# My SketchUp Basics



## AnotherEye (17 Feb 2007)

I'm a London based designer/maker and I've just joined this forum. I thought I'd make this my first contribution.
Whether or not you've ever used SketchUp before; follow this little tutorial and you will learn a few things that will make a big difference to your modelling in the future. I've been using SU for over 3 years and I use this method every time. Before I discovered it I got myself in a mess from time to time, now I don't.

I'm going to assume that the free version of SU is much the same as SU5, Mac version, (which I am familiar with) if you're using SU6pro, or are in Windows, there might be a few differences.
There are a number of keyboard shortcuts that I use but I've not mentioned them in this tutorial; instead I've used menus throughout.

Here I'm going to show you how to create a template for a basic carcass.

Open a new window in SU. Click on the 'Iso' button in the standard views (or: Camera>Standard>Iso). Invariably it is easier to draw in this view.
Make sure that the axis are visible ((View>Axis).
Go to: Window>Model Info>Units and select your preference (I have: Decimal, Millimetres, Precision: 0mm). In the Window menu open the 'Layers'; 'Display Settings'; 'Pages' and the 'Entity Info' windows. Position them where you want as you're going to keep them permanently open.
Choose the rectangle tool and, starting from the point where the 3 axis meet, draw a rectangle to represent the width and depth (ie. the plan) of the unit that you want to draw (as I write; I'm drawing a simple wardrobe carcass: I've drawn the rectangle between the red and green axis then typed 500,1000 and press return). Now use the zoom (mouse wheel) to adjust your view so that plenty of empty space around the object (if you don't have a mouse wheel; select the Zoom tool and drag it up or down the page).
Select the Push/Pull tool; drag the rectangle up any distance then type the height that you want (2200) and press return.
Select the 'Orbit' tool and adjust your view if you need to then click on the 'Zoom Extents" tool. Now select the 'Select' tool.
In the Layers window: click 'Add' you will see 'Layer1' appear. Type Carcass to name it then click 'Add' again and type 'Outline'. You now have 3 layers. Notice the little radio button selected next to Layer0. This means that it is selected as the active layer: All new geometry is drawn here. The golden Rule is to ALWAYS KEEP LAYER ZERO AS THE ACTIVE LAYER (Like all rules there are times for them to be put aside but there have been so few occasions when I have done this that I cannot remember the specific details).
Next: Edit>Select All, then Edit>'Make Group'; now while the group is still selected; move it to the Outline layer as follows: in the 'Entity Info' window: select 'Outline in the drop down menu.

We're going to make the object into a skeleton: double click on it and then in the 'Display Settings' window: uncheck the 'Edges' and 'Profiles' boxes. Now, 'Select All' and press backspace; this will delete the faces. Now put the tick back into the Edges box and the click once outside the group so that it is de-selected. In the top right of the display settings window there is a triangle arrow pointing down; click on it to extend the window and then choose 'By Axis' in the 'Edge Color' menu. As you can see the edges of the drawing are now the same colour as the axis that they are parallel to, this is a sure way of seeing that your lines are how you want them.

Next we're going to create four pages: Whilst you still have the outline in full view; uncheck the 'Visible' boxes next to the Carcass and Outline layers in the Layers window. You should now only see the axis. In the 'Pages' window click 'Add'. Now tick the visibility next to Outline in the 'Layers' window and de-select 'Axis' in the 'View' menu; then click 'Add' again in the 'Pages' window. This will create page2. Next, untick the Outline and tick the Carcass in the Layers window (you should now have a completely empty window) and then 'Add' another page. Lastly; create Page4 with all three layers visible.
You will see that along the top of your window that you have buttons for each page, you can toggle between them as you wish. If you like you can re-name them in the 'Pages' window; just click on the arrow to extend this window in the same way as you extended the 'Display Settings' window. You might want to create another page showing you Edge Colour as 'Default'.

Select page2. Trace over the near side of the outline by dragging the rectangle tool between 2 opposite corners. Now switch to Page1 (this hides the outline) and, with the push/pull tool, drag the rectangle that you have just drawn away from you and then type 18 and press return. Now; 'Select All' then 'Group' and whilst it is still selected choose 'Carcass' in the Entity Info window, the side will seem to disappear.
Choose to view in Page4: select the side and then the 'move' tool. To copy the side; hover the move tool over the bottom right corner (you might need to zoom in a bit) and hold down 'alt' (on a Mac; for Windows: look up "copy move" in the Help) then click on the corner and move across to the far side of the outline, when it is position let go of the mouse button. If you had to zoom in then just click again on Page4 to return to full view. De-select the object.
I've now covered the important fundamentals of this method. You can now draw the bottom and copy it to the top and then draw the back. When you've done this you can save it as a template if you want.

Whenever you have drawn a new object; click on Page1, this will hide everything else so that you can 'Select All' and 'Group' very swiftly. You then move it to another layer straight away.

Any questions?


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## dennyk (17 Feb 2007)

Thank you Gerry
I have only just got SU, your post should come in useful


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## Philly (17 Feb 2007)

Welcome to the forum Gerry!
Thanks for the tutorial-will try it out now.
Cheers
Philly


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## SketchUp Guru (19 Feb 2007)

Very interesting, Gerry. I've never thought about setting up pages ahead of time to do this sort of thing. I will give it a try. I am curious about one thing, though. Don't you find SU's tendency to orbit around to a specific view when each Scene tab is selected a bit annoying? I orbit frequently as I'm working on my models and would find it a pain to always end up having to orbit around to get back to my view.

I do agree with you about always keeping Layer 0 as the active one and have frequently mentioned that.

I find it easier to work with Perspective turned on since SUs inferencing works well and prefer to make components instead of groups even when I won't have multiples of those components.

Everyone has a different way of working though and that's good.

Dave


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## AnotherEye (19 Feb 2007)

Hi Dave,
When I've finished drawing I'll delete all the pages and then create new ones for my presentation.
In the method I've described; it's not really the view that I'm interested in saving, it's the visibility of different layers.
Sometimes I just use the layers window for this and keep the view the same. Alternatively; keep your view by clicking on the 'Previous' button immediately after changing from one page to another (especially when you've got lots of layers).
I also set up pages if I'm "knitting" between 2 distant objects and want to get in close to them: just keep working with the line tool and switching between 2 pages (then I delete the pages when I'm done).
Yes, perspective makes it easier; sometimes I work with a very wide lens (22mm).
By the way; since I posted this thread I've started to present it as an illustrated pdf to make it more accessible to newbies (and to practice with LayOut which has so much potential); I'll post it here soon.


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## Newbie_Neil (22 Feb 2007)

Hi Gerry

Welcome to the forum and thank you for an excellent first post.

Cheers
Neil


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## AnotherEye (23 Feb 2007)

You can download an illustrated pdf of this tutorial at:
http://forum.sketchup.com/attachment.ph ... 1172222647


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## lucky9cat (26 Feb 2007)

Gerry

I downloaded SU on Saturday and have completed a half decent drawing of a project. This was all on one layer and one page! Having done the tutorial I can really see the use of these facilities. Thanks, and look forward to some more.

Cheers, Ted


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## AnotherEye (27 Feb 2007)

Hi Ted,
welcome to the world of SketchUp. I'm glad you found the tutorial useful. I hope it's a good way to introduce some of the basics.
As you've just begun using SU you are probably the best person to ask: what should follow this first tutorial? Bearing in mind it is for furniture makers. Now that you've got going; what do you need to learn next?
I'm not just asking Ted, all answers welcome.


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## lucky9cat (28 Feb 2007)

Gerry

What I liked about your tutorial in particular was that it was not about specific drawing tools and techniques but more to do with getting yourself organised in order to get the best out of SU. Invariably, I find myself having to go back to change the size of pieces or even the main dimensions. What's the best way to organise yourself to make this as easy as it can be? Should each of the projects pieces be on a separate Layer? What's the idea behind Make Group and Make Component.

I haven't yet looked at all of the other posts with SU hints and tips and apologize if this stuff has already been covered elsewhere.

Thanks once again.

Cheers, Ted


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## AnotherEye (3 Mar 2007)

Ted,
briefly; I use construction lines a lot when I'm re-sizing pieces. I don't have a different layer for every piece. Say I'm drawing a wardrobe in a room. I'll have the room in one Layer; the wardrobe in another and the doors in another. If I'm changing something in the wardrobe; and a piece, or pieces, are in my way I might create a temporary layer to move them to (and then move them back when done). As you rightly noticed; my tutorial is about getting organised. Now that you've learnt that you can use layers with scenes (pages) in different ways for different models.
I need to get into the habit of making components instead of groups. The advantage is that eg. if you have 2 identical doors then when you make a change to one it will apply to the other as well. If you don't want this to happen you can always make it unique. You also have a smaller file size when using components.
I don't have time to do another tutorial at present so I hope this helps (also got a hangover)


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## AnotherEye (3 Sep 2007)

The link above is dead )as is the old SU forum).
You can download the tutorial her:
http://www.sketchucation.com/scf/downlo ... 677214aca4
When downloaded just change the php to pdf and it will open


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## special bone (3 Oct 2007)

Don't suppose you fancy doind a tutorial on how to create dovetailed joints do you? Basic joints would do for starters, I'm guessing you can link things together so if you resize them they still match up?

Cheers

Rich


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## Nick W (3 Oct 2007)

You need to check the SU tutorials at the top of this forum, Dave has already got this one covered.


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## SketchUp Guru (4 Oct 2007)

Also see this video tutorial of mine for some ideas..

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=855969571


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## special bone (4 Oct 2007)

Nick W":3ow4h11b said:


> You need to check the SU tutorials at the top of this forum.



 I must learn to read before posting  .


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