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 tothe 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
