LESSON 3-1 : Drawing Shapes: Lines, Rectangles, Polygons, and Circles

Drawing Shapes: Lines, Rectangles, Polygons, and Circles

In this lesson, you’ll see how to create shapes—rectangles, circles, arcs, and so on. Those are the basic shapes you create other shapes from in SketchUp, and learning how to handle each of these is important.

Getting Started

Bear in mind that what you learned about edges and surfaces in the previous lesson applies here. In particular, it’s important to make sure that you don’t draw any edge over any other edge.

TIP: Crossing Edges
If it looks like you have to draw figures that cross edges, such as a line going across a rectangle, don’t. Instead, draw the line up to the rectangle’s edge, then draw a new line inside the rectangle to continue. Always remember: don’t cross edges, because it confuses SketchUp. We’ll see when you can bend this rule later.

Let’s jump in immediately by drawing some lines (that is, edges).

TIP: Selecting a Template
In this and the following lessons, we’re going to be using the Engineering template in SketchUp so that we have no background to get in the way. You’re free to select your own template, of course (see Lesson 2, “Up and Running with SketchUp”), but the Engineering background gives you a clean, empty canvas without any distracting background, so it’s recommended when you’re just starting out in SketchUp.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-2 : Drawing Lines

Drawing Lines

You use the Line tool in SketchUp to draw—edges. Perhaps you thought I was going to say lines, but in fact, the Line tool really draws edges. You can connect those edges when you draw them, creating a closed figure, which, if it all lies in the same plane, SketchUp treats as a figure.

TIP: Drawing Edges
We already have put the Line tool to work drawing a few edges and closing the figure to complete a surface. Take a look at the previous lesson if you want to bone up on edges and surfaces.

Here’s how to use the Line tool to draw an individual edge:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button on the Welcome page.
2. Click the human figure that appears in the Engineering–Feet template by default to select it and press the Del key to delete it.
3. Click the Line tool in the toolbar.
4. Move the mouse to the start point of the new edge you’re about to draw.
5. Press the mouse button. Doing so anchors the edge you’re drawing at that location.
6. Drag the mouse to the end point of the new edge you’re drawing. When you do, a line stretches from the first anchor point to the current location of the mouse.
7. Release the mouse button. When you do, a line appears from the first anchor point to the current location of the mouse, as shown in Figure 3.1.

FIGURE 3.1 A new edge.

That’s it—you’ve just drawn an edge.

TIP: Aligning to Axes
When the line you’re drawing is parallel to an axis, the line changes color to match (red=x axis, green=y axis, blue=z axis). In addition, a ToolTip will appear at the mouse cursor location. Notice also that when you draw, the line will align to other edges as well for your convenience. And if you don’t want them aligned to other edges, just keep dragging the mouse until the line snaps to a new alignment.

Drawing Multiline Shapes

You usually don’t draw just a single edge when you’re using SketchUp; instead, you draw many connected edges.

It’s not hard to draw a new edge connecting to an existing edge in SketchUp. When you’re drawing the new edge and approach any existing edges, you’ll see a red square appear on the existing edge when you’re on that edge. That means that releasing the mouse will connect your new edge to the existing one. When you’re near an end point, a circle colored in green will appear on the existing edge at the end point, and a cyan circle will appear for the midpoint,

TIP: Watch the ToolTips
There’s no need to try to memorize the various red squares and cyan or green circles that appear on edges when you’re connecting other edges to them—ToolTips will also appear, labeled Endpoint, On Edge, and so on.

So although you can connect one edge to another, it’s a little tedious. SketchUp recommends instead that you draw multiple edges all at once, if you can. That way, you can just “connect the dots” to draw a new figure, and SketchUp will keep drawing new edges as long as you move the mouse. Because it realizes you’re drawing multiple edges, SketchUp keeps drawing lines until you tell it to stop by hitting the Esc key.

Here’s how to use the Line tool to draw multiline figures working with the Engineering–Feet template set in the previous task:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and delete the human figure that appears by default.
2. Click the Line tool in the toolbar.
3. Move the mouse to the start point of the new edge you’re about to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse to the end point of the new edge—which is also the start point of the new edge—and click it.
5. Repeat step 5 for all the new edges in your drawing. SketchUp will keep drawing edges between the locations you click in your drawing.
6. Press Esc to make SketchUp stop drawing edges. SketchUp will stop drawing edges, and your multiline figure is complete, as shown in Figure 3.2.

FIGURE 3.2 Drawing a multiline figure.

In this way, SketchUp makes drawing a multi-edge figure easy.

Drawing Measured Lines

You can also tell SketchUp just how long you want your edges to be when you draw them. Note that we are still working with the Engineering–Feet template set in the previous task.

Here’s how to draw measured edges:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
2. Click the Line tool in the toolbar.
3. Move the mouse to the start point of the new edge you’re about to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse toward the end point of the new edge.
5. Enter the length of the new edge. You can enter the following:

• cm to signify centimeters
• m to signify meters
• ' for feet
• " for inches

Thus, for example, 5m means five meters, 5" means five inches, and so on.

6. Press Enter. SketchUp draws the new edge with the length you’ve requested.

Being able to set the length of edges is crucial for engineering and architectural drawings.


Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-3 : Drawing Rectangles

Drawing Rectangles

It takes only two clicks to draw a rectangle in SketchUp. Of course, rectangles are surfaces, so when you’re done drawing one, SketchUp will color it as a surface.

Bear in mind that according to SketchUp rules, no rectangle should ever cross another rectangle or any other edge, for that matter. However, it’s fine to draw a rectangle so that an edge lies on top of an edge from another figure, such as another rectangle.

Here’s how to use the Rectangle tool:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and delete the human figure that appears within the Engineering–Feet template.
2. Click the Rectangle tool in the toolbar (shown in Figure 3.3).
3. Move the mouse to one corner of the new rectangle you’re about to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse to the opposite corner of the rectangle and click it. SketchUp will draw the rectangle, as shown in Figure 3.3.

As you can see, it’s simple to draw rectangles.

FIGURE 3.3 Drawing a rectangle.

TIP: Dragging Rectangles
You can also press the mouse button at one corner of the rectangle and then drag the mouse to the opposite corner, then release the mouse to draw the rectangle. It’s easier to click the mouse once in one corner and then in the opposite corner if you’re creating measured rectangles. See the next task.

Drawing Measured Rectangles

You can also give SketchUp the dimensions you want your rectangle to be as you draw it.

Here’s how to create measured rectangles:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and delete the human figure that appears within the Engineering–Feet template.
2. Click the Rectangle tool in the toolbar.
3. Move the mouse to one corner of the new rectangle you’re about to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse toward the opposite corner of the new rectangle.
5. Enter the dimensions of the new rectangle, separated by commas. You can enter these units:

• cm to signify centimeters
• m to signify meters
• ' for feet
• " for inches.

For example, to draw a rectangle of 5 meters by 6 meters, enter 5m, 6m.

6. Press Enter. SketchUp draws the new rectangle with the length you’ve requested.

Being able to set the dimensions of rectangles is useful for drawing plans, as in engineering and architectural drawings.


Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-4 : Drawing Circles

Drawing Circles

The Circle tool does just as you’d expect; it draws circles. That is, it almost does—in fact, what it does is draw 24-sided polygons by default as circles. You can set the number of sides to anything you want, however.

TIP: The Polygon Tool Versus the Circle Tool
So circles are really polygons in SketchUp, and they default to 24 sides. Interestingly, SketchUp also has a polygon tool, and it defaults to six sides. But if you set the tools to the same number of sides, they draw identical surfaces. So what’s the difference?
The difference comes when you push or pull the circle or polygon into 3D, as we’ll do soon. No matter how many sides it has, a circle will give you cylindrical sides when you pull it into 3D, whereas a polygon will retain the number of sides the face has on the part that’s cylindrical for a circle being dragged into 3D. So if you draw a vertical pillar with a top that’s a circle, the sides of the pillar will be a smooth cylinder. But if the top face of the pillar is a polygon, the sides of the pillar will have the same number of sides as the polygon. That’s the only real difference between circles and polygons (other than the default number of sides for circles is 24, and the default number of sides for polygons is 6).


Here’s how to use the Circle tool:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and delete the human figure that appears within the Engineering–Feet template.
2. Click the Circle tool in the toolbar (shown in Figure 3.4).

FIGURE 3.4 Drawing a circle.

3. Move the mouse to the location of the center of the circle you want to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse to the edge of the circle. SketchUp draws the circle as you move the mouse.
5. Click the mouse. SketchUp draws the circle permanently (unless you erase it, of course).

And that’s it for drawing circles. When a circle has been drawn, it’s a surface, and SketchUp colors it in, as you can see in Figure 3.4.

TIP : Dragging Circles
Just as you can with rectangles, you can also press the mouse button at the center of a circle you want to draw, drag the mouse to the edge of the circle, and then release the mouse to draw a circle. It’s easier to click the mouse once in the center and then on the edge if you’re creating measured circles, however; see the next task.

Drawing Measured Circles

Just as you can with any other figure, you can give SketchUp a size for the circle you’re drawing, as you draw it.

Here’s how to create measured circles:
1. Click the Circle tool in the toolbar.
2. Move the mouse to the location of the center of the circle you want to draw and click the mouse.
3. Move the mouse toward the edge of the new circle.
4. Enter the radius measurement of the new circle. You can enter these units:

• cm to signify centimeters
• m to signify meters
• ' for feet
• " for inches.

For example, to draw a circle with a radius of 5 meters, enter 5m.

5. Press Enter. SketchUp draws the new circle with the radius you’ve requested.

When the circle has been drawn, it’s a surface, as mentioned in the previous task, and SketchUp colors it in.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-5 : Drawing Polygons

Drawing Polygons

You can also draw polygons with SketchUp. Presumably because you can draw polygons with the circle tool (see the task after next), the Polygon tool doesn’t appear on the Getting Started toolbar that we’ve been using, so we’ll have to use the “large” toolbar here to access the Polygon tool.

Here’s how to use the Polygon tool:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
2. Select the View, Toolbars, Large Tool Set menu item. This will open the large vertical toolbar you see on the left in Figure 3.5.

FIGURE 3.5 The large toolset toolbar containing the Polygon tool.

3. Click the Polygon tool in the large toolbar (shown in Figure 3.5).
4. Move the mouse to the location of the center of the polygon you want to draw and click the mouse.
5. Move the mouse to the edge of the polygon.
6. Click the mouse. SketchUp draws the polygon.
You can see an example in Figure 3.6.

FIGURE 3.6 Drawing a polygon.

NOTE : Setting the Number of Polygon Sides
By default, the polygon tool draws six-sided polygons, which might not be what you want—see the task after next to see how to set the number of sides of the polygons you draw.

TIP: Banishing the Large Toolset Toolbar
If you want to get rid of the large toolset toolbar when you’re done with it, just select the View, Toolbars, Large Tool Set menu item again.

Drawing Measured Polygons

Just as you were able with other figures, you can set the size of polygons— which means setting the length of a radius line connecting the center of a polygon to a side so that the connecting line is perpendicular to
the side.

Here’s how to set the size of polygons:
1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
2. Select the View, Toolbars, Large Tool Set menu item. This will open the large toolset’s vertical toolbar.
3. Click the Polygon tool in the large toolbar.
4. Move the mouse to the location of the center of the polygon you want to draw and click the mouse.
5. Move the mouse toward the edge of the new polygon.
6. Enter the radius measurement of the new polygon. You can enter these units:

• cm to signify centimeters
• m to signify meters
• ' for feet
• " for inches.

For example, to draw a polygon with a radius of 5 meters, enter 5m.

7. Press Enter. SketchUp draws the new polygon with the radius you’ve requested.

When the polygon has been drawn, it’s a surface, and SketchUp colors it in.

Setting the Number of Sides of Circles or Polygons

By default, the Polygon tool draws polygons of six sides, and the circle tool draws “circles” of 24 sides. But you may need a triangle. So how do you set the number of sides of a figure as you’re drawing it?

Follow these steps to set the number of sides of a circle or polygon:

1. If necessary, select the View, Toolbars, Large Tool Set menu item.
2. Click the Polygon or Circle tool. The mouse cursor will change to a pencil with a small six-sided polygon or a circle to indicate you’re using the Polygon or Circle tool.
3. Move the mouse to the location of the center of the polygon or circle you want to draw and click the mouse.
4. Move the mouse toward the edge of the polygon or circle. SketchUp draws the polygon or circle as you move the mouse.
5. Type s followed by a number to set the number of sides; for example, typing s3 will create triangles.
6. Move the mouse to the edge of the polygon or circle. SketchUp draws the polygon or circle with the number of sides as you move the mouse.
7. Click the mouse. SketchUp draws the polygon or circle and colors it in as a new surface. You can see an example in Figure 3.7.

FIGURE 3.7 Drawing a polygon with three sides.

Note that you can use this technique with both the Polygon and Circle tools. The only difference between these two is when you push or pull the figure into 3D (as explained earlier in the “Drawing Circles” task).

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-6 : Orienting Shapes

Orienting Shapes

By default, when you draw a shape over another shape, the new shape takes the same orientation as the old. So, for example, the circle in Figure 3.8 is drawn by SketchUp to align with the rectangle that’s already there.

FIGURE 3.8 A circle aligned with a rectangle.

However, you can set the orientation yourself, defeating SketchUp’s default orientations. To do that, draw a figure away from any other figure, using the orientation you want, such as creating a horizontal circle. While creating the new figure, press and hold the Shift key. Then draw the figure you want on the surface you want and the figure will retain the orientation of the figure you drew while you started to hold down the Shift key.

In this way, you can orient figures as you want them, despite the orientation of the underlying shape, as shown in Figure 3.9, where we’ve drawn a horizontal circle over the vertical rectangle (we drew the horizontal circle at right to show SketchUp the orientation we want, and held the Shift key down as we drew that first horizontal circle to hold the orientation for the second horizontal circle, drawn over the vertical rectangle).

FIGURE 3.9 A new circle with a custom alignment.

Thanks :

Steven Holzner,

SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-7 : Getting Information About Shapes

Getting Information About Shapes

You can get information about shapes in SketchUp, such as the shape’s area and number of sides. Just follow these steps:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button. Click the human figure that appears in the Engineering–Feet template by default to select it and press the Delete key to delete it.
2. Draw a shape.
3. Right-click the shape and select the Entity Information menu item. When you do, you get an information box showing information about the shape, as shown in Figure 3.10.

FIGURE 3.10 Getting shape information.

4. To get information about the edge of the shape, click the Select tool in the toolbar while the Information dialog box is open, then click the edge of the shape. When you do, the information box changes, showing information about the shape’s edge, as shown in Figure 3.11.

TIP: Changing a Shape’s Size or Number of Edges
You can edit the information in a shape’s Information box, changing the shape itself. For example, you can change the number of edges a polygon has by entering a new number in the Segments box and pressing Enter.

FIGURE 3.11 Getting information about the edge of a shape.

Thanks :

Steven Holzner,

SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 3-8 : Saving Your Work

Saving Your Work

Now that you’ve been creating shapes, it’s time to see how to save your work:

1. Select the File menu’s Save As menu item. SketchUp opens a Save As dialog box. Enter the name of the file you want to save your work in the Filename box. Note that SketchUp files use the .skp extension.

2. Navigate to the directory where you want to save your file. Use the standard clickable folders that appear in the dialog box.

3. Click the Save button in the dialog box. Your file is saved and the dialog box disappears.

When you’re working and want to save your work at some point after having created a file following the previous steps, select the File menu’s Save menu item.


Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes