SketchUp Tutorial for Beginners - Part 1 - Basic Functions

Summary

In this SketchUp Essentials tutorial, Justin introduces the basics of modeling with SketchUp 2017, suitable for new users. He covers the workspace components, including the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and workspace. The tutorial explains the concept of face modeling, using tools like line, rectangle, and push-pull for 3D extrusion. It also highlights the importance of the orbit tool for navigating the model and mentions limitations with curved surfaces, teasing the next video on building a house in SketchUp.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video is a SketchUp Essentials tutorial aimed at beginners and covers the basics of modeling with SketchUp 2017.
• 🛠 It assumes the user has already downloaded and installed SketchUp, and the tutorial is applicable for both free and Pro versions.
• 📝 The video introduces the SketchUp workspace, including the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and the workspace area for drawing models.
• 🔧 The menu bar contains essential functions like file operations, view adjustments, drawing tools, extensions, and preferences.
• 📐 Toolbars provide access to various drawing tools, and users can customize them by right-clicking and selecting options like 'large tool set'.
• 📊 The tray includes sections for adjusting model appearance, such as styles and scenes, and provides entity information for selected objects.
• 📐 The status bar provides instructions for the active tool and displays measurements, helping users understand their current actions in SketchUp.
• 🏠 SketchUp starts with a default model, which can be deleted, and includes a person model for scale reference in 3D modeling.
• 📏 SketchUp is a face modeler, creating faces between three co-planar lines, with two main components in a model: faces and lines.
• 🔲 The line tool allows drawing lines with start and endpoint selection, and precise lengths can be entered for accuracy.
• 📏 The rectangle tool is used to draw rectangles by selecting two corners, with dimensions inputted as two values separated by a comma.
• 🔑 Keyboard arrow keys can be used to lock tools to different axes, aligning drawings with the red, green, or blue planes.
• 📈 The push-pull tool extrudes 2D shapes into 3D by moving faces, and can also be used to create holes or remove material from objects.
• 🚫 SketchUp's base version does not allow for the extrusion of curved surfaces without using an extension, due to the complexity of the underlying geometry.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video?

The purpose of the video is to provide a tutorial on the basics of modeling with SketchUp 2017, suitable for new users, and to introduce the workspace and various tools available in SketchUp.

Is the tutorial suitable for both SketchUp Pro and SketchUp Make users?

Yes, the tutorial is designed to work for both SketchUp Pro and SketchUp Make users, including those using the free version of SketchUp, which is SketchUp Make.

What are the main components of the SketchUp workspace?

The main components of the SketchUp workspace include the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and the workspace area where the model is drawn.

How can users access different toolbars in SketchUp?

Users can access different toolbars in SketchUp by right-clicking on the existing toolbars and selecting from the options that appear, or by going to 'View' and then 'Toolbars' to enable or disable specific toolbars.

What is the tray in SketchUp and what does it contain?

The tray in SketchUp contains different sections for adjusting the appearance of the model, including Styles, scenes, and tools for editing and obtaining information on the objects in the model, such as the entity info for selected objects.

What does the status bar in SketchUp show?

The status bar in SketchUp shows instructions for the currently active tool and the measurements box, which contains dimensions and information related to the active object or tool.

How does SketchUp handle the creation of 3D shapes from 2D forms?

SketchUp is a face modeler, meaning it draws faces between any three co-planar lines. To create 3D shapes, users can use the push-pull tool to extrude 2D shapes into 3D objects while maintaining the geometry of the faces.

What is the push-pull tool used for in SketchUp?

The push-pull tool in SketchUp is used to extrude flat faces into 3D, creating solid objects, or to cut holes and remove material from existing 3D objects.

Can SketchUp's basic version handle the extrusion of curved surfaces?

No, the basic version of SketchUp does not allow for the extrusion of curved surfaces without the use of an extension. The software only allows for the extrusion of flat faces.

What is the orbit tool used for in SketchUp?

The orbit tool in SketchUp is used to navigate around the model, allowing users to fly around or change their viewpoint for better visualization and interaction with the model.

How can users measure distances in SketchUp?

Users can measure distances in SketchUp using the tape measure tool, which allows them to click between two points to measure the distance, or by using the entity info in the tray to see the length of selected objects.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to SketchUp Basics

This paragraph introduces the video tutorial by Justin from SketchUp Essentials, aimed at new users of SketchUp, with a brief mention that advanced users might find it basic. It assumes the viewer has SketchUp installed and will cover both the free version (SketchUp Make) and the Pro version. The tutorial begins with an overview of the SketchUp workspace, including the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and the workspace area. The menu bar is highlighted for its role in adjusting model settings, selections, and camera views. Toolbars are explained as containing drawing tools, with customization options available through right-clicking. The tray is described as a section for adjusting model appearance, including styles and scenes, and for accessing entity information. The status bar is noted for providing instructions and measurements related to the active tool, and the workspace is where the actual modeling takes place, starting with a default model that can be deleted or used for scale reference.

05:01

📐 Understanding SketchUp's Modeling Principles

The second paragraph delves into the fundamental concept of SketchUp as a face modeler, where faces are automatically created between any three co-planar lines. It explains the basic elements in a SketchUp model: faces and lines, and how they can be selected and measured. The line tool is introduced, detailing its activation, usage, and how to draw lines with specific lengths using direct mouse clicking or entering values. The paragraph also covers the use of the tape measure tool for distance measurement. Moving on to more complex shapes, the rectangle tool is explained, including how to input dimensions and lock the tool to different axes using arrow keys. The importance of understanding the orientation of shapes to the axes (blue for up and down, red and green for horizontal planes) is emphasized, allowing for precise modeling aligned with the desired plane.

10:02

🔑 Exploring Extrusion and 3D Manipulation

This section introduces the push-pull tool in SketchUp, which is essential for converting 2D shapes into 3D objects by extruding them into space while maintaining their geometric integrity. The paragraph explains how to use the push-pull tool to both add volume to shapes and create holes by extruding in the opposite direction. The orbit tool is also highlighted as a means to navigate around the model, with a special note for PC users to utilize a three-button mouse for more intuitive control. The paragraph further explains how to use the push-pull tool for subtracting material by creating arcs and then removing the defined area, leaving a curved surface. It concludes by noting the limitation that SketchUp's base functionality does not allow for the extrusion of curved surfaces without additional extensions, and the importance of understanding the underlying geometry of curves made up of flat faces.

15:03

🏠 Upcoming Tutorial on House Modeling

The final paragraph wraps up the video with an invitation for viewers to share their thoughts, especially those new to SketchUp, and to ask questions if they found any part of the tutorial confusing. The host expresses a desire to engage in conversation with the audience about SketchUp. A call to action is made for viewers to like the video, subscribe for more content, and support the channel through the website's support page or Patreon. The host thanks the viewers for their time and sets the expectation for the next video, which will focus on the basics of creating a house in SketchUp.

Keywords

💡SketchUp

SketchUp is a 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. In the video, it is the main software being discussed, with the tutorial focusing on its basic modeling tools and functions for beginners and advanced users.

💡Workspace

In the context of SketchUp, the workspace refers to the digital environment where users create and manipulate their 3D models. The script introduces the various components of the SketchUp workspace, including the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and the area where the actual modeling takes place, which is essential for understanding the layout and navigation within the software.

💡Menu Bar

The menu bar in SketchUp is located at the top of the application window and contains essential commands for file management, editing, viewing, and other preferences. It is a critical component of the SketchUp interface, as it provides access to a wide range of functionalities that affect how models are created and edited, as mentioned in the script.

💡Toolbars

Toolbars in SketchUp are panels that contain icons for various drawing tools, making it easy for users to access and use them. The script explains how toolbars can be customized and how extensions can add additional toolbars, highlighting their importance in the modeling process for quick access to tools.

💡Tray

The tray in SketchUp is a section of the interface that contains settings and tools for adjusting the appearance of the model, editing objects, and accessing information. The script describes how the tray can be used to change styles, scenes, and get entity information, which is vital for users to understand how to manipulate the visual aspects and details of their models.

💡Status Bar

The status bar in SketchUp provides real-time information about the active tool, including instructions and measurements. It is an important part of the interface as it guides the user on how to use the currently selected tool and displays the dimensions of the active object, as illustrated in the script when discussing the line tool and its use.

💡Face Modeler

As a face modeler, SketchUp allows users to create 3D objects by drawing lines and automatically inferring faces between co-planar lines. The concept is central to the video's theme of basic modeling, as it explains how SketchUp generates 3D geometry from 2D sketches, which is a fundamental aspect of the software's modeling capabilities.

💡Push Pull Tool

The push pull tool in SketchUp is used to extrude 2D shapes into 3D objects or to create holes by subtracting material. The script demonstrates how this tool can transform flat shapes into solid forms and how it can be used to add or remove material from existing 3D objects, which is a key concept in 3D modeling with SketchUp.

💡Extruding

Extruding in SketchUp refers to the process of converting a 2D shape into a 3D object by 'pulling' it into the third dimension. The script uses the example of turning a rectangle into a 3D box using the push pull tool, which is a basic yet crucial technique for creating 3D geometry in the software.

💡Inferencing

Inferencing in SketchUp is a feature that provides visual cues to help users align and position their models accurately. The script mentions how inferencing appears as dotted lines when using the push pull tool, indicating where the extrusion or hole will be made, which is an important aspect of precision modeling.

💡Curved Surfaces

The script discusses the limitations of SketchUp's base functionality when it comes to curved surfaces, noting that they are composed of flat faces and cannot be directly extruded without using an extension. This is an important point for users to understand the software's capabilities and limitations regarding organic and curved forms in 3D modeling.

Highlights

Introduction to SketchUp 2017 basics for new users and a quick overview for advanced users.

Assumption that viewers have already downloaded and installed SketchUp, applicable for both Pro and Make versions.

Explanation of SketchUp as a free version alternative with SketchUp Make.

Introduction to the SketchUp workspace components including the menu bar, toolbars, tray, status bar, and workspace.

Description of the menu bar functionalities such as file operations, view adjustments, and tool access.

Customization of toolbars through right-click options and the large tool set feature.

Use of the tray for model appearance adjustments, including styles and scenes.

Importance of the status bar for active tool instructions and measurement information.

Understanding SketchUp as a face modeler that creates faces between co-planar lines.

Basic usage of the line tool, including drawing lines and entering precise lengths.

Demonstration of the rectangle tool with axis locking for orientation and dimension input.

Extrusion of 2D shapes into 3D objects using the push pull tool.

Use of the orbit tool for navigating around the model with a three-button mouse or keyboard shortcuts.

Capability of the push pull tool to both add and subtract material from objects.

Limitation of SketchUp in extruding curved surfaces without extensions.

Upcoming tutorial on creating a house in SketchUp in the next video.

Invitation for feedback and questions from new SketchUp users.

Encouragement to like, subscribe, and support the channel for more SketchUp content.

Transcripts

what's up guys Justin here with the

SketchUp essentials.com back with

another SketchUp Essentials tutorial for

you so in this video we're going to go

through some of the basics of modeling

with SketchUp

2017 so uh if you're if you're a new

user to SketchUp this video will

introduce you to some of the basics if

you're a more advanced user you may want

to go ahead and just move on to another

tutorial but let's go ahead and just

jump into it so this video starts off

with the assumption that you've

downloaded and installed SketchUp on

your computer this video will work for

both Pro and make users um I make I may

make a video in the future just talking

about the differences between SketchUp

Pro and SketchUp make but generally

speaking um you can do all of this with

the free version of SketchUp which is

SketchUp make so we're going to start

off and we're going to do a quick

introduction to the workspace there's

several different parts of a SketchUp

workspace uh the first is the menu bar

so that's at the top of the page up here

it's got your file edit view you can

basically adjust just about anything in

here it's got things from where you

would open and save your model to things

where you would work with your different

selections and cutting and copying and

that kind of thing you can adjust all

your different camera stuff in here um

you have links to most of your drawing

Tools in here as well as some other

things like extensions and all of your

preferences and so if you want to change

something that really affects the way

SketchUp works it's probably up here and

the next thing I want to talk about is

the tool toolbars so the toolbars

contain your different drawing tools so

it's got links to all your different

drawing tools a lot of extensions that

you download we'll have toolbar links as

well and you can adjust these and turn

on and off different toolbars by right

clicking if you're right click up here

depending on what you have installed

you're going to see different things I

have I have some different extensions

installed and so I probably have more

options than someone with a brand new

installation the one thing I would

suggest is going ahead and right

clicking in here and selecting large

tool set so if you select large tool set

it's going to pop up this set of tools

on the left hand side of your screen

that's just going to have more of

sketchup's basic Tools in here you can

also adjust the toolbars that you have

by going to view toolbars and then

selecting this in here so if you want a

different toolbar in here you can just

check the box and click close the other

thing you can do is you can check this

box for large icons to make your icons

smaller or larger so you can adjust that

in your toolbar section so in addition

to your toolbar section you also have

your tray and you may not be able to see

your tray depending on how um how your

SketchUp is set up um to see your tray

go to window default tray and make sure

show tray is checked then there's a

whole bunch of boxes in here for

different things that you can adjust but

basically this is going to contain

different sections for adjusting the way

that your model looks so you can adjust

things like your Styles or your

different scenes as well as things for

editing and getting more information on

the objects in your model for example

one of the things you'll probably use a

lot of is the entity info that'll give

you information about the things that

you have selected in your model so

things like layers or if you have lines

in

here and you select a line the length of

the line will show up in here so a lot

of different information is going to

show up in your

tray there's also the status bar the

status bar contain instructions for your

currently active tool as well as your

measurements box so this is going to

contain things like if you have the line

tool active it's going to have

instructions for how to use your active

tool as well as the different dimensions

that you have in here so it'll show you

the length of the active object that you

have in here or some things have there's

there's a lot of different things

that'll show up in here but this is

where you'll look for information on

whatever tool that you have active if

you don't know what to do next there's

also a couple other options in here for

geolocation and information about things

you've downloaded from the 3D Warehouse

that we'll talk about in a future video

and then finally this is your workspace

where you're actually going to draw your

model so we're going to start off every

model starts with this default model in

here you can go ahead and click on that

and delete that you don't really need

that for anything the one nice thing

about that is it gives you a sense of

scale so like for example this person is

about actual person height in 3D and so

you can use that as kind of an idea of

how big other things are as well so if

you were to draw a house and you had

this person in here for scale and you

were to make the house this tall then

you'd know that this is probably a

little big to be a

one-story house so you can use this

person for scale if you want or you can

just delete that out I'm going to go

ahead and delete that out so the first

thing we're going to talk about is the

way SketchUp Works SketchUp is a face

modeler which basically means that

SketchUp draws faces between any three

co- planer lines so that means any three

lines that are on the same plane

SketchUp will draw a line between them

so for example if I was to activate the

line tool and I was to draw three lines

just like this if I was to draw three

lines you can see how

SketchUp drew a face in between those

lines so there's basically two different

kinds of things in a SketchUp model

there's faces and there's lines so you

can see how when I click on these lines

they turn blue that's me selecting these

lines and if I click on this face it

kind of Shades in and you can see how

things like areas show up in your entity

info in your tray so you can get

information about those different tools

so all of your different Tools in

SketchUp have different inputs and we're

going to start off very basic with the

line tool so if you come over here and

you click on the line tool then this is

going to allow you to draw a line in

SketchUp

and you can see if you look down here

when I activated that line tool by

clicking on it there's an instruction

for select your start point so that's

telling you what to do with your current

object so that says select your start

point and then once I click you can see

how now it says select endpoint or enter

value so what that's telling you is now

tell SketchUp how long you want your

line to be so you can see how as I move

my mouse

this line kind of fills in with it so

you can see where your line would go

when you set your second point so you

can click to set your second point to

draw your

line and then one other thing to note is

you can see how when I do

this if you look in the corner there's a

length option so instead of clicking

again if I want to be more precise like

let's say I wanted to draw a 10- foot

line

what I would do is I would move my mouse

in the direction that I want to draw

this line I would type in 10 and then a

foot sign and hit the inner key and what

that would do is that would draw a 10t

line from this point to this point and

we can tell that that's 10t long because

we can click on it and then look in the

entity info and see that the length is

10

ft so the other way you could check that

is you could activate this tape measure

tool that's good for measuring distances

and then you could click cck between

these two

points and you can see how down in the

corner it tells you this is 10 ft

long so some tools in SketchUp have

multiple inputs so for example if I

activate the rectangle

tool you can see how it tells me to

select my first Corner well what this is

going to

do is this is actually going to draw a

rectangle between the two points that I

select and you can see how in the Cor

corner where the line tool had one

dimmension this one has two so you can

see how this says 6'1 comma

6'1 so any object that's going to have

more than one dimension in it you just

separate the two Dimensions with a comma

so if I wanted this to be a 4tx 4T

rectangle I would just type in 4ot comma

4T and hit the inner

key and what that does is that draws a

rectangle with 4ot long side so if I

click on any of these sides my entity

info in my tray is going to say that the

length is 4T

long in addition SketchUp automatically

draws the face in between all these

lines because these are co- planer

lines and one thing I want to talk about

really quick is if I activate the

rectangle tool you can see how my

rectangle right now is blue that means

that's oriented to the blue plane so if

you look at the intersection of these

three lines SketchUp basically it gives

you these guidelines along the different

axes so the the green axis basically

runs this way the red axis runs this way

and the blue axis runs up and down so

the blue indicates up and down well you

can see how right now the little box

that's coming off of my cursor is blue

that's indicating that I'm going to draw

a face

along basically the blue Axis or the

blue plane well what SketchUp will allow

you to do is it'll allow you to tap the

arrow

keys to lock this to the different axes

so for example if I tap my right arrow

key you can see how this turns red

that's going to

draw a box along the red

plane same thing if I tap the left Arrow

key that's going to lock my tool to the

green plane and it's going to draw a box

along the green plane so you can use you

can use your keyboard to adjust the way

that different tools work in sketch up

and that'll work with the lines as well

so if I type my left Arrow key you can

see how that locked my line to the green

Axis or if I tap the right arrow key

it'll lock me to the blue one or if I

tap my up Arrow key it's going to sorry

if I tap my right it'll lock me to the

red axis if I tap the up key you can see

how it locks this tool to the blue axis

we'll get into that a little more later

so now that we've talked about a couple

couple of the drawing tools we're going

to talk about extruding an object into

3D and so what that means is let's say I

have a rectangle like this and I want it

to be a 3D rectangle what we're going to

do is we're going to use a tool called

the push pull tool which is basically

this little icon with a little box and a

red arrow sticking out of it so if I

click on that then I click on a flat

face what that's going to do is that's

going to take an object and extrude it

or move it into 3D um so that it has

so that it maintains all of these

different faces in these different sides

so if I was to move this using the move

tool you can see how all it does is

moves this face around but if I use the

push pull tool it extrudes it so

basically it takes this face it moves it

up and it creates all this corresponding

geometry so this stays as kind of a

solid object one tool that's going to be

really important for you is going to be

the orbit tool so the orbit tool is just

going to allow you to fly around your

model or your object and one thing

that's kind of important for PC users is

to use a three button Mouse so you want

to use a mouse with a scroll wheel

because what you can do is you can just

click and hold that Center Mouse button

and orbit around your model you can also

go up to

camera and select orbit and then click

and drag with your left Mouse button or

you can click on that little icon over

here as well and then click and drag or

you can tap the o key to activate the

orbit tool and click and drag but the

fastest thing is going to be to hold

down your Center Mouse button and drag

your mouse to orbit around your model so

and you can see how I use the push pull

tool to extrude this object into 3D well

not only can you extrude objects into 3D

you can also use this to cut holes in

different faces so if I come in here and

I draw a circle then I activate the push

pull tool and I click and I move my

mouse you can see if I move my mouse out

it'll extrude this circle out into three

but it'll also you can see how as I move

my

mouse backwards along this

face it'll extrude a hole into my shape

so if I click anywhere on this back face

you can see how this is drawing a little

dotted line out here that's called

inferencing that's basically telling you

once you've activated the push pull tool

that you can move this

out and you can see how you can do it

without having your mouse over your

object so all I have to do is move this

to the back face and then no matter

where I click on this face it's going to

EXT you're basically telling it the

length to extrude that hole so if I

click on that face now and I finish that

Extrusion and then I rotate around you

can see how that actually you can see

how that actually cut a hole along this

face so you can use the push pull tool

to add and

subtract material not only can you use

that to create a hole in an object you

can also use that to remove material

material so if I come to this corner and

I draw an arc across it and then I use

the push pull tool you can see how

that's removing material from my object

and if I click on this back face it'll

remove that material completely and just

leave this as a curved face along this

Edge and the last thing I'm going to

talk about in this video is you cannot

extrude or push pull curve surfaces um

in SketchUp without using an extension

so the base SketchUp won't allow you to

push pull a curved surface and here's

why if you go up to view and you click

this box for hidden geometry you can

basically see the geometry that makes up

this face and you see how as I move my

mouse over these different

faces it kind of Shades them in that's

because Curves in SketchUp I'll zoom in

a little bit so you can see aren't

actually made up of real curving faces

what they're made up of is a whole bunch

of different segments and flat faces so

you can see how when you look at this

these are all actually flat faces so if

I was to click on one of those you can

extrude that out with the hidden

geometry turned on but it won't allow

you to push pull this whole curve face

because then you'd be trying to extrude

multiple faces at once and there are

some extensions that can do that but a

basic SketchUp model won't let you do

that so and then you can go back to view

and check this box for hidden geometry

you can check that box for hidden

geometry to turn to turn all that hidden

geometry back off in the next video

we're going to talk about the B basics

of creating a house so we'll go through

and create our actual first model in

SketchUp so that's where we're going to

wrap up part one of this video leave a

comment below let me know what you

thought are you new to SketchUp um is

there something you'd like to do that

you don't know how to do was any of this

confusing for you I just love having

that SketchUp conversation with you guys

if you like this video please remember

to click that like button down below if

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content every week if you like what I'm

doing on this channel please consider

visiting my support me page on my

website that's the SketchUp

essentials.com support that has

everything from extensions you can

purchase to support the show to links to

my patreon page but in any case thank

you so much for taking the time to watch

this I really appreciate it and I will

catch you in the next video thanks guys