Master in 3D Design & Visualization: Sketchup+Layout+Lumion

MAC OSX

Recommended hardware

• 2.1+ GHz processor or current generation Apple M1 processor

• 8GB RAM

• 700 MB of available hard drive space

• 3D-class video card with 1GB of memory or more and supports hardware acceleration. Make sure your video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.0 or higher and is up to date.

• 3-button scroll wheel mouse

• An Internet connection is required to authorize SketchUp and use some features.

Minimum Hardware

• 2.1+ GHz Intel™ processor

• 4GB RAM

• 500 MB of available hard disk space.

• 3D-class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and supports hardware acceleration. Make sure your video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.0 or higher and is up to date

• 3-button mouse with scroll wheel

WINDOWS

Recommended Hardware

• 2+GHz processor

• 8+ GB of RAM

• 700 MB of available hard drive space

• 3D-class video card with 1GB of memory or more and supports hardware acceleration. Make sure your video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.0 or higher and is up to date.

• 3-button mouse with scroll wheel

Minimum Hardware

• 1GHz processor

• 4GB RAM

• 16 GB of total hard drive space

• 500MB of free hard drive space

• 3D-class video card with 512 MB of memory or higher and supports hardware acceleration. Make sure your video card driver supports OpenGL version 3.0 or higher and is up to date

To install SketchUp through its website, follow these steps:

Downloading and Installing SketchUp from the Website

1. Visit the SketchUp Website:

   • Go to SketchUp's official download page.

2. Choose Your Version:

   • You'll be presented with options for different versions of SketchUp, such as SketchUp Free (web-based), SketchUp Pro (paid), and SketchUp Studio.  This course is done with the Pro version.

3. Select the Appropriate Version:

   • Choose the version you want to download. If you're interested in trying SketchUp Pro, click on "Download SketchUp Pro". If you want the free trial, select the "Try SketchUp" option.

4. Fill Out the Required Information:

   • You may be prompted to fill out a form with your name, email address, and other details. This is necessary to get the download link.

5. Download the Installer:

   • After completing the form, you'll receive a link to download the installer. Click on the link to start the download.

6. Run the Installer:

   • Once the download is complete, locate the installer file on your computer (usually in the Downloads folder).

   • Double-click the installer file to run it.

Templates in SketchUp are predefined settings that help you start your projects with the appropriate units, styles, and tool settings for your specific needs. Using the right template can save you time and ensure your models adhere to the standards required for your projects.

Choosing a Template in SketchUp

1. Open SketchUp:

   • Launch SketchUp from your desktop or Start menu.

2. Choose a Template on Startup:

   • When you open SketchUp for the first time or create a new file, you’ll see the “Welcome to SketchUp” dialog box.

3. Select a Template:

   • In the “Template” tab of the dialog box, choose from a list of available templates, such as:

     • Architectural Design - Feet and Inches

     • Simple - Feet and Inches

     • Interior Design - Millimeters

     • Urban Planning - Meters

     • Product Design - Millimeters

4. Click on a Template:

   • Click on the template that best matches your project requirements. SketchUp will load the selected template.

Changing the Default Template

1. Open SketchUp:

   • Launch SketchUp.

2. Go to Preferences:

   • On Windows: Window > Preferences

   • On Mac: SketchUp > Preferences

3. Select the Template Category:

   • In the Preferences dialog box, click on “Template”.

4. Choose a New Default Template:

   • Select your preferred template from the list.

5. Click OK:

   • Click OK to save your changes. This template will be used for new files from now on.

Customizing and Saving Templates

1. Open a Template:

   • Start with a predefined template that is closest to what you need.

2. Customize Settings:

   • Adjust units: Window > Model Info > Units

   • Change styles: Window > Styles

3. Save as Template:

   • Once you have customized your settings, go to File > Save As Template.

   • Name and describe your template, and check “Set as default template” if you want to make it your default.

Tips for Using Templates

• Consistency: Ensure consistency across your projects, especially in a team setting or when adhering to standards.

• Efficiency: Save time and reduce errors by starting with the right template for your project type.

• Organization: Create and use custom templates for different types of projects (e.g., architectural, interior design) to stay organized.

Using templates effectively in SketchUp helps streamline your workflow, maintain consistency, and meet project standards efficiently.

In SketchUp, the Preferences dialog allows you to customize various settings to tailor the application to your workflow. These settings include general preferences, template selection, shortcuts, extensions, and more.

General

• Autosave: Set the interval for automatic saving of your work to prevent data loss.

• Backup: Enable or disable the creation of backup files.

• Warnings: Manage warning messages and alerts that appear during your work.

Templates

• Selecting a Default Template:

  • Choose your preferred default template for new projects. This includes various templates like Architectural Design, Simple, Interior Design, and more.

  • You can change this setting anytime to match the requirements of different types of projects.

Files

• File Locations: Set default file paths for saving and opening files, components, materials, styles, and more.

• File Formats: Specify default formats for exporting files, such as .skp, .jpg, .png, .dxf, and more.

Shortcuts

• Customize Keyboard Shortcuts:

  • Assign custom keyboard shortcuts to various tools and commands for faster access.

  • Add, remove, or modify shortcuts by selecting a function and pressing the desired key combination.

Extensions

• Manage Installed Extensions:

  • View a list of installed extensions and enable or disable them as needed.

  • Access the Extension Warehouse or SketchUcation Plugin Store to find and install additional extensions.

OpenGL

• Graphics Settings:

  • Adjust settings related to your graphics card, such as anti-aliasing and texture size.

  • Useful for optimizing performance based on your hardware capabilities.

Workspace

• Customize Toolbar and Workspace Layout:

  • Save and restore custom toolbar layouts.

  • Reset toolbars to their default positions if needed.

In SketchUp, the Model Info dialog box allows you to manage and customize various aspects of your model, such as units, dimensions, statistics, geolocation, and more. This helps you maintain consistency and control over your model's settings throughout your project.

Key Model Info Options

Units

• Set Units:

  • Choose the units for your model (e.g., inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, meters).

  • Specify precision levels for length, area, and volume.

• Enable Length Snapping:

  • Enable or disable length snapping and set the snapping interval.

Dimensions

• Customize Dimensions:

  • Set the format for dimensions (e.g., fractional, decimal, architectural).

  • Adjust the precision, arrow style, and text height for dimensions.

Text

• Text Settings:

  • Customize default text settings for leader text and screen text.

  • Set the font, size, and color for text annotations in your model.

Rendering

• Edge and Face Style:

  • Adjust the display settings for edges (e.g., profile, depth cue, extension) and faces (e.g., front color, back color).

  • Enable or disable transparency and back edges.

Statistics

• Model Statistics:

  • View detailed statistics about your model, including the number of edges, faces, groups, components, and more.

  • Purge unused items to clean up your model and reduce file size.

Geolocation

• Set Geolocation:

  • Set the geographic location of your model by entering latitude and longitude coordinates.

  • Import a location from Google Earth to place your model accurately on the globe.

Animation

• Animation Settings:

  • Adjust settings for scene transitions, including delay time, transition time, and loop settings.

File

• File Information:

  • View information about your model file, such as the file name, size, and path.

  • Set the thumbnail preview for the file.

In SketchUp, the workspace is the environment where you create and manipulate your 3D models. Customizing your workspace can enhance your efficiency and make the design process smoother. Here's a guide to understanding and customizing the SketchUp workspace:

Components of the SketchUp Workspace

1. Drawing Area:

   • The main area where you create and edit your models.

2. Toolbars:

   • Contains tools for creating and modifying models. Toolbars can be customized to include your most-used tools.

3. Menu Bar:

   • Located at the top, it provides access to all SketchUp commands and features.

4. Default Tray (Windows) / Inspector (Mac):

   • Contains panels like Entity Info, Components, Styles, Materials, and more. It can be customized to show only the panels you use frequently.

5. Status Bar:

   • Located at the bottom, it shows helpful tips and prompts related to the current tool or command.

   
   

In SketchUp, navigation and view settings are crucial for efficiently working on your 3D models. Understanding how to control these aspects helps you interact with your model from different angles and perspectives. Here’s a guide on navigation, views, and projection types in SketchUp:

Navigation

Orbit

• Tool: Orbit tool (or hold O key).

• Function: Rotate the camera view around the model.

• Usage: Click and drag with the Orbit tool to rotate the view. Hold the middle mouse button or scroll wheel while dragging to orbit around.

Pan

• Tool: Pan tool (or hold H key).

• Function: Move the camera view horizontally or vertically.

• Usage: Click and drag with the Pan tool to move the view. Hold Shift while using the Orbit tool to pan.

Zoom

• Tool: Zoom tool (or hold Z key).

• Function: Zoom in or out to see more or less of the model.

• Usage: Scroll the mouse wheel or click and drag with the Zoom tool. You can also use the Zoom Extents command (Zoom Extents icon or double-click the scroll wheel).

Views

Standard Views

• Top View: Shows the model from above. To switch, go to Camera > Standard Views > Top or press Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + T (Mac).

• Front View: Shows the model from the front. Go to Camera > Standard Views > Front or press Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + F (Mac).

• Right View: Shows the model from the right side. Go to Camera > Standard Views > Right or press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac).

• Left View: Shows the model from the left side. Go to Camera > Standard Views > Left or press Ctrl + Shift + L (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + L (Mac).

• Back View: Shows the model from behind. Go to Camera > Standard Views > Back or press Ctrl + Shift + B (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + B (Mac).

• Iso Views: For isometric views, go to Camera > Standard Views and choose an isometric view such as Iso Top or Iso Front.

Projection Types

Perspective Projection

• Description: Perspective projection simulates the way the human eye perceives depth. Parallel lines appear to converge towards a vanishing point.

• Usage: This is the default view mode and is ideal for creating realistic representations of 3D models.

• Switching to Perspective: Go to Camera > Perspective to ensure you are in perspective mode.

Parallel Projection (Orthographic)

• Description: Parallel projection (also known as orthographic projection) shows the model without perspective distortion. Lines remain parallel and do not converge.

• Usage: Useful for technical drawings, blueprints, and architectural plans where true dimensions and angles are required.

• Switching to Parallel Projection:

  • Go to Camera > Parallel Projection.

  • Use standard views to view the model in different orthographic projections (e.g., Top, Front).

HIGHLIGHTS

• We can select a geometry by making a box from: left to right or from right to left. The first selects only the complete elements inside the box. The second selects all the elements that are inside the box, even if it is incomplete

• We can also select a surface or edge with a mouse click, two clicks to select a surface and its contour edges and three clicks for a volume

In SketchUp, selection tools are crucial for efficiently working with objects in your model. They help you select, manipulate, and modify entities such as edges, faces, groups, and components. Here’s a guide to the selection tools in SketchUp:

Selection Tools

1. Select Tool

• Tool: Select tool (default cursor).

• Function: Select individual or multiple entities in your model.

• Usage:

  • Single Click: Click on an edge, face, or group/component to select it.

  • Drag Selection: Click and drag a selection box around multiple entities. The selection box must encompass at least a portion of the entities you want to select.

  • If you do it from left to right, you will select just entire entities inside your selection

  • If you do it from right to left, you will select all the entites touched by your selection box

2. Select All

• Command: Edit > Select All or Ctrl + A (Windows) / Cmd + A (Mac).

• Function: Select all entities in the current model or active selection.

3. Lasso Tool

• Tool: Lasso tool (accessed via the Select tool menu).

• Function: Draw a freeform selection area around entities.

• Usage:

  • Click and drag to create a freeform selection area. Entities enclosed within the lasso will be selected.

You can download a PDF with all the shortcuts

HIGHILIGHTS

• Lines and surfaces are the bricks of Sketchup

• Every single model is done by lines and surfaces

• When we close three or more lines in a coplanar plane we create a surface

• If we eliminate a line which is part of a surface, the surface will dissapear

• In Sketchup models are not solids. We work instead with lines and surfaces as an origami

HIGHLIGHTS

• Groups and components have similar properties but at the same time are different.

• When we make a group is like if we create a box and we place the geometry seleced inside. It is the same as when we create folders in Windows os Mac and we put inside different files.

• Thanks to groups the geometry is not gonna glue with eachother

• We can have groups inside groups like a matrioshka doll

• We will use the outliner to understand groups organization of the file.

• Components will have the same properties as the groups and few more

• Thanks to components any change in one copy will affect the rest of the copies

• We will use components when we are working with modular elements as pillars, windows, doors, wc, etc...

HIGHLIGHTS

• The outliner helps us to understand and organize the model in terms of hierarchy

• Simple geometry doesnt appear in the outliner

• Groups appear in the outliner represented by a square

• Components are represented by a square divided in four

• We can select, copy, erase, etc...using the outliner

  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

• Objects in Sketchup are formed through surfaces. They are not solid even though they appear to be.

• To get them to behave like solids we will use the Bolean operations tools

• Surfaces have a front color and a back color. You have to orient the front color towards the camera to avoid producing errors in the renderings later, when we apply textures to them.

• These errors can appear too if we want to use a 3D printer for our model.

HIGHLIGHTS

• It is very important to draw based on guide lines previously

• Guide lines are drawn from some point on a real edge, which is not a vertex

• The guide points are drawn from the vertex of real edges or from endpoints of those edges

HIGHLIGHTS

• The width and length measurements of a rectangle must be separated by a semicolon

• Type the number of sides directly in the exact measurements bar as soon as we select the tool

• Once the rectangle/circle/polygon has been drawn, that number of sides could also be changed from the entity's default information tray (will be seen later)

  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

• To build an arc that is not too polygonal, we must change the number of sides

• The two-point arc is widely used in Sketchup for drawing curved elements

• To draw a curve with continuity, we must look at the colors that the arc tool marks us, to draw tangents to the last curve

HIGHLIGHTS

• Face styles are part of the default styles tray

• Solid with textures: to see our elements with their applied textures

• X-rays:  we can detect edges and vertex that are behind different surfaces and work with more agility.

• The use of X-rays is essential to draw skillfully in Sketchup

HIGHLIGHTS

The eraser tool has many different functions:

• erase: just hit the tool and drag it over the lines. It doesnt work with surfaces

• select: drag it over the lines you wanna select and press space bar too before you release

• hide: drag+shift

• soften: drag+Ctr

• smooth: drag+Ctr

• unsoften/unsmooth: drag+ shift+Ctr

We have as well the Soften edges tray

HIGHLIGHTS

• The push/pull tool is the main tool for making volumes

• To make a supplementary extrusion keeping the original surface, you have to press the letter ctrl (win) or alt (mac)

• We can make positive and negative extrusions depending on whether we add volume or subtract it

HIGHLIGHTS

• To move an element you have to mark a start point and an end point in a given direction

• If we want to copy an element, we must press ctrl (win) or alt (mac) after selecting the starting point of the movement

• To make a multiple copy we must make a first copy, and then, without deselecting the element, insert * or / , depending on the type of copy we need

HIGHLIGHTS

• If we want to copy an element, we must press ctrl (win) or alt (mac) after selecting the starting point of the movement

• To make a multiple copy we must make a first copy, and then, without deselecting the element, insert * or / , depending on the type of copy we need

HIGHLIGHTS

• To rotate an element we need, first of all, to mark the plane on which the rotation is to be performed. For that when we press the left mouse button, we must keep it pressed and move the mouse to be able to choose between the different planes

• To copy while rotating, the process is the same as when we make a copy with the move tool

HIGHLIGHTS

• We can scale with the scale tool or with the tape measure tool

• To scale proportionally we must strech out a grab point located at a corner

• If we press the letter ctrl(win) or alt(mac) while scaling, we set the anchor point in the center of the geometry

• The measure tool scales all geometry in the scene proportionally (except external components)

HIGHLIGHTS

The order to use the follow me tool is as follows:

1- select the path

2- select the follow me tool

3- select the area I want to extrude around the path

HIGHLIGHTS

• To be able to use the solids tools the elements have to be groups

• If the solid is not detected even though it is a group, it is because there is some error in the geometry that we must detect and repair

HIGHLIGHTS

• The measure tool has four functions: measure, guide line, guide point and scale (the whole drawing)

• The protractor tool is used to measure angles through guide line drawn with the given angle

The Text tool in SketchUp is a versatile feature that allows you to add annotations, dimensions, and labels to your 3D models. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use the Text tool effectively in SketchUp:

Adding Simple Text Annotations

1. Select the Text Tool:

   • You can activate the Text tool by clicking on the "Text" icon in the toolbar or by going to Tools > Text from the menu bar. You can also use the keyboard shortcut T.

2. Click to Place Text:

   • Click on the location in your model where you want to place the text. This can be on a specific point, edge, face, or in empty space.

3. Enter Text:

   • After clicking, a text input box will appear. Type the desired text and press Enter to finish.

Adding Screen Text (Always Facing the Camera)

1. Select the Text Tool:

   • As with simple text annotations, activate the Text tool.

2. Click in Empty Space:

   • Click somewhere in the empty space of your model, not directly on geometry. This ensures that the text will always face the camera.

3. Enter Text:

   • Type the text you want to display and press Enter.

Adding Leader Text (with a Leader Line)

1. Select the Text Tool:

   • Activate the Text tool from the toolbar or menu.

2. Click on a Point, Edge, or Face:

   • Click on the specific point, edge, or face you want to annotate. A leader line will automatically extend from the object to the text.

3. Enter Text:

   • Type your annotation and press Enter.

In SketchUp, dimensions are used to provide precise measurements and annotations for your 3D models. This is crucial for creating detailed, accurate designs and for communicating measurements to others. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to use dimensions in SketchUp:

Using the Dimension Tool in SketchUp

Adding Dimensions

1. Activate the Dimension Tool:

   • You can activate the Dimension tool by clicking on the “Dimension” icon in the toolbar or by selecting Tools > Dimensions from the menu bar. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut D.

2. Select Points to Dimension:

   • Click on the first point you want to measure from.

   • Move your cursor to the second point you want to measure to and click again.

3. Place the Dimension Line:

   • After selecting the two points, move the cursor to position the dimension line. Click to place the dimension line where it is most readable and practical.

4. Adjusting the Dimension:

   • You can click and drag the dimension text or endpoints to adjust its position for clarity.

Types of Dimensions

1. Linear Dimensions:

   • Measure the distance between two points in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically.

2. Aligned Dimensions:

   • Measure the distance between two points along a specified line that is not necessarily horizontal or vertical.

3. Angular Dimensions:

   • Measure the angle between two lines or edges. Activate the Protractor tool for precise angle measurements.

4. Radius and Diameter Dimensions:

   • Measure the radius or diameter of circles and arcs. Click on the edge of the circle or arc to display these dimensions.

Customizing Dimensions

1. Editing Text:

   • Double-click on the dimension text to edit it. You can add prefixes, suffixes, or replace the measurement with custom text.

2. Formatting:

   • Adjust the appearance of dimensions by going to Window > Model Info > Dimensions. Here, you can change font style, size, units, and arrow styles.

3. Units:

   • Set the units for dimensions (inches, feet, millimeters, etc.) in Window > Model Info > Units. This ensures that dimensions display in the units you are working with.

Tips for Using Dimensions

• Snapping: Ensure that snapping is enabled to make accurate selections of points. Snapping helps in aligning dimensions precisely with the geometry of your model.

• Groups and Components: When dimensioning within groups or components, make sure to enter the group or component to ensure dimensions are correctly associated.

• Layer Management: Organize dimensions on different layers to keep your model organized. This allows you to control the visibility of dimensions without affecting the model geometry.

• Dimension Style: Maintain a consistent dimension style throughout your model for a professional look. Adjust settings in the Model Info dialog to match your project's requirements.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The axis change tool allows us to place the coordinate axis of the model in the position that we want temporarily

• To return the axis to their place of origin we must press the right button on any axis in a place with geometry behind it, and choose the option restart

HIGHLIGHTS

• The section tool will draw a plane that will extend the entire length of the model, from one end of the drawn geometry to the other

• To contain the section to a certain space, we must use the tool inside a group

• Right-clicking on the same section plane already drawn, we can find more options

HIGHLIGHTS

• The entity information tray is used to obtain information on any geometry of the model: edges, surfaces, groups or components

• In addition to obtaining information, it also allows us to make changes to the geometries, such as changing the number of sides of a circle or polygon, the length of an edge, hiding a group or even blocking it, among others.

HIGHLIGHTS

• We can use materials from: the Sketchup library, from libraries that we have in our computer or from internet pages

• Visit the websites mentioned in the class to get amazing textures and resources

• From file-import-image we can also bring images, which we can transform into materials

HIGHLIGHTS

• We can use materials from: the Sketchup library, from libraries that we have in our computer or from internet pages

• Visit the websites mentioned in the class to get amazing textures and resources

• From file-import-image we can also bring images, which we can transform into materials

HIGHLIGHTS

• We can use materials from: the Sketchup library, from libraries that we have in our computer or from internet pages

• Best textures libraries are mentioned in the class

• From file-import-image we can also bring images, which we can transform into materials

HIGHLIGHTS

• The components are like the groups but as a fundamental characteristic, they allow us that any change in any of them is reproduced in all its copies

• The components are going to be very useful when we work with modular elements that are going to be repeated many times in the drawing, such as pillars, windows, porticos, etc...

• If we carry out material or scale change operations from outside the component, the changes will not be applied to the rest of the copies

HIGHLIGHTS

• The styles are used to configure how we are going to see all the elements of the drawing

• We can use styles edited by ourselves and adapted to our tastes, in order to work more comfortably

• Sketchup has a library with different preconfigured styles

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tags help us to order the drawing and hide geometry that we are not interested in seeing at certain times

• Being able to hide geometry will allow us to work more comfortably and will allow the computer's graphics card to move the drawing better when we need it

• We cannot delete the default tag and neither can we delete the tag in which we are active

HIGHLIGHTS

• The scenes are used to save a specific view to which we can return whenever we want

• This scene saves information about: camera location, visible layers, shadows, styles and fog, active sections, hidden geometry, and axis position

• Throgh the movements of the camera between scenes, we will make our animations

HIGHLIGHTS

• Solar north is placed by default in the direction of the Y axis

• It is convenient not to activate the shadows while we work to prevent the graphics card from slowing down

• Within the default shadow tray we can find more options to configure our sunshine

HIGHLIGHTS

• When we search for something in the warehouse library, it is convenient to use the search criteria: by popularity. This criterion will order the models by number of downloads

• We can search for models in the search bar in different languages to have more options

• When we download a model, it should be downloaded in a separate file to organize its layers and correct its errors before transferring it to our file. In this way we will also generate a library of models on our computer

HIGHLIGHTS

• Terrains can be created from scratch in sketchup, or we can bring contour lines from another program and turn them into a terrain

• The tools to create or edit terrains are called sandbox

• Terrains, like the rest of the sketchup geometry, are formed by triangulated surfaces, which next to each other form complex meshes

HIGHLIGHTS

• When we Geo-locate a territory from sketchup, we will do it through Google-Earth and as a result it will load two layers in our model: location terrain and the location snapshot

• The location snapshot is the aerial photo of the chosen territory. The location terrain is a terrain generated by sketchup, which represents that territory and has the aerial photo applied as a texture on its surface.

• To work these lands we must do it with the sandbox tool

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Photomatch tool will help us to draw three-dimensional spaces from a photograph

• We will need the photo to have two vanishing points so that the tool can be used accurately

• The operation of the tool consists of creating a scene that positions the camera at the same point from where the photograph was taken

HIGHLIGHTS

• Dynamic components are components with different extra functions such as: scale changes, parametric control, position changes, size changes, color changes, animations, etc...

• Within the component library, those that have a green triangle means that they are dynamic components

• To work parametrically with our geometry, dynamic components are the best option

HIGHLIGHTS

• Animations are created by joining the camera path from the first scene to the last scene

• To control the speed of the camera we must go to model info-animation

• To export our animation in mp4, we must go to file-export-animation

HIGHLIGHTS

• Plugins are small programs made by external developers, which are incorporated into sketchup providing new tools

• The extension of these plugins are .RBZ

• The main libraries to download plugins are: Extension warehouse, Sketchucation and Ruby Library

SOME IMPORTANT PLUGINS

• Rouncorner

RoundCorner performs the rounding of the edges and corners of 3D shapes along a 2D profile, in 3 modes: Round corners, Sharp corners and Bevel. RoundCorner also supports concave corners (always rendered as Round) and non-orthogonal edge faces. Corners can have 2, 3, or more edges.

• Fredo Scale

With FredoScale you can orientate the selection box around a set of objects and interactively apply a number of geometric transformations, such as Scaling, Tapering, Stretching, Planar Shear, Twisting, Bending and Rotation. By extension, some transformations can be performed without a selection box.

• Solar north

Provides tools for you to set and display the solar north an

• Solid inspector

Inspect and repair solids in SketchUp

• Select n isolate

This plugin allow you to isolate selected items by hiding them

• Clf Shape Bender

Bend a group or component to match an existing curve

• Curviloft

Curviloft is a script dedicated to Loft and Skinning, that is, generation of surfaces from contours.

Loft by Spline joins separate contours, open or closed, by smooth splines

Loft along Path joins contours, along a given rail curve.

Skinning creates surfaces bounded by 4 or 3 contiguous contours

• Bezier Spline

Draws a variety of Polylines, Bezier and Spline curves, all in 3D

• Joint Push Pull

JointPushPull is a suite of extrusion tools operating on faces.

• JHS Power Bar

Where should I look for these plugins:

- Extension Warehouse

- Sketchucation

- Ruby Library

SOME IMPORTANT PLUGINS

• Rouncorner

RoundCorner performs the rounding of the edges and corners of 3D shapes along a 2D profile, in 3 modes: Round corners, Sharp corners and Bevel. RoundCorner also supports concave corners (always rendered as Round) and non-orthogonal edge faces. Corners can have 2, 3, or more edges.

• Fredo Scale

With FredoScale you can orientate the selection box around a set of objects and interactively apply a number of geometric transformations, such as Scaling, Tapering, Stretching, Planar Shear, Twisting, Bending and Rotation. By extension, some transformations can be performed without a selection box.

• Solar north

Provides tools for you to set and display the solar north an

• Solid inspector

Inspect and repair solids in SketchUp

• Select n isolate

This plugin allow you to isolate selected items by hiding them

• Clf Shape Bender

Bend a group or component to match an existing curve

• Curviloft

Curviloft is a script dedicated to Loft and Skinning, that is, generation of surfaces from contours.

Loft by Spline joins separate contours, open or closed, by smooth splines

Loft along Path joins contours, along a given rail curve.

Skinning creates surfaces bounded by 4 or 3 contiguous contours

• Bezier Spline

Draws a variety of Polylines, Bezier and Spline curves, all in 3D

• Joint Push Pull

JointPushPull is a suite of extrusion tools operating on faces.

• JHS Power Bar

Where should I look for these plugins:

- Extension Warehouse

- Sketchucation

- Ruby Library

HIGHLIGHTS

• To import a dwg file, we must go to file-import and check the dwg file type in the extensions tab

• The dwg files will bring all their layers to our sketchup file, which we must order

• Once the file is imported we can use its geometry directly, or use it as a template to redraw it with the sketchup tools

HIGHLIGHTS

• To export an image from sketchup we must go to file-export-2Dgraphic

• Later we will have to choose the type of image that we want to generate (jpg, tiff, png, etc...), as well as we will have access to configure some of its characteristics from the options panel

HIGHLIGHTS

These are the seven aspects to take into account to control that our sketchup models do not slow down:

• 1. Weight of the models

• 2. Styles

• 3. Layers

• 4. Purge

• 5. Shadows

• 6. Scenes

• 7. Proxies

HIGHLIGHTS

• The two most interesting programs to render when we have finished our sketchup model are: Vray and Lumion

• The main difference at the software level is that Vray will be a native part of Sketchup in the form of a plugin, while Lumion is an external program where we will have to export our skp file to work