Planning a Woodworking Project Using Sketchup Pro

You work with wood. You want to plan your next woodworking project using Sketchup. What an excellent idea! Woodworking plans in Sketchup come with a huge repository of Sketchup woodworking extensions. With many of its Sketchup woodworking plans free, it’s easy to create stunning, accurate Sketchup woodworking models that are accurate, easy to understand, and reveal the exact amount of materials you need to complete the job in the real world. Read on to find out about why you’d be crazy not to test-drive woodworking with Sketchup, how to draw woodworking plans, where to find woodworking plans and more. Read on to make your woodworking life easier than ever before. It’s fun, too!

How to Use Sketchup for Woodworking

SketchUp is a popular 3D modelling computer program. It’s used for a very wide range of drawing and design applications including architecture, interior design, industrial and product design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, film and theatre, and video gaming. Woodworking plans in Sketchup is a popular use for the tool.

It makes it easy and fun to create every kind of 2d and 3d object and layout.

There’s an enormous Warehouse full of ready-made 3d objects to download for free and play with. Many are actually available to buy in real-world shops. Plus lots of woodworking plans for Sketchup, all freely available. A simple French workbench, a saw vise, a boarded chest and more.  

How about Sketchup woodworking models? A particularly effective 3d modelling software for woodworking, it is widely recognised by many as the best cad software for woodworking projects. Along with the 3D Warehouse there’s a multitude of excellent learning resources and tutorials to tap into as well as a variety of licences to suit every circumstance.

Designing woodworking with Sketchup helps you visualise a project accurately, thinking through and pre-building before tackling them in real life. It costs a lot less than experimenting using real materials in the shop, with no waste wood and the ability to design infinite alternatives. It’s designed to make you more productive in no time. And once you know the basics it leaves you to get on with things, a lovely clear way to work. When you want to measure twice, cut once, it’s perfect. It delivers the ultimate form of measurement, rich in detail and always precise.  

There’s even a load of very cool Sketchup woodworking extensions, Sketchup’s word for ‘plugins’, basically little bits of software that enhance the basic functions of Sketchup and let you do more in all sorts of inspiring ways. Added together they make a woodworker’s life a whole lot easier.

 

  •         There’s no need to build mockups – 3d modelling takes care of that

  •         Sketchup is great for both Sketching and evaluating ideas digitally

  •         Digital pictures can be imported and used as the basis for 3D reproduction plans

  •         You can view and assess your designs from any angle and modify designs without wasting wood

  •         High accuracy drawings, plans, and cut lists

  •         You can easily experiment with changing materials, for example wood grains, to see what different finishes look like

  •         Perfect for both woodworking professionals and hobbyists.

 

If you’d like to get cracking, download the free version of Sketchup and install it. There’s a link at the bottom of this article.

How to Make Woodworking Plans in Sketchup

What are woodworking plans? A woodworking plan is a pre-drafted set of instructions to make a 3d object in wood. It contains all the insight, facts and actions needed to complete the project, along with the exact amount of materials you’ll need. Where to find woodworking plans? There are some great pre-drafted Sketchup woodworking plans free from the 3D warehouse.. How to draw woodworking plans? Here’s how to create woodworking plans in Sketchup step-by-step. It’s easy to get familiar with Sketchup fast, and you should find it a pleasure to learn.  

 

  •         If you haven’t done it already, download and install Sketchup

  •         Define the project’s dimensions using the ‘woodworking inches’ template

  •         Go to the drawing area in Sketchup

  •         Sketch the furniture design in Sketchup

  •         Add textures

  •         Check your dimensions are accurate

  •         Once it’s complete, simply convert your 3D model design into a 2d drawing using the Layout tool, which lets you create 2D woodworking plans

 

Layout lets you add notes to a design for partners, clients and other stakeholders to explore, which means your project moves ahead faster. The materials, lengths and details are clearly communicated to reveal your intentions accurately and support the work of builders and interior designers. And it’s super-easy to explain even the most complex and intricate details on just one page, in the right real-world scale.

Woodworking Plans with Sketchup

Making woodworking designs and plans in Sketchup saves woodworkers time and money, taking the hassle out of the process and minimising the risk of any mistakes sneaking past the design stage into real life. If you’d like to test-drive it for yourself there’s a free 7 day download of the Pro version to play with. You can also test v-ray for Sketchup at no cost, creating stunning 3d renderings of your designs to make friends and influence people. You can even go explore our large collection of learning resources, including tutorials.

sketchup education overview

About Elmtec

Elmtec have been the UK distribution partner for SketchUp since 2010, and service a network of UK and Irish resellers. We have over 22 years’ experience within the digital design community.

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