SketchUp For Dummies

SketchUp For Dummies

by Aidan Chopra, Rebecca Huehls
Released March 2017
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119336150

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Book description

Design almost anything in 3D with SketchUp

Whether you've dabbled in drawing in 3D or are interested in learning the basics of design, SketchUp For Dummies makes it fast and easy to learn the ropes of a powerful, user-friendly tool to bring your design ideas to life. From creating a basic 3D model to showing off your work via 3D print or animation, this all-access guide pulls back the curtain on using SketchUp to do anything from redesigning your house to mocking up the next great invention.

With an emphasis on usability, SketchUp has found very wide success as a tool even non-designers can use to make basic drawings. And now, thanks to the insight and expert tips from former SketchUp product director Aidan Chopra and co-author Rebecca Huehls, this easy-to-follow guide makes it more accessible than ever!

  • Create buildings and components
  • Alter the appearance of your model
  • Tour your designs via SketchUp
  • Get quick tips on troubleshooting

If you're a designer with sketchy computer modeling skills, SketchUp For Dummies is the trusted reference you'll turn to again and again.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part 1: Getting Started with SketchUp
      1. Chapter 1: Meeting SketchUp
        1. Things You Ought to Know Right Away
        2. Comparing SketchUp to Other 3D Modeling Programs
        3. What You Should (and Shouldn’t) Expect SketchUp to Do
        4. Taking the Ten-Minute SketchUp Tour
      2. Chapter 2: Getting a Running Start
        1. Setting Up Your Workspace
        2. Making a Quick Model
        3. Slapping On Some Paint
        4. Giving Your Model Some Style
        5. Switching On the Sun
        6. Sharing Your Masterpiece
      3. Chapter 3: Establishing the Modeling Mindset
        1. All about Edges and Faces
        2. Drawing in 3D on a 2D Screen
        3. Warming Up Your SketchUp Muscles
    4. Part 2: Modeling in SketchUp
      1. Chapter 4: Building Buildings
        1. Drawing Floors and Walls
        2. Staring Down Stairs
        3. Raising the Roof
      2. Chapter 5: Falling in Love with Components
        1. Grouping Things Together
        2. Working with Components
        3. Taking Advantage of Components to Build Better Models
      3. Chapter 6: Going Beyond Buildings
        1. Extruding with Purpose: Follow Me
        2. Modeling with the Scale Tool
        3. Making and Modifying Terrain
        4. Building a Solid Tools Foundation
      4. Chapter 7: Keeping Your Model Organized
        1. Taking Stock of Your Tools
        2. Seeing the Big Picture: The Outliner
        3. Discovering the Ins and Outs of Layers
        4. Putting It All Together
      5. Chapter 8: Modeling with Photos and Other Resources
        1. Painting Faces with Photos
        2. Modeling Directly from a Photo: Introducing Photo-Matching
        3. Modeling on Top of Photo Textures
        4. Adding Geographic Data
        5. Working with Imported CAD files
      6. Chapter 9: 3D Printing with SketchUp Models
        1. Building Up a View of 3D Printing
        2. Building a Model in Layers
        3. Preparing a SketchUp Model for 3D Printing
        4. Exporting Your SketchUp File
        5. Knowing Your 3D Printers
        6. Using Your 3D Printer
        7. Going beyond Basic 3D Printing
        8. Designing Things That Move
    5. Part 3: Viewing Your Model in Different Ways
      1. Chapter 10: Working with Styles and Shadows
        1. Styling Your Model’s Appearance
        2. Working with Shadows
      2. Chapter 11: Presenting Your Model inside SketchUp
        1. Exploring Your Creation on Foot
        2. Taking the Scenic Route
        3. Mastering the Sectional Approach
    6. Part 4: Sharing What You’ve Made
      1. Chapter 12: Paper or Cloud? Printing and Uploading Your Work
        1. Printing Your Work
        2. Working with the 3D Warehouse
      2. Chapter 13: Exporting Images, Animations, and CAD Files
        1. Exporting 2D Images of Your Model
        2. Making Movies with Animation Export
        3. Exporting a CAD File
      3. Chapter 14: Creating Presentations and Documents with LayOut
        1. Building a LayOut Document
        2. Creating Your Own Templates
        3. Putting Together Your Own Scrapbooks
        4. Getting Your Document Out the Door
    7. Part 5: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 15: Ten SketchUp Traps and Their Workarounds
        1. SketchUp Won’t Create a Face Where You Want It To
        2. Your Faces Are Two Different Colors
        3. Edges on a Face Won’t Sink In
        4. SketchUp Crashed, and You Lost Your Model
        5. SketchUp Is Sooooo Slooooooooow
        6. You Can’t Get a Good View of the Inside of Your Model
        7. A Face Flashes When You Orbit
        8. You Can’t Move Your Component the Way You Want
        9. Bad Stuff Happens Every Time You Use the Eraser
        10. All Your Edges and Faces Are on Different Layers
      2. Chapter 16: More Than Ten Ways to Learn About SketchUp
        1. Free Online Resources
        2. The Ultimate SketchUp Reading List
        3. Other Tools from the Makers of SketchUp
    8. About the Authors
    9. Connect with Dummies
    10. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: SketchUp For Dummies
  • Author(s): Aidan Chopra, Rebecca Huehls
  • Release date: March 2017
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119336150