What this book covers

Chapter 1, Using Essential Tools and Shortcuts for Space Planning, eases you into SketchUp by reviewing introductory concepts and fundamental tools you should already know, adding an interior design spin to make them relatable.

Chapter 2, Becca’s Hierarchy of Modeling and the Designer’s Modeling Approach, examines Becca’s Hierarchy of Modeling, which is a 10-step process you should repeat every time you perform a SketchUp command. Using this process creates a rhythm your fingers will memorize until it becomes second nature. We also wrap up our review of the basics by going through essential trays (or toolbars).

Chapter 3, Extruding Along Curves and Other Cool Timesavers, explores some awesome tools that are often underutilized because they require a good amount of practice to master. The instructions in this chapter will help ease your fears when using Follow Me, Autofold, Solid Tools, and Intersect Faces.

Chapter 4, Importing and Exporting a Drawing, covers how to import a quick two-dimensional hand sketch, construction document, DWG/DXF CAD file, or Revit file, which designers are frequently given to create their SketchUp designs. When those imports into SketchUp are done, we trace on top of the content to create three-dimensional models. These processes imply a method of refining or enhancing the initial imported elements, creating a more detailed and accurate representation within the SketchUp software.

Chapter 5, Creating the As-Built Floor Plan, walks you through the beginning steps to create architectural elements of a commercial building. That includes creating walls, cutting holes for doors and windows, and constructing stairs. Drawing on axes and using tags are essential parts of this process.

Chapter 6, Building Exterior Elements and Using the Extension Warehouse, shows you how to build a flat roof with a plain parapet, add additional architectural elements to a building’s exterior, and create branding signage using 3D text. This chapter (finally!) introduces you to the Extension Warehouse interface, which has been mentioned in many chapters of the book so far, and covers how to create sections.

Chapter 7, Adding Interior Elements and 3D Warehouse Furnishings, walks you through how to set up CAD elevations in SketchUp and then use the elevations to model custom interior architectural elements, such as pocket doors and intricate trim. In this chapter, we also take a deep dive into 3D Warehouse, discuss the best practices for downloading and importing objects into your model, and introduce Live Components.

Chapter 8, Modeling Furniture – From the Basics to Intricacy, teaches you how to model furniture, starting with a simple coffee table to create a more complex furniture piece, using the manufacturer’s specifications for accuracy. We will also share helpful extensions to model furniture more quickly.

Chapter 9, Applying and Customizing Colors and Materials, introduces SketchUp’s Paint Bucket tool and built-in collections of materials, enabling you to quickly experiment with adding color. Then, we will dive into editing materials directly in SketchUp and introduce creating and working with custom materials.

Chapter 10, Enhancing a Model with Details for Final Presentation, discusses tools and techniques for augmenting and showing a SketchUp model to prepare for a final presentation, including shadows, geo-location, and SketchUp styles.

Chapter 11, Exporting Images and Animations, shows you how to prepare final scenes for presentations, export various quality images, create a simple walkthrough animation in SketchUp using the camera tools and scenes, and correctly set up a SketchUp scene to be exported to scale as a PDF.

Chapter 12, SketchUp LayOut Part I – The Interface, explains the interface of SketchUp LayOut, a second powerful application that users are automatically given when purchasing SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Studio. LayOut is the paper space for SketchUp’s model space or the software to create beautiful presentations or construction documents.

Chapter 13, SketchUp LayOut Part II – Paper Space Content, enables you to experiment with LayOut’s panels and explore its features in the context of paper space. Discover techniques such as stacking viewports and crafting impressive presentations or construction documents.

Chapter 14, Photorealistic Rendering with SU Podium, explores SU Podium, which is an easy-to-use rendering plugin for SketchUp that creates realistic lighting, materials, and reflections for your models. You will learn how to produce a photorealistic rendering using a practice model.

Chapter 15, Tips and Tricks to Up Your SketchUp Game, is loaded with extra juicy tips and tricks that we have learned through the years. The last section of the chapter provides helpful links, books, and courses to explore to continue your education.