UNICENTRO IZABELA HENDRIX DA IGREJA METODISTA

Curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo - Disciplina de Informtica Aplicada Arquitetura

Learning Sketchup
Fonte: University of Liverpool School of Architecture and Building Engineering - Disponvel em:
<http://www.liv.ac.uk/abe/students/sketchup/index.shtml> - Acesso: 23 mar.2004

Sketchup is a tool that can be used for design exploration, allowing you to develop and communicate
your ideas in 3D. There are a number of video tutorials that you will find particularly useful. These are
available on the sketchup web site and on CD from Mike Knight - it is highly recommended that you
look at these.
The following tutorials introduce the basics of SketchUp, they are based on version 3.0. Most of the
illustrations are taken from the Windows version but are usually similar to the Mac version.
The Tutorials:
1. Overview: Provides an introduction to a few of the most useful tools. Introduces lines, planes,
polygons, 3D, components and simple animation (part 1:2).
2. Villa Savoye: Creating a simple model of the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier on the outskirts of
Paris (part 1:2:3:4).
3. Creating sections: How to produce cut-away views of a model. Uses the Villa Savoye model as
an example (part 1:2).
4. Output: How to print your model and export it to other programmes such as AutoCAD and 3D
Studio (part 1:2).
5. Materials: How to apply materials to surfaces within your model.

1. Overview
This tutorial will provide an overview of a few of the most useful tools that you will be using.
Most of the tools are accessed by icons on the left of the screen. Hold the cursor over a tool icon
for a few seconds and the tool name will appear.
Opening SketchUp
On the University Windows 2000 computers double-left-click on the SketchUp icon on the desktop to
open the programme. If there is no icon on the desktop then select start>network>lecturers
applications>sketchup.

1
If the programme does not open or you cannot find SketchUp under lecturers applications, select run
from the start menu at the bottom left of the screen, type GETL and press enter. Try to access
SketchUp again (as described above).
The line tool
In Sketchup you can draw lines by clicking, and the program will automatically align them horizontally
or vertically if required. To create a single line, select the Line tool by left-clicking the mouse over its
icon (figure 01). Then left-click within the drawing area (figure 01) where you want the line to start,
and keeping your finger on the mouse, drag the mouse in any direction on the screen. By releasing
the left mouse button the endpoint of the line is established.
To create multiple lines, that occur
continuously one after the other, simply left-
click a starting point, release the mouse
button, move the mouse and left-click again.
The next line will then begin at the endpoint
of the previous one. Press the ESC key to
finish drawing. Join the endpoint of the final
line with the startpoint of the first line to
create a polygon.
When we want to make a line a specific
length, simply draw the line and type in the
length required (e.g. 2000) followed by
enter. You will see the length in a small box
located on the bottom right on your screen
(figure 02).
Figure 01: The SketchUp interface showing the tool icons on the
left and the large white drawing area. The line tool icon is shown Once you become more familiar with this
in detail. tool, you will notice that inference points
appear on your screen, allowing you to locate
the endpoint and midpoints of other lines,
speeding up the process of making complex
Figure 02: The size dialogue at the bottom of the screen. shapes.

Figure 03: The short red line is being created with the
line tool. It has changed to red to show that it being
aligned to the horizontal (x) axis
Planes
You can draw in any orientation in 3D space using
the line or any other tool. When you draw
Sketchup allows you to see which direction you
are moving the line or object in, using the axis
colours of red (x), green (y) and the vertical blue
(z) to indicate the plane that you are working in
(figure 03).
For example, when you draw a line it will change
to the axis colour when it is aligned to that axis.
This visual feedback allows you to know in what
axis we are drawing in.

2
Polygons
You can draw polygons using the line tool, however, regular polygons can be drawn more quickly
using one of the polygon tools such as the rectangle tool on the left hand side of your screen.
Once the tool has been activated, left-click the mouse at a point on the screen and drag the mouse to
make the shape that you want. At this point, left-click the mouse and the rectangle shape will be
completed. The dimensions of this rectangle can also be adjusted by typing in new lengths for the x
and y axis, just as you did with the line tool. Type in the x dimension first, then a comma, then the y
dimension, then return/enter.
SketchUp version 3 has a polygon tool that allows you to draw regular polygons with any number of
sides. To draw an octagon (8 sides) select the polygon tool type 8 and press return to select the number
of sides and click-and-drag to draw. After the shape has been drawn type in the radius and click return
to get the shape a specific size. To draw a circle select the circle tool from the tools menu at the top of
the screen.
NB: When the circle tool has been selected it replaces the polygon tool on the tool palatte. To reuse the polygon tool select
it form the tools menu.
If drawing in shaded or shaded with textures views you will notice that a coloured surface appears
over the shape once it has been completed. This is because Sketchup automatically applies a surface to
the face of a complete object, much like a skin. This allows you to manipulate the object in 3D at a
later date.
Push/Pull Tool
The push/pull tool allows you to manipulate surfaces easily to give an object a 3D form. Left-click on
the icon to activate the tool (figure 04), and move the mouse over the surface of a completed object,
such as a rectangle. As you do this you will see that the surface of the 2D object becomes highlighted,
which tells you that the object can be extruded. Now simply left-click over the surface and move the
mouse in order to infer the direction of the extrusion. By moving the mouse upwards the height will
become positive, whilst moving the mouse downwards will give it a negative value. Left-click the
mouse at the height you require, and if necessary change this by typing in a new value.
If you are working in a plan view, it may be
necessary to orbit around this view using
the orbit tool (figure 04), so that you can gain
a clearer indication of the new form. Select
the orbit tool, click on the screen, and move
the cursor whilst holding down the left
mouse button. By reselecting the push/pull
tool each surface on the newly formed 3D
shape can be moved in the same way.
TIP: If your mouse has a scroll wheel, press this down
and drag to orbit your model. Move the scroll wheel
up and down to zoom in or out.

Figure 04: Orbiting around an object using the orbit tool (top).
The push/pull tool is also shown.
Components
Components allow you to define, organise
and place 'symbols' in your model that are
made up from multiple drawn objects.
Components are easier to manipulate than

3
having to select many individual edges, surface and lines within the model and they can be aligned to
any surface that you require.
Sketchup has an inbuilt library of components that can be inserted into your model, saving you having
to draw many everyday items yourself, such as furniture and windows. Select the object you require
from the library by using the View menu and selecting Components. Click on the component you wish
to use in your model then click within your model to place it.
It is also possible to create your own components. Each can be saved and their behaviour configured.
The axis plane on the component will tell you at which point the component will be inserted into your
drawing, with the component being treated as an independent geometric group.
If your building for example has 10 identical windows, rather than individually redraw them 10 times
as you would have to by hand, you simply draw it once, save it as a component and reinsert a copy of it
into your drawing. Then if you decide that you want to change the appearance of the windows, you
simply alter one of them, and the rest of them will automatically be changed with it.
Additional components can be found on the SketchUp website:
<http://www.sketchup.com/component_library.php>
Morphing between Viewports
It is possible to save a view of any part of your model, whether in section, as an interior or as a
complete rendered image. The choices are limitless, and allow you the freedom to animate any
transition from view to view, with Sketchup filling in the gaps in-between for you.
For example you may wish to undertake a study in the effects of shadows within and around your
building. Simply set a view of the building in the morning from one angle, and save it as a view by
selecting add from the page menu. When you have done this, alter the shadows to indicate the
afternoon, and similarly save this as a separate page. The saved views can be made as simple or
complex as you wish.
Shadows are configured using the shadow
toolbar (figure 05). If this is not visible towards
the top of the SketchUp window select view >
toolbars > shadows. Drag the month slider to
set the time of year and the time slider to set
the time of day. Click the toggle shadows
button to turn shadows on and off (figure 05).
To animate between saved pages/views click
on the page tabs towards the top of the screen
(figure 05). Alternatively, adjust the settings of
Figure 05: The shadows tool bar with saved 'page tabs'
underneath. The toggle shadows button is highlighted.
the animation by selecting page > tourguide
settings. Here the length between each frame
can be decided. Once completed select page > slideshow function and the image will change from one
view to the next. The animation can have many pages included within it, and can allow a complex
building to be described effectively as it moves from frame to frame.
Saving you 'tour' as an animation
SketchUp version 3 allows you to export your morphed views as an animtation in either QuickTime or
AVI format. To do this set up your animation using page > tourguide settings and select file > export
> animation.

4
2. Villa Savoye
This tutorial will involve modelling the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier (figure 06).
Setting the drawing units
Left-click on view>preferences. Select the
units tab and in the display format use the
scroll option to change the setting from
architectural to decimal. Similarly change the
inches setting to centimeters and the precision
to 0. Left-click the apply button at the bottom
of the box.
Select the colour tab and ensure that both the
sky and ground background effects are off.
Select the render tab set the style to shaded,
the faces to X-ray mode and the edges to
extend edges with a value of 8. Click OK.
TIP: If using the Macintosh version of SketchUp, select
file>model info and window>display settings to find
most of the above settings.

Figure 06: The Villa Savoye (1929-1931), Poisy, Paris.

Setting layers
The layers option can be activated by selecting view>layers. Select new in the box and rename layer 1
ground plan scan by typing over the highlighted text. Make the layer active by left-clicking in the
small square box next to the newly named layer. A tick should now appear in the box. Select OK. On
Macintosh computers use the layer palette (window>layers).
TIP: Ensure that colour by layer is NOT activated (view>layers).

Downloading the drawing

The ground and top floor plans are available as jpeg images, which must be imported into the program
in order to trace them. The plans can be found on the CD containing the movie tutorials which is
available from Mike Knight. They can also be downloaded from
<http://www.liv.ac.uk/abe/students/tutorial_downloads.shtml> (Self-extracting or ZIP archive).
NB: If you are using these tutorials on the University Windows 2000 network you may have to install Power Zip in order to
download the plans. To install the programme select start>network>utilities>power zip.
To insert the JPEG plan select file>insert>image and locate the image. Place the plan onto the ground
plane by double-clicking. Right-click on top of the imported image and select properties by left-
clicking. Keep aspect ratio, which should be ticked and in the first box marked dimensions type 2085
and left-click OK (the other dimension should be approximately 2290). This allows the correct image
size to be retained, thus ensuring that the model will be drawn at the correct size.
TIP: If using the Macintosh version of SketchUp, select file>insert and place the plan on top of the ground plane by single-
clicking. Type 2085 to set the width of the plan and hit enter.

5

Figure 07: From left to right. The standard zoom tool; click
and drag up or down to zoom in or out. The zoom window
tool; click and drag a rectangle to zoom. The zoom extents
tool; click to see the full extents of your drawing. The undo
last camera change tool. The pan tool; click and drag to move
around your drawing.
Figure 08: The bottom of the imported plan has been traced
(red lines).
Figure 09: The green line on the right is being drawn from
bottom to top. Notice that the red dashed inference line
appears when the right-hand line is drawn to the same length
as the left-hand line.
You may need to zoom in or out using one of
the zoom tools (figure 07). Select the standard
zoom tool, hold down the left mouse button
and drag either up or down to zoom in or out.
Before tracing over the image a new layer
needs to be created in the same way as before
and named ground floor plan. Make this layer
current with both layers visible.
The ground floor
Now you will draw a simple outline of the
ground floor plan using both the pencil tool
and the arc tool. Using the pencil tool draw
around the straight lines of the plan towards
the bottom of the image (figure 08).
Select the pencil tool again in order to draw
the left and right edges of the ground floor.
Draw the left-hand line first. Left-click at the
point that you wish to start the line and drag
the mouse in the direction that you want the
line to go in. The line will end where you left-
click the mouse (hint: draw from the bottom to
the top).
Remember: Sketchup allows you to define the length of
a line at any stage of drawing it by typing in its length
(shown in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen).
Alternatively you may use inference points where lines
are required to be the same length.
Now draw the right-hand line. Using the pencil
tool start at the bottom by left-clicking and
then move the cursor upwards. As the line is
the same length it is possible to use the
endpoints of the original left-hand line as a
guide. When moving the cursor upwards a
dotted inference line will allow you to snap in
line with the left-hand line so that both lines
match (figure 09).
Using the arc tool draw in the curved edge of
the plan. It may be easier to zoom into the plan
at this stage, using any of the zoom tools or by
scrolling the middle wheel of the mouse. Left-
click where you want the arc to begin (an
existing endpoint) and again at the point where
it ends. The size of the arc can then be adjusted
by moving the mouse in any direction and left-
clicking. When you have drawn the arc the
6
ground floor area should appear shaded to show that it is a solid 2D shape.
Any unnecessary lines at this stage may be deleted using the erase tool or by selecting them and
clicking delete on the keyboard.
In order to give the ground floor a three-dimensional form, the object must be extruded using the
push/pull tool. Select the push/pull tool and move the cursor over the face of the plan (the surface of
the shape you have drawn will become textured). Left-click keeping your finger on the mouse and
move the cursor upwards. This will cause the plan to become extruded. Release the left mouse button
and type in 300 (cm) and press enter. Rotate the view using the orbit tool to see your work in 3D.
The Villas columns are set out on a 5m grid and are the same size, so once one has been drawn it is
possible to duplicate it. Draw the first column (bottom left) by selecting tools>circle. Position the
purple point (centre) of the circle tool on top of the centre of the bottom-right column. Left-click to
determine the centre point of the new circle and move the mouse to the circumference of the column.
Left-click to complete the shape.
Click on the select icon and using this tool draw a box over the circle (left-click keeping your finger on
the mouse and drag a box shape from the top left to the bottom right which surrounds the shape). The
circle should now turn yellow to show that it has been selected. Extrude this to a height of 300 using
the push/pull tool. Select the extuded column and pick edit>group to group all the elements that make
up the column - this will make the next few stages easier.
Holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard whilst using the move tool can duplicate a shape. Select
the column and align the move tool to the lower circumference of the circle so that the green endpoint
is visible, press Ctrl (alt on a Mac) so that a small cross appears and left click. Keeping your finger on
the left mouse button, move the circle to the column point directly above the first, and release the left
mouse button (ensure that the green inference line is visible). The circle can be placed more accurately
by now typing 500 and pressing enter on the keyboard (note how the shape repositions itself). Rather
than repeat this stage for each column in this row, type 4x and press enter and four copies of the
original circle will be made. These can be deselected by using the select tool and left clicking outside
of the image.
This feature can be used both vertically and
horizontally on the ground plane, so repeat the
stage in order to complete the external
columns. It is important to use the inference
guides so that the columns are perfectly
aligned, for what may appear to be correct in
plan may not be when viewed in perspective.
Follow both the green and red dotted inference
lines to ensure that your model is correct.
Finally turn off the ground floor scan layer by
left clicking the house icon within
view>layers or the layer manager to make it
invisible and rotate the image using the orbit
tool (this can also be activated by holding
down the middle mouse button).

Figure 10: The completed ground floor model.

7
The first floor
Set the view to plan by selecting view>standard views>top. Ensure that persepctive is OFF (view >
perspective).Create two new layers and name them top floor plan and top plan scan, making top
plan scan the current/active layer. Place the top.jpg image onto the ground plane. Use the orbit tool to
check that the image has been placed on the ground level and not onto the top of the ground floor.
Resize the image so that it measures 2085 cm by approximately 2290 cm (keep the existing aspect
ratio). If required, move the imported top plan to align it wiith the imported ground plan scan using the
move tool. Make the ground floor plan layer invisible and top floor plan the current layer.
Using the pencil and rectangle tools you will
draw five shapes (figure 11). The first is the
accommodation block [1], the second the wall
along the terrace [2] and the rest the ramp area.
This must be done so that each shape is
complete otherwise it will not be possible to
extrude them using the push/pull tool (hint:
use the rectangle tool to draw the three shapes
that will form the ramp [3,4,5]). Only when the
shape has a surface (noted by a change in
colour when the push/pull icon is moved onto
it) can a vertical dimension be added, so you
may need to trace a few extra lines using the
pencil tool.
Extrude the accommodation and the terrace
wall using the push/pull tool, typing in a value
of 400 for the height. Clean up any excess lines
Figure 11: The five solid shapes that must be drawn to model
the first floor. The accommodation block is 1, the terrace wall using the erase tool. You may need to orbit to
is 2, and 3, 4 and 5 make up the ramp. get the best view. Sketchup will allow you to
extrude objects even whilst in perspective
views.
Extrude the left and top parts of the ramp by a
length of 200. Using the orbit tool position the
view to an angle similar to that shown (figure
12) and with the select tool select the
highlighted line. Use the move tool to
reposition this line to point 'a' as shown in
figure 12. To do this, left-click on the mouse,
keeping your finger down the blue inference
line will allow you to move the object upwards
while ensuring that it is being moved in the
correct direction. Once the green endpoint has
been highlighted release the left mouse button.
Now extrude the remaining part of the ramp by
a distance of 200 and select the line highlighted
Figure 12: Forming the top half of the ramp by dragging the in figure 13. In the same way as the previous
yellow selected line to position 'a'. The insert shows the part of the ramp, move the highlighted line to
completed upper ramp.
the line marked 'b' using inference lines and

8
 endpoint. The ramp form is now be complete.
Before you move on to the top floor terrace
you will now view both the ground floor and
the top floor layers together in 3D. Select
view>layers and make the ground floor plan
layer visible by left-clicking on the house icon.
Press OK. You should notice that the first floor
plan is actually at ground floor level. Switch
the ground floor plan and top floor scan
layers to invisible allowing us to see just the
first level.
Now using the select tool keep the left mouse
button pressed down and draw a box around
the entire first floor, starting at the top left and
ending at the bottom right. Release the mouse
button and all of the objects will become
Figure 13. Forming the lower half of the ramp by dragging highlighted. In the same way that you moved
the yellow selected line to position 'b'.
the columns earlier we will now move the
newly selected objects. Using the move tool select an endpoint (using the green inference dot) and left
click the mouse. Now move the mouse upwards on the screen, keeping the objects on the vertical axis
by using the blue dotted inference lines. Left click the mouse to place the objects into their new
location. Now type in 300 and press enter to ensure that the first floor has been moved by the correct
distance. Deselect the highlighted objects using the select tool and left clicking anywhere on the white
area of the screen.
TIP: If you cannot keep the objects on the vertical axis using the blue dotted inference line then use the orbit tool so that
you are viewing the side of the model and try again.
Now view both layers in 3D to see that they are
OK, by making the ground floor plan layer
visible and rotating the model using the orbit
tool (figure 14).
The roof terrace
Now you will draw the roof terrace. First select
view and layers and set the ground plan scan,
ground floor plan and top floor plan layers to
invisible. Set the top plan scan layer to visible
and create a new layer called roof plan, making
this the current layer. Now select
view>standard Views>top to view the model in
2D from above.
You will now trace over the outline of the terrace
area using the Line and Arc tools. You may need
Figure 14. The completed ground floor and first floor in 3D. to zoom in.
Firstly draw the outline to shape 'c' as shown in
figure 15. Now draw shape 'd' which is slightly more complicated (the larger of the arcs be drawn in
three separate parts that join together as indicated by the dotted lines). You will notice that an extra line

9

Figure 15: The initial shapes required in order to produce the
roof model. The offset tool is also shown.
Figure 16: The completed roof element in 3D.
needs to be drawn that is not present in the
original scanned plan. This is to ensure that the
shape becomes a face that can be offset.
Unwanted lines can be erased later.
Now make the top plan scan layer invisible, as
this will make it easier to work.
You will now offset shape 'd' in order to create
a thickness of the wall, an easier alternative to
having to redraw the other side. Using the
select tool highlight the shape by left-clicking
on its surface. Then select the offset tool
(figure 15) and left click on any part of the
edge of the shape. Move the mouse inside the
shape and left-click. Typing 20 and press enter
to set the wall thickness.
Now remove the unwanted lines using the
erase tool and draw in the extra lines needed to
create the roof terrace wall structure. You may
need to retrace a few extra lines at the junction
of shape 'c' and 'd' in order to make it one
single shape. Finally, extrude both shapes by a
distance of 250.
Viewing in 3D
To view the completed building in 3D you will
first have to move the roof elements upwards
by 700 cm. Finally, select view and then layers
and make the top floor plan and the ground
floor plan layers visible. All other layers
should be invisible. Then using either the
standard views under the view menu or the
orbit tool the model can be viewed from a
variety of angles (figure 17).
10

Figure 17: The completed building.
Figure 18: The section tools. From left to right; add/create
section planes tool; display cut effect icon; display section
planes icon.
Figure 19: Positioning a section plane within SketchUp.
The section tool
Sketchup allows you to use section planes to
provide cut away views of your models. We
will look at how these work by using the model
of the Villa Savoye that was completed during
the previous modelling exercise. Open this
drawing by selecting the File>open.
Firstly select the view>toolbars. Left-click on
section planes and note that a new tool bar
appears on the screen. If necessary this can be
repositioned by left-clicking on the tool bar
and (keeping your finger on the mouse)
dragging it to a new position. This now serves
as a shortcut to the section tools (figure 18)
In Sketchup the section plane will align to any
surface to on your model. Select the add
section plane icon by left-clicking the mouse
and note how the green section plane boundary
repositions itself as you move the mouse over
the model. If you hold down the shift key on
the keyboard whilst moving the mouse, the
section plane will continue to align itself in one
direction rather than that of any other face.
Position the model and place the section plane
as shown in figure 19. The section will be cut
when you click the left mouse button, the green
boundary will become grey and the section
plane will be drawn.
If necessary this section plane can be
repositioned by selecting the move tool. To do
this first select the plane with the select tool,
next pick the move tool, left-click the mouse
keeping your finger on the button and release
the button in the new position that you wish to
cut. This feature can be repeated as many times
as necessary.
11

Figure 20: Multiple section planes within a model. Double-
click on a section plane to activate it.
Sketchup allows you to use more than one
section plane at a time. Simply select add
section plane and position a new plane onto
the model. When you have more than one
section plane, you can double-left-click on the
one you want to activate, or right-click on top
of it and select activate cut (figure 20).
The right mouse button has many uses within
SketchUp. When right-clicking on a section
plane selecting hide, for example, hides the
grey section plane. By selecting reverse the
section cut will be viewed from the opposite
direction. Perhaps the most useful command is
align view, which rotates a model so that it
aligns with the section plane allowing you to
look 'inside' a section (figure 21).

Grey section planes can then either be turned

off by right-clicking on the plane and selecting
hide or by selecting toggle section plane
display on the section shortcut toolbar.
Sections can be shown in perspective or
traditional orthogonal view, select
view>perspective to toggle between these two
views.

Figure 21: Using the align view command to look through a

section into the building.

3. Creating sections
Animating a section
Return the model to an Iso view view>standard views>iso, and ensure that perspective is activated
(view>perspective). Select the toggle section cuts icon within the section shortcut toolbar by left-
clicking the mouse so that no sections are displayed. Select toggle section plane display from the same
toolbar so that the two sections that you drew earlier become visible as grey planes.
Using the select tool right-click on either section plane and select activate cut. Then click the Toggle
Section Plane Display to remove the grey section plane.

12
This view will now be saved as a page by selecting page>add. The page will be saved as Page 1,
making sure that all items on the checklist are activated (shown by a tick) and included in the
Slideshow. Press OK. Repeat the process for the other section (select the toggle section plane display.
Right-click on the section plane, press activate cut and then deactivate the grey section planes ). Save
this view as page 2.
Having saved two different section views of the model, we can now animate these images. Sketchup
will automatically show the progression from one image to the other, filling in the gaps in-between.
Select page>tourguide settings. Making sure that enable is selected, change the transition time to 6
seconds using the arrows with a delay time of 0 seconds. Press OK.
Select the page>slideshow and the image will move from the first section point to the second. Press
stop when you have had enough. The Sketchup program fills in the gaps between the two and the
animation can be made longer by including more pages into the slideshow, using the same technique as
above.
This is a simple introduction to the section applications. Hopefully, you can begin to see how the tool
can give you a greater insight into how you modelled building actually works. By aligning the section
plane horizontally rather than vertically, you will also be able to produce plans of your building.

4. Output
When you have finished building a model in SketchUp you will usually want to print it out and
may even want to import it into another programme. This final tutorial outlines printing on the
University network and importing to other popular programmes.

University printers
The University operates a system through which all staff and students of the University must pay for
their printing. Printing is controlled by a Print Quota system and payments for output must be paid for
in advance at a vending machine situated in the Brownlow Hill output area or in the Harold Cohen or
Sydney Jones Libraries.
On the W2KS network a web interface allows users to check their print quota status, view their
itemised print account, display print queues and delete jobs which have not yet been printed. To check
your account go to: <http://www.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/printqueues>
Enter your username and password and click 'check current
balance' to see how many print units you have available.
For more information on University printing visit the
Computing Services Department (CSD) web site.
<http://www.liv.ac.uk/CSD/helpdesk/printing/printing.html>
Selecting a printer
There are many printers accessible from the University
W2KS network. These range from black and white A4 laser
printers to an A0 colour plotter. The first floor lab in
Figure 22: The print setup dialogue in the Architecture (ARC2) has an A4 laser printer in it. To use this
Windows version of SketchUp.
printer you must first select it. To do this open the SketchUp

13
file you wish to print and select file>print setup. When the print setup dialogue box opens select
arc2.printer and ensure that the paper size is set to A4 (figure 22).
Printing from Sketchup
SketchUp allows models to be printed onto
either a single sheet of paper or across multiple
sheets of paper which can be tiled together to
produce a larger image. Plans, sections,
elevations and isometric views can also be
printed to scale.
SketchUp prints models as you see them on
screen. For example, if your model is shaded
then the shadows will print. Also, if you can
see the red, green and blue axes on screen then
they will also print. For best results select
view>sketchUp axes to hide the axes and set
your model to hidden line non-shaded
(figure 23).

Figure 23: SketchUp model rendered hidden line with no

shadows. The hidden line non-shaded render icon is shown.

Print preview
As SketchUp has a wide range of printing options you should always select print preview (file>print
preview) prior to printing to ensure that what you expect to get is what will actually print.
If you are printing a perspective view then it is not possible to set the print scale. Set your model to
perspective (view>perspective) and pick print preview from the file menu. When the dialogue box
opens select fit to page and use high accuracy HLR. Click OK to view how your model will print on
an A4 page. To print click print, to cancel click close.
TIP: If you do not select fit to page then your model will be titled across
a number of pages. If your print preview shows a blank white page this is
probably because it the first of many tiles required to print a lrage version
of your model. Click close and try again.

Figure 24: The print preview
showing the scaling options.
Printing to scale
SketchUp allows plans, sections, elevations and isometric
views to be printed to scale. To print to scale first ensure that
you are not viewing your model in perspective mode
(view>perspective). Next setup the required view on screen
and pick file>print preview.
To print your model to scale ensure that fit to page is not
selected and type the appropriate scale in 'in the printout'
and 'in sketchup' (figure 24). For example, to print at 1:100
type 1 in 'in the printout' and 100 in 'in sketchup', to print
at 1:50 type 1 in 'in the printout' and 50 in 'in sketchup'. It
dialogue does not matter if the scale units are set to inches, simply

14
ensure that they are both set to the same units.
TIP: To centre your model on a single sheet of paper select 'use model extents' in the print preview dialogue.
NB: If the scale options are disabled then you are in perspective view.
FINAL TIP 1: When printing ensure that you can see all your model in the drawing window. If part of your model is not
visible then this part will not print.
FINAL TIP 2: To turn off the thick lines that may be visible around the edges of your model select view>preferences, pick
the render tab and turn off show profile.

Exporting your model from SketchUp

SketchUp models can be exported to other packages as either 3D models or 2D drawings and images:

Export 3D model (file>export>model)

3d models can be exported in either

AutoCAD 2000 or 3D studio file formats. If
the AutoCAD format is selected then layer
contents and names are retained. If the 3D
studio format is selected then the layer
structure is not exported. Components are
exported in both formats, whereas materials,
lights, and tab views are not exported in either
format. As 3D studio can import AutoCAD
2000 files we recommend always using the
AutoCAD 2000 file format.
Figure 25: SketchUp model shown on an A4 piece of paper
at 1:50 and 1:100 scale.
Export 2D drawing (file>export>2D
hidden line)

This allows 2D hidden line views (such as

plans, sections, and perspectives) to be
exported to other CAD or graphics
programes. Formats available are
AutoCAD 2000/R14 DWG/DXF.

Export image (file>export>image)

SketchUp views can be exported as

bitmap image files in JPEG, TIFF or BMP
formats. This is extremely useful if you
need to display a model on the web or in a
Figure 26: Image export options. desktop published report. Get the view
you wish to emport on screen and select file>export>image. Select the required format (JPEG is
usually best). By default the exported image will be the same size as the viewport window. To
adjust this size click options (figure 26).

15
5. The materials browser
Sketchup comes with a number of materials
that you can apply to surfaces within your
models. SketchUp version 3 also allows
materials to be made transparent. To access
the materials select view > materials
broswer (figure 27).

To apply a material to a surface single left-

click on its thumbnail in the materials
browser. When the cursor is moved over the
model it will change to paint-bucket icon.
Left-click with this icon on to the surface you
which the material to be applied.

Figure 27: The materials browser with a simple shape that has
had material textures applied to its surfaces.
Editing materials

It is possible to edit the standard materials in order to create

a custom material. To do this, first apply the material to a
surface, right-click on the surface and select properties.
Left-click on the material thumbnail in the face properties
dialogue and click edit to reveal the edit material dialogue
(figure 28).

To scale a material change the horizontal and vertical size.

Drag the opacity slider to make a material transparent.
Figure 28: The edit material dialogue. The
opacity has been set to 54% to make the brick
pavers semi-transparent.

Fonte: University of Liverpool School of Architecture and

Figure 29: Two examples of changing a material via the
Building Engineering
edit material dialogue. On the left the material has been Disponvel em:
made slightly transparent, on the right the material has <http://www.liv.ac.uk/abe/students/sketchup/index.shtml>
been scaled to make the bricks larger. Acesso: 23 mar.2004

16