Book Image

Getting Started with SketchUp Pro

By : David S. Sellers
Book Image

Getting Started with SketchUp Pro

By: David S. Sellers

Overview of this book

Owing to its ability to create models quickly and with high level of dimensional accuracy, SketchUp Pro has become a popular choice for many industries, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and video game design. If you are seeking to adopt Trimble's exceptional design software, Getting Started with SketchUp Pro serves as an ideal primer to prepare and equip you for its use. This book will help you lay the foundation of a project from scratch, set up appropriate units, and follow a guided path to structure your 3D models. You’ll explore the workflows used for creating designs from sketches, making CAD drawings (DWG), and even updating your existing 3D models. Finally, you’ll work with extensions and 3D Warehouse to find new workflows and models to add to your skill set. By the end of this SketchUp book, you’ll be able to confidently create and share models of your design through CAD drawings and 3D views, and even take them online through the 3D Warehouse
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1 – User Interface and Beginning Modeling!
7
Part 2 – Views, Animations, and Materials
11
Part 3 – Advanced Modeling and Model Organization
12
Chapter 9: Entity Info, Outliner, and Tags Dynamically Organize Your Models
13
Chapter 10: Model Info and Preferences

The Follow Me Tool

The Follow Me tool works very similarly to the Push/Pull tool in that it extrudes and cuts Geometry using a defined Face. However, the Follow Me tool adds a layer of complexity to the workflow because it “follows” an Edge or connected series of Edges. Where the Push/Pull tool was limited only to the perpendicular direction, Follow Me allows SketchUp to create complex 3D shapes, including sweeps, revolves, and corner detailing, such as cornices and chamfers. The Follow Me tool is the best way to quickly create curved 3D shapes using the default SketchUp Pro toolset. The Follow Me tool is represented by a curved 3D arrow inside of a swept shape:

Figure 5.77: Follow Me Tool Button

The Follow Me tool does not have a keyboard shortcut but can be activated by clicking on any of the Follow Me tool buttons. The Follow Me tool relies on two parts of the model’s Geometry: a Face used as a profile and a path. The profile can be...