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Beginning with SketchUp Pro

Welcome to SketchUp Pro! I am excited to work through this introductory book with you.

In this book, we will examine the tools, workflows, and best practices to get started with using SketchUp Pro. SketchUp Pro is powerful software for anyone interested in 3D modeling and design, 3D printing, and even visualization and rendering! We will start with the basics and slowly work our way through to showcase some advanced professional workflows at the end of the book.

In this chapter, we will take a visual tour through the SketchUp Pro User Interface, looking at the general structure, toolbars, and dialog boxes. Then, we will discuss navigating through a 3D SketchUp model using some standard SketchUp tools but, more importantly, the keyboard and mouse. Finally, we will look at some of the underlying rules that apply to all SketchUp geometry. We will start with a quick discussion about the available SketchUp versions you may have seen online.

The following topics are covered:

• SketchUp Versions
• SketchUp Pro User Interface
• Understanding toolbars and the default tray
• Beginning to navigate through SketchUp
• SketchUp geometry basics and rules

Let’s get started!

SketchUp Versions

SketchUp Pro is a desktop software and is the traditional format for utilizing SketchUp. Recently, SketchUp has released a new way to access SketchUp through a web browser app, known as SketchUp for Web. While the newer version of SketchUp will be more accessible and does not require any installation time, SketchUp Web does not support Extensions or desktop integrations. Because of this, SketchUp Pro is the preferred software for working professionals.

SketchUp for Web has been included in many pricing models outlined on the SketchUp website. This includes SketchUp Go, SketchUp Shop, and SketchUp for Schools. SketchUp Studio has also been introduced, which includes SketchUp Pro and SketchUp for Web as well as a collection of design and analytics tools that go beyond the scope of this book.

A full comparison of the different SketchUp options can be found on the SketchUp website.

You can see the interfaces for SketchUp Pro and SketchUp for Web in the following figures. We will discuss the parts of the SketchUp Pro User Interface later in this chapter.

Figure 1.1: SketchUp Pro User Interface

You can see that SketchUp for Web needs to be run in a web browser and in this case, it is Microsoft Edge:

Figure 1.2: SketchUp for Web User Interface

Exploring the SketchUp Pro User Interface

SketchUp Pro is available for both the Windows OS and macOS environments. This book will focus on using SketchUp Pro in the Windows OS environment using a PC keyboard (with Shift, Ctrl, and Alt keys) and a 3-button mouse.

SketchUp provides quick reference guides for both Windows and macOS on their website. I would suggest downloading the Quick Reference Card for your preferred software. This book will exclusively focus on the SketchUp Pro interface toolbars and buttons, and keyboard and mouse controls for the Windows OS environment.

Note

It will be possible to use this book while working in SketchUp Pro in a macOS environment, but you will notice differences in the User Interface and keyboard and mouse shortcuts!

Figure 1.3: SketchUp Pro Quick Reference Card for Windows OS

Note

You can find the enlarged image here – https://download.sketchup.com/HC-QRC2022-en-SU-win-v01.pdf.

The SketchUp User Interface is composed of six main elements:

1. Drawing Area
2. Title Bar
3. Menu Bar
4. Toolbars (the Getting Started Toolbar)
5. Status Bar (Prompts & Measurements)
6. Default Tray (containing Default Panels)

Each of these elements is identified in the following screenshot:

Figure 1.4: SketchUp Pro User Interface with Labeled Elements

Let’s look at each of them in detail.

Drawing Area

The largest part of the User Interface is the drawing area, which is the large modeling section in the middle of the screen. This is where all SketchUp geometry is created and edited! The drawing area is always a fully 3D environment, meaning that you can draw and move geometry in any direction, and you can move the camera to view geometry at any distance or angle.

The drawing area will contain the drawing axes (red, green, and blue lines) and typically will show a model of a person to get a sense of scale. All tools are used by interacting with the drawing area. We will talk more about templates and using the drawing area in Chapter 3, Modeling with Groups and Components.

Note

The drawing area traditionally had a green ground and blue sky in older versions of the Simple SketchUp Pro template. This template has been updated to have a blue-gray ground and bright blue sky in newer versions of SketchUp.

All other User Interface elements surround the drawing area. The Title Bar, Menu Bar, and Getting Started Toolbar can all be found above the drawing area.

Title Bar

The title bar is a standard Windows OS element and will include standard Windows controls, including minimize, maximize, and close. Additionally, the title bar will show the name of the currently open file. If you have not yet saved an open file, it will show Untitled.

Menu Bar

The menu bar is another standard element found in many Windows OS software and includes the majority of all SketchUp tools in drop-down menus. File, Edit, View, Camera, Draw, Tools, Window, and Help are the main menu titles for the menu bar:

Figure 1.5: Title Bar (Top), Menu Bar (Middle), and Getting Started Toolbar (Bottom)

Getting Started Toolbar and Other Toolbars

The Getting Started toolbar is meant to provide a visual and linear guide for creating 3D models in SketchUp Pro. The Getting Started toolbar is the only toolbar that is displayed when opening SketchUp Pro for the first time. All toolbars in SketchUp Pro follow the same visual design, with colorful icons that represent the tools.

While the Getting Started toolbar contains an excellent guide for working linearly through a SketchUp project, it does not contain all tools that are in SketchUp Pro. Additional toolbars can be displayed by right-clicking on the gray space directly to the right of the getting started toolbar and selecting additional toolbars. Additionally, toolbar visibility can be toggled by doing the following:

1. Accessing the Menu Bar
2. Selecting View | Toolbars

This workflow will open the Toolbar dialog box:

Figure 1.6: Toolbar Right-Click Contextual Menu and Toolbar Toggle Options

More toolbars will be introduced alongside professional workflows as we move through this book. It is recommended that the getting started toolbar remains visible and in the original position. However, all toolbars can be hidden or displayed, can be moved to dock at the sides of the drawing area, or can float in front of the drawing area.

To move a toolbar, do the following:

1. Click and hold on the line of small dots on the left or top of the toolbar.
2. Drag the toolbar to the preferred location.

Figure 1.7: “Docked” Toolbar with Small Dots (Left) and “Floating” Toolbar (Right)

Turn on Toolbars and try moving them around for yourself! SketchUp Pro users will often have different sets of Toolbars open – you will need to find the right Toolbars and locations for your workflows.

Status Bar

The Status Bar can be found at the bottom of the screen. The Status Bar contains the Geo Location button, the Attribution button, Prompts, Measurement Label, and Measurements Value. These elements cannot be moved to other locations in the User Interface but can have their display toggled by right-clicking on the Status Bar.

Note

The Status Bar may appear to be frozen at times. This may be because SketchUp Pro is performing an autosave of the SketchUp Model. Try to back out of the tool and redo the...