Sketchup Tutorial Part 3 - Understanding the Basic

preference setting that boost up your speeed in Sketchup  

Previously, in part 1 and 2, we have covered how to setting up your Toolbars and Styles in Sketchup. In this tutorial, I will show my preference setting in Sketchup which I think it is efficient. It is only my preference setting that I come up with after the trials and fails. It is suitable for me and I think it is efficient when you are modeling in Sketchup. However, everyone have their own preference settings that works for themselves. So this is just giving you an idea if you don't have any preference setting not just yet.

In this tutorial, we are going to cover

1. Preference Settings
2. Toolbar Settings

Software that we are using: Sketchup 2015
(Sketchup 8.0 or below have similar interface so you shouldn't have any issue with following the tutorial)

Preference Settings

We will cover how to change measuring units, locations, and use it as template

Setting up the Location 

1. Drag down the existing Toolbars (IMG. 1)

1. Clck and hold with your left mouse button
2. Drag your Toolbar as the IMG.1
3.  You will see the name of this Toolbar is called  "It is Getting Started"   
4. Close the Getting Started Toolbar (It really sounds like we all newb lol)

It will be looks like this after you close up the "Getting Started" Toolbar

2. From your pull down menu

• Window > Model Info

Click "Geo-location" (Location)

Two options are available

1. Geographic Location

2. Advanced Settings

The primary reason to setting up the location is 

1. Shadow study 

2. Import Google Earth site image into the Sketchup

Some people do not need to setup the location if you are using Sketchup just to learn (just set it up to your location for now).

Some professionals might already have clear idea where the model should be located. If so, setup the location so you get the shadows that corresponding to the location. 

It won't be big of deal if you want to skip this step. You can always able setup the location anytime.setup the location or not in Sketchup.

Geo-location is for you to grab the site image from Google Sketchup

Putting Location to where you located in or specific location for your project

Now, you can grab the image that you wanted to imported in to Sketchup

Imported the image into Sketchup. You can see the Current location setting in the Model info

As I have mentioned. It is not required for you to setup the location. But it is recommended. 

Setting up the Measuring Units

1. Model Info > Units 

Change to Decimal and Inches (Prefer Milliliter if you are in Asia).  

Uncheck Length snapping and Angle snapping (we will go over further details in later tutorial)

We just finished up with Model info setting so you can close up the Model info setting box from your Sketchup.

 

Now let's save our setting. 

File > Save As Template

If your Sketchup Version doesn't have Save As Template, use Save As

 

Name your Template and add description if it is needed. [Check the box] if you want the Template to be used whenever you open up the Sketchup.

If you are using Sketchup that does not have Save As Template:

File > Save As 

and save your template file to 

C:/Program Files (x86)/Google SketchUp 8/Templates

Now, Let's check that we created the Template correctly. 

• Window > Preferences

Setting up the Toolbars

1. Window > Preferences  

Click Extensions and Make sure Advanced Camera Tools, Dynamic Components, Sandbox Tools, and Photo Textures

2. View > Toolbars  

Select all the boxes that is been checked

Click Option and Check the boxes as the Image (We don't need to click on Large Icon if you are comfortable with the Sketchup and maximize your work space.

This is my Toolbars layout. We will have similar to this or little bit different. You can follow my layout or you can create your own layout. Check our Sketchup Tutorial Part 1 - 2 for layout tips for Sketchup

So this is it for Today's Skecthup Tutorial. Pretty easy right? 

Today, we covered in Sketchup

1. Preference Settings
2. Toolbar Settings

In Next Tutorial, we will be continuing with shortcut key Setting. 

Thank you for reading!

-Rendering-Studio-