SketchUp

[sawdust maker]

Can I use the free download it draw furniture. The desk top on the one I have only has a few tools at the top. Can I change the scale? It appears ok if I want to draw a house.

 

[DomValente]

Hello Sawdust.
Scroll through the design section and you will find the answer to every question you could want, and some you don't, don't do a search, to random.

 

[Alf]

Try starting with this thread.

Cheers, Alf

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Can I use the free download it draw furniture. The desk top on the one I have only has a few tools at the top. Can I change the scale? It appears ok if I want to draw a house.

Sorry furniture is off limits. You can only draw houses and feral cats. Just kidding. Of course you can draw furniture.

Before you try to draw anything more, set up your starting template. Do the following. (I assume you are using a PC)

Go to Window>Model Info>Units.
Set Format to Decimal and choose Millimeters or Centimeters (your choice)
Set Precision to 0.01 or 0.001
Uncheck enable length snapping.
Close the Model Info dialog box by clicking on the X in the upper right corner.
Click Window>Styles and select the Edit tab. Click on the wireframe box and uncheck Profiles.
Click on the tan box and then on the blue box next to Back color. In the Picker, choose HLS and set the sliders to 359,60 and 45.
Click OK.
Go to the next box Background Settings.
Turn off sky and ground. Change the Background color to white by clicking on the colored square and then adjusting the sliders.
Click OK
Now go to View>Toolbars and uncheck Getting started or Large tool set (whichever is checked. Then put check marks next to the following Toolbar names
Camera
Construction
Drawing
Face Style
Modification
Prinicpal
Shadows
Standard
Views
Walkthrough
You'll have to do those one at a time but this should be a one time thing.

Hit Ctrl+A and then Delete to eliminate whatever component loads with SU.

Now get the Rectangle tool and draw a square that has one corner on the origin and has edges running along the solid green and red axes. Click on the axes with the tool and drag click again and set the size to 1200mm square. Type 1200mm,1200mm and hit Enter. (Don't click anywhere to type. Just draw the rectangle using two clicks of the mouse. Let go of the mouse and start typing. The numbers will show in the lower right corner in the VCB.

Hit Zoom Extents

Get the Push/Pull tool and pull the square into a box. Pull up in the direction of the solid blue axis. Click type 1200mm. Hit Enter.

Click Zoom Extents again.

Hit Ctrl+A and Delete.

Click File>Save as (not just Save).

For the Save in location navigate to Google\Google SketchUp\Templates and save the file with a name you can remember for 2 more minutes at least.

After saving the file go to Window>Preferences>Templates.

Browse to find the file you just saved and choose it from the list. Click Open and then OK.

Close SU. Reopen SU and check to see that your background is white. Go to Window>Model info>Units and chaeck to see that the units are as you set them. If so, you should be good to go.

What you did with this is established a starting point for your drawing. You set a zoom level that will be pretty good as a starting point for drawing furniture. You set the drawing untis and precision to something reasonable for woodworking. You also set the view window to white--easier to work with. You lso set the back face color to a more noticeable color than the default color. This will help you catch those reversed faces early and repair them. Trust me when I say you want to stay on top of face orientation.

Then, as ALF suggests, go look at the tutorials and other information already in this forum. There's lots of stuff to read that should get you going.

G'luck.

Dave

Get the Push/Pull tool and pull the square up into a box

 

[sawdust maker]

Thank Dave R

Looks like the info I needed. Bit late to try it tonight. Will have a go tomorrow.

Thanks again Paul