a top horizontal row, a horizontal row at thebottom and a double column to the left side of the screen

In time, icons rows will be added and the number of icons will increase Theicons layout affects the size of the sketching screen For owners of a smallscreen, or users who have multiple icons, it’s possible to reduce the icons’size Click on the Options tab and remove the check mark from Large Icons(Illustration 2) To finish, click Close and the screen will fill up with icons

[Tip]: At any time, you can add more toolbars by right-clicking on any of theicons and the list of icons will again appear By clicking on a specificcategory, you can add the desired icons

Mac Users:

Navigate the top menu: View > Tool Palettes, select the top option "LargeTool Set" and a large, main toolbar will be added on the left side of thescreen This is an independent toolbar and you can place it on the screenwherever is most suitable for you (Illustration 3)

Go again to the top menu View and select the bottom option “CustomizeToolbar” The window that opens will display the command icons in thesoftware Dragging them to the top toolbar of the screen will add them tothe screen The recommended icons for work are marked below in redsquares When you have finished, click Done (Illustration 4)

[Tip:] In both operating systems, where the Toolbar window is open(Illustration 1 in PC and 4 in Mac), it’s possible to edit the icon bars You candelete icons from a bar by dragging them into the modeling space You canalso edit and create your own custom toolbar by dragging them to anotherbar.

For example, on Pc computers, we recommend to drag the "Extension

Manager" icon and the "User Info" icon to the Standard icons on

the right side, as it displays here

These icons are stored under the "Getting Started" bar, which will not

continue to be displayed First, display this bar and drag the icons to theright place for you Then you can uncheck this bar

Adjusting the toolbars is something you can change frequently When youclose SketchUp, the last icon display is saved

Adjusting the Units of Measurement

1 In order to adjust the units of measurement, navigate to the upper

toolbar Window > Model Info or click on the icon

The recommended template is offered in several versions and you can selectthe units of measurement that are best for you For those working inDecimal and centimeters, this is the place to make this adjustment Theadjustment is made independently by clicking the arrow that opens below.The significance of adjusting the unit of measurement is that it is possible toconvert each model to other measurement units Sketchup’s advantage isexpressed in that the chosen units are adapted to the existing modelwithout changing anything So, if you want to move to units of millimeters,inches or meters for a particular calculation, you can do it easily Then, withthe same ease, revert back to your regular units For users that usescentimeters units, match illustration number 2

2 In any case, the recommendation is to set “Enable Length Snapping” not

more than 0.1 in order to allow sufficient zooming of the cursor whileworking on the model

3 Closing the window is done by clicking on

4 After these changes are made, go the top toolbar and choose File > Save

as Template In the top box under 'Name' type the template's name This

can be your first name or for example “Plan view – cm” Left-click with themouse on the bottom box “File Name” and you will see that the name of thetemplate has been copied there Verify that the bottom box (Set as a defaulttemplate) has been checked, and from now-on this can be your defaulttemplate After saving it, the new template will be available on SketchUp’sopening screen and will also be added to the template menu.

In older versions, you can change the template, via Help menu, and thenchoosing “Welcome to SketchUp”, which will again display the openingscreen, where you can again select a different template The change will bedisplayed when opening a new work file, which will update the chosentemplate

An additional way is via 'Window' menu and select 'Preferences' [Mac users:from the 'SketchUp' menu, select 'Preferences'] Click on 'Template' at thebottom of the list on the left side, and select the appropriate template Tofinish, click on “OK”

The Drawing Screen

Icons row – icons are displayed on the SketchUp screen at the top andbottom and on the left side Left-clicking on any of them will allow you toenter the desired command

Modeling area– this is the area where models will be built and actionswill be done This area appears with a background color and with axes

Values entry box – located on the bottom right or bottom left of thescreen This is the box responsible for entering numerical values Thedescription of the entry value will change in accordance with the command

Upper toolbar – located at the uppermost part of the screen, andcontains all the SketchUp commands that are in all the various toolbars.Also, these toolbars contain all the program settings and preferences thatcan be adjusted The windows are dynamic and it is possible to decide ondata and to see them immediately applied on the model

Menu trays – for Windows users, a Default Tray Menu has been added

to the right side of the screen that allows you to display collapsible trays in

an organized and personally customized fashion (for example, styles, scenes,

elements, etc.) These trays allow work in parallel with a number of menus,something that was not available previously This has created a matchinginterface with the Layout program This tray is managed by entering themenu Window > Default Tray There you will be able to display or hide the

trays and to set the menus of trays Opening and closing the trays is done

by clicking on the name of the tray and not by the X Clicking on the X will

delete the tray from the list of trays If this happens, it can be retrievedthrough the main menu Window > Default Tray

Computers with the Mac operating systems – theorganization of menus will be done from within the Window menu at theupper toolbar It is also recommended here to close the trays by clicking onthe name of the tray and to organize them nearby in an organized manner

Adjusting menus and preferences

Entry into the menu Window > Preferences (Mac users: Sketchup >Preferences) will display a window with various settings for working with thecomputer These settings are explained throughout the manual It isworthwhile at the beginning of work to adjust two of these settings Thefirst, saving files under the setting Files

These paths group within them according to various categories, thedestinations for saving all the files that are associated with SketchUp A click

on the folder icon will allow entry into the associated folder A click on thepencil icon will allow to change its' location

Adjust the destination for saving files in the top row under the setting

“Models” Thus, every file that is opened and saved automatically will get toyour chosen folder Adjusting the paths will allow direct access to the stock

of elements and materials on the computer and to add your own folders.This window is very significant because there is a separation in the SketchUparchive and this allows easy and direct access to the various folders (will beexplained in greater detail later)

The second setting is found under the name Drawing and is connected tothe method of work in SketchUp Entering this window allows you to selectthe correct method of clicking for work with the mouse For this purpose,

we will present the function of the mouse clicks and explain the method ofsketching in Sketchup

The functions of mouse clicks

There are three different terms for use with the mouse – Click (often called left-click), Dragging and Right-Click (sometimes called the right context

Right-Click - (or Right Context) means clicking on the right mouse

button and then lifting the finger without moving the mouse (figure number3)

The method of clicking in SketchUp is called Click – Release – Click, the

meaning of which is a click on the left mouse button, lifting the finger,moving the mouse and to conclude, clicking again on the mouse button Thismethod is easier on the wrist and ensures better learning for new SketchUpusers In addition, you can pay attention to the screen without having toconcentrate on holding down the mouse button The clicking methodprevents accidently creating small segments throughout the model that cancause chaos in the model Avoid dragging the mouse button while drawing aline (Edges)

The method of clicking (Click – Release – Click) allows drawing continuous

lines as “a loop”, the significance of which is that during drawing, you create

a closed loop of edges Until the form is closed, the pencil command “willwant” automatically to continue drawing an additional edge from the end of

the last segment.

On the other hand, the method of dragging the mouse button enables each

time the drawing of one edge only, and thus limits the efficiency of thesketch

[Tip:] Are you used to dragging the mouse and have trouble with the new way of working?

SketchUp can help you The idea behind the operation of the mouse whenchoosing to drag the mouse button, is to move data or select a specific area.SketchUp emphasizes using this method when it is correct for the tool itself.However, ongoing work should be done by a single click, lifting the finger,moving the mouse to the desired position and clicking again to finish

With entry into Window > Preferences and choosing the setting “Drawing”,three ways of working in SketchUp appear:

Marking the top option, “Click-drag-release”, is good for those who

always drag the mouse and are interested in continuing in this mannerwithout destroying what has been done and without creating mistakes

in the file Note that this method will not allow continuous looping ofedges

The middle option, "Auto Detect", which is marked as the default,

allows automatic detection and will allow dragging the button and alsoreleasing it This is appropriate for someone who knows how to

differentiate between work methods and does not hold down the left

Becoming familiar with the software – basic understanding

Even before learning the SketchUp commands, there are a few importantthings to understand:

Part of the understanding of software lies in understanding its creationand affiliating the various options within it to the relevant commands.SketchUp itself is divided into three different parts: edges (Lines),

faces (surfaces) and display (View) and that is how I have chosen topresent SketchUp to you These three divisions are equally importantand work side by side All the commands in SketchUp belong to one ofthese three divisions, and once you have learned to characterize

commands according to their use, it will be easier for you to

understand how to use them

Sketchup has two methods of work that apply to all commands in theprogram It is recommended to work with both and combine them:

The first method - taking data from the model This method works on

the grid principle, which means working in the direction of one axisand extracting data from another axis Working with this method isdone by placing the cursor on the place to which you want to refer Inthis way, SketchUp will extract the data by itself and collect the

relevant information and measurements In this method, the work isintuitive, quick and relates to spaces and areas

The second method - inputting exact values Work in this method will

be done by inputting numbers and then immediately pressing "Enter".The advantage of this method is the planning option When pressingthe Enter key, SketchUp will display what has been done according tothe value inputted In addition, you can input a new value and

examine its effects This can be done as long as we are in the sameprocess, i.e as long as we have not started a new process or moved to

a new command

All the commands start in the same way - left-click and moving themouse The conclusion of the process is different.

One of the reasons that SketchUp is considered an easy and popularprogram is that the work principles are applied across the programand once you have understood a guiding principle, it can be applied to

a large number of commands

Many of the SketchUp commands allow for continuous work In caseswhere this is not desired, press on the ESC key, which will release theaction (and stop the operation), but will still leave you at the samecommand for further work

Drawing lines – creating basic 2D geometry

In order to create a line, select the Line command by pressing or theletter "L" on the keyboard The line entity belongs to the edge division.While learning the Line command, we will become familiar with the twodifferent methods available in SketchUp

1 Start by clicking (left-click on the mouse) on the screen, release your

finger, and move the mouse around (let the cursor hover on the

screen) The screen will show a "rubber edge" that extends from thestarting point and changes with the direction of the mouse towardsthe cursor When the rubber edge is parallel (or aligned) with one ofthe axes, its color will change according to the color of the axis to

which it is aligned (red , green, or blue) The edge will display black

when it is not parallel to one of the axes

2 Left-clicking on the mouse will complete the edge segment and it will

be drawn in black color on the screen in the area of the model

3 Now move the cursor down to draw a vertical edge

Want to be Exact?

This is the way to work, while applying the second method;

1 Start by clicking in order to draw an edge Lift your finger from themouse button and move the mouse parallel to one of the axes

2 As soon as the edge turns into the color of one of the axes, input thenumeric value 100 To finish, press Enter

3 The edge will be adjusted to that length Note that once moving themouse, the line can be much longer or shorter, and SketchUp will

adjust it The Enter at the end of the process will set the final length.SketchUp does not require you to be precise, but if you want to, you can setexact measurements throughout the work Thus, it is possible at every step

to decide whether to be precise or not SketchUp displays the numeric value

in the lower right-hand or left-hand corner of the drawing window, in atoolbar called Measurements There is no need and no possibility to clickthis window to enter information because SketchUp accepts numeric inputduring the drawing process This toolbar is always showing data, even if youare not typing measurements and not using this method

The principle of planning is expressed starting from a small line Aftercreating the line, when you see the result, you have the ability to inputanother value and change the length of the line Input 20 now and thenEnter, and you will be able to see the line change according to what youinputted This method always ends with Enter Each value will update theedge to the last inputted number, which reflected the SketchUp designprinciple

Continue drawing edges Note that when the cursor is opposite the startingpoint on the screen, you will see a dashed edge that connects the cursor tothe starting point and that is displayed in the "From Point" tab This is called

Inference In SketchUp, each geometry refers to another and knows the

location of the other geometries SketchUp will display as many of thesepoints as possible, which are saved during work If you want to relate tothem, click on the mouse and compete the step

The Delete function

The Erase command is the first command we will investigate that shows thedifference between edges and faces

Erasing Faces – Illustration 1

Erasing faces is done by placing the cursor above the face, right-clicking and

choosing the option Erase This action is possible for every command Note:

the loop of edges remains when the face is erased

Erasing Edges – Illustration 2

This Is done by entering the eraser tool Click on E on the keyboard or click

on Erasing edges is done only by clicking on the edge Note that erasing

is done only when the lower-left part of the eraser touches the edge Thispart looks like a circle The correct way to work is to drag (press continuously

on the click) and to pass above the edge, like when erasing on a chalkboard.The program’s graphics helps – each highlighted edge will be colored in blue.When releasing the mouse button, all the edges will be erased Clicking on atop edge that encloses a face, will erase both the edge and the face, becausefaces are defined by the borders of closed edges Erasing all edges and facestogether is possible by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A (Mac users:Cmd + A), which will display all the edges in blue and all the faces with dots,followed by pressing the Delete key on the keyboard

Creating faces from within circles and polygons,

arches, free-hand and rectangles

It’s possible to create faces from other shapes In order to create a circle,press "C" on the keyboard or press on the icon Click any place on thescreen in order to locate the center point of the circle, input the numeric

value in order to define the radius of the circle and to finish, press Enter Forexample, when you input 10 and immediately afterwards Enter, a circle with

a radius of 10 cm will be created (Illustrations 1+2)

Note: as was noted previously, the numbers and letters that are typedappear automatically in the measurement area (Values Entry Window) You

do not need to click on the box

Creating Faces from Polygons

Creation of polygons is done in a similar way In order to create a polygon,click on the command symbol Click on any place on the screen in order

to locate the center point of the polygon, input the numerical value of theradius of the polygon and click Enter (Illustrations 3+4)

Editing a Circle and a Polygon:

Right-click on the perimeter (the outlined edge) of the circle or the polygonand enter the Entity Info Tray that provides data about the edge This traycan be found in the upper right part of the screen (Mac users: Navigate toWindow > Entity Info) The data relates, among other things, to the value ofthe radius and to the number of segments Information as to the size of theface will be provided by right-clicking on the face itself and choosing EntityInfo The box grants immediate access to changes of key features of all theobjects in SketchUp, where it is possible to display or edit entities and to seehow it is carried out in the model The box that opens relates to the samemarked entity and includes detailed information

A circle that looks perfect varies according to the distance of the display Thenumber of segments should be changed only when necessary This window

is very useful, so it is recommended to leave this box open during theprocess of building the model

[Good to know!]: The default for a circle is 24 segments and for a polygon, 6segments It’s possible to change and to set the number of segments evenbefore laying out the face by typing in the number of sides and after this the

letter “S” (for segments) To finish, press Enter In this way you’ll be able to

create a polygon with the number of segments that is correct for you.SketchUp will remember the last value that was inputted, so that in the nextuse of the tool, the shape will be created according to this value It isrecommended to do this only when using the polygon tool

Experiment by changing the polygon to 12 segments by inputting 12S Also,try to turn the same face into six segments by inputting 6S or into a triangle

by inputting 3S

The difference between a circle and a polygon

From the Entity Info tray, you can edit a circle and polygon If you want, you

can adjust the number of segments and the radius of a circle and a polygon

to the same value so that in effect, it appears that with one command it ispossible to get to the same results The difference is seen when the shape ispulled into 3D, where the circle will be pulled into a perfect cylinder,whereas the polygon shows edges that separate between divisions In caseyou want to build an independent column or a perfect cylinder - use thecircle tool If you want to build a pillar from which a wall extends - use thepolygon tool

Locating the Center of a Circle and a Polygon:

In order to find the center point of a shape, hover with the mouse over one

of the green “endpoints” on the perimeter of the shape (the circumference)and move your mouse toward the center The cursor will “pop up” and a tab

with the caption "Center" will appear You can then relate to the center of

the shape and from it, you can create additional shapes Once that you haveestablished the center, SketchUp will put it into its memory and you willalways be able to relate to it

Drawing Arcs

Arcs are made up of multiple segments

connected as an edge (which can be edited

as a single arc) Starting with the 2015

version, the possibility has been expanded to

4 tools:

It is possible to run each of the tools using

the icons or via the Draw menu There are

three tools for drawing arcs and a tool for

drawing a pie

Two-Point Arc - Creating an arc according to the setting of its length withtwo points of reference

Clicking on A on the keyboard or on will turn on the command.

Methodology:

1 Click to define the beginning the arc

2 Move the cursor on one of the axes

3 Click at the endpoint or input a value + Enter for setting the length ofthe arc

4 Finally, move the cursor perpendicular to the edge in order to set thedirection and protrusion of the arc Click on the desired place or input

an exact value + Enter

Arc Tool – Creating an arc according to the middle of the arc Click on theicon in order to enter the command

Methodology:

1 Click and define the middle of the arc

2 Move the cursor in order to define the distance from the middle of thearc You can also enter a value of the radius + Enter

3 Click and define the point where the arc begins

4 Move the cursor around the protractor and click or input the desiredangle + Enter

Three-Point Arc Tool – Creating an arc according to three reference points.Click on the icon in order to enter the command

Methodology:

1 Click and define the point where the arc begins

2 Move the cursor away from the beginning point in order to define thesecond point The arc will always go through this point

3 Move the cursor and click on the endpoint An angle will appear in theValues Box and it is always possible to type in an exact value + Enter

Pie Tool – Creating pie entities Click on the icon in order to enter thecommand.

Methodology:

1 Click and define the center of the pie

2 Move the cursor and define the first arc point by clicking or inputting aradius value + Enter

3 Move the cursor around the protractor and click or input the desiredangle + Enter

Creating Rectangles While Determining Two Points

There are two ways to create rectangles: either clicking on the desire point

or inserting values

Methodology:

1 Click on the letter "R" on the keyboard, or click on the icon

2 Click on the screen at the starting point, release your finger from themouse and move the cursor to the desired place while opening therectangle

3 You can click to finish You can also input exact values, exactly like inall the other commands Input values for the opposite sides by use of a

comma between them and click on Enter on the keyboard.

The values will be inputted in the value entry edge and called Dimensions

-dimensions of the rectangle When looking from the Top, the first value will

be the width of the shape 350 (red axis) and the second a length of 200(Green axis)

[Tip:] Single Clicking on the Ctrl key will turn-on and turn-off the possibility

of starting the creation of the rectangle from its center In that case, click to

set the center, move the mouse and click on one of the corners of therectangle or type the value of the shape Even though it is presented withreference to the center, the value is for the entire shape.

Creating Rectangles while Setting the Angle of

Rotation

An additional way of creating rectangles is to create the rectangle whilesetting the angle of rotation Click on the icon in order to enter thecommand

Methodology:

1 Click and define the first corner of the rectangle

2 Move the cursor around the protractor in order to set the direction ofthe first side Click or input a value + Enter and define the second

corner The value will be the length of the side

3 Move the cursor around the protractor in order to set the direction ofthe second side Click or input a value + Enter and define the third andlast corner The value will be made up of the value of the angle,

comma, and from the value of the side

Free-hand Drawing

Freehand drawing is done by clicking on Freehand is created by clickingand dragging while drawing the desired edge When the hand releases themouse, the edge will close The edge is defined as a Curve that is made up ofsegments and is one entity By right-clicking, it’s possible to select “ExplodeCurve” and it will become individual edges equal to the number of segmentsfrom which the curve is made Within an existing face, it’s correct to draw acurve from edge to edge