SketchUp Free is the online and free to use version of SketchUp 3D modeling software. It is used for architecture and interior design, landscape design, and product design.
About this Class
This manual serves as a reference for nearly every tool and skill in SketchUp Free, and is a great way for students to dip their toe in the water before purchasing a paid SketchUp license.
To open SketchUp Free, navigate to the SketchUp Free page and select "Start Modeling." Here you will be prompted to create a Trimble account to use SketchUp. You can log in with Gmail to your wisc account, or use whatever email you feel like.
After creating your account you will be brought to the SketchUp homepage. This is where all of your projects are stored.
Creating a New Project
To create a new SketchUp project, in the homepage select Create New > Simple Template - Feet and Inches. You can always change your units of measurement later. See Model Info for more details.
The SketchUp Workspace
Home
This is where you can name, save, and export your project, as well as undo and redo actions. More options can be found under the sandwich menu(three lines)
SketchUp Workspace
SketchUp automatically autosaves every 5 minutes. The autosave settings can be changed in App Settings.
Toolbar
The Toolbar holds all 40 tools that can be used in SketchUp. There are only 12 visible tools, but certain tools can be expanded to reveal related tools.
Status Bar
The Status Bar is the panel located at the bottom of the SketchUp Free workspace. It contains the Help menu, language preferences, instructions for the selected tool, and the Value Control Box.
Value Control Box
The Value Control Box(VCB) can be used to input specific measurements and distances when creating or altering a shape. Simply type in your measurements using ' for feet and " for inches(ex: 5'6"), then press enter. For shapes that require multiple measurements, put a comma between each measurement(ex: 5',4'6") before pressing enter.
Panels
There are different panels to organize, customize, and enhance your model, and they will be covered throughout this manual. The panels are labeled as follows:
The Outliner and Solid Inspector panels are only available in paid versions of SketchUp. See SketchUp Free vs. Paid for more info.
Status Bar
The status bar shows information that is relevent to the current tool. For additional information on the current tool, the Instructor panel provides more detailed instructions, as well as the application of modifier keys.
Helen
Helen is a component in SketchUp that serves as a scale figure to remind the user of the size of their project as it compares to a 5'2 woman.
Mouse Functions
Working in SketchUp requires moving around the workspace in three dimensions, which can be difficult to manage at first. Take your time practicing these tools for as long as you need to get comfortable in SketchUp.
Orbit
Orbit Tool
Use the orbit tool to rotate around the workspace. TIP- when in the orbit tool, hold the shift key to temporarily switch to the pan tool.
Pan
Pan Tool
Use the pan tool to move across the workspace.
Zoom
Zoom Tool
You can zoom in sketchUp at any time by scrolling(two finger scroll on mac or trackpad), or use the zoom tool to scroll with your cursor.
If you ever end up lost in your workspace and can't find your project, navigate to the Scenes panel and select the Top View(center option) then the Front View(bottom middle option). If you still can't see anything you may be too far zoomed in or out, make sure to zoom until you can properly see Helen.
2D Concepts
All models in SketchUp, from the simplest chair to the most complicated building, are made of lines and faces. An edge is a line that is adjacent to 2+ faces. SketchUp is a 3D modeling software, which means that it works in three dimensions, X, Y, and Z, represented in SketchUp by the red, blue, and green axis, respectively. When creating a line or shape, the cursor will sometimes change color to reflect which axis the shape will lie on. Pay attention to this.
Remember that the Value Control Box can be used to input specific measurements when using any tool.
Line
Line Tool
Click where the line should begin and click again to end the line, or click and drag the line to the intended endpoint. SketchUp will keep the last point selected for ease of creating shapes. Close a shape or press the escape(esc) key to release the line tool.
Rectangle
Rectangle Tool
Click to set one corner of the rectangle, then drag across the intended plane and click again to finish the rectangle.
Circle
Circle Tool
Click in the intended center of the circle, then drag to expand. To make the edges of the circle more smooth, type in a number(50+) after the circle tool is selected but before creating the circle.
Polygon
Polygon Tool
Click in the intended center of the polygon, then drag to expand. To change the number of sides, type in the desired number and press enter after the polygon tool is selected but before creating the polygon.
Circles vs. Polygons
SketchUp models are made from lines and faces. This means that circles are represented by a polygon with many faces. What makes a circle in SketchUp different is that when exporting a SketchUp project to a format that supports actual circles(polygons with infinitely many sides), SketchUp “circles” will be converted to true circles. (To make circles appear more smooth in SketchUp, See: Circle Tool).
Arc
There are four different types of arcs.
Arc
Arc
Click to place the protractor, click again at the starting point of the arc, then click to end the arc.
Two Point Arc
Two Point Arc
Click the start and end points for the arc, then move the cursor to create a curve between the points.
Three Point Arc
Three Point Arc
Click to place the starting point, then click to determine the radius, then again to end the arc.
Pie
Pie Tool
The pie tool works like the arc tool, except it creates a filled in “pie slice” shape rather than a curved line. Click to place the protractor, click again at the starting point of the arc, then again to end the arc and close the pie.
Freehand
Freehand Tool
The freehand tool creates freehand drawings, and is useful for organic shapes. To use, scribble away!
Three-Dimensional Concepts
Push-Pull
Push-Pull Tool
Use the push pull tool to bring a two dimensional shape into three dimensions. Click and drag the face that you would like to extend.
Softening Round Edges
Softening Round Edges
In SketchUp, circles are really just polygons with a lot of sides. You can make circles and other curved shapes appear more smooth by adding more sides(see: Circle Tool).
3D Text
3D Text
To create 3D Text, select the 3D text tool. Enter your text, then choose from five default fonts. Set the height, and check "text filled" for the text to be extruded. The 3D Text tool is useful for street numbers on houses and business names on commercial buildings.
Entity Info
The Entity Info panel provides useful information about the currently selected object. The area of a single face or the volume of a 3D object(must be grouped to show volume) can prove very useful in a detailed project.
Basic Modifications
Selection
To select an object, click and drag across the intended selection.
Selection Direction
Drag from left to right to only include lines/faces that are fully enclosed in the selection window, or drag from right to left to include lines and faces that are partially selected.
Adding to a Selection
To add to a selection, hold the shift key and select more objects, either by dragging or clicking. Selecting objects that were already part of the selection will remove them.
Move
Move Tool
To move an object, click and drag the object to its intended destination. To make a copy and leave the original, hold the option key while moving.
Erase
Erase Tool
Drag the erase tool along shapes to be erased, or make a selection and use the delete key.
Rotate
Rotate Tool
To rotate an object, click to place the axis of rotation(the point around which the object will rotate). Then move the cursor out and click to select the starting point of the rotation. Move the cursor and click when the object is sufficiently rotated. Like with the move tool, holding the option key will create a copy.
Scale
Scale Tool
To scale, click and drag a grip to scale across the opposite grip. To scale from the center, hold the option key.
Offset
Offset Tool
The offset tool can be used to easily and evenly offset a shape. Select a shape, then click and drag to the desired thickness. Or, to input a specific thickness, type the intended value and hit Enter. This is very useful for creating walls.
Hiding and Unhiding
To hide an object, right click and select ‘hide.’ Unhiding takes a few more steps. Navigate to the display panel, then opt to show hidden objects. At this point, the object is still technically hidden, right click it again and select unhide. You can now opt out of showing hidden objects. Hiding objects is useful for when you need to see certain parts of an object that would obscured otherwise.
Locking and Unlocking
To lock an object, right click and select ‘lock.’ Now the object cannot be window selected or altered until it is unlocked. To unlock, right click and select ‘unlock.’ Locking is useful for when you need to make sure you don't edit a certain part of your project accidentally.
Model Info
The Model Info panel houses the unit settings for your project. Here you can switch from inches to centimeters, as well as change the precision of your project. Tired of moving your mouse painstakingly slowly to ensure your rectangle is 5' long instead of 4' 15/16"? Try switching your precision to 1" or 1/2".
Groups and Components
Grouping
Grouping objects makes selection within a large project more manageable. If you want to be able to easily edit an object that will be touching anything else, make it a group. To group, select the intended object(s), then right click and select ‘make group’.
Multiple Stages of Grouping
With projects of higher complexity, it might be convenient to group together multiple groups. Simply select the groups and ‘make group.’
Ungrouping
To ungroup, right click on the group and select ‘ungroup.’ To ungroup groups within a group, this will need to be done again on each individual group.
Components
Components are slightly different from groups in that if you edit a component, every copy of that component will change. This is useful for repeated elements in a project, like doors or windows.
The Component Panel
The component panel contains all components in the project. There the components can be edited or deleted, and new iterations of the component can be added to the project. (Remember, if changes are made to a component, every copy of that component will change as well.)
Creating Components
To make a component, select and right click the intended component, then choose ‘make component.’ You will then be prompted to name the component and choose certain specifications. These can be changed later in the component panel.
Tags
Tags are a higher level of organization in SketchUp. Tags make it easier to avoid editing the wrong object. They are also helpful for when you want to hide a large part of a project, like the exterior of a house. Tags are different from simply hiding and unhiding objects because there is no need to select the object(s) you intend to hide. If they are already under in a specific tag, you can hide them all at once easily.
Creating Tags
To create a tag, navigate to the tag panel and click the plus(+) icon. Click the pencil icon next to a tag to make it the current active tab.
Tags vs. Layers in 2D Software
If you are familiar with 2D design software like Photoshop or Illustrator, tags might be confusing because they are similar but different to layers. Because we are in a 3D space, changing the order of layers will not move them to the front or back of your workspace. But other uses of layers (deciding between two options, keeping different parts of a project separate) are still very relevant and doable with tags.
Scenes and Animation
A scene saves the current perspective that you are viewing the project in, as well as the current display settings. Scenes can be used to create animations that shift from one scene to the next. This is useful for walkthroughs of building/home models like those used in home improvement shows.
Scenes can be made in the Views panel, which already has 9 default views: top, side, 3/4, etc.
Creating Scenes
To create a scene, rotate, pan, and zoom to the desired position, then under the Views panel, click the plus(+) icon.
Updating Scenes and Scene Settings
The display settings in a scene can be set differently from the current model settings. …Select the refresh icon (rotating arrows next to the plus icon) to update a scene’s settings.
Creating Animations
Create scenes and arrange them in the order you would like them to appear, from top to bottom. Press the play button to move through the scenes.
Tags in Amimation
Tags are useful for animations because each scene can be set to only show specific tags. This means that a home could be shown first without furniture, then with different furniture options. Or, when showcasing complex pieces of machinery, exterior parts could be hidden scene by scene to reveal the interior.
Exporting Animations with SketchUp Studio
SketchUp Free does not support exporting animations. If you need to export an animation for a SketchUp assignment, you will have to download a free trial of a premium version of Sketchup. Here are the steps you need to take:
Save your SketchUp project as a .skp file.
Open
Continue as a student using SketchUp for higher education purposes.
Log into your Trimble account.
Navigate to "My Products." There you should see your free trial you just activated.
Under "Included Applications you will see SketchUp Pro, click the link and download SketchUP Pro 2020.
Once you install SketchUp Pro, you will be prompted to log in to your Trimble account again. Make sure you log in to the same account that you activated your free trial with.
Once you have opened SketchUp Pro, select "Open file" and open the .skp project that you saved before.
Select File > Export > Animation. A dialogue box will appear. If working in MacOS you might also have to select a "Video" option.
Under Options, you can change the resolution, frame rate, etc. to fit your project specifications.
Choose the required video file type and select Export to render the animation.
If you have already used a free trial of SketchUp Studio, there is no shame in creating a new Trimble account for another trial. If it's for school I'm sure SketchUp will understand.
Beyond the Basics
Textures and Materials
Materials are a useful way to add realism to any project.
Importing Materials
To import a material, navigate to file: insert and select a PNG file to import as a material. SketchUp will then ask you to scale the material. Click and drag across the surface you will be working on to the size that one unit of the material should be. Copies will automatically be created around that. Now the new material will appear in the material menu and can be applied to faces with the paint bucket tool.
Applying Materials
Select the paint bucket tool, then choose from hundreds of default materials. Click on faces or objects to apply your chosen texture.
Or, select the object(s) to be colored, then select a material from the materials panel to apply it.
Styles
Styles are like handwriting, adding a unique touch to projects by changing the texture and color of lines and shading. To apply a style, navigate to the style panel and select a premade style that suits your needs.
3D Warehouse
The 3D Warehouse contains free to use models created by artists and designers from around the world. Whether it’s a candle, a doorknob, or a stove, models from the 3D Warehouse can add subtle but important details to a project that would otherwise be too time consuming to create on your own. (Note: if making a project for a class, check with the instructor to see if non-original components are allowed)
Importing Floor Plans
To import a floor plan navigate to insert-->my computer, then select the image to be imported. Place it and make it any size(we can fix it later). Note: We recommend putting floor plans in a different tag so they can be hidden later.
Scaling Floor Plans
To scale a floor plan, use the line tool to create a reference line the distance of some wall in your floor plan (ie: a wall is supposed to be 5 ft long, make a line that is actually 5 ft long) You can use the dimension tool to remember the length of the line. Now, scale the floor plan until the reference line is the same length as the line it is meant to match.
Follow Me
Follow Me
The follow me tool can be used to assign a uniform design around the perimeter of an object. A simple curve can round the edge of a cube, or a complicated squiggle can add crown molding to a wall. Create a 3D object, draw an arc along one corner of the object. Select the top of that object, then select the follow me tool and apply it to the space inside the arc.
Measuring and Labeling
Tape Measure
To use the tape measure tool, click and drag across the surface you would like to measure to see its length.
Dimension Tool
The dimension tool works like a tape measure and a text label, displaying the specific length of a line.
Text Labels
Text labels can be used to mark faces and edges, or any other importand details.
Section Plane
To create a section section, click and drag to make a rectangle the size of the intended section. This section can then be moved with the move tool to show the interior of your project.
Protractor
The protractor tool measures angles, and works similarly to the arc tool. Click to place the protractor, click again at the starting point of the arc, then click to end the arc. Only this time it will display the angle of the arc, rather than drawing an arc.
Axes
The axes tool is used to move the x, y, and z axes of the workspace. Click to place the point of origin, then again to choose the direction for the red(x) axis, then finally to choose the direction of the green(z) axis.
Display
The Display Panel contains detailed settings for fog and shadows, as well as controls to toggle the visibility of hidden objects, hidden geometry, and more.
Saving and Exporting
To save your project for the first time, select Untitled > SketchUp. Enter the name for your project and click "Save Here." You can also create folders to organize your projects. Now your project has been saved to your Trimble account. SketchUp autosaves every 5 minutes, so you will not have to save often after this.
To export your SketchUp project, navigate to file(three horizontal lines) > export then choose your file format. The most common is .SKP, a SketchUp file. But other formats that have broader applications are useful as well.
SketchUp Free vs. Paid Versions
In this manual, we are working with SketchUp Free, but what we have learned is still very relevant to the other, paid versions of SketchUp.
There are 5 different versions of Sketchup: SketchUp Studio, SketchUp Pro, SketchUp Shop, and SketchUp Free. Because SketchUp Studio(the most advanced SketchUp license) has a ~95% discount for students and educators, there is no point in considering acquiring a license for SketchUp Pro or SketchUp Shop.
SketchUp Free
FREE
Web only(web based + active internet connection required)
For personal use only(cannot be used to generate income)
Comes with 10gb cloud storage
SketchUp Studio
SketchUp Studio is the name for a bundle of software included under one license. This bundle includes SketchUp Pro, Sefaira, Style Builder, LayOut, and multiple SketchUp viewers for different VR setups. Visit to see a full list of the SketchUp Studio features for students and educators. Listed below are a few differences from SketchUp Free.
$55/yr for students and educators, $1099/yr otherwise
Supports more file types than SketchUp Free
For personal and professional use(can be used to generate income)
Unlimited cloud storage
Downloading a Free Trial
The following steps explain how to activate and access a one month free trial of SketchUp Studio:
Open
Continue as a student using SketchUp for higher education purposes.
Log into your Trimble account.
Navigate to "My Products." There you should see your free trial you just activated.
Under "Included Applications you will see SketchUp Pro, click the link and download SketchUP Pro 2020.
Once you install SketchUp Pro, you will be prompted to log in to your Trimble account again. Make sure you log in to the same account that you activated your free trial with.
